Wow, this sounds like a must attend event! Reds Alehouse in North Liberty will be tapping a 2015 Surly Barrel-Aged Darkness on March 24th at 7 p.m. A very hard to get brew at times, this barrel-aged stout was aged in High West rye whiskey barrels. Get out to Reds on the 24th and have yourself a glass of this tastiness!
A list of exciting releases are coming from the folks at Big Grove. Both the Brewpub in Solon and the Brewery and Taproom in Iowa City have a nice array of brews coming to those locations. Que the music, let’s break it down:
THURSDAY
Solon Brewpub: A barrel fermented Que Sera aged with Peaches is being tapped for opening.
Iowa City Brewery and Taproom: will release a Cranberry variant and a Blackberry variant of Que Sera. Time still TBA, so follow Big Grove on Facebook for that announcement!
FRIDAY
Solon Brewpub: Irish Cow Bomb cask, Zadar! Milk Stout from Hell w/Almonds, Vanilla beans, JBC coffee and Jamison soaked Oak staves..
All of these releases coming soon and don’t forget that today (Wednesday) they tapped a barrel-aged Barleywine that is available at both locations. Stay tuned for me details on future releases from both the Big Grove Brewpub and the Big Grove Brewery in Taproom! Cheers!
Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to check out Big Grove Brewery and Taproom in Iowa City and try some of the amazing food and beer. Special thanks to Mr. Chad Young for the invite, the guy is a class act.
My wife and I parked in the back of the building and immediately noticed the huge outdoor patio area that will be a perfect place to enjoy multiple Big Grove IPAs this summer as well as a place to do some tailgating this fall. As you walk into the building you see what every beer lover loves to see; beautiful tap handles staring back at you waiting to pour you a lovely brew. I knew this place was going to be big, but I didn’t realize how big until actually walking through it. The brewery part itself was huge, add a stage and a green room for live music, a back area that will have a SHUFFLEBOARD!!! (YES!!!!, I’m a sucker for shuffleboard), and a ping-pong table, and the regular dining area and you have one big space.
The food and beer were on point. If you’ve had Chef Benjamin Smart’s food at the original Big Grove and Pullman then you know your expectations are going to be high going in and he and his staff did not disappoint. You walk up to place your order and you get a buzzer when your food is ready. You go and pick up your tray and dig in to your meal. My wife and I had the house salad which was refreshing and kind of cooled me down while eating some the Smoked Tapatio wings. The wings were spicy but the perfect burn for me. We also shared the Queso Fundido which could come with chips or homemade corn tortillas, we opted for the tortillas and very happy with that decision. Just to round out the night I had to have a couple of tacos. I went with the pescado(fish) taco and pork belly pastor tacos. Both were awesome but the sauce on that fish taco was amazing and I’ll be ordering many of those in the future.
Overall, amazing day to say the least. Many hours will be spent in Iowa City at Big Grove for myself and my family in the future. They will be opening up this Wednesday to the public so make sure you get over there and check it out. Thanks again to Chad Young, Chef Smart, Danny Standley and Doug Goettsch for the hospitality and congrats to them all!
Big Grove Brewery will be tapping another tasty sounding cask. This time it’s going to be their popular Arms Race Pale Ale brewed with Blood Oranges. This cask will be tapped Friday March 10, 2017.
Along with this cask the brewery will be releasing a 3 item appetizer trio. Check out the photo below for more info on this trio! Another fantastic sounding beer with a fantastic sounding dish!
Hidden amongst the throng of shops, stores, bars, there is a terrific little bistro in Marion, Iowa called Ramseys. One of my favorite places to go have a panini (the Italian is my favorite) and a hidden gem for craft beer lovers. Yes, it’s a wine bistro with an array wines, but Ramseys also has a stellar craft beer lineup as well!
