Fresh air, fresh look, Rocky Reef Brewing enhances outdoor space

The Woodruff brewery recently paved its parking lot, adding full-length overhang

Rocky Reef Brewing Company, located at 1101 1st Ave. in the Town of Woodruff, recently paved its parking lot and is completing work on a full-length overhang, with an expected completion by the Fourth of July. Submitted Photo

Rich Palzewic

Staff

June 8, 2026

WOODRUFF – Ever since opening Rocky Reef Brewing Company in 2015, Co-owner Christie Smith said she and her husband, Tyler, have aimed to invest funds back into the brewery every year.

Many times, Smith said that is through bigger projects that cost a “decent amount of money.”

“Some of those past investments have come in the form of an additional [brewing] tank and an addition to the canning line,” she said.

This year, Smith said it was time to repave the parking lot and enhance the outdoor space of the brewery located at 1101 1st Ave. in the Town of Woodruff.

“We are good for now in [the brewing] area, but we’ve been meaning to repave our parking lot for the longest time,” she said. “It had random sinkholes, so we pulled the trigger on that.”

Wanting to create a more inviting outdoor space for the brewery and add permanent structures, Smith said repaving the parking lot was the natural first step.

Once the lot was completed, she said they went to work on the building itself.

“We used to have a tiny white overhang with lights off the front of the building,” she said. “We tore all of that out, and we’re extending a covered area out with big cedar posts and cool ambient lighting. It’s going to go across the whole building, instead of just partially.”

Eventually, Smith said she and Tyler want to build a stage and add fire pits to the outdoor space.

“We hope to have the new overhang done by the Fourth of July,” she said. “So far, everyone has been really excited about what we’re doing. They enjoy seeing the progress. Everybody wants to sit outside in the summer, so that’s why it makes sense to do the updates.”

Since first appearing in the July 7, 2025 issue of The Business News, Smith said the brewery has continued to see steady growth.

“We went through some staffing changes, but now we’re rocking and rolling on all four cylinders,” she said.

For more information on Rocky Reef, visit rockyreefbrewing.com or its Facebook page.

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