Cold Beer and Hot Dogs

March 1, 2014Leave a comment

There has to be something to get everyone through this awful winter we are having. Whether it’s looking forward to March Madness, cutting the grass, baseball season, or anything to get outside for a while and enjoy some rays, most of us are getting burnt out on these temps. Luckily, Blackstone restaurant in Iowa City comes up with a nice little concept that got me to think spring and also let me enjoy some new terrific Iowa brewed beers.

A good hot dog to pair with a terrific beer or two is tough to beat. Blackstone put a couple gourmet hot dogs on their menu this past Thursday night to go along with some Iowa brewed beer and they hit a home run with it. The majority of the excitement was centered around Toppling Goliath releasing their King Sue. For those who don’t know King Sue is double citra IPA.

I decided to go with the “Hop Dog”, which was an all-beef dog, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, hop mustard, and house made pickled jalapeños and wasn’t disappointed. Terrific dog, and the recommended beer pairing was King Sue, times two of those for me and we are having a great evening.

Kids were enjoying their meals, wife enjoying hers, King Sue was flowing great but I really had my eye on the Confluence Milk Man stout which was on nitro. Decided to go with it, and was glad I did. This is one of the best stouts I’ve had in a while and nitro makes it all the better.

I love these events, food and beer pairings, thinking outside the box a bit and Blackstone does a great job of this. This was a busy beer week in corridor, the Big Grove/Confluence collab was released, Reds Alehouse getting Central Waters, and this event at Blackstone. With two kids I have to pick and choose, although I wish I would have made it to all three.

These events are a welcome site and it’s exciting seeing people gather for good food and craft beer!

Central Waters is coming!!

February 24, 2014Leave a comment

Reds Alehouse will be having a Central Waters brewing tap takeover Wednesday night and after visiting I saw a list of 5 brews that will be offered that night. One of them was their bourbon barrel-aged stout and their Peruvian Morning was another. Really looking forward to this event and hope to see a few beer lovers there. Also received this from Oakland Road Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids:

Welcome to Iowa, Central Waters Brewing Co. !

Here are their year round 6 pack offerings

·      Glacial IPA

·      Mudpuppy Porter

·      Solitude Stout

·      Hop Rise

·      Slainte Scotch (Rotating Seasonal)

And here are a few of their Barrel aged limited release beers

·      Bourbon aged Barleywine

·      Bourbon aged Stout

·      Peruvian Morning

We will be having a kickoff event Tuesday, February 25^th from 4-5:30! A brewery representative will be here tasting out these great beers! Stop in and try these amazing beers!

Zipline Brewing Company Coming to Iowa

February 22, 2014Leave a comment

I got the following message from reader Tom about Zipline Brewing company hitting Eastern Iowa Shelves.

ZIPLINE BREWING CO/JOHNSON BROTHERS OF IOWA
ANNOUNCE NEW DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIP
Lincoln, NE — Thursday, February 20, 2014 — Zipline Brewing Company is pleased to announce the launch of Iowa distribution in partnership with Johnson Brothers of Iowa, Inc. Distribution commences in March throughout Johnson Brothers’ Iowa territory, including Des Moines, Iowa City and Council Bluffs. The partnership follows the dynamic growth of Zipline from a small startup in 2012 to its present capacity of over 3,000 barrels annually, pacing since July 2013 as Nebraska’s third largest production brewery. This marks the first time Zipline products will be sold outside of Nebraska.
“We are excited to bring what we consider an outstanding ‘local’ brewery across the River into Iowa,” says Lyle Stutzman, President Johnson Brothers of Iowa. The events kickoff with tap takeovers in two of the country’s premier beer bars: Reds Alehouse in North Liberty on March 5, and El Bait Shop in Des Moines on March 6.
Head Brewer and Chief of Operations Marcus Powers, who will attend both events and others as part of the launch, relishes the opportunity: “We already feel a solid connection to Iowa beer consumers given our close proximity and their appreciation for local craft. And, we couldn’t find better partners in Johnson Brothers. We’re committed to making some of the best beer in America and can’t wait to share it with our neighbors.”
Questions? Contact Marcus Powers at Zipline Brewing Company: 402 450 9804

Comfort in a Great Liquor Store

February 18, 20144 Comments

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while as I feel it is important to show my gratitude to the great people that run our wonderful liquor stores in Eastern Iowa. We have quite a few to choose from actually. Whether you choose something local, a Hy-Vee, Johncy’s Liquor, Johns Grocery, Family Beer and Liquor, or Benz, we have a pretty great selection of places we can go to get the latest and greatest craft beer.

