Iowa Eats: Either/Or; Des Moines, IA

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! 

Lion Bridge 2024 “Barrel-Aged January” Lineup Announced!

Courtesy of Lion Bridge’s website:

Barrel Aged January 2024 Beer Releases

Home-Baked 2024 (Imperial Stout w/ Hazelnut, Cinnamon, Cacao, Love, 11%) – Dessert for your desert island. Fudge and saigon cinnamon meld with a little bit of hazelnut goodness and bourbon barrel to produce something we liken to a cookie in beer form.

Vanilla Home-Baked (Imperial Stout/ Hazelnut, Cinnamon, Cacao, Vanilla, 11%) – We took our dessert for a desert island and dosed it with huge amounts of whole bean Madagascar Vanilla. An even more decadent treat!

Couples Skate (Barrel-Fermented Brett Beer w/whole peaches, 6.5%) – A slightly awkward first encounter that has led to happily ever after. We crushed 500lbs of Michigan peaches straight from the tree and let them rest on hand-selected wild barrels from our wood cellar for 8 months.

Oco Noco (Imperial Milk Stout w/Coconut, 11%) – We took an exceptional Imperial Milk Stout, aged it in Bourbon barrels for a year, and then put an obscene amount of toasted and un-toasted coconut into it until beer and confectionary treat melded seamlessly together. Simple, but oh so decadent.

Forgotten Time 2024 (Barrel-Aged Barley Wine, 12%) – The real deal Barley Wine. Brewed in collaboration with our friends at Clockhouse. Aged for 28 months in 10-year-old Templeton Rye Whiskey barrels. Sherry, chocolate, dark fruit for days.

GAZPROM! 2019 (Russian Imperial Stout w/Maple Syrup, 12%) – Viscous, and black. After primary fermentation this oily, Russian giant is re-fermented in bourbon barrels with Great River Maple dark syrup then blended back together to add consistency and complexity. 2016 GABF Bronze Medal Winner for Specialty Beer.

Shadow Puppet (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 13%) – Aged 36 months in Cedar Ridge Bourbon Barrels and blended to bring an amazing beer out of the darkness. Notes of dried dark fruits, chocolate, sherry, oak, caramel, and vanilla.

Home-Baked Whiskey Release …. details coming soon!

Week by Week breakdown:

Week 1

1/4 Live Music – Trevor Treiber 6-8 PM

1/6 BEER RELEASE : Home-Baked 2024

1/6 BEER RELEASE : Vanilla Home-Baked 2024

1/6 Raffle for FREE Lion Bridge Merchandise!

Food Special (starting 1/3)

Pork Tenderloin with a Maple Vanilla Glaze atop Blue Cheese Macaroni

Smoked Gouda Burger

Three Layer Coconut Cream Cake


Week 2

1/13 BEER RELEASE : Couples Skate

1/13 BEER RELEASE : Cellar Release – Barrel-Aged Oco Noco 2022

1/13 Live Music – Severio Lancieri 6-8 PM

1/13 Country Night! Come dressed in your best cowboy/western look!

1/13 Raffle for FREE Lion Bridge Merchandise!

1/14 Make Your Own Face Stein (tickets) 2-4 PM

1/16 Tuesday Night Trivia 6-8 PM

1/18 Magic Show 6-7 PM

Food Special (starting 1/10)

BBQ Ribs and Cornbread / Mac & Cheese and Green Beans

BBQ Bacon Burger

Apple Turnovers with Bourbon Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream


1/20 BEER RELEASE : Forgotten Time Barley Wine 2024 edition

1/20 BEER RELEASE : Cellar Release – GAZPROM 2019

1/20 Raffle for FREE Lion Bridge Merchandise!

1/20 Open Night Mic 7-9 PM

1/23 Tuesday Night Trivia 6-8 PM

1/25 Live Music – Carson Parker Cello Duet 6-8 PM

Food Special (starting 1/17)

Hearty Beef Stew

Lamb Meat Pies

Apple Turnovers with Bourbon Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream

Week 3


1/27 BEER RELEASE : Shadow Puppet

1/27 BEER RELEASE : Home-Baked Whiskey

1/27 Raffle for FREE Lion Bridge Merchandise!

1/28 Cedar Rapids Brewing Society Happy Hour 3-5 PM

Food Special (starting 1/24)

Pesto Flatbread with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans

Cranberry and Barleywine Braised Brisket with Roasted Kale and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes 

Raspberry Tart

SingleSpeed “Tip the Cow Day” set for Saturday January 13th!

Courtesy of SingleSpeed’s Facebook page:

Milk stouts, milk stout ice cream floats, bourbon barrel-aged milk stouts… Oh, and did we mention 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙠 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨? 
Add live music, a complimentary Tip the Cow-branded Miir insulated beverage holder, and all of the cow-themed fun we could think of, and you have yourself a party.
AND, as if you aren’t already sold on the party of the century, Tip the Cow 2024 features the release of Tip the Cow Malt Whiskey in partnership with Foundry Distilling Co.

**“The Calf” Ticket ($50) gets you:

Early access to Tip the Cow Day – 9 AM!
(1) 500ml bottle of BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged)
An early opportunity to purchase our BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) 500ml bottle for only $20 (limit purchase of 3 bottles before 10am)
An early opportunity to purchase a surprise variant of BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) 500ml bottle for only $30
(limit 3 bottles before 10am)
Matte Blue Tip the Cow Branded Insulated Miir Coffee Mug
Milk stout ice cream float made with Tip the Cow Day draft of your choice
**One draw of either:
• Tip The Cow
• Coconut Migration
• BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Imperial Milk Stout)
• Surprise Variant of BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Milk Stout)

**“The Cow” Ticket ($100) gets you:

Early access to Tip the Cow Day – 9 AM!
(1) 750ml bottle of Tip the Cow Malt Whiskey
An early opportunity to purchase our BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) 500ml bottle for only $20 (limit purchase of 3 bottles before 10am)
An early opportunity to purchase a surprise variant of BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) 500ml bottle for only $30 (limit purchase of 3 bottles before 10am)
Matte Black Tip the Cow Branded Insulated Miir Highball Tumbler
Milk stout ice cream float made with Tip the Cow Day draft of your choice
**One draw of either:
• Tip The Cow
• Coconut Migration
• BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Milk Stout)
• Surprise Variant of BA Two Cows 2024 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Milk Stout)

Confluence celebrating 11 years on Saturday October 21st!

Des Moines will be the place to be this coming weekend as Confluence Brewing will be celebrating their 11 year anniversary starting at 11 a.m.! Live music, food trucks and multiple beer releases throughout the day will be taking place. Take a look below for the schedule courtesy of Confluence’s Facebook page:

We are celebrating our 11th year of making good beer and we hope you can join us!

Come on down to the beer factory on our birthday for a special celebration filled with live music, food trucks, commemorative glassware and new beers for you to take home.

Schedule:
Live Music with Ducharme Jones 12-2:30pm
Live Music with Buckmiller Schwager Band 3-5:30pm
Food Trucks: Pie Mates & Street Eats
*Purchase any 2 anniversary beers (to-go) and receive a free 11th-anniversary glass!

Anniversary Beer Releases:
1. Peanut Butter Cup Porter (Contains Nuts & Lactose)
2. Bourbon Barrel Aged Ferryman’s
3. Ferryman’s Chocolate Old Fashioned
4. Ferryman’s Dark Chocolate Turtle
* to read about each beer, head to our events tab and you can see each release with their tasting notes!

Annual “Cousin Eddie Party” set for Thanksgiving Day (11/23)@ Iowa Brewing!

A tradition unlike any other returns in 2023 as Iowa Brewing Company in downtown Cedar Rapids (708 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids) will be putting on their annual “Cousin Eddie Party” on Thanksgiving Day! Starting bright and early at 7 a.m. and going to noon, it’s a perfect way to start Thanksgiving morning with family, or get a good buzz before dealing with family…your call. Showcasing their “Cousin Eddie” breakfast ale and celebrating the culture of Cousin Eddie and a wonderful beer, Iowa Brewing will be the place to be Thanksgiving morning! Here’s more courtesy of the brewery’s Facebook page:

“You serious, Clark?”

Yeah, we are serious! It’s that time of year for our Annual Thanksgiving Day Cousin Eddie Party. Doors will open at 7:00AM and stay open until noon.

The deets:
– Cousin Eddie Breakfast Ale (Barrel-Aged)
– Cousin Eddie Breakfast Ale
– Patio open with space heaters
– Expanded taproom into brewery/production area
– Special Edition Cousin Eddie t-shirts

For the newbies:
– Come dressed as Cousin Eddie (if possible)
– Show up in your PJs (no birthday suits)
– We will be busy; please be patient
– If you see a jello mold with cat food, don’t eat it

LET’S PARTY!

Lua celebrating 4 years starting next Monday (10/9)! with 3 new releases!

An early happy 4 years to Lua Brewing! Starting next Monday, October 9th, they will be releasing beers and having food specials throughout the week. Here’s what they are starting with on Monday courtesy of their Facebook page:

Our 4th Anniversary week kicks off ONE WEEK from today, and we are starting it off with everyone’s favs.

Next Monday (10/9) we will be slinging $4.44 Lua Smush sliders alllll dang day, accompanied by THREE new nostalgia inspired, smoothie-esque sour beers (draft only).

PUSHPOP: GUB GUB (5%)

Pineapple, Guava, Fruit Punch

PUSHPOP: TJ CREAM (5%)

Berry, Passion fruit, Vanilla

PUSHPOP: MR. DENMARK (5%)

Tangerine, Cara Cara Orange, Mango

Looking forward to celebrating with you all!

Big Grove Richard the Whale returns Saturday, December 2nd! Presale 10/25!

Courtesy of Big Grove Brewery:

Richard the Whale returns Saturday, December 2 

Our annual celebration will include Iowa City, Des Moines, and Solon

Wednesday, October 25, pre-sale begins at biggrove.com for our favorite party of the year! Mark your calendar, set an alarm, tell Siri to remind you… whatever it takes! The 2023 RtW celebrations will be held in Iowa City, Des Moines, and Solon featuring a pair of new beers alongside the Richard 4-packs + Golden Ticket. Here’s a cute stack of pics from the 2022 parties to get the good vibes flowin’.

Clock House Brewing releasing “Demon Spawn” double hazy IPA tomorrow! (8/18!)

New hazy double coming from Clock House Brewing tomorrow! Check it out, info courtesy of Clock House Brewing’s Facebook page:

Demon Spawn is a Double Hazy NEIPA with Mosaic, Mosaic Lupomax, Southern Cross, Lotus, and Exp ID-158. Fermented warm to unlock fruity esters. Double dry-hopped in active fermentation to allow bio-transformation to occur; unlocking huge bold flavors and aromas. Hop additions were pushed to the absolute limit. Normal hop quantities were doubled both in the whirlpool and cold side. Vicious mouthfeel, intense tropical flavors, and a smooth 8%. This one was spawned from the devil!

Available in 16oz 4-packs and on draft! 

Hop Butcher, Mason Ale Works, Blackstack, Phase Three, and Weldwerks brews coming from Pequod!

Unwind Your Mind – Double IPA w/ Mosaic, Motueka & El Dorado-hopped Double India Pale Ale

A Roar Of Colors – Double IPA w/ Rakau, Riwaka, Galaxy & Mosaic-hopped Double India Pale Ale.

Meet the Motuekas – Motueka Hopped Hazy IPA

Normalize the Signal – Double IPA w/ Mosaic and Sabro

  • Sunday Beer League – Hazy IPA collab w/ Blackstack!
  • Simcoe Revegence – Double IPA w/ Simcoe
  • Can’t Resist the Oats – 

BlackStack Brewing

  • Meat Raffle – 8.6% Double IPA. Hand selected cuts across the board of our primo Mosaic, Strata, Azacca Cryo, Amarillo Cryo, and Citra Cryo.

Phase 3 Brewing Company – Limited Quantities

  • TDH in Threes Triple IPA –    
  • DDH Unchecked Imagination Double IPA – 
  • DDH Cross Pollination – Double IPA w/ Honey – 
  • Double Nectar – Apricot, Orange, Pineapple Sour

Weldwerks Brewing Company

  • Colorado Ale – Easy Drinking Lager  
  • Juicy Bits – Fresh Cans and Kegs – Flagship IPA 
  • Dad Nap – Hazy Double IPA    
  • Peach and Strawberry Cobbler – Cobbler Style Sour 

EPIC Jester King beers coming from Abu Nawas!

An insane amount of deliciousness is making it’s way to you! Abu Nawas was lucky enough to hit the cellars of Jester King Brewery and come away with some of the best beers made in the world! The list below is bottles only, but expect to see some really amazing things at some restaurants/bars/pubs in the coming weeks! If you know a restaurant/bar/pub that is interested in setting up an account or ordering any of the beers mentioned below, feel free to email me at ben@abunawasbeverage.com! Here’s what’s coming from Jester King!

JESTER KING BOTTLE OFFER

FARMHOUSE ALES & STOUT COLLECTION

  • Jester King / Green Bench Beachtimez Sportzketball 12x750ml Bottles – Grisette-inspired ale refermented w/ Texas loquats. 4.5% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Bière de Miel 12/750ml Bottles – Farmhouse Ale brewed w/ Texas wildflower honey. 5.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Black Metal 12/750 ml Bottles – Farmhouse Imperial Stout a.k.a. Iron Sword, a.k.a. Blackened Death, a.k.a. El Martillo del Muerte, is a cruel and punishing beer fermented by the sheer force of its awesome will. Black Metal is dry, roasty, and fermented with farmhouse yeast. 10.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Boxer’s Revenge 12/750 ml Bottles – barrel-aged strong ale. Boxer’s Revenge slowly ferments for several months in oak barrels in the presence of naturally occurring wild yeasts and souring bacteria prior to blending. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned. 10.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Buddha’s Brew 12x750ml Bottles – Farmhouse ale blended & brewed w/ kombucha tea. Very classy farmhouse that has a light, well carbonated feel and medium-light body. 4.7% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Cerveza de Mezquite12/750ml Bottles – Farmhouse ale brewed with mesquite beans foraged from the Texas Hill Country! 5.6% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Colonel Toby 12/750ml Bottles – Thirst Quench Alert! hoppy little farmhouse ale brewed in collaboration with The Kernel Brewery in London, England. We love simple, little, crisp, bitter, drinkable beers, and Colonel Toby fits this bill. 3.2% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Das Wunderkind 12/750 ml Bottles – Made using the once commonplace, Old World technique of bière de coupage, freshly hopped, young beer is blended with old, sour beer aged in oak barrels. Das Wunderkind! is dry, highly attenuated, unspiced, tart, floral, and funky. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned. 4.5% ABV – TX
  • Jester King El Cedro 12/750ml Bottles – Farmhouse ale hopped with piney, citrusy American hops, aged on Spanish Cedar spirals, and bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces yeast. Unfiltered, unpasteurized and naturally conditioned. 7.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Foudreweizen 12/750 ml Bottles – A Collaboration with TX Legendary Live Oak Brewing Company. Wheat beer brewed by Live Oak and fermented in Foudre. 6.2% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Gotlandsdricka 12/750 ml Bottles – Gotlandsdricka, meaning “Drink of Gotland”, is a farmhouse ale brewed with smoked malt, juniper, and myrica gale. It’s inspired by the Scandinavian farmhouse brewing tradition. Gontlandsdricka is fabled to be the beer of the Vikings. Rudimentary malting techniques would likely have lent a smokey character to the beer and other plants besides hops (such as juniper and gale) were used for bittering. 6.6% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Grim Harvest 12/750 ml Bottles – Farmhouse ale refermented with “spent” blackberries from Nocturnum Chrysalis. 5.2% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Hibernal Dichotomous 12/750 ml Bottles – Barrel Aged Farmhouse Saison with peeled & grated raw beets, orange juice & zest, and fresh thyme.
  • Jester King Le Petit Prince 12/750 ml Bottles -Crushable Farmhouse Table Beer. Throughout Northern Europe, light-bodied, well-hopped, low alcohol table beers were often the beverage of choice with all meals. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, 100% naturally conditioned ale. 2.9% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Mad Meg 12/750 ml Bottles – Mad Meg is a Franco-Belgian inspired “bière de provision,” which means beer for keeping or storing. Provision ales were typically higher in alcohol and cellared for longer periods of time than their lower abv counterparts. Jester King Mad Meg is a simple beer with well water, Texas barley and wheat, and organic Fuggle and Perle hops. It was fermented in stainless steel with our mixed culture of brewers yeast and wild yeast, then naturally conditioned in kegs and 750ml bottles. 8.9% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Mr Mingo 12/750ml Bottles – A farmhouse ale with roselle hibiscus. The inspiration was to make a simple beer with a subtle adjunct. 4.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Noble King 12/750 ml Bottles – Noble King is a medium strength, highly attenuated, unspiced farmhouse ale brewed with an abundance of organic noble hops, and fermented with wild yeasts from the Texas Hill Country. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned. 5.9% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Part & Parcel 12/750ml Bottles – Farmhouse Ale. The first beer in modern history brewed with 100% Texas grown and malted grain. 5.5% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Provenance Lemon/Lime 12/750 ml Bottles – Farmhouse ale brewed with lemons and limes. Provenance takes the vibrant flavors and aromas of lemons and limes and presents them in the unique way that only wild fermentation with native yeast and bacteria can. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned. 5.7% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Saison Americaine 12/750ml Bottles – Authentic modern-American, mixed culture saison. 5.2% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Simple Means 12/750 ml Bottles – Simple Means represents everything we love about Jester King, this Altbier with smoked malt is a complex take on a traditional style with Jester King’s legendary Farmhouse touch. Farmhouse Altbier with Texas smoked malt. Pleasantly smoked and crushable. 5.6% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Snorkel 12/750 ml Bottles – Farmhouse ale brewed with alderwood smoked sea salt and Texas grown oyster mushrooms. For this batch, we used golden oyster mushrooms. 5.5% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Vague Recollection 12/750ml Bottles – Inspired by the winemaking tradition of piquette, Vague Recollection is a farmhouse ale aged on the grape pomace from Syrah & Sangiovese. 6% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Wytchmaker 12/750 ml Bottles – Farmhouse Rye IPA brewed with Texas-grown San Jacinto Two Row and Wildfire Pale Malt from TexMalt, malted Rye, and oats. It’s kettle hopped with Citra and El Dorado and dry hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic Cryo. 6% ABV -TX
  • Jester King / Masonry Collab Meowzah 12/750ml – Texas take on an English best bitter. 100% naturally conditioned in bottles and kegs. 4.6% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Figlet 12/750ml Bottles – Collaboration with the Legendary Franklin Barbecue. Farmhouse Ale refermented with smoked Texas figs. 6% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Kollaborationsbier 12/750ml Bottles – Kollaborationsbier is Live Oak Pilz wort fermented in stainless steel with Jester King mixed culture. The Pilz wort is brewed at Live Oak and driven across town to Jester King for fermentation. This simple, crushable beer maintains much of the Live Oak Pilz character when young and fresh, then goes through a mixed culture metamorphosis in the bottle as it ages. 6% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Soul Conduit 12/750ml Bottles – Farmhouse table beer aged in Old Tom Gin barrels previously housing Jester King Viking Metal. After barrel-aging, we refermented the beer with lime zest, lime juice, and fresh basil. The finished beer has a subtle smoked character with a nice herbal depth. We get notes of juniper, pine, Meyer lemon, lime leaf, backed up by a subtle salinity and smoke. We like to think of Soul Conduit as our farmhouse G&T. 4.5% ABV – TX

BARREL-AGED & SPONTANEOUS FERMENTATION COLLECTION

  • Jester King Atrial Rubicite 12/500ml Bottles – Atrial Rubicite is Jester King barrel-aged wild ale re-fermented with raspberries. Originally released in 2013, it’s their first-ever fruit beer. 5.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Bière de Blanc du Bois 12/500ml Bottles – To make Bière de Blanc du Bois, Texas-grown Blanc du Bois grapes were added to mature barrel-aged sour beer and refermented to dryness. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100 percent bottle-conditioned. 6.7% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Biere de Coupage 12/750 ml Bottles – Biere de Coupage is a dry-hopped blend of fresh, hoppy farmhouse ale and mature, barrel-aged SPON. “Biere de Coupage” simply means beer that is cut or blended. We learned about the practice of blending young beer with old from the Franco-Belgian farmhouse tradition, and we adopted it into our beer making about a decade ago. We enjoy seeing how the microflora from the mature SPON takes the young, fresh beer in new and exciting directions. 5.9% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Biere de Syrah 12x500ml Bottles – barrel-aged sour beer refermented with Syrah grapes. Bière de Syrah consists of a blend of beer fermented in oak barrels for nine to twelve months with our mixed culture of brewers yeast and native yeast and bacteria harvested from the air and wildflowers around our brewery. The blend was then refermented with Syrah grapes for about two weeks, transferred off of the fruit, then aged for an additional nine months in oak barrels. After packaging, the beer naturally conditioned for an additional two months prior to release. Altogether, Bière de Syrah is roughly two years old. 7.3% ABV – TX 
  • Jester King Birra di Sangiovese 12/500ml – barrel aged sour beer refermented with Sangiovese grapes grown at Tyler Farms & Vineyard in Midland, Texas. 7.4% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Cerveza de Tempranillo 12/500ml Bottles – barrel-aged sour ale refermented w/ tempranillo grapes. Tempranillo wine grapes were added to mature, sour, barrel-aged beer, and allowed to referment to dryness. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned. 9.4% ABV – TX
  • Jester King CRU-55 12/375ml Bottles – sour red ale puncheon barrel-aged 3 years. 8.3% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Montmorency vs. Balaton 12/500ml Bottles – Barrel aged wild ale re-fermented with Montmorency and Balaton cherries from Michigan. 🍒 One of the running jokes at Jester King is, “What is your favorite fruit to ferment with beer, and why is it cherry?” Cherries are indeed hard to beat when it comes to fruit re-fermentation. We get delicious notes of cherry pie, cinnamon, and marzipan. 4.9% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Nocturn Crysalis 12/500ml Bottles – Nocturn Chrysalis is our barrel-aged wild ale refermented with six pounds per gallon Marion Blackberries! 5.1% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Omniscience & Proselytism 12x500ml Bottles – Barrel-aged wild ale refermented with Hill Country strawberries. 4.4% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Orter i morker 12/750 ml Bottles – Akvavit Barrel Aged Dark Farmhouse Ale brewed with well water, malted barley, hops, woodear mushrooms, dried dill, dried caraway seeds, and fresh pine needles. It was fermented with our mixed culture and aged in 225L oak barrels formerly containing akvavit, a Scandinavian spirit flavored with caraway or dill. 7.9% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Repose 12/750 ml Bottles – Inspired by the dusty, hay-filled stone barns of the Nord de France that likely gave way to the rise of Bière de Garde, we included a small portion of hay in the mash for this beer. Taking a further cue from the slow and steady winter fermentation of the style, we allowed Reposé to rest in brandy barrels for almost a year. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned. 8.3% ABV – TX
  • Jester King Song of Binding 12/750ml Bottles – A collaboration with La Sirène Brewing in Melbourne, Australia. They inoculated wort in the coolship and racked it onto the yeast cake in one of their foudres for primary fermentation. They then matured the beer in French oak Pinot Noir barrels for fourteen months. 6.9% ABV – TX
  •  Jester King SPON Plum Nectarine 6/375ml Bottles – 2018 SPON — Texas Plum & Nectarine! It’s a blend of one and two year old 100% spontaneously fermented beer from 2016 and 2017, refermented with Bruce sour plums from Lightsey Farms in Mexia, Texas, Morris plums from Engel Farms in Stonewall, Texas, and white nectarines from Cooper Farms in Fairfield, Texas! SPON beers are 100% spontaneously fermented with airborne yeast and bacteria collected overnight as the wort rests in our coolship. The beer then slowly ferments and matures in oak barrels for somewhere between one to three years depending on the batch. For this blend, we racked one and two year old beer out of oak and added it to 450 lbs. of sour plums, 100 lbs. of plums, and 400 lbs. of nectarines for refermentation. With our SPON beers, as well as for everything we brew, our aim is to create something uniquely tied to a cross-section of time, place, and people, never to be repeated or duplicated again. This is what farmhouse brewing means to us and gives us passion for what we do. 5.3% ABV – TX
  • Jester King SPON Raspberry & Cherry 6/375ml Bottles – 2018 SPON Raspberry & Cherry is a blend of one, two and three year old 100% spontaneously fermented beer refermented with raspberries and cherries. For our 2018 blend, we selected two puncheons of SPON from 2014, two puncheons of SPON from 2015, and one 225 liter barrel of SPON from 2016. After creating the blend, we refermented it with 960 pounds of raspberries and 840 pounds of Balaton cherries. 5.4% ABV
  • Jester King SPON Red Grape 6/375ml Bottles – 2016 SPON MOURVEDRE & SANGIOVESE – 100% spontaneously fermented beer, refermented with Mourvedre and Sangiovese grapes. We took three barrels of two year old SPON from 2014 and one barrel of three year old SPON from 2013 (about 1,600 liters), and added 500 pounds of Mourvedre grapes from the Texas High Plains and 500 pounds of Sangiovese grapes from Colorado. We allowed the beer to referment with the grapes to dryness, then naturally conditioned the beer in kegs and bottles resting on their side. 7% ABV – TX
  • Jester King SPON Three Year Blend 6/375ml Bottles – Three Year Blend is a blend of three different vintages — 2014, 2015 and 2016 — of 100% spontaneously fermented beer. Our goal is to make beer inextricably linked to our time, place, and people by harnessing the microflora, climate, and ecology of the Texas Hill Country. 5.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King SPON Three Year Blend 6/750ml Bottles – 2017 SPON — Three Year Blend is a blend of three different vintages — 2014, 2015 and 2016 — of 100% spontaneously fermented beer. Our goal is to make beer inextricably linked to our time, place, and people by harnessing the microflora, climate, and ecology of the Texas Hill Country. 5.8% ABV – TX
  • Jester King SPON White Grape 6/375ml Bottles – 2018 SPON Muscat is a blend of 100% spontaneously fermented beer refermented with 2,000 pounds of Muscat grapes from Sulpher Bluff, Texas (2018 harvest)! The grapes were really pleasant, reminded us of honeysuckle and flowers, and refermented very nicely with SPON. Our SPON beers (short for “spontaneous”) are brewed with unfiltered well water, Texas malted barley, Texas raw wheat, and aged hops from our barn. The wort sits overnight in our coolship and collects wild yeast and bacteria from the air before spontaneously fermenting in oak barrels for typically one to three years. They are then conditioned in bottles and kegs through natural refermentation. As we state on our label, SPON is a unique reflection of the ecology of the Texas winter, the Texas Hill Country, and the people of Jester King. 6.4% ABV – TX
  • Jester King UberSPON 12/750 ml Bottles – UberSPON is young farmhouse ale “cut” with mature Jester King SPON, then dry hopped with organic Fuggle and Perle from The Oregon Hophouse. 5.9% ABV – TX