Drift Prairie Brewing to Open New Community Space in Jamestown

Very soon, Jamestown residents will see the opening of a home-grown, community business. With an estimated grand opening in 2023, Drift Prairie Brewing will be located in the Jamestown Sun building. 

With the expansion of the Jamestown community, there’s been a demand for local businesses, restaurants, and indoor recreation locations. In addition, millennials specifically are moving into the region, and as a group, millennials have a measured interest in craft beer. Addressing both of these needs, the co-founders of Drift Prairie Brewing are creating a community space unique to the Jamestown local scene. Merging their passions and skills, they decided a brewery would be the perfect fit for Jamestown’s current needs. 

Drift Prairie’s Beginnings Reflect Community 

The idea for the brewery began with a vision shared by six Jamestown families. The co-founders all individually realized there was more need for recreational local spaces. Eventually, separate conversations led to collective conversations between the families, resulting in the group purchasing brewery equipment and a property. 

Nick Bruns, co-owner of Grainline Investments and a co-founders of Drift Prairie Brewing, was initially driven to pursue a brewery by his real-estate experience. After his passion for local real-estate led to conversations within the broader community, he realized that the brewery was a shared desire within the community. Bruns states that the brewery is meant to provide community connection, and the founders are even thinking of additional activities to the brewery to promote indoor recreation. In an interview with News Dakota, Bruns states, “This space is for the community of Jamestown. We want people to be excited about being able to get together and have that time. One of the things we’ve discussed is having a mini-golf course indoors.”

The co-founders are also exploring adding non-alcoholic items to the menu to ensure that the priority is community connection. Bruns states, “Recently we discussed what it looks like to have coffee there. This space isn’t just about what you consume, it’s about who you’re there with, and the community you get to have in that space.” Reflective of the close-knit nature of the Jamestown community, the co-founders hope to keep the brewery family-owned and pursue partnerships with other local businesses. 

Drift Prairie Brewing Brings Business to Jamestown

According to Corry Shevlin, JSDC business development director, there’s state-wide assistance available in North Dakota for Drift Prairie Brewing. “Depending on how they set up the operation, adding value to agricultural products … if they sold some of their feedstock from inside North Dakota, there is going to be some opportunities for incentives there. A majority of those come down in the form of a grant and don't require a local match, which is fantastic.”

Supporting businesses like Drift Prairie Brewing Company, the residents and officials of Jamestown prioritize new initiatives and spaces. Whether the business is in manufacturing, agriculture, culinary arts, recreation or healthcare, Jamestown is a community that will support a variety of businesses. Look at our community snapshot to learn more about how Jamestown supports various industries and small businesses.