I was a frequent flyer at the Oakland Road Hy-Vee, who, in my opinion has a huge selection of beer to choose from and you can also get added to the beer club. I believe it is buy so many different beers and get a gift card of sorts, which is a pretty sweet deal, I believe the gift card is somewhere between $50-$100.

As far as customer service goes, Johncy’s Liquor store in North Liberty seems to take the cake for me. So polite, helpful, and accommodating, Johncy is running a class establishment. Willing to have conversations, help you out with a selection, or anything else, I drive the few extra miles from Mount Vernon because I know I’m going to walk out of Johncy’s with what I wanted. (And probably $50-$100 worth of beer).

Another one I have to mention because I practically lived there for a while is the famous John’s Grocery. Terrific selection, especially on the imports, they sell single bottles so you don’t have to throw $10 on something you’re unsure of. I always called them on Wednesday’s just to chat beer with their beerman at the time, Joe Hotek, who is now working for Tallgrass. Joe knew EVERYTHING and ANYTHING about beer and to make it better is just a super nice guy. I go there yet, since my wife is now working in the Iowa City area, and this is another place that it’s hard to leave without dropping a Benjamin.

The other place is one that is closer to where my parents and other family members live. Family Beer and Liquor in East Dubuque, IL has a huge selection of beer and has stuff we just can’t get our hands on in Iowa. I reached out to them during the Bourbon County release and they were gracious enough to hold a nice allotment for me. If you call or contact them they will do whatever they can to help, great beer people! You can also buy singles there and you are guaranteed to drop some dough, as they have a great selection. If you’re lucky enough to find limited releases from Firestone Walker, Lost Abbey, and Dogfish, amongst a ton of others.

The amount of phone calls they receive when a new brew or a beer that is released occasionally come out has to drive them nuts, but they all handled out well, and they can also blame Toppling Goliath for that. (#beerjoke).

So, thanks to all of these terrific beer shops for keeping this beer consumer happy, entertained, and satisfied. Cheers!

Dubuque Beer Festival Review

February 16, 2014Leave a comment

Another beer festival in the books and another successful one as well. The city of Dubuque hosted their beer festival this past Saturday at the Ice Arena and were greeted with a huge turnout, terrific breweries, excellent meat and cheese booths, and an entertaining band. With the V.I.P. ticket I was able to go in an hour early and not have to wait in line to try the brews. Able to talk with the guys from Big Grove, Toppling Goliath, and others.

Toppling Goliath had a smaller booth than I thought they would have and had Dorothy’s Lager and Golden Nugget on tap but were also pouring Zeelander and XHOPS bottles. When Golden Nugget went try they tapped into pseudoSue. One of my favorite moments was while waiting in line for some Sue an older gentlemen had his first taste sue, and after drinking it, said “WOW!” and then proceeded to tell his buddy how amazing it was.

There were a lot of good beers to try as some of my favorites were Big Grove breweries Red Headed Stranger, Exile’s Mamie (Schwarzbier), Bent River’s Raspberry wheat mixed with their uncommon stout, Potosi’s barleywine, and of course TG’s brews. It’s always great to catch up with Joe Hotek who works for Tallgrass Brewing and try their beers as well.

One of the more memorable events of the evening was meeting Lance Rice, a beer historian with autism who is currently having a documentary of him touring breweries across the country. Being able to ask him questions about the history of beer in Iowa was definitely a high point. To learn more about Lance’s Brewery Tour visit his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/lancesbrewerytour

1st Round of Brews Available at Dubuque Beer Festival

February 9, 2014February 11, 2014Leave a comment

The first round of beers that are going to be poured at the Dubuque Beer Festival Saturday, February 15th has been released. There should be more information on what else is being brought as the week goes on but so far here’s the list:

Grumpy Troll – Spetsnaz Stout, Fox and Badger Ale, Troll’s Gold Lager

Potosi Brewing – Potosi Tangerine IPA, Eclipse Black IPA, Potosi Barrel Aged Brandy Wine, Steamboat Shandy, Gandy Dancer Porter..

BLUE CAT

Blue cat brew pub will be sampling their abbey…..something and blue bastard Baltic porter

@CapBrew lineup for #DbqBrewfest – Jobu Rum Barrel Aged Brown Ale, Wisconsin Amber, Mutiny IPA, Maibock, and Dark Voyage IPA

Backpocket Brewing from Coralville, IA
Slingshot Dunkel, Penny Whistle Bavarian Wheat, Wooden Nickel Scottish Lager, Gold Coin Helles!

Boulevard Brewing Company ‘s lineup: Boulevard Tank Series (Saison), Irish Ale (Spring Seasonal), Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer, and Boulevard’s Single Wide IPA. #DbqBrewfest

Bent River Brewing Company
UnCommon Stout
Jalapeño Pepper Ale

Boston Beer Company :
Sam Adams Rebel IPA
Sam Adams Lager
Sam Adams Cold Snap
Angry Orchard Crisp Apple
Angry Orchard Cinnful Apple

Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado
Breckenridge Ophelia
Breckenridge 471 IPA Small Batch

Exile Brewing Co.
Ruthie (Gold Lager)
Hannah (South German Style Hefeweizen)
Gigi (Dark Lager)
Seasonal

Front Street Brewery
Simcoe IPA
Davenport Gold
Raging River Ale
Winter Warmer Ale

Galena Brewing Company
Grigori’s Russian Imperial Stout
Hoppy Wheat American Wheat Ale
MacDougals 90/- Scotch Ale
Wassailers Belgian Witbier

Green Flash Brewing Co.
West Coast IPA
Double Stout Black IPA
Saison Diego Farmhouse Ale
Palate Wrecker

Stone Go To IPA, Founders Centennial Cans coming soon!

February 3, 2014Leave a comment

Stone will be the latest brewery coming out with a sessionable IPA as their Go To IPA is slated to hit markets in March this year. The advertisement below gives you an idea of what to expect from the this brew. Also coming in the next few months will be another can option coming from Founders. This time it’s their Centennial IPA hitting the canning line.

Got news? Drop me an email!

Hot 25 of ’13 Part 4!

January 28, 2014Leave a comment

Shout out to the folks at Coralville Brrr Fest this past weekend. Had another really good time and finally got to meet a few beer folks I’ve tweeted with frequently in the past. A lot of excitement for Eastern Iowa beer lovers again this week with the releases of Toppling Goliath XHOPS Orange and Zeelander. I have a couple of each in my fridge and will dig into them during the Iowa game tonight. Onto the list!

**Boulevard Saison-Brett**
If I remember correctly I enjoyed this for the 1st time during the warm month of August. I had just finished doing some random yardwork around the house and poured this brew. It was almost a goose bump moment when I took a nice long drink, I then immediately drove to a few Hy-Vees around the area and bought a bunch more bottles. Boulevard says it’s okay to cellar this beer if you want more of the “brett” to show through, and that’s what I’ve been doing but the temptation to bust out a few more is always there. More from the brewery:

Saison-Brett, based on our very popular Tank 7, is assertively dry hopped, then bottle conditioned with various yeasts, including Brettanomyces, a wild strain that imparts a distinctive earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale was given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the “Brett” character, if that’s what you’re after.

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 96/100

**Schlafly American IPA**
Schlafly had been a hit and miss brewery with me until I tried their Tasmanian IPA and then their American IPA; both fantastic brews. American IPA barely beat out the Taz as I thought the Taz got a tad to sweet the longer it sit. Both are great, but Taz is nearing the end of its market time for the year and now we get to enjoy the American IPA. One great brew to another. From the brewery:

Exploding with hop flavor and aroma, this citrus/piney/floral ale has enough of a malt backbone to stand up to the intense bitterness.

RATEBEER: 98/100
BEERADVOCATE: 92/100

**Founders All Day IPA**
Session IPAs are getting more and more pub as more and more breweries start to make them. However, no one has hit the nail on the head as Founders did with their All Day IPA. Cans and bottles, this IPA comes in at 4.7% and you consume quite a few of these without the normal result that an IPA brings such as puking all over a nice white carpet, waking up on a cold basement floor, pissing your pants (Mr. Haywood) …. you get where I’m going. This has become so popular we can expect the first (I believe) 15 pack of beer available coming this spring/summer. My go-to tailgate for Iowa Hawkeye football games. From the brewery:

The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatic and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

RATEBEER: 96/100
BEERADVOCATE: 86/100

**Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch**
I’m not sure there will be any sense of normalcy when it comes to crowds when Toppling Goliath does a special release, but at the 2013 Kentucky Brunch release times were still relatively normal. A huge crowd, yes, busy bar, but for the most part, containable. And even though I didn’t get to try it on tap (ticket #117), I was able secure 2 bottles. Saved for my wedding anniversary and shared with my wife (who loved it more than I was hoping), this brew met all the hype and I can’t wait to go to Decorah the next TG does a release. (Can I put up a tent in the parking lot?) From the brewery:

Beer Aged in Whiskey Barrels with Coffee.

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 100/100

**Founders Breakfast Stout**
A silky, creamy, stroke of genius. The “big” stout that got me to appreciate what a higher ABV stout can bring. Chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and the fact that Founders pretty much says I can enjoy this for breakfast, = great beer. Founders might be one of the best things to happen to Eastern Iowa beer shelves because of the amount of great stuff they supply. More from the brewery:

You’ve got to love coffee to truly appreciate this phenomenal brew. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, Sumatra and Kona coffee. We’re actually not sure if this is some type of coffee cake or a beer. Either way you can drink this ale with a fork. Breakfast Stout has an intense fresh roasted coffee nose toped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade and makes you wish breakfast could last forever.

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 100/100

One more list of 5 to go! Do my first 20 come anywhere close to yours? What have I missed or did I come pretty close to yours? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Hot 25 of ’13 Part 3

January 21, 2014Leave a comment

Huge week in Eastern Iowa for beer lovers as Bells Hopslam, Stone Enjoy By, and TG Sue, Zeelander, and more Xhops were announced! Tough to beat week! We are also a few months for some KBS which will cause great excitement as well. Here we go with Part 3:

**Toppling Goliath Sosus**
A huge year to say the least for the folks brewing in Decorah. Bottling line finally up and going and releases of Kentucky Brunch, Mornin’ Delight, XHops, and Sosus have them one of the most talked about breweries in the country. Early in ’13, Sue and Sosus were released simultaneously and people went crazy for it, and still do. This Imperial IPA focuses on the mosaic hop bringing out citrus and tropical fruit notes along with some dankness that make this an easy pick for the Hot 25 in Eastern Iowa! More please! From the brewery:

In his most notable mosaic work, Sosus of Pergamon depicts doves sunning atop a golden chalice. The image was said to be so enticing that real birds flew into it while trying to reach their stone companions. This single-hop showcase is inspired by the beauty of divinity of the Sosus mosaics. Just as the doves discovered their golden nectar, discover the irresistible nature of the Mosaic hop.

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 98/100

**Deschutes Fresh Squeezed**
One of the newer breweries to hit the market this year was Deschutes. With offerings such as their Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, and Obsidian Stout, they were a welcome to the shelves of Eastern Iowa. But my favorite, (haven’t tried Abyss yet) has been their Fresh Squeezed release. And the best news is, this will become a new year round offering from them. Here’s more from the brewery:

This mouthwateringly delicious IPA gets its flavor from a heavy helping of citra and mosaic hops. Don’t worry, no fruit was harmed in the making of this beer.

