I haven’t seen or heard anyone picking up or seeing bottles of this on the shelves, but according to a Ratebeer email this brew hit shelves the 27th. Still waiting on confirmation from a few beer retailers but it should be here soon. Here’s the press release:
26th Birthday Reserve Unavailable Porter Limited Quantities Alc. 10.8% 22 oz serving Our 26th anniversary Imperial Porter was aged in bourbon barrels and dry spiced with Theo Chocolate’s cocoa nibs, revealing hints of vanilla and chocolate. Pomegranate molasses and Oregon cranberries complement the robust flavor with a hint of fruit and just enough tart to make you smile.
Malt: Pale, Wheat, Midnight Wheat, Chocolate, Crystal Hops: Millennium, Cascade, US Tettnang Other: Theo Chocolate Cocoa Nibs, Pomegranate Molasses, Cranberries Barrel-Aging: 6 Months in Bourbon (50%)
Released June 27th, 2014 Pairings Toasted Walnut Buttermilk Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup Black-Pepper Crusted New York Steaks with Black Truffle Vinaigrette Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto
Been too long since my last guest review. Time to shake off the cobwebs and get back at it! I’ll start it off by getting the word out on a fairly new dining venue in the Ingersoll corridor of Des Moines, located at 2932 Ingersoll Ave . The restaurant goes by the name “Eatery A”. Initially I thought I was going to be dining at an Italian Restaurant. But upon reading the menu, it appears they’re labeled as a Mediterranean. The first of which sLim has ever been to (I mean, would you ever expect a guy who goes by the name of sLim to eat at a place that didn’t have chicken-fried steak on the menu?).
The inner and outer décor suit the place very well. Very modern and artistic, their large, elevated patio overlooks quaint Ingersoll Avenue. The inside was upscale and welcoming at the same time. Think along the lines of a slightly more casual Cheesecake Factory.
Happy Hour-This establishment is really pushing their happy hour specials to bring in customers. It runs from 3-6, EVERY day of the week. At this time, you can get half-price pizzas and half-price wine and draft beers. The pizzas are roughly 12’’ which can easily feed one person or two people with moderate appetites. I was impressed by how many people were there at 5 on a Tuesday. While the restaurant was booming, it still gave off a relaxed atmosphere. I would highly recommend taking advantage of these specials the first time you go there, and with it being offered 7 days a week they are accommodating to nearly anyone’s schedule.
Beer-Their selection is respectable. Their wine selection is a bit more extensive but there are enough beer offerings to satisfy your typical craft brew junkie. It was good to see mostly Iowa breweries featured in their limited tap offerings (Confluence, Millstream, and Backpocket). The more notable beers are offered in bottles (Ommegang Abbey, Stillwater Statewide Saison, and Green Flash Double Stout). They did a good job of making sure all styles were covered so that virtually any food item on their menu would have a corresponding drink that would pair well.
Food-As I stated earlier, the pizza is what I came to try. While they have 14 different offerings, all priced at $13, they are not the types of pizzas you would see offered at Godfather’s. If you’re like me, you wouldn’t know what you were getting yourself into based off of the unfamiliar names of the ingredients. Rest assured, your server can clear things up for you and help you select one that would like. I went with the #5 which was somewhat of a gyro turned pizza conglomeration. I was impressed; the gyro meat combined with the white sauce is what stood out to me the most. Many of their other menu offerings look very worthwhile in addition to their well established wood-fired pizza.
All in all, this is a fine new restaurant to the Des Moines area, perfect for nearly any occasion. They are doing a lot of things right and I believe it’ll translate to success in the long run. There are several other places nearby so that you could make quite the experience out of a trip to this area. You could grab a post meal dessert/drink at Crème cupcake or a drink on the patio at the original Wellman’s. No shortage of options in this area but whatever the case, be sure to include Eatery A in on your next visit to the Ingersoll corridor.
The popular Founder’s Double Trouble will be making its way back to Eastern Iowa shelves and for a lot of liquor stores it should be hitting this week! I’m not sure on the allotment for many places so if you seek out and find some, let me know availablity please! Thanks and enjoy! More on the brew:
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.
(Comstock, MI) – Following the successful launch of Two Hearted and Oberon Ale in 16 oz. 4-packs, we are proud to announce and share the look of the rest of our seasonal lineup in cans.
