April 4, 2025

The annual Downtown Sioux Falls Mash Madness competition expanded this year — which means more winners were announced today.

The ninth annual craft brewery competition recognized a craft beer winner along with champions in craft cocktails and craft nonalcoholic drinks.

“To boost that foot traffic in typically a slower time of year is so important to DTSF and to support these small businesses,” said Brandon Hanson, CEO of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

There were 7,500 drinks sold, “which is way up from last year,” Hanson said. “The breweries took about half of that.”

The competition created almost $300,000 in estimated economic impact for downtown, he added.

The winners are:

Craft beer: Remedy Brewing Co. with Huckleberry Heaven: “A divine combination of huckleberries, vanilla, graham cracker and cheesecake mix make this mouthwatering sour ale a treat to enjoy. Bursting with fruit flavor this decadent dessert inspired beer is sure to please!”

Craft cocktail: Lucky’s with Key Lime Pie-jito: “A classic delicious dessert transformed into a smooth cocktail with vibrant citrus flavor, with a hint of cream that brings it all together.”

Craft nonalcoholic: Perch with Pandan Cloud: “A bold, refreshing fusion of flavors inspired by Southeast Asian coffee traditions. We start with smooth, small-batch Cottonwood Coffee cold brew, sweeten it with fragrant lemongrass syrup and creamy coconut condensed milk and top it with a dreamy pandan coconut cold foam — light, luscious and just a little tropical. With surprising notes of caramel corn from the pandan layered amongst the floral and grassy tones, this drink is rich, refreshing and delightfully unexpected. And yes, it’s vegan!”

Four breweries competed in the craft beer category, 19 bars competed in craft cocktails and eight restaurants, including coffee shops, competed in the nonalcoholic category.

The contest ran the month of March. Like the Downtown Burger Battle, participants voted using the DTSF app. Categories include aroma, balance of taste and flavor, creativity, overall beverage experience and “Would you order this drink again?”

This year’s competition was sponsored by high-speed fiber internet provider Bluepeak.