A release day party for our Baltic Porter with stick pokes on the patio! A red hot iron stick poke caramelizes the sugars in your beer creating a unique experience for the drinker. Firepits and burners will be placed all around the patio with tabletop firepits.
In November we brewed a 10.5% Baltic Porter that lagered in Silver Oak California Cab barrels that aged 15 year Weller for 10 months brewing a really complex, malty, high ABV, highly drinkable porter.
Let’s drink some beers around the fire! Tickets are available now for $10 or $15 day of and include your first beer, a smores buffet (with boozy marshmallows), and a hot chocolate station for 21+.
The Cedar Rapids Brewing Society’s Drink Local Festival, previously held in August, is combining with Benzfest and will be moving to the second weekend in May.
The Cedar Rapids Brewing Society Benzfest will be held at Benz Beverage Depot on Saturday, May 11th. The event will include beers, ciders, meads, and spirits from a variety of vendors from around the Midwest and from homebrew clubs from around the state.
“We are very excited to continue our partnership with Benz. Combining these two great festivals will allow us to bring in even more vendors, while still featuring the many great homebrew clubs from around the state,” said Haley Rosendahl, Vice President of the Cedar Rapids Brewing Society. “Moving the event to May will hopefully result in more temperate weather than the previous Drink Local festivals in August.”
Look for tickets for the Cedar Rapids Brewing Society Benzfest to go on sale soon and stay tuned for announcements on vendor lineup. Follow CRBS on Facebook for announcements. https://www.facebook.com/CedarRapidsBrewingSociety
We’re breaking this one out of the cage… it’s been constricted for too long.
Join us today for the release of Boa Constrict. A true to style West Coast IPA showcasing Citra and Cascade hops. Crystal clear in appearance with a clean 95 IBU’s. Expect classic Cascade floral notes with a nice compliment of citrus.
I wrote this review for Little Village Magazine which you can check out by clicking HERE:
The latest venture from the group that brought you Lua Brewing company has seemingly taken over Grand Avenue in West Des Moines! Either/Or restaurant (6222 Grand Ave. Des Moines) opened their doors in early Fall of 2023 and has been consistently busy since.
“Lua is about craft beer and food. It was our first, so it’s always our baby, but it’s small. Either/Or is bigger on just about every scale. We still do craft beer and handmade food as well as we can, but we have cocktails, we have a private event space, we have a huge patio with green space and a playscape and five fire pits. We have twice as many team members and so much more space. At Either/Or, you can do date night or you can do family night or you can do Friendsgiving. It’s really flexible for any occasion,” said owner Scott Selix.
Their cuisine can be described as elevated American fare with the focus being on the quality of the food that they put out. All of their burgers are ground in house, juices squeezed fresh for their amazing cocktails, and the always fresh and never frozen concept. “We have a great team. Our head brewer, Zack, did the draft beer list with input from all of us. Our chefs, James and Cesar, did the food menu. And then it was a group effort on making high-end cocktails. So it was a collection of people. And the one thing they all had in common was we created what we like. The beer list has Bierstadt and Sierra Nevada and Confluence and Lua, but also High Life and Duchesse, because that’s what we like to drink. The food menu was a collection of foods we’ve been inspired by. Cesar, our chef de cuisine, is of Mexican heritage, and so there’s some fresh Mexican inspired dishes. But he and James love Asian food as well, so there’s some Asian influence. We also make homemade bologna, which is a very lengthy process and is distinctly European/American. We grind our own burgers everyday, and we only source 100% Iowa-sourced Certified Angus Beef. We pretty much said “let’s create a restaurant we’d want to dine at,” and that’s what we did! So the food is approachable, but unlike stuff you’ll find elsewhere and always homemade (see the Bologna).”
On why the ownership group chose this particular location for Either/Or, Selix responded, “It’s actually just barely east of the WDM border, so still in Des Moines by about 100 yards. But I played soccer at the soccer fields just south of Either/Or. Some partners on the building showed us the space and once whit and I saw it, we were set on it being a restaurant. Those partners live within walking distance, so they saw potential in the building. And then we saw it right away too. The huge patio, the connection to my old soccer club, the great location on Des Moines’ front porch from WDM, it all came together pretty quick with the tremendous team we have.”
On this particular Friday, I had the pleasure of taking my two daughters with me to check out this restaurant. They are both familiar with Lua Brewing as we’ve frequented that place many times, and so when I told them the owners of Lua(Scott and Whitney Selix) have opened a restaurant and we are going to get to try it tonight, they were extremely excited. Upon entering, you are greeted with colorful and eclectic decor. The bar pops and the open kitchen gives you an inside look at how your dishes are put together. A very cool, casual, and comfortable feel right away.
We were seated immediately, although the place was already very busy. The menu had many options that appealed to us so limiting what to order was a tall task for 3 hungry patrons. The beer list was loaded with delicious options, noticing that Lua had multiple beers on tap made my decision easy though.
BEER I went with their latest double IPA, Dancer. Although it checks in at 8.6% ABV, it’s scarily drinkable and I had to convince myself to not order another. I love the hop combo on this beer and the creamy texture it brings. Lua makes some of the best beers in Iowa and this one is right up there for me as a favorite. Fantastic beer, a beer of the year candidate for sure!
APPETIZER
Quite a few delicious options on the appetizer portion of the menu, but the clear cut favorite that my daughter’s chose were the Mexican cheese curds. If cheese curds are on the menu, there’s a 99% chance that my kids would have me order them. These cheese curds, however, were very much more inspired than just your basic fried cheese curd. House battered and served with pickled fresno chiles, cilantro and a chipotle ranch dressing these were some of the best cheese curds any of us had ever eaten. The perfect bite consisted of a curd, a pickled fresno, and a leaf of cilantro with just a tiny bit of dressing. It hit all the taste buds. A great dish.
MAIN COURSE
We decided to do a bit of sharing and order a couple of sandwiches. I asked our waiter what Either/Or was known for besides the smash burgers, the fried bologna was recommended. I also wanted to try a vegetarian dish so I got the Italian mushroom sandwich. This bologna sandwich is unlike any you have had. It’s not your Oscar Meyer bologna sandwich. It’s made in house and the flavor is off the charts. Almost a pepperoni spice to it, it melts in your mouth and they stack this sandwich high with it. An excellent sandwich. The mushroom melt made you forget you weren’t eating meat. Loaded with perfectly cooked mushrooms and topped with a delicious homemade giardiniera and a side of jus, this sandwich would be perfect for not only a vegetarian diet, but even the biggest carnivores can get behind a sandwich this tasty!
DESSERT There was no question what dessert we were going to order. My kids have been rice pudding lovers since they were little. Either/Or’s rice pudding was extraordinary. Either/Or added some apple compote and then topped their pudding off with a sesame tuile, which is a baked wafer. A great final dish to cap off a really wonderful meal.
OVERALL I’m really excited to see what Either/Or brings to their menu and what they will come up with for their seasonal offerings. Their menu is ever changing and the way they play with fresh ingredients and the detail put into their dishes is commendable and appreciated. This place will be consistently busy, their food is delicious and approachable. This ownership group is doing all the right things and they continue to set the bar high for other establishments. If you are in the West Des Moines area, this is a must stop for a truly wonderful meal!
Mango Jalapeño Sizzler is a kettle sour brewed with sweet mangos and loads of jalapeños. Expect big juicy mango notes with jalapeño flavors throughout. Sizzle level= mild for maximum enjoyment!
Available on draft, growlers, and 16oz 4-packs. Doors open at 3 PM!
We have partnered with our friends at Field Day Brewing Co. for a beer and dinner pairing on January 18, 2024. 5 Field Day beers and 5 courses with a few surprises along the way!
Tickets will go on sale January 1, 2024 at 10am. Check our socials for the link that day.
It’s so easy to support places when the owners go out of their way to show genuine hospitality and kindness, and it makes it even easier when the food that they make is absolutely delicious. That’s the case for More Flavors Hoagiesin Cedar Rapids (629 12 ave. SE).
My daughter has been wanting to try this place ever sense we first drove by it, and finally getting a Friday night with no hustle and bustle was the ample time to take advantage. Upon arriving, the owner Jay, greeted all three of us and even conversations with my two daughters. He then got to work on our order. We went with the Hoagie Supreme and the Super Steak sandwich with fries.
The hoagie was delicious. Fresh veggies, great seasoning, tasty meats and soft and chewy bread. Excellent stuff. The Super Steak sandwich was a show stealer though. Seasoned and chopped ribeye, house made sweet peppers, cheese, and a delicious secret sauce. Fantastic sandwich! The fries were some of the best french fries I ever had. A bit sweet, a bit salty….perfect!
The next time you’re craving a cheesesteak or a hoagie, More Flavors is a must stop! Can’t wait to get back again! Enjoy!
Eredita Humble 6/4/16oz CANS – A Delicious Rendition Of A Classic Oatmeal Stout. 6.5% ABV – CT
Eredita Pragmatism CITRA 6/4/16oz CANS – Single-hop New England Pale Ale featuring Citra hops grown in the Pacific Northwest! 5.1% ABV – CT
Eredita Serendipitous Moments 6/4/16oz CANS – IPA brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops sourced from the famed HOP NERDOM that is Freestyle Hops, located in New Zealand. 6.2% ABV – CT
Eredita The Barn Owl 6/4/16oz CANS – Inspired by the Love of the Iced Vanilla Latte. Imperial Stout brewed with Coffee, Vanilla, & Milk Sugar. 10.5% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC You Had Me At Meow (Cara Cara & Starfruit) 6/4/16oz CANS – Fruited Sour Ale brewed with Cara Cara Oranges & Starfruit. 5.7% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC You Had Me At Meow (Curuba Mandarin) 6/4/16oz CANS – Fruited Sour Ale brewed with Curuba (aka Banana passionfruit) & Mandarin. 5.7% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC You Had Me At Meow 6/4/16oz CANS – Sour Ale with Papaya, Tahitian Lime, & Alphonso Mango. 5.7% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC Baby Kittens 6/4/16oz CANS – Lovely Hazy New England IPA. with a tiny hint of sweetness on the nose. Up front we find a relaxed medley of fresh citrus, mangos, and pineapple. It finishes with a hint of pine and invigorating grapefruit with just enough bitterness to cleanse your palette and invite you back for another sip. 6.5% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC Baby Elves 6/4/16oz CANS – Holiday edition of Baby Kittens. They’ve amp’d up Kittens to 9%, with the same hops (Galaxy Citra and Simcoe) just more of them 9% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC Santa Claws 6/4/16oz CANS – Imperial Stout brewed with Cinnamon buns!! 9.1% ABV – CT
FAT ORANGE CAT FOC X Abomination – Twelve Lives & Still Wandering 6/4/16oz CANS – Ferociously juicy Double Dry Hopped Double IPA. Featuring a handpicked blend of some of our favorite hops; Lotus, Cashmere, Citra and Mosaic. 9.5% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC All Cats Are Grey in the Dark 6/4/16oz CANS – FOC Legendary White Stout – 7.2% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC All The Kool Kats on the Back of the Bus 6/4/16oz CANS – Double Dry Hopped Double NE IPA with Apollo, Mosaic, & Simcoe. 8.4% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC Severe Tire Damage 6/4/16oz CAN – Hazy Double IPA. 8.0% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC Someone In My Head ENIGMA 6/4/16oz CANS – DIPA Double Dry Hopped with ENIGMA. 8.75% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC Someone In My Head STRATA 6/4/16oz CANS – Double Dry-Hopped with Strata. 8.75% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat Whiskers on Kittens 6/4/16oz CANS – von Trapp collaboration. Gose style ale with Wachau apricots and Austrian salt. Balanced, tart, just enough sweetness. It’s FANTASTIC. 5% ABV – CT
Fat Orange Cat FOC Who Let the Boomers Out? 6/4/12oz CANS – Smooth Pale Ale with a delightful finish. Hopped with Amarillo, Citra and Mosaic – 5% ABV – CT
Skygazer Watercolors CocoCreamee 6/4/16oz CANS – Sour Ale filled to the brim with Blueberry, Orange, Cherry, Coconut, Cream and a touch of milk sugar. 5.5% ABV – CT
Skygazer Watercolors Creamee 6/4/16oz CANS – Raspberry, Gingerbread & Marshmallow Creamy Sour Ale. Watercolors Creamee with a bit of Christmas cheer added! 5.5% ABV – CT
Skygazer Watercolors Go To’s Banana Orange Lime 6/4/16oz CANS – A Smoothie Style Sour Ale. Creamy banana, bright orange citrus punch and a hit of refreshing lime. 5.5% ABV – CT
Skygazer Watercolors Peach Ring Paradise 6/4/12oz CANS – Watercolors in hard seltzer mode kissed with the one of a kind taste of peach rings! Under 150 calories per can and gluten free. 5% ABV – CT
Skygazer Brewing Space Pixels – Cherry, Mango, Pineapple 6/4/16oz CANS – A smoothie style sour ale with Cherry, Mango, andPineapple! These sour feature healthy additions of fruit! No adjuncts, no milk sugar. Just fruit! 6% ABV – CT
Skygazer Go To’s Blueberry Guava Pineapple 6/4/16oz CANS – A Smoothie Style Sour Ale. Loaded with Blueberry, Guava and Pineapple. 5.5% ABV – CT
Skygazer Brewing Titan Three Mango Apricot 6/4/16oz CANS – Sour IPA. A blends a dreamy combo of Mango and Apricot with Vanilla Beans and milk sugar. 7% – C
ABOMINATION BREWING:
PROMO ALERT: BUY ANY 5cs or more of ABOMINATION and Get $3off/cs
Abomination Brewing Censored Version – And Hey, F**K 2023 Too 6/4/16oz CAN – Triple Dry Hopped IPA. A Hop Bomb summing up another year!. 9.7% ABV – CT ***We Didn’t want for Karen to ask to talk to the Manager, so we requested the Censored version of the label***
Abomination Brewing Everyday Fog 6/4/16oz CANS – Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Mosaic, Pacific Jade, Citra, Summit & Enigma NE Hazy IPA – ABV 7.1% – CT
Abomination Brewing Fog Nog 6/4/16oz CANS – Double IPA dry-hopped brewed with Lactose & Egg Nog Spices. 9.1% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing Gingerbread Fog 6/4/16oz CANS – Double IPA dry-hopped brewed with Gingerbread Cookies. 9.1% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing Wandering Into The Snow 6/4/16oz CANS – Double IPA dry-hopped brewed with Lactose and Marshmallow. 9.1% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing Battle Rare Fog EXTRA RARE 6/4/16oz CANS – Triple Dry Hopped Triple IPA brewed with an insane amount of Galaxy, Riwaka, Strata, & Waimea. 10.5% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing Wandering into the Fog TDH LOTUS 6/4/16oz CANS – Triple Dry Hopped Double IPA with LOTUS. 8.6% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing Wandering Into The Fog AFRICAN QUEEN 6/4/16oz CANS – African Queen Double Dry Hopped Double IPA. 8.6% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing Wandering Into The Fog ROCKET POP 6/4/16oz CANS – Double Dry Hopped Double IPA brewed with Cherry, Lime, Blueberry, & Raspberry. 8.6% ABV – CT
FAT ORANGE CAT FOC X Abomination – Twelve Lives & Still Wandering 6/4/16oz CANS – Ferociously juicy Double Dry Hopped Double IPA. Featuring a handpicked blend of some of our favorite hops; Lotus, Cashmere, Citra and Mosaic. 9.5% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing The Key To the City of North Haven 6/4/16oz CANS – Smoothie Sour Ale Brewed with Cherry, Blackberry, Rhubarb, Ice Cream Mix, Lactose, and Vanilla Beans. 9% ABV – CT
Abomination Brewing The Harvester Soursop, Tangerine and Blueberry 6/4/16oz CANS – The Harvester is a rotating series of fruit forward sours exploring how various fruit combinations play off each other in a sour ale. Brewed with Soursop, Tangerine, & Blueberry. For a Harvester Slushie, Stick in in Freezer. Wait 2 Hours. Open. Pour. Enjoy & Thank us later! DO NOT FORGET ABOUT THE BEER YOU STUCK IN THE FREEZER 🙂 7.1% ABV – CT
Abomination X Skygazer – Dreamatorium Parfait 6/4/16oz CANS – Pastry Stout with Raspberry, Granola, Yogurt, Cacao Nibs, and Lactose. 11.3% ABV.
Abomination Brewing Drippy Popsicle Rocket Pop 6/4/16oz CANS – Fruited Smoothie Sour Ale brewed with Cherry, Lime, Blueberry, & Raspberry. 5.5% ABV – CT
Omnipollo Fatamorgana FOLK 6/4/16oz CANS – Low ABV version of Hazy IPA Fatamorgana. 3.5% – CT/SE
Omnipollo NEBUCHADNEZZAR 6/4/16oz CANS – “Neb” is a home brew recipe that has been scaled up with no consideration to economies of scale. Imperial IPA, brewed stateside. The Beer that started a revolution. 8.5% ABV – CT/SE
OMNIPOLLO EVEN MORE BIANCA ROYAL TREATMENT 24/16oz CANS – This Collab is perhaps the most expensive beer evr brewed. Imagine the super delicious Import Biancas from Omnipollo Sweden, touched up with some ETNYC magic! Raspberry Maple Pancake Lassi Gose brewed with Raspberries, Milk Sugar, Maple Syrup & Marshmallow – 7% ABV – SE
Omnipollo Ice Creamy White Chocolate Strawberry 6/4/16oz CANS – Triple India Pale Ale with cocoa nibs, white chocolate, strawberry and lactose sugar. 10% – SE
Omnipollo Bianca Apricot Vanilla Almond Lassi Gose 24/50cl (16.9oz) Single CANS – Brewed and Imported from Omnipollo’s Stockholm HQ – Uber-Fruited Lassi Gose brewed with Apricots, Almonds, Lactose Sugar, & Vanilla – 7% ABV – SE
Omnipollo Bianca Blackberry Maple Pancake Lassi Gose 24/50cl (16.9oz) Single CANS – Brewed and Imported from Omnipollo’s Stockholm HQ – Intensely fruited Bianca reminding you of Sunday morning breakfast with freshly squeezed blackberries or blackberry jam over a stack of maple syrup drenched sweet, sugary pancakes. Brewed with buckets of blackberries then accompanied by maple syrup, milk sugar and rock salt – 7% ABV – SE
Bianca Guava Lychee Passionfruit Lassi Gose 24/50cl (16.9oz) Single CANS – Brewed and Imported from Omnipollo’s Stockholm HQ – Uber-Fruited Lassi Gose brewed with Guava, Lychee, Passion Fruit, Lactose Sugar, & Vanilla – 7% ABV – SE
Omnipollo Daidalos 6/4/16oz CANS – Double Almond Double Chocolate Double Coffee Imperial Stout. A rich decadent imperial stout full of almonds, cocoa nibs and coffee reminding us of the flavorful cakes we loved to eat. Contains nuts. 12% ABV – SE
Omnipollo In Plenty 6/4/16oz CANS – Inspired by those lovely decadent chocolate, coconut and vanilla filled cakes we brewed a thick imperial stout full of cocoa nibs, really aromatic toasted coconut and our favorite vanilla. 12% ABV – SE
Omnipollo Yellow Belly 24/33cl BOT – A Bold And Outspoken Peanut Butter & Biscuit Imperial Stout, However, It Is Brewed Without Peanut Butter Or Biscuit. 11% ABV – SE – From the Brewer: “Yellow Belly—a person who is without courage, fortitude, or nerve; a coward. To us, one of the most cowardly deeds is to act anonymously, hiding behind a group. A signifying trait of institutionalized racism. This beer is brewed to celebrate all things new, open minded and progressive. A peanut butter biscuit stout with no biscuits, butter or nuts. Taste, enjoy, and don’t be prejudiced”
EVIL TWIN BREWING
Evil Twin Before During & After Xmas IPA 6/4/16oz CANS – Double IPA dry-hopped with Galaxy, Motueka, and Sabro. Before, during and AFTER!! 8% ABV – NYC
Evil Twin Before During and After Dinner 6/4/16oz CANS – Coffee Stout – 8% ABV – CT
EVIL TWIN EVEN MORE JESUS 6/4/16oz CANS – Evil Twin OG Imperial Stout – 12% ABV – CT
OMNIPOLLO EVEN MORE BIANCA ROYAL TREATMENT 24/16oz CANS – This Collab is perhaps the most expensive beer ever brewed. Imagine the super delicious Import Biancas from Omnipollo Sweden, touched up with some ETNYC magic! Raspberry Maple Pancake Lassi Gose brewed with Raspberries, Milk Sugar, Maple Syrup & Marshmallow – 7% ABV – SE