Best Brown Ale, Winter White and Smitten Golden Rye Ale will be available in cans for the first time later this year and early next year.
All three seasonal beers will continue to be available on draft and in both 6-pack and 12-pack bottles.
“We love being able to offer these brands in both cans and glass to suit the various lifestyles of our customers and fans,” said Laura Bell, Bell’s Brewery Vice President.
Best Brown Ale will be Bell’s third can offering and will be available along with bottles and on draft beginning around Labor Day. All three seasonal beers will be available in the same 16 oz. 4-packs. Cans of Winter White will be released in November and Smitten will return in February.
India Session Ales are defined as an IPA that has all the hop presence of a regular IPA but has a significant lower ABV level making it “sessionable”. Eastern Iowa shelves have seen a considerable jump in sessionable IPAs and with the warmer “lawnmowing” weather taking over and soon tailgating season begins, this is the perfect time for brewers and breweries to take advantage of this subcategory of IPAs. Let’s focus on what we can get strictly in Eastern Iowa, and the one that started the trend for us, I believe, is Founders All Day IPA. So let’s break this down a bit, cue the music:
**Founders All Day IPA**
ABV: 4.7%
Ratebeer: 96/100
Beeradvocate: 87/100
Founders started this strictly in 6 pack bottles and then made the genius move of putting it in cans allowing for easier mobility and also easier to dispose of (see Iowa Football tailgating). This was the beer of choice at the Beer Baron’s tailgates last fall and will probably be again this year. All the things you are looking for in an IPA is evident: great hop flavor, a bit of sweet resin, and bit of malt backbone. Founders is a top-tier brewery, and this brew helps solidify that.
Schlafly has really made their mark since hitting Eastern Iowa stores with various styles and last summer, their can sessions started showing up. Coming in 6 packs, this beer does a great job in giving you that initial hop flavor and maltiness to balance. This one seemed a bit sweeter to me than the All Day from Founders but still good.
**Stone Go To IPA**
ABV: 4.5%
Ratebeer: 97/100
Beeradvocate: 89/100
The newer of the sessionable IPAs, Stone gives us what Stone usually does, an intense hop forward beer that packs a punch! I got a lot of grapefruit and pine flavor from this beer with minimal to no malt balance. Stone starts putting this in cans and we might have a competition with Founders.
**Boulevard Pop Up Session**
ABV: 4.2%
Ratebeer: 94/100
Beeradvocate: 84/100
I recently had this for the first time at a local bar which shocked the hell out me that they actually had it on tap. Not really known for their great craft beer, and their options were limited, I went for the Pop Up. I honestly admit I’m not a huge fan of Boulevard’s IPAs, but I do really love their Smokestack stuff, but I thought I’d give it a go. Floral and citrus aroma with slight but evident citrus hop flavor.
**OVERALL** – If you are looking for a summer party brew you can’t go wrong with any of these beers. They are all very good sessionable IPAs. The cans from Founders and Schlafly make it easier to take to a BBQ or picnic and Founders recently introduced a 15 pack of All Day cans. I haven’t had Hop Rise from Central Waters yet and if/when Lagunitas gets here they will have Daytime IPA too. Either way, drinking any of these this summer or fall can easily lead to a (SLIM and Matt, this is dedicated to you)……..
MY PICK: If I had to choose one, gun to my head, I think I would go with Founders All Day IPA. I think it’s the most balanced but also has the great hop flavor. What’s your Session IPA?
The following post was received on Facebook via Abu Nawas Facebook Page.
We’re very excited to be bringing Iowa the good stuff from Rush River Brewing!
Another brewery bringing their brews to Iowa shelves and we are still waiting confirmation on a few others that we have been talking about for the past few months. If you want to know more about Rush River Brewing’s offerings please visit their website here: http://rushriverbeer.com/
A new member of the Green Flash Hop Odyssey series will be making its way to Eastern Iowa shelves this week. Green Flash Hop Odyssey White IPA will be showing up soon in the Eastern Iowa market. Here’s more on this beer from the Green Flash brewery website:
There’s a lot going on in this beer with two yeast strains, copious amounts of wheat malt, and a big focus on “C” hops to deliver a citrus explosion. In fact we lined up more than a dozen hop varieties in the brewery to select 3 hops with the biggest citrus character to dry hop the beer.
