Black Friday has gone from Christmas shopping to beer shopping for many of us and Lion Bridge brewery has thrown their hat into the ring! On Black Friday, tap room only, they will be releasing “Oakonut Delight” Imperial Stout! Here’s more on this delicious sounding brew courtesy of Lion Bridge:
Oakonut Delight will be a brand new Imperial Stout from us at Lion Bridge. Coconut, Chocolate, Caramel and 10 months in whiskey barrels. Really looking forward to this.
Fantastic lineup for Bricks Bar and Grill “Stout Wars”, make sure you get your tickets for the December 14th showdown! Here’s the lineup courtesy of Bricks Bar and Grill:
Great list of brews coming from Abu Nawas this week. Check with your local beer rep/store to see if you get any of these goodies. Here we go:
BLACKBERRY FARM
- Blackberry Farm Classic Saison 6/4/12oz CAN – Belgian-style Saison features European noble-type hops, authentic Belgian Saison yeast, and the finest European two-row malt. 6.3% ABV.
- Blackberry Farm Fenceline 6/4/12oz CAN -Belgian-style ale brewed with generous portions of wheat malt for a creamy mouthfeel and hazy straw color. Generous additions of Huell Melon hops lend notes of melon and strawberry, along with a balanced bitterness. 5.9% ABV.
- Blackberry Farm Boundary Tree 6/4/12oz CAN – This hop-forward Belgian-style ale features notes of citrus fruit that complement its bready malt undertones. A soft bitterness, reminiscent of orange marmalade, balances delicate spice notes that result from a warm fermentation. 6.5% ABV.
NIGHTMARE BREWING
- Nightmare Brewing Flayed 16oz CAN – Imperial Oat IPA with Azacca, Zythos, Galaxy and Pacifica. 9.6% ABV.
- Nightmare Brewing Blowing From A Gun 16oz CAN – Quadruple Dry Hopped DIPA brewed with Indian Cane Sugar and hopped with Cashmere, El Dorado, Calypso, Mosaic, & Huell Melon. 10.5% ABV.
- Nightmare Brewing Colombian Necktie 6/4/16oz CAN – Gose Soured on Colombian Mangoes, with Lulo, Soursop, and Colombian Lime zest. 7.2% ABV.
EVIL TWIN
- Evil Twin That’s the Kind of IPA That Makes You Wish You Spoke A Little French 16oz CAN – Double Dry-Hopped Triple IPA Hopped with Galaxy & Motueka. 11% ABV.
- Evil Twin I Don’t Know How to Put This but This IPA Is Kind of a Big Deal 16oz CAN – Double Dry-Hopped DIPA brewed with Raw Wildflower Honey. 10% ABV
- Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail 12oz CAN – Triple IPA. This beer will knock your tongue off – it’s a tour de force in hoppiness and by far one of the craziest beer ever made by Evil Twin Brewing. 13% ABV.
- Evil Twin Molotov Lite 16oz CAN – Lite version of a Triple IPA is a Double IPA @only 8.5% ABV.
- Evil Twin Molotov Surprise 12oz CAN – Everything you love about Molotov Cocktail, but now with a SURPRISE! 12% ABV.
- Evil Twin Even More Jesus 16oz CAN – Jeppe Legendary Imperial Stout. 12% ABV.
OFF COLOR
- Off Color Yuzu Fierce 24/12oz Bottle – Berliner Weiss Ale brewed with Yuzu. 3.8% ABV
- Off Color Spots 24/12oz Bottle – Tropical Fruit Berliner Weisse. 3.8% ABV
- Off Color DinoS’more 24/12oz Bottle – Imperial stout brewed w/ graham flour, marshmallow, molasses, cocoa nibs & vanilla bean. 10.5 ABV.
- Off Color Eeek 12/750ml Bottle – “Champagne of Wild Ales.” A collaboration with Miller High Life. Bottle Conditioned Wild Ale with Champagne Yeats. 5.5% ABV. ***Thanksgiving Perfection***
- Off Color Apex Predator 16oz CAN – The Saison you should be Drinking! Now in a CAN! 6.5% ABV.
A new brew and a brew in for a 2nd round will be part of Surly’s 4th variety pack of 2019. Dark Phase Stout will be a new addition to Surly’s profile and Liquid Stardust will make it’s 2nd round to their lineup and they will be accompanying their flagship Furious and their citra pale ale Xtra in this pack.
Dark Phase Deets:
5.5% ABV
Hops: Warrior
Malt: Golden Promise, Aromatic, Crystal, Chocolate, Black Malt, Roasted Barley
Pour: Bright black
Aromatics: Chocolate, coffee, burnt sugar
Bitterness: Low
Liquid Stardust Deets:
7% ABV
Hops: Amarillo, Mosaic, Citra
Malt: Pilsner, Acidulated, Carafoam
Pour: Dark yellow
Bitterness: Medium
My take:
Dark Phase
Graciously, Surly sent me 2 of each brews to try out. Dark Phase is a solid stout. Will it knock your socks off? Probably not, but the profile of what you’d like in your everyday stout is there. Chocolate, coffee, and a tad bit of tobacco/smoky bitterness. I’d give this baby a solid 3.5/5 bottlecaps.
Liquid Stardust
Surly markets it as a sparkling IPA and untappd has it has a Brut IPA. Same thing? Not sure. With most Brut IPAs I’ve had, the pilsner malt stood out, with this one, the hops shined. Reminiscent of Stone Enjoy By when that first got released. Dry finish, easy drinking, but watch out for that 7%. 4/5 bottlecaps. I’ll take more of this!
Need Pizza in Cedar Rapids will be teaming up with Stone Brewing for a little Halloween fun this Wednesday, October 23rd for “Nights of the Gargoyle”. Specials beer tappings (Enjoy By, Xocoveza), trick or treating, and swag giveaway will be taking place. Here’s more from Need Pizza on the event:
@stonebrewing will be in the house with us on October 23rd during #happyhour with giveaways and the latest Enjoy By IPA. Come #trickortreat with us!
Courtesy of Exile Brewing press release:
Exile Brewing Partners with Susan G Komen Greater Iowa to Help Fight Breast Cancer
Exile Brewing Company (Des Moines, IA) grows its partnership with Susan G Komen Greater Iowa in its second year of their Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. Exile uses Ruthie, their most popular year-round beer, as a platform to educate people about breast cancer and how Komen Greater Iowa can help.
Exile has created a custom pink Ruthie bottle label and 6-pack carrier to support breast cancer awareness and prevention efforts. $1.00 per case will be donated to Komen Greater Iowa throughout the entire month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last year’s proceeds equaled over $1,000 and Exile plans to exceed that number this year with their new pink Ruthie packaging and increased distribution. Exile also plans to sell pink Ruthie shirts at their brewpub with a portion of proceeds going to Komen Greater Iowa.
“Exile Builds, the philanthropic arm of Exile has been a great addition to our company’s structure. By working with organizations like Komen Greater Iowa we are able to build a highway between our culture and our community. Our goal at the end of the day is to bring people together, spread awareness, and enjoy craft beer.” said Erin Muir, Marketing Associate at Exile Brewing Company.
Komen Greater Iowa is dedicated to supporting the fight against breast cancer through education, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship care throughout their service area. Their Affiliate is financially supported by funds raised through the Komen Greater Iowa Race for the Cure series, which hosts events in Des Moines, Sioux City, Ottumwa and Moline.
“We often speak with women who are without insurance or who can’t pay their insurance deductibles. When faced with the decision to pay for food and other bills or have a yearly screening, they often choose not to have the mammogram. Every dollar raised through this generous awareness campaign, helps us serve more Individuals in our community.” – Mission Director, Jessica Nelsen
Starting October 1st, you’ll find this unique Ruthie 6-pack at your favorite grocery or liquor stores across Iowa.
A nice mix of brews and mead this week will be dropping from Abu Nawas. Here’s what’s coming this week:
MOONLIGHT MEADERY
- Moonlight Little Apple 12oz CAN – Semi-Dry Hard Cider Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels. Made with the finest New England Apples. 6.5% ABV.
- Moonlight Them Apples CAN – Bourbon Barrel Aged New England Style Sparkling Sweet Hard Cider. Barrels Aged for a minimum of 6 months. 13.5% ABV.
- Moonlight Thirteen 5 CAN – New England Style Honey Apple Wine. A pre-prohibition style of cider fermented with additional sugar to create 13.5% ABV – so strong we have to call it a wine.
- Moonlight Razz What She Said CAN – Delicious Session mead made with raspberries. Deep Rich raspberry notes play off a smooth honey base, creating a luscious semi-sweet mead with bright carbonation and off-pink head. Perfect for the summer. 6.5% ABV.
- Moonlight Kurt’s Apple Pie 375ml – Made with local apple cider with Madagascar vanilla and Vietnamese cinnamon. 14% ABV. Get your piece of the pie!. Two-time medal winner at the Mazer Cup International
- Moonlight A Common Disaster 375ml – An Iowa collaboration with Scot Schaar of Crawford Brew Works in Bettendorf, this mead took 1st place at the 2016 Mead Free or Die competition. Wildflower honey, hand-roasted pineapples, and smokey chipotle peppers. Slightly sweet pineapple notes fade to a smokey chipotle finish. 14% ABV.
- Moonlight Coffee in Bed 375ml – Honey wine fermented with natural Sumatra coffee. This is luscious dessert style mead that pairs wonderfully with German chocolate cake or tiramisu. 15.3% ABV
- Moonlight Indulge 375ml – Made from Madagascar-Bourbon vanilla beans, Vietnamese Cinnamon, honey, water and yeast. Reminiscent of a cinnamon bun. Bronze medal winner at the 2016 Mazer Cup International
- Moonlight Brazen 375ml – Mead with Meadowfoam honey, habanero peppers, and roasted cacao nibs. The sweet start sets the stage for the intensely strong heat that the habanero brings, with a rich creamy finish from the cacao nibs. 14% ABV.
- Moonlight Desire 375ml – Award Winning Mead with blueberries, black cherries, and blackcurrants. 14% ABV.
- Moonlight Destiny375ml – Aged in Utopian casks and released one barrel at a time, it takes over 2 years to perfect a single batch. This mead is complex with lots of fruits and honey notes while the oak adds some dryness for the perfect balance. Honey, Black Currant, Blueberry, and Dark Sweet Cherry
- Moonlight Fling375ml – Semi-sweet and tart Strawberry Rhubarb Mead. 14% ABV.
- Moonlight Iniquity 375ml – Honey, apple and cranberry. A sinful double play on the senses. Sweet and smooth apple that leads into temptation with a finish of light, tangy cranberry. 12%
- Moonlight Kamasumtra 375ml – Mead with Madagascar-Bourbon Vanilla and Sumatra coffee. 14% ABV.
- Moonlight Last Apple 375ml – Heavenly Mead Aged in Jim Beam Barrels. 16% ABV. Gold Medal winner at the 2015 Mazer Cup International
- Moonlight Paramour 375ml – Black Currant, Black Cherry, Black Raspberry, Blueberry Mead. Rich and complex layers of juicy sweet berry flavor and soft tartness greet the palate. 13.9% ABV.
- Moonlight Red Dress 375ml – Semi-sweet mead with red currants. 13.9% ABV.
- Moonlight Sensual 375ml – Sweet Wildflower honey mead. 15.3% ABV.
- Moonlight Sumptuous 375ml – Mead made from honey and mangos, sweet but not overly so. Deliciously smooth and wonderfully complex with a long-lasting finish. Enjoy with spiced Mexican, Thai or Indian dishes.
- Moonlight Wicked 375ml – Mead with ginger and Madagascar-Bourbon vanilla. 14% ABV. Gold Medal winner at the 2014 Mazer Cup International, Bronze medal winner at the 2015 Mazer Cup International.
- Moonlight Wild 375ml – Unprocessed wildflower honey and wild mountain-grown blueberries from Alton Bay NH combine to make this light, dry mead. Get the party started with Wild. Pairs well with fruits, cheese, and romantic activities. 14% ABV.
EVIL TWIN
- Evil Twin Public Servant Teacher Edition 16oz CAN – This beer is to honor the teachers that educate our children. We ask you, fellow beer drinkers, to thank local teachers by sharing this beer with them. DIPA Dry hopped with Mosaic and Falconer’s Flight. 7% ABV.
- Evil Twin Public Servant Firefighter Edition 16oz CAN – This beer is to honor the extraordinary commitment and courage of Firefighters. We ask you, fellow beer drinkers, to thank local Firefighters by sharing this beer with them. DIPA Dry-hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe and Ekuanot 7% ABV.
STILLWATER
- Stillwater / Hoof Hearted Fruit on the Bottom 16oz CAN – Fruit (And Hops) On The Bottom is a “rotationally hopped” sour IPA with lactose, vanilla extract, yogurt, strawberry and banana. 6% ABV.
- Stillwater Strawberry Shakerato 16oz CAN – Sour ale with strawberries, vanilla, coffee, cane & milk sugar. 5% ABV.
- Stillwater Double Mocha Affogato Nitro Stout 16oz CAN – Double mocha affogato stout with cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, coffee & lactose. 6.5% ABV.
- Stillwater On Fleek 12oz CAN – Imperial stout brewed with dark sugars and molasses. 13.0% ABV.
Big news from Solon and Iowa City today as Big Grove has announced the release of their popular Richard the Whale brew! The release date is set for December 7th and the tickets will go on sale the coming Wednesday, October 9th! They will be doing another golden ticket release so look for that as well! Here’s more on this release:
This year, Big Grove Brewpub in Solon joins the fun! Richard the Whale, our bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout returns for its annual party on Saturday, December 7. If you’re solely looking for a four-pack of bottles and collector’s glass, you’re invited to our Solon Brewpub! Tickets on sale Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 8:00am.
This ticket includes a collector’s glass and personal four-pack of Richard the Whale: 2 Richard the Whale, 1 Richard the Whale Coffee, 1 Richard the Whale Chocolate Hazelnut.
This package is $79.00 and can be purchased online here.
Golden Ticket beer, Richard the Whale Vanilla Coconut (500 mL), is exclusively available in Iowa City during the brunch bottle release party from 8:00-11:00am.
Tickets will be available through Eventbrite at this link.
It’s Friday night and you’re craving chicken wings. Where do you go? JR’s Place of course! This hidden gem is located off of Highway 30 in Wheatland, IA and has some of the best chicken wings I’ve had!
JR’s is the type of place every small town needs but most towns in general are lacking. A focus on doing something really good that people will come in for. On Friday nights, Wheatland will see a bigger influx of people make their way downtown because that is the ONLY night that JR’s has their chicken wings available. Get them breaded or naked, sauced or unsauced, spicy or mild, however you’d like!
BEER
A decent amount of cans and bottles available and on tap was Bud Light or Keystone Light, so we went with a few pitchers of Keystone Light. Any beer would work with the wings at this joint really.
WINGS
I went with the breaded hot wings. The part I love about JR’s hot wings is that the spice is in the breading. I didn’t need them to be doused in a sauce which in some cases turns the wing into mush. They are perfectly spiced and a side of hot sauce to dip was all I needed! I added a side of some fried shrimp as well and they were damn tasty. I also tried the half bbq/half wing sauce wing and that was very flavorful. The wings held up to the sauce so the breading stayed nice and crispy as well.
So…if you’re looking for a new place to try out and are craving some wings. Get on Highway 30, head to Clinton County and stop in Wheatland! Grab a pitcher of beer, order a few baskets of wings and you’ve got yourself a nice little Friday night!
Huge drop of beers coming from Abu Nawas this week! Lots of releases across the state this week!
Evil Twin
- Evil Twin Watermelon Spritzer 16oz CAN – Watermelon Gose brewed with Salt & Vanilla. 5% ABV.
- Evil Twin Cocktail Series: Tangerine Tonic 16oz CAN – Gin & Tonic-Inspired Sour DIPA brewed with Tangerine. 8% ABV.
- Evil Twin Cocktail Series: Bellini 16oz CAN – Bellini style Sour DIPA brewed with Peaches. 7% ABV.
- Evil Twin Cocktail Series: Mojito 16oz CAN – Mojito-style Sour DIPA brewed with Lime & Mint. 7% ABV.
- Evil Twin Cocktail Series: Negroni 16oz CAN – Negroni-style Sour IPA brewed with Juniper, Blood Orange, & Rhubarb. 7% ABV.💗💗💗
- Evil Twin Cocktail Series: Passionfruit Margarita 16oz CAN – Margarita-style Sour IPA brewed with Passionfruit, Lime, & Orange Peel. 7% ABV.
- Evil Twin Imperial Wedding Cake Break 16oz CAN – Yes, this is a beer brewed with an actual wedding cake. What started as a gift to a friend on his big day quickly made it online with crazy ratings and thus, the latest (one-time) iteration of Imperial Biscotti was born.
FreeThought
- FREETHOUGHT Museum Dose 16oz CAN – Museum Dose is a botanical sour ale with strawberries, sarsaparilla + birch. It’s a celebration of Spring, an homage to nineteenth-century soda fountains + a total trip. 6% ABV. 🥤⛲
- FREETHOUGHT Madcap CAN – Madcap is a smoky sour ale inspired by campfires, s’mores + hot cocoa with the flavor profile of a mezcal sour cocktail. Brewed with raw wheat, flaked + malted oats, lapsang souchong, cocoa + tamarind. Hopped with noble hops + dry-hopped with Simcoe lupulin powder. 6% ABV. 💖💖💖
- FREETHOUGHT Phosphorescent 16oz CAN – All-Galaxy, Uber-Hopped New England Pale Ale. 5.5% ABV.
- FREETHOUGHT Shibumi 16oz CAN – IPA Cuvée with Cherry, Miso + Chamomile 5.5% ABV. 🍒🍒
Public Access
- Public Access Triumphant Intermission 16oz CAN – Double Dry-Hopped IPA with Citra, El Dorado and Comet. 7% ABV. 🌠🌠🌠
- Public Access Emergency Broadcast 6/4/16oz CAN – Double Dry Hopped Hazy New England Style IPA. 5.2% ABV.
- Public Access Omniscient Signal 6/4/16oz CAN – Double Dry Hopped DIPA with Oats and hopped with Galaxy, Citra and Simcoe. 8.3% ABV.
Fat Orange Cat
- Fat Orange Cat Someone In My Head 16oz CAN – Double Dry Hopped New England style DIPA with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, & Apollo. 8.8% ABV.
- Fat Orange Cat It’s Not Yesterday Anymore 16oz CAN – New England style IPA. Gorgeous hazy blonde colored brew with soft pine, uplifting lime zest, and hearty hoppy bitterness on the finish. Hopped with Azacca, Eureka and Mosaic. 7% ABV.
- Fat Orange Cat FOC I Don’t Like Mondays 24/16oz Can 4 Pack – New England Style IPA hopped with Mosaic & Simcoe. 7.5% ABV.
Hoof Hearted
- Hoof Hearted Thanks For Letting Us Play Tonight 16oz CAN – Double Dry-Hopped All Galaxy New England Style IPA. 5.5% ABV.
- Hoof Hearted Everbody Wants Some Galaxy 16oz CAN – All Galaxy New England style DIPA. 8% ABV.
Abomination
- Abomination Brewing Bro Beer 16oz CAN – ****NOW IN CANS*** Extremely crushable New England session IPA brewed with flaked wheat and oats. Gently dry hopped with 100% galaxy hops! Juicy, tropical and hazy! The perfect beer to crack open with your bro’s! 4.7% ABV. #beermonster
- Abomination Bedtime Stories 6/4/16oz CAN – Imperial Milk Stout with Graham Crackers, Flaked Oats, Vanilla Beans and Marshmallows. 9.3% ABV. #beermonster
- Abomination Hop Roulette 6/4/16oz CAN – Rotating Hop series DIPA featuring Pacific Jade. 8.8% ABV. #beermonster
Nightmare Brewing
Nightmare Brewing Colombian Necktie 16oz CAN – Gose Soured on Colombian Mangoes, with Lulo, Soursop, and Colombian Lime zest. 7.2% ABV.