Ratebeer: 98/100
Beeradvocate: 92/100

**Founders Double Trouble**

This list is looking a little IPA heavy, but there have been some great ones coming our way. Founders has been really good to us and I think at times, it is taken for granted. Their porter is easily one of my favorite standard porters and All Day IPA has become a mainstay in my fridge. Double Trouble comes packing the hops and it delivers! A lot of grapefruit comes from this one balanced nicely by just the right amount of malt. Excellent brew! More from the brewery:

An imperial IPA that was brewed to turn your world upside down. Hops have got you coming and going. Pungent aromatics up front paired with a malt balanced backbone and a smooth bitter finish. 86 IBUs.

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 94/100

**Braissere Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux**

As I continue to make my through the saison styles (just had my first Hill Farmstead which was amazing!) I keep coming back to Tank 7 and this brew from Braissere Dupont. The beer guy at John’s Grocery in Iowa City recommended it to me one day and I keep going back to it since then. Everything you want in a saison comes in this beer; lemony, pepper, grassy, barnyard, and refreshing. It’s all here, give this a try! More from the brewery:

Bons Vœux (Good Wishes) is a blond high fermentation beer , re-fermented in the bottle. Founded in 1970 , this beer was offered earlier this year to the most loyal customers of our brewery ( hence the name “With the best wishes of the brewery Dupont “). The success this beer earned lead to it being made commercially, while retaining its original name. Although very popular, it was brewed in limited quantities, the bottles reserved many months in advance. A coppery blond beer with aromas of hops for the Bon Voeux is a beer tasting combining mellow bitterness and fruity. Our selection of yeasts and a long maturation phase with hopping gives it flavor and a characteristic and complex taste. The true fermentation in the bottle , which can be extended very long in your cellar, resulting in a balanced and harmonious beer, surprising and complex aromas.

Ratebeer: 99/100
Beeradvocate: 93/100

**Madhouse Barrel Aged Stout**
Introduced to me at last years Brr Fest in Coralville, IA this is the perfect introductory beer to the barrel-aged styles. So smooth and creamy, Madhouse used Templeton Rye barrels to age their stout and pulled off an excellent roasted, smoky, a bit boozy barrel aged imperial stout. Madhouse was originally located in Newton, IA but will be opening up shop in Des Moines, IA soon.

Ratebeer: 76/100
Beeradvocate: 88/100

Deschutes Updates: Fresh Squeezed Going Year ‘Round!

January 21, 2014Leave a comment

Saw the following information on http://www.craftbeer.com. Pretty exciting news as we will be getting another fantastic IPA year round! Here’s more from CraftBeer.com:

Fans spoke, the brewery listened. Fresh Squeezed IPA will make its way into the brewery’s year-round portfolio for 2014. This refreshing brew will be released in March in 6-packs and draft to all markets as part of the Bond Street Series. This IPA is a “citrus bomb” in every way: three types of malt and a whole lot of Citra and Mosaic hops made this a fan favorite from the very beginning.

One of the largest changes to the beer menu for 2014 are three 22-ounce mainline offerings available year-round starting at the end of March. Distributed primarily in the Mountain and Pacific regions, these beers includePine Mountain Pilsner, Armory XPA and the classic Cinder Cone Red (yea! It’s back!!).

Other notable beers coming up for the year include:

Belgian IPA, featuring Galaxy hops, which will be available in 22-ounce bottles and draft from May-September as part of the Bond Street Series;

Not the Stoic, a Belgian-style Quad, brand-new addition to the Reserve Series;

More Reserve Series love from Mirror Mirror (last release in 2009) all the way to favorites like The Dissident, The Abyss and the brewery’s 26th anniversary brew, Black Butte XXVI;

New Nitro Draft program (yum!) featuring brews throughout the year such as Obsidian Stout, Red Chair, Cinder Cone Red, Armory XPA and Jubelale; and

After a successful launch in 2013, the brewery’s “session style” Deschutes River Ale will now be available in 12-packs for fans in Utah and the Pacific Northwest.