This golden beer pours with beautiful, fluffy white beer foam that lasts due to its bottle conditioning. Feel free to rouse the yeast that settles in the bottle for a fuller texture and a more cloudy white appearance. The citrus aromas that jump from the glass are largely tangerine up front with other types of citrus notes that mingle with the Belgian yeast esters. Hop flavors of bitter orange zest dominate the brew and linger to the finish with a nice play of American and Belgian yeast combo.
The following information comes courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com. More brews from Stone Brewing are on their way and they both sound terrific!
(Escondido, CA) – Some brief news on a pair of upcoming Stone Brewing Co. beer releases…
First, a release date has been set for Beachwood / Heretic / Stone Unapologetic IPA, according to company marketing materials. The beer will ship next week with an intended launch date of June 30th. More on the beer below…
When you get three hopheads together to collaborate on a beer, it’s only natural to expect some hopped up liquid incarnation of their lupulin lust to spring forth from such a session. Maybe it seems passé to some—three masters of hoppy beer once again exploring the familiar territory of the India pale ale. After all, who needs yet another IPA, double or otherwise, right? It’s all been done. To those who feel this way, this trio’s reply is: “So what?” In birthing a double IPA made bitter and fruity care of a mélange of new and experimental hops (Azacca, Belma, and yet-to-be-named varieties from Washington’s Yakima Valley), they aren’t staying in a comfort zone—they’re hitting a sweet spot in the name of all that is good, delicious, hoppy and forward-thinking to create an IPA that’s both like and unlike anything they, or you, have ever tasted. Rife with essence of pine, resin, and fruits both citrus and tropical, there’s no need for apologies with this beer. All that’s necessary is a yearning for hops, a sturdy constitution and an empty glass.
Hops bill: Belma, HBC342, Azzaca, and Steiner 06300 Packaging: 22oz bottles and draft Stats: 9% ABV / 90-100 IBUs
Also coming this summer is Stone Coffee Milk Stout, previously known as Gallagher’s After Dinner Stout at Liberty Station. The beer will replace Stone Saison in the seasonal six-pack rotation on August 4th. Marketing copy below…
Iowa River landing’s website recently gave its Facebook followers an update on the progress of 30 Hop, which is an American Grill and Craft beer bar. Owners of Big Grove Brewery, Blackstone, Vesta, and Reds Alehouse have announced a possible opening at the end of July and recently hired a chef. Here’s the article courtesy of http://www.iowariverlanding.com:
30hop will be the next business to open in the Iowa River Landing. It is a restaurant/bar with the area’s first rooftop patio. Located directly east of the University of Iowa Healthcare Clinic on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 9th street as guests turn to approach Von Maur.
After utilizing the owners’ network of Big Grove Brewery, BlackStone, Reds Alehouse, and Vesta in search of a chef with a fresh perspective, 30hop is excited to announce the hiring of Ryan Funk as Executive Chef.
Ryan is originally from Iowa City, graduated from the Art Institute of California-San Diego before helping Top Chef contestant, Brian Malarkey, open Burlap restaurant in San Diego. After the corporation shifted focus, Ryan was integral in the transition of Burlap restaurant to another concept, Searsucker. This is where he furthered his culinary skills working alongside voted San Diego best Chef Anthony Sinsay. During his time in culinary school, Ryan was a student worker allowing him to gain extra mentoring from some of the best Chef Instructors in the Nation.
Ryan will provide a refined perspective on modern American cuisine for 30hop. He will focus on introducing fresh & seasonal ingredients in a creative way, while making the dishes approachable and unique with an Asian inspired twist.
30hop is looking to open towards the end of July. The restaurant is currently looking to hire 130 employees. Please email Managing Partner Dan Blum at dan@30hop.com for questions, employment information, and to set up an interview. Ryan Funk is available at ryan@30hop.com. The website is under construction, but is available at www.30hop.com.
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I haven’t seen or heard anyone picking up or seeing bottles of this on the shelves, but according to a Ratebeer email this brew hit shelves the 27th. Still waiting on confirmation from a few beer retailers but it should be here soon. Here’s the press release:
