A Poetic Legacy
“ Brooks , a pure heart, saw humans differently than most,” said Brooks’s mother, KrisAnne Christenson . “His values weren’t about wealth or prestige. They were about acceptance, inclusion, and friendships.” Brooks was a Sioux Falls native who passed away suddenly from pneumonia due to Covid in the summer of 2021. Sister MarieClaire recalls one of her last memories seeing her brother before he fell ill. It was May 2021, and she had just returned home to her parents’ house after completing her second year of law school at the University of South Dakota . “Brooks was over at my parents’ in the basement working on brewing a Kölsch beer,” she said. “He was using the upstairs stove as well, so he was traveling up and down the steps brewing away. He had been working on perfecting the beer for a while, so it was common to come home and see him there in action.” When he wasn’t brewing, MarieClaire says he would be scribbling ideas on paper, like name possibilities for his Kölsch, what his thoughts were on different craft beers, and more. Badger Beer: Sun & Saddle
written by Alana Snyder + photos by John Snyder
THE BAR & RESTAURANT ISSUE march 2025
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