Next Wednesday, Ramseys will be hosting a beer dinner featuring Tallgrass Brewing beers. The lineup is as follows:
Potato & Leek soup with Buffalo Sweat
Devils on Horseback with Vanilla Buffalo
Irish Boxty w/ smoked trout with 8bit
Bangers & Mash with King Buffalo
Burnt Oranges with Raspberry Jam
$40 a person and seating is limited so contact Ramsey’s at this number: (319) 447-1700
An obvious choice for a Drink This! post but this beer is soooo damn good it’s worth another mention. People lining up anticipating the release, constant social media mentions of the brew and the beer trader pages with the many ISO: Madhouse Carpe Diem tell me that this isn’t a hidden secret of a brew and many of you already know about its greatness.
There are a few releases that I get excited about every year and this is one of them. Since Madhouse has made this beer, every year it has gotten better to the point where I would say that this year’s version is as satisfying and delicious of a beer that I can remember having. Some might say it’s too sweet, or not enough coffee, yadda yadda, to each their own, but for me, pretty damn close to perfection.
Stores sold out fast but call around, maybe there are a few hiding somewhere or maybe Madhouse still has it on tap, or maybe you need to be one of people on the beer trading sites that put out the:
ISO: 2017 Madhouse Carpe Diem
I’m not sure what protocol is but I like to buy a beer and be able to try it, so if you are able to score one, my opinion is to drink it fresh; taste that delicious maple, coffee and chocolate as it mixes perfectly with the oats to make a creamy breakfast masterpiece! One of the best beers coming out of Iowa folks!
Do what you need to do and make sure you get to Drink This brew! Cheers!
The 13th annual Benz Beverage Depot Beerfest has been announced and is set for Saturday May 13th! Tickets are available for purchase by visiting www.benzbeerfest.com.
There are two different ticket options.
1. General admission – $25 and goes from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
2. V.I.P admission – $35 starts at 1 p.m
Last year’s event was terrific! Many fantastic local and regional breweries showcasing some of their excellent brews. I hope to see you there! Stay tuned for a list of breweries and beers as they become available!
The highly anticipated release of Madhouse Brewing’s bourbon barrel aged imperial breakfast stout, Carpe Diem, will be taking place Friday February 17th and Madhouse Brewing in Des Moines, IA. One of my favorite beers of the past year will be released along with some other breakfast themed beers from Madhouse. Here’s more courtesy of Madhouse’s Facebook page:
A breakfast-themed beer release party! Miss Molly’s Jamaican Patty food truck will be on-site serving Jamaican and breakfast foods.
Beers to be released:
CARPE DIEM: Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Breakfast Stout made with oats, cocao nibs, Kona coffee, and bourbon barrel-aged Iowa maple syrup. Available in 750ml bottles.
FREEDOM TOAST: Bourbon maple barrel-aged Wee-Heavy with cinnamon and vanilla. Draft only.
BLACK & BLUE: Barrel-aged sour Imperial Stout with blackberries and blueberries. Available in 750ml bottles.
CATAWBA-WABA: Barrel-aged sour Saison with fresh Iowa Catawba grape juice added. Draft only.
The event starts at 4:00: For more information visit Madhouse’s Facebook page here and feel free to pick the Baron up a bottle!!
A fun event will be taking place at the Mount Vernon Road Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids as Lagunitas Brewing will be hosting a “Beer PHD”. This event will feature beer samples, History of Lagunitas, Beer PHD session, plus much more. Here’s the official release from Mt. Vernon Road Hy-Vee, check it out if you’re in the area, cheers!
We have a fun and unique FREE event coming up Wednesday, February 22nd starting at 5:00pm in our Wine & Spirits Tasting Room!
Join Lagunitas Brewing Company for a Beer “PHD”!
Here’s how the event will unfold….
February 22nd @ Mt. Vernon Rd Hy-Vee 5pm-7pm
* 5:30pm – 6:00pm – PHD Presentation
* Lagunitas History & Beer History
* Hop Vape and beer samples
* 6:00pm – 7:00pm – Reception – tasting – talking – mumbling -shaking hands
· *** Tappin’ up a Dark Swan keg for the good people to get down on.***
Left Hand Brewing and Black Sheep Social Club are coming together to bring you a 4 course brunch matched with Left Hand beers. Saturday February 18th is the day and it will be starting at 11:30. Get four courses with paired beers for $35! More information below:
