What is red beer? Why the drink became a South Dakota food favorite

This article is about one of 18 South Dakota food favorites. For the complete list, go here. 

Red beer: Beer mixed with tomato juice. A well-established staple for many a South Dakotan’s night or weekend out.

If Bret Lacroix runs out of tomato juice at his bar, it's a crime. 

It's only happened a few times at the River's Edge Restaurant and Tavern in White River, but the response from his regulars was enough to keep him from doing it again. 

The jars of tomato juice are used to mix into beer, creating red beer. 

Sioux Falls craft beer:A complete guide to local breweries

"It's ranch country," said Lacroix, owner of River's Edge. "We like beer, and I think tomato juice helps quench it a little bit. We've been drinking red beer for years. I think it has something to do with our demographic — everybody drinks it." 

That everybody includes all of South Dakota, Lacroix said, from college students in southeast South Dakota to ranchers in West River.  

The sale of red beer goes back to the '50s for Carey's Bar in Vermillion, according to owner Mat Zeman. Customers who attended the University of South Dakota during the '50s and '60s claim it was "famous" in the region. It's such a popular order still today that he'll order eight 20-ounce bottles of tomato juice a week. 

Although the origin of red beer can't be nailed down, it's an established drink in South Dakota, and variations of the drink can be found throughout the country, specifically the Midwest. But even when people hop another state to Nebraska or Minnesota, they might get an odd look for their choice in taste. 

"The further away you get from South Dakota, the more you get that reaction of people looking differently at you," Zeman said. 

The difference in recipes and ingredients varies based on location. Some places in Minnesota reportedly use bloody mary mix instead of tomato juice. Clamato, a commercial drink of tomato juice and clam juice, is also used in southern states as an alternative to red beer. Lacroix said South Dakotans typically stick to Campbell's brand. 

While red beer isn't unique to South Dakota, it's a staple for a night or weekend out. 

"We have a little bit more of a drinking culture in South Dakota," Zeman said. "It's a good way to transition into the night and it helps the first few go down easier." 

The top 18 South Dakota foods

• Bison
• Chili and Cinnamon/Caramel Rolls
• Chislic
• Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream
• Gabubu Bread
• Indian Tacos
• Kolache
• Kuchen
• Pheasant
• Pickle Beer
• Red Beer
• Rushmore Mountain Taffy
• Tiger Meat
• Wall Drug Doughnuts
• Wall Drug Water
• Walleye
• Wasna
• Wojapi