LAUREL — Laurel's only brewery, High Plains Brewing, has announced it will soon close, as breweries across the country grapple with declining beer demand.
High Plains Brewery, located on Main Street, has been a fixture in Laurel for a decade, drawing a loyal crowd and keeping owner David Bequette and his staff busy.
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"This is the go-to place," Bequette said on Thursday morning. "When we first opened, we had to have two people working, possibly three."
Over the years, a series of challenges began to mount. The COVID-19 pandemic hit sales hard. Then the brewery's head brewer left for a new opportunity, forcing High Plains to pay outside brewers to produce its product at a higher cost.
"Covid was tough on everybody. Our sales were down, and we could see it," Bequette said.
Still, Bequette said his business bounced back, and then a health complication hit in 2023.
"I went through throat cancer," Bequette said. "It took a lot out of me, and I'm also 69 years old."
With retirement calling and industry headwinds growing, Bequette announced the brewery will serve its final pint on July 25 with live music in an attempt to thank customers for their support over the past decade.
"It's hard," Bequette said, pausing with tears in his eyes. "It's hard, but the ride has been incredible."
The closure reflects a broader national trend. According to the Brewers Association, craft beer production declined by nearly 5% in 2025, with closures outpacing new brewery openings.
Travis Zeilstra, owner of 105 Brewing in the Billings Heights, said that part of the issue is that the market has become saturated.
"In the early 2000s, there was a couple thousand breweries in the whole United States," Zeilstra said Thursday morning. "Now, they're closing in on almost 10,000."
The Brewers Association also reports that younger generations are drinking less alcohol, and when they do drink, oftentimes their primary choice isn't beer. Zeilstra said he's noticed that trend as well since opening up his first brewery in Sheridan, Wyoming, in 2008.
"Several decades ago, you opened up, people came in and drank beer," Zeilstra said. "That is no longer an option anymore. You have to create hooks or things for people to get excited about."
Zeilstra's business in the Heights is trying something new. First opening in February of 2025, 105 Brewing serves coffee during the day and then beer and alcoholic beverages at night.
"The coffee has been better than we projected, and I would say the beer has become close to what we've projected," Zeilstra said. "We just want to maximize when we can have business throughout the day."
Other local breweries, like Meadowlark Brewing near ZooMontana, have turned to frequent events to drive traffic and increase visitors.
"The struggle is real," Bequette said. "It's elsewhere. It's not just here."
All are signs of a changing industry. Despite High Plains' closure, Bequette said he is determined to find a buyer who will keep the building operating as a brewery.
"I'm making every effort I can for it to be a brewery again because this town needs it," Bequette said.
