Confluence Brewing “Stout Month” lineup! It’s PACKED

If you’re in the Des Moines area and are craving a delicious stout, Confluence Brewing is where you need to head! Every Friday they are releasing new beers! Check out their stellar lineup for this month:

Friday February 10th

Friday February 17th

Saturday February 25th

Saturday February 18th is Frozen Firkin Fest!

It’s that time a year for another Frozen Firkin Fest! We’ll be tapping 10 different experimental cask conditioned beers at noon in the beer garden (yes, beer garden). There’s only one of each, so when they’re gone, that’s it! Plus, this year we have a package deal for $20 that includes a pair of Confluence drinking gloves and 10 beer tickets!

-Ferryman’s w/ Sweet Potato

-Ferryman’s w/ Pecans

-Lemon Bar Wizard

-Blackberry Vinaigrette Wizard

-DSM IPA w/ Coffee

-Port Wine & Berry Brulee

-Coconut ChewBOCKa

-Farmer John’s Salsa Verde

-Farmer John’s Mango Habanero

-Imogene w/ Vanilla & Pistachio

Saturday, February 25th 50’s Dad Brunch!

50’s Dad Brunch is back with a trio of “Dad” beers!

*THIS IS A TICKETED EVENT*

Your $100 ticket includes the following:

-Brunch: (eggs, sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes, fruit, pastries, and all-you-can eat pancakes)

-50’s Dad Mug

-10oz pour of 50’s Dad

-10oz pour of Rad Dad

-10oz pour of Blue Dad

-1 4-pack of 50’s Dad (to-go)

-1 4-pack of Rad Dad (to-go)

-1 Bottle of Blue Dad (to-go)

Tickets may be purchased in the taproom, or online HERE



Tickets must be purchased in advance and WILL NOT be available at the door. Gratuity is included in the cost of the ticket.

Abu Nawas bringing beers from around the globe!

GERMANY:
Kulmbacher Brauerei:
For more than 600 years, Kumlbacher has been synonymous with craftsmanship, tradition and original enjoyment. With its roots in the beer town of Kulmbach, Franconia, on the former estates of the Cistercian monastery of Langheim, that was founded in 1349.
Kulmbacher – Kapuziner – Monchshof Cans & Bottles and MiniKegs:

  • Kulmbacher Kapuziner Weisse 26/4/500ml (16.9oz) CANS – Hefe-Weissbier is a classic wheat beer specialty. Lively and fruity, with the typical top-fermented note. This naturally cloudy beer is brewed with fine yeast according to the Capuchin Friars Order brewing tradition and strictly in accordance with the German Purity Law. Unmistakable in taste and appearance, you can enjoy Kapuziner wheat beer in style in a CAN now. 5.4% ABV
  • Kulmbacher Kapuziner Weisse 2/5L MINIKEG (two-pack) – Hefe-Weissbier is a classic wheat beer specialty. Lively and fruity, with the typical top-fermented note. This naturally cloudy beer is brewed with fine yeast according to the Capuchin Friars Order brewing tradition and strictly in accordance with the German Purity Law. Unmistakable in taste and appearance, you can enjoy Kapuziner wheat beer in style in a 5L MiniKeg. Enough for a MiniParty. 5.4% ABV
  • Kulmbacher Monchshof Kellerbier 2/5L MINIKEG (two-pack) – A brilliant unfiltered Amber Lager from Kulmbacher Brewery in northern Bavaria, Mönchshof is brewed in a monastery that was founded in 1349. Take a sip of this luscious beer and you’ll immediately be transported to a German biergarten, surrounded by the aroma of fresh hops, busty waitresses carrying impossible numbers of frothy beer mugs, old men in lederhosen with round, red noses, and . . . . well, you get the point. This is what German beer is all about. Mönchshof Kellerbier is the most widely drunk Kellerbier in Germany. 5L MiniKeg, Enough for a MiniParty. 5.4%
  • Kulmbacher Monchshof Schwarzbier 2/5L MINIKEG (two-pack) – The velvety, roasted malt aroma and deep, dark, almost black color are the defining characteristics of this naturally unfiltered Schwarzbier from Monchshof. Velvety taste, light malty sweetness and irresistible, flowery hop bitterness, that sets it apart from all others and is a drink for people who know their German Beer. 4.9% ABV

Ritterguts Gose Brewery:
Original Ritterguts Gose since 1874. Brewed under the moto: Reliability, Modesty and Quality. They use the classic open fermentation method for their Gose; an old brewing method that has become increasingly rare in the course of the industrialization of beer production in the last century. The advantages of fermentation in open, large vats compared to industrial tanks are a slower and more natural maturing process as well as the possibility of skimming off the bitter foam, with its undesirable flavours, from the surface of the fermenting beer. This allows our yeast to develop its flavours particularly well and untainted. The beers are not pasteurised i.e., they are not heated to high temperatures during bottling in order to make them last longer. This guarantees Ritterguts Gose’s magnificent and unblemished taste, not to mention that it is also better for the environment. Due to the high levels of natural lactic acid the Gose remains stable without added thermal treatment. In addition, the beers are unfiltered, preserving the valuable ingredients of yeast – you can taste it!

Ritterguts Gose Bottles:

  • Ritterguts Gose 20/500ml bottles – Ritterguts Gose is the oldest existing Gose brand in the world! They still brew this unique beer in the old-fashioned way, using genuine Gose yeast with special ingredients like coriander and salt. Gose‘s refreshing characteristics are developed through an additional lactic acid fermentation, which produces a round and harmonious acidity. The classic, open fermentation and the long, cold maturation makes it exceptionally well balanced. Enjoy a piece of the best Leipzig tradition – Cheers: Goseanna! 4.7% ABV – DE
  • Ritterguts Spezial-Gose 20/500ml – Ritterguts Spezial-Gose is a crossover between Belgian Wit and Leipzig Style Gose. Brewed with various wheat and barley malts, spiced with finest bergamot peel from southern Italy and coriander seed. For this new creation we use a lot more hops. Summit for bittering, Cascade and Aurora for the citrus-like aroma. 5.2% ABV – DE

BELGIUM:
Brasserie De Achelse Kluis:
The Trappist Achel has been brewed since 1850 within the walls of De Achelse Kluis under the supervision of the monk community. No beer was brewed between WWI and 1998. Today we brew 4 different beers.

Achel Trappist Bottles:

  • Achel 8º Bruin 24/330ml bottles – Authentic Trappist Belgian Dubbel brewed by the Trappist Monks of the St. Benedictus Abbey at Achel, Belgium. 9% ABV
  • Achel Trappist Extra 6/750 ml – Authentic Trappist Belgian Quadrupel brewed by the Trappist Monks of the St. Benedictus Abbey at Achel, Belgium. 9.5% ABV

Brasserie De Blaugies:
Small family craft brewery. All beers produced in our facilities are unfiltered and bottle conditioned. The adventure began with the parents, Pierre-Alex and Marie-Noëlle CARLIER – POURTOIS, the first brew took place on March 24, 1988. The eldest son, Kévin CARLIER, graduated in Biotechnology, is now head of the Brasserie with his parents, his wife Bérangère DESCHAMPS and his father-in-law Claude DESCHAMPS. The brewery of Blaugies is in the centre of the triangle formed by three cities: MONS(Belgium), MAUBEUGE(France) and VALENCIENNES (France). It is located in the welcoming area of the “Les Hauts Pays” nature
reserve.
Blaugies Bottles:

  • Blaugies La Moneuse 12/375ml bottles – Named for A.J. Moneuse, a famous local bandit and ancestor of the brewers’ family, this classic farmhouse ale encapsulates all the qualities of a great saison – it’s earthy aromatic, and complex, but also dry, nicely hoppy, abundantly yeasty, and just a bit musty. Brasserie de Blaugies is truly a family operation. Founded in 1988, the brewery began with a husband and wife who prided themselves on brewing in small batches by hand – in the garage of their 300-year-old farmhouse, no less. In keeping with traditional brewing methods, all their beers are unfiltered and refermented in the bottle. 8% ABV – BE
  • Blaugies Darbyste 12/375ml bottles – Darbyste, a drier, more flavorful variant of the traditional Belgian wit or blanche, is a saison made with wheat and fermented with fig juice. It comes from an old family recipe and is named for John Darby, a temperance preacher whose parishioners were oddly moved by a “soft drink” they claimed was just fig juice. At 5.8 percent, it’s a great summer beer – spritzy but full of character. Brasserie de Blaugies is truly a family operation. Founded in 1988, the brewery began with a husband and wife who prided themselves on brewing in small batches by hand-in the garage of their 300-year-old farmhouse, no less. In keeping with traditional brewing methods, all their beers are unfiltered and refermented in the bottle. 5.8% ABV – BE
  • Blaugies Saison d’Epeautre 12/375ml bottles – Saison D’Epeautre, a true farmhouse ale with unmistakably Belgian character, is made in a unique traditional style, using spelt and barley malt in the mash. It’s nice and dry, with a hint of wheaty tartness and a hardy texture that expresses the character of spelt, a primitive strain of wheat. Brasserie de Blaugies is truly a family operation. Founded in 1988, the brewery began with a husband and wife who prided themselves on brewing in small batches by hand-in the garage of their 300-year-old farmhouse, no less. In keeping with traditional brewing methods, all their beers are unfiltered and refermented in the bottle. 6% ABV – BE

Brasserie De La Senne:
One of the only two breweries in Brussels proper, the other one being Cantillon. Brewer and cofounder Yvan De Baets literally wrote the textbook on Saison and its history. The mantra of the brewery is honouring the traditional ways of brewing beer: unfiltered, unpasteurized, free of any additives and using only the finest raw materials of the highest quality and proudly made in Brussels. They produce strong beers, but their great specialty is beers that are light in alcohol. They strive to show that there is not necessarily a need for alcohol to get flavour. Light beers further allow prolonging the pleasure – and therein lies the reason for the beer’s existence. The brewery owes its name La Senne river from which Brussels was born more than a thousand years ago
De La Senne Bottles:

  • De La Senne Taras Boulba 24/330ml bottles – Noble Hop Session Beer. THE OG aka The World’s best session hop bomb! 4.5% ABV – BE
  • De La Senne Zinnebir 24/330ml bottles – Belgian Pale Ale. Zinnebir is a golden, perfectly balanced Pale Ale. It develops fruity and hoppy flavours that recall dry apricots and orange marmalade. The ensemble leans on a malty note, as well as a nice bitterness. Born in the basements of a Brussels squat in 2002, it is the founding beer of Brasserie de la Senne. 5.8% ABV – BE

Brasserie De Ranke:
Perhaps the brewery that is the epitome of the hop revolution that took the world by storm. Founded as a weekend project by two friends, Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos, De Ranke is very unusual for a Belgian brewery because it produces hop-forward beers. In fact, it uses German Hallertau hops and Brewer’s Gold hops to brew XX, the hoppiest beer in Belgium, and if that wasn’t enough, they produce an annual beer called XXX, which is even more hoppy. They’re exciting beers unlike any other made in Belgium.
De Ranke Bottles:

  • De Ranke XX Bitter 24/330 ml – Legendary hoppy Belgian pale ale. Brewed with (whole-cone only!) Brewers Gold & Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops. Their most bitter, high-fermenting beer. Despite its low alcohol content, it produces a very rich, long lasting, full flavour. 6% ABV – BE

BRITAIN:

Coniston / Ridgeway Brewing Co.
Award winning and seminally British in both brewing tradition and styles offered, and brought back to modern drinkers.

Coniston Bottles:

  • Coniston Bluebird Bitter 12/500ml Bottles – Traditional English Bottle Conditioned Bitter. The intense resinous character which is the beer’s hallmark. Ain’t nothing like the real thing! 4.2% ABV – GB
  • Coniston Bluebird Premium XB 12/500ml Bottles – Bluebird XB combines two of the great themes of ale brewing to produce something distinctive and new. The fine tradition of English Pale Ale is about quaffing, refreshment and complexity of flavor without alcoholic strength. Then throw in new wave American hop variety Mount Hood with robust citrus aromas and the result is a smooth ale with floral hints, light malt tones and a hoppy freshness. 4.2% ABV – GB
  • Coniston Old Man Ale 12/500ml bottles – A radically different beer… it has roast barley added to the pale and crystal malts. It has a deep burnished copper color, a rich port wine aroma, a big chocolate and creamy malt palate and a dry, grainy, roasty finish balanced by hop bitterness and tart fruit. It is a remarkably complex beer that deepens and changes as you sup it. 4.2% ABV – GB

Fun Size, Wolf Shirt, and TAG all coming back this month from Lion Bridge!

This month continues to see some great beer releases in Iowa, and now Lion Bridge is bringing back three excellent beers! Fun Size, Wolf Shirt, and TAG will all be coming back to the Lion Bridge portfolio! Here’s more courtesy of Lion Bridge:

Release date: February 15th

SPRING THEMED Fun Size (Porter with Vanilla and Chocolate, 5.2%) – Madagascar Vanilla Beans and cacao nibs yield big, delicious surprises in this small beer.

Wolf Shirt (Hazy IPA w/Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, 7.2%) – This beer is not a shirt. But wolf shirts are awesome. This beer is awesome.

Release date: February 28th

Tag Tangerine (Tangerine Wheat Beer, 4.2%) – Inspired by German “Radlers” that combine soda and beer to produce a light and refreshing beverage. Tag is a juicy and hazy wheat beer with the zesty citrus bite of tangerine. Enjoy a Tag! Enjoy the Day!

February is “Stout” month! What stout are you drinking?

Ever since 1993, February as been designated “Stout” month. What better way to celebrate the end of January than by cracking a bottle/can of your favorite roasty stout? There are so many great stouts to choose from in our great state, but here’s what I’ll be sipping on this month…plus any others I may cross paths with!

**Lion Bridge Percussive Maintenance** – the perfect beer to pop open during February. I was lucky enough to procure a few bottles and also has this decadent baby on tap. One of the best beers in the state in my opinion. 12% can be scary, but it’s extremely well hidden. Sip on this one and relish it, maybe share it, but make sure you are sharing with someone worthy of this brew.

**Singlespeed Tip the Cow** – sometimes we take for granted those things that are readily available to us. Tip the Cow happens to be one of those beers, You can find it in almost any grocery store in the area and also happens to be a fantastic stout. Coffee and chocolate and I think I’ll have at least two of these!

**Big Grove Richard the Whale** – another harder to get beer that you can’t just pick up at your local grocery store…BUT…this baby is currently on tap at my local watering hole, Chameleon’s Pub and Grub in Mount Vernon, and once I drink that dry I still have a few bottles stashed in the cellar. If you were lucky enough to attend Richard Day, you probably have some variants to drink as well….LUCKY!

**Backpocket Cookie Junkie** – when I first saw this can I thought for sure this beer would be too sweet, but the balance of the peanut butter and the 175 pounds of sandwich cookies was perfect at not cloying at all. After a big winter feast, this is going to be my dessert!

**Clock House Pet Elephant** – the new kid to the party. Just released last weekend. This is an end of nighter, nightcap, grand finale beer. 14% is frightening, and when you finish that last sip it may seem at the moment you could handle another….hold tight….save that next bottle for another evening…get the fireplace going, turn on some Lord Huron lightly in the background, and savor every last drop of this nutter butter filled brew.

There they are! Those 5 for sure and hopefully some more stouts I run into along the way. What stout are you drinking this month and what else do I need to try? Cheers to Stout Month!

Lion Bridge 9th Anniversary set for March 5th!

9 years in the books for Lion Bridge Brewing on March 5th! And to celebrate they are releasing some wonderful sounding beers! Here’s what’s in store for this celebration courtesy of Lion Bridge’s Facebook page:

Save the date! Join us to celebrate our 9th Anniversary all day on Sunday, March 5th.

Live music by Dr. Z’s Experiment (2pm – 5pm)

FREE CAKE for everyone to celebrate all things Lion Bridge. (while supplies last)

Food Specials!

The release of 2 BRAND NEW beers!!

Wolf Shirt XXL (Imperial IPA w/Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, 8.5%) – More hops, more ABV, robot wolves fighting intergalactic space battles in front of an epic moon. What’s not to love?

Anniversary Imperial (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/Ghanaian Cacao Nibs, 12%) – A whopping 17lbs of cacao nibs per barrel of beer. Brewed for our 9th Anniversary! Cheers!

Lion Bridge has become the catalyst to conversation and community that we always dreamed it could be. Come join us, raise a glass, and enjoy some cake to celebrate an amazing 9 years of Lion Bridge Brewing Company!! 

Big Grove “Citrus Surfer” enters year round portfolio!

Big Grove Brewery has added “Citrus Surfer” to their year round release portfolio. Released to markets earlier this week on now available on tap at all Big Grove locations, this is the perfect beer to get into the warmer weather mindset, or to add to your Super Bowl Party spread! Here’s the press release courtesy of Big Grove Brewery:

[Iowa City, IA]: Today, Big Grove announced a brand-new fruited wheat release to join their year-round beer portfolio. Now pouring in their Iowa City, Solon, and Des Moines taprooms, Citrus Surfer is loaded with real orange and lemon citrus at a crushable 4.8% ABV. Each taproom will feature citrus-inspired culinary dishes to celebrate the beer release. 

A refreshing new twist on Big Grove’s past award-winning wheat beers, Citrus Surfer offers fans “significant drinkability,” according to Andy Joynt, Director of Brewing. The brewery team produced ten concept batches spanning eight months, beginning with research and development at their Solon pilot brewery before scaling to their Des Moines system as an intermediate step, ultimately crafting the beer for full-scale production at the Iowa City brewery.

“The finish and aromatics were something we focused on. We wanted pop with the right citrus flavor, plus a clean and satisfying finish, bringing you back for another sip,” remarked Joynt. 

The beer is anticipated to create a big wave in Iowa, giving Blue Moon Belgian White and Leinenkugel’s Wheat drinkers a more widely available, Iowa-made alternative. “Although Iowa is not coastal, nor is it a state known for its surfing, Citrus Surfer represents that mentality and a laid-back approach to life and the moments it brings,” said Bryan Farrell, Director of Integrated Sales & Marketing. “Iowans love to seek out new experiences and travel, especially in the winter months. We’re offering a call-to-action for fans to ‘Find Your Moment’ through trip and experience giveaways.” 

Throughout 2023, Big Grove will be giving away flights, Airbnb gift cards for unique Iowa rentals, and other fun offers and experiences. Fans can enter to win flight vouchers to any destination of their choosing, redeemable at major Iowa airports (CID, DSM, DBQ, SUX, ALO). Keep an eye out for more waves of giveaways and experiences throughout the spring and summer months. To enter, go to biggrove.com/pages/find-your-moment.

Check out your favorite local beverage shop to catch the closest Citrus Surfer near you. Citrus Surfer is available on draft, six-packs, and 12-packs at a majority of retail locations across Iowa. 

Jolly Pumpkin getting re-launched in Iowa via Abu Nawas!

The first brewery that Abu Nawas brought to Iowa will be making their way back to our lovely state starting next week and will also be bringing cans with them! Here’s more courtesy of Abu Nawas!

JOLLY PUMPKIN CANS:

  • Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere 6/4/16oz CANS – Farmhouse Ale. This delicious, low-calorie, farmhouse ale is named for Ron’s Jack Russell who was struck by a car but bounced back in fine tenacious Jack Russell fashion. This farmhouse ale is brewed for those of us who have been knocked down, have picked up, dusted off, and carried on undaunted. Golden, naturally cloudy, can-conditioned, and dry-hopped for a perfectly refreshing balance of spicy malts, hops, & yeast. TIME IN OAK: 2 Months. 4.5% ABV – 24 IBU – MI
  • Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca 6/4/16oz CANS – Farmhouse Witbier. Blanca is a low-calorie farmhouse witbier brewed in Belgium’s beer blanche tradition. Spiced with orange peel & coriander, you’ll find it refreshingly tart, with a wonderfully dry finish. A year round favorite for sure. TIME IN OAK: 2 Months. 4.8% ABV – 15 IBU – MI
  • Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza 6/4/16oz CANS – Wild Artisan Golden Ale. Oro is brewed in the Franco-Belgian tradition of strong golden ales. Spicy and peppery with a gentle hop bouquet and the beguiling influence of wild yeast. Named one of the top 25 beers in America by Men’s Journal. Great American Beer Festival Gold medal winner for the Belgian & French Ale category. TIME IN OAK: 6-9 Months. 8.0% ABV – 30 IBU – MI
  • Jolly Pumpkin iO Saison 6/4/16oz CANS – Wild Saison. Aged in oak with wild yeasts & can conditioned, iO Saison is a unique creation brewed with rose hips, rose petals, & hibiscus giving this saison a character & color all its own. This very vibrant, bright, rose-colored saison has floral & spice notes mixed with hints of tartness from foeder aging & the hibiscus flowers. A beautiful piece of art presented in a glass. Cheers and mahalo plenty! TIME IN OAK: 3 Months. 6.4% ABV – 15 IBU – MI