Backpocket 11th Anniversary Dinner Party set for June 9th!

May 4, 2023Leave a comment

Another can’t miss food and beer event coming from the great people at Backpocket Brewing! Their 11th Anniversary Dinner Party is set for June 9th and the menu will highlight Tex-Mex inspired BBQ! Here’s more courtesy of Backpocket!

Join us in celebrating our 11th Anniversary with a Smoked Meat & Beer Pairing Dinner! Our menu will be Tex-Mex BBQ inspired featuring traditional Tamales, Chipotle Pork Tacos, Mexican Bunuelos, and so much more. We invite all of our Backpocket family and friends to attend! Tickets are limited, so make sure you reserve your spot!

Tickets will be $65 per person, and include a starter, appetizer, main course & dessert. Each course will have a beer or cocktail pairing! We can’t wait to see you there!

**Ticket sales end June 5th at 5:00pm*

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

February 1, 2023Leave a comment

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!

Backpocket announces 2023 release calendar!

January 13, 2023Leave a comment

Backpocket releasing “This is Fire” double dry hopped IPA and “Iowa Nightmare” pumpkin stout this week!

October 4, 2022Leave a comment

Two big releases this week coming from Backpocket Brewing! “This is Fire” will be released this Friday (10/7) and “Iowa Nightmare” will be coming at us on Saturday (10/8)! Here’s more on these two delicious sounding releases!

Friday 10/7 THIS IS FIRE! This double dry hopped IPA was brewed with our friends at Reserve Artisan Ales! This hazy IPA is crafted with Flaked Wheat and Golden Promise Malt for a full body and soft, pillowy mouthfeel. Ekuanot and Galaxy hops create a flavorful IPA, with flavors of citrus, peach and passionfruit.

Saturday 10/8 Iowa Nightmare! This pumpkin stout was barrel aged in Mississippi River Distilling Company barrels for 9 months. This big, bold stout has flavors of oak, coffee, chocolate, and dark fruits. After being in barrels, we added squash purée and pumpkin pie spices for the perfect seasonal treat!

Backpocket, Trees Forever, and FNF restaurant group team up for “Recovery Red IPA”!

September 8, 2022September 9, 2022Leave a comment

Backpocket Brewing Company has partnered up with Trees Forever and the ReLeaf project for Cedar Rapids to help with planting trees in the community along with making a beer to help raise money for the project. They have also collaborated with Cedar Rapids based FNF Restaurant group as they will have the beer on draft at their locations (LP Street Food, Cliff’s Dive Bar, The hip-stir, Bricks Bar and Grill, MOCO) to support the cause. All of the grain and hops were donated by Backpocket suppliers and it will be a limited release in the Cedar Rapids metro.

“Recovery Red” checks in at 6.5%.

September releases coming from Backpocket!

August 29, 2022Leave a comment

Pretzel Stout – Chocolate stout that was infused with pretzels with a splash of peanut butter.

Oatmeal Stout – Experimental oatmeal stout that has a touch of vanilla (draft only/taproom release)

Cereal Killer – Hazy IPA with loaded with lactose, marshmallow and mosaic, azacca and equinox hops then infused with hundreds of pounds of fruity cereal.

Saturday Morning Raspberry/Feijoa – One of our favorites in the Saturday Morning smoothie sour series with the return of Raspberry and Feijoa which is a mix of strawberry, guava and pineapple fruit flavors.

Backpocket 2nd Annual “Smoked Meat and Beer Pairing” set for August 12th!

July 15, 2022Leave a comment

The first time when so well they’re going to do it again! Backpocket Brewery will be hosting their 2nd annual “Smoked Meat and Beer Pairing” on August 12th starting at 7 p.m. The menu is listed below as well as a link to get your tickets! Here’s more from Backpocket!

Tickets for our 2nd Smoked Meat and Beer Pairing are LIVE!! These sold out quickly last time!

Course 1: Texas Twinkies – Two large jalapenos filled with cream cheese, slow smoked brisket and shredded cheddar cheese while wrapped in bacon and slow smoked at 225 degrees for two and a half hours. The bite from the jalapeno is cooled by the cheese while the crispy bacon blanket is the perfect partner to the soft creamy filling. Served with 12oz. Bubba IPA.

Course 2: Beef Short Rib Tacos – Two handmade from scratch, flour tortillas filled with slow smoked beef short ribs, smoked yellow onions and pepper jack cheese grilled to melt the cheese slightly. We also took roasted corn and combined it with cotija cheese, lime and mayo with a little bit of tajin for a twist on the classic street corn. Served with 16oz. Tipsy in Tijuana.

Course 3: Homemade Banana Pudding – A classic bbq dessert option, we combine whipped cream with vanilla pudding layered on a bed of vanilla wafers and fresh cut bananas and topped with made from scratch whipped cream. Served with a 16oz. Hawktoberfest.

Sneak Peek: Backpocket 10th Anniversary Stout

June 8, 2022Leave a comment

Backpocket Brewing’s 10th Anniversary is coming up this Saturday (6/11), and over the years their stout release is one of Iowa’s most anticipated releases and this year will be no different. I was lucky enough to get a bottle a few days before this year’s release and give it a taste.

Our 10th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout is aged on roasted coconut, followed by 24 months in Mississippi River Distilling bourbon barrels with a heavy dose of vanilla bean. Rich whiskey flavors with accents of cinnamon, vanilla and oak.
Nose of vanilla, coconut and some chocolate. Head dissipates quickly, the flavor is a hint of sweet coconut up front, the barrel and vanilla mesh extremely well. Some coffee and chocolate notes in there as well, light, creamy, smooth and delicious. Definitely a beer worth seeking!
Along with the release of their 10th Anniversary Stout, Backpocket will have the following beers/food/events going:

Special releases include our TENTH Anniversary Stout, TWO special pin releases at noon and 2pm, BA Tiki Sour, Mallow Vibes, and Black Hive!
11am we’re kicking the day off with 9Round Fitness Hits and Hops workout
12pm The Albatross Food Truck
1pm James Tutson live music & Elida’s Bakery
4pm Harvest-The Band live music
7pm Marco’s Grilled Cheese and Silent Disco DSM
Yard games ALL DAY!

Backpocket 10th Anniversary set for June 11th!

June 1, 2022Leave a comment

Set your calendars for Saturday June 11th and get to Backpocket’s 10th Anniversary party featuring the release of their 10th Anniversary stout and much more! Complete lineup below:

Mark your calendars and help us celebrate TEN YEARS!!
Special releases include:
TENTH Anniversary Stout, BA Tiki Sour, Mallow Vibes, and Black Hive!
11AM-12PM Hits and Hops Kickboxing inspired workout with 9Round Fitness
12PM-7PM Albatross Food Truck
1-3PM Live music with James Tuston
1PM Elida’s Bakery
4-6PM Live music with Harvest
7PM Marco’s Food Truck
7-9PM DSM Silent Disco
Yard games ALL day!

Sneak Peek: Backpocket Brrr Fest Dark Days BA Imperial Chocolate Stout

January 19, 2022Leave a comment

Brrr Fest is a little less than two weeks away and all that are attending are in for a no doubt feast of wonderfully brewed beers by Iowa’s finest! Along with a stellar beer festival, party goers will have the opportunity to see how great the Iowa River Landing really is and how it’s becoming a destination for food and beer lovers! One of the many places is right across from where Brrr Fest will be taking place and that is Backpocket Brewery. Backpocket has been bringing out the big guns for years now during this festival and this year one of the beers they will be releasing is Dark Day and I just happen to be sipping on a bottle right now!(Thank you Aaron!) Before, I get too far into this brew, here’s the details for the brew:

Boiled for 24hrs, this BA imperial chocolate stout has multiple layers. The dark chocolate, cherry puree, toasted coconut & roasted pecans remind us of a classic german chocolate cake.
Pre-party info for Backpocket includes:
Pre-Party that include a pour of Dark Day, Maple Syrup BA Waffle Stout, an all you can eat breakfast, AND we’ll be releasing a pin variant at 10am!

Alright, let’s tear into this bad boy. As you can see by the picture, I’ve framed it up REAL nice!

– A nice viscous pour, thick with a small tan head. Smell of dark fruit and chocolate on the nose. Took a few sips with the beer being freshly poured and chocolate was dominant and blended very well with the barrel. With a beer like this, it’s best to let it sit or even just drink it room temperature. As the great Travis Lange will advise you, if you order a big stout, order another beer to drink while the stout sits and warms a tad…the fella is not wrong. Flavors pick up and sometimes if feels like you are drinking another tasty brew. When Dark Day warms, the cherries start to flood in and the slightest touch of coconut starts coming through. Chocolate still shines though..description says German Chocolate Cake which I’ve never had, but if it tastes like this, get me a slice soon! Definitely worth seeking, and if you’re heading to Brrr Fest, definitely a reason to stop into the Backpocket taproom! Along with this brew they’ve just released a DDH Galaxy version of Bubba, Tiki Sour is back and if you get there in time to try the Maple Syrup BA Waffle Stout you’ll be having yourself a lovely day.