Stone Enjoy By 11.12.13 hits Eastern Iowa Shelves

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stoneThe state of Iowa is lucky enough once again to be receiving Stone Brewing’s incredibly delicious Enjoy By IPA. We are one of 19 markets getting this shipment, so get it while you can and enjoy it (no pun intended). Arrival is today (Wednesday). More from Stone:

You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers – especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs – we’ve taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We’ve not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you’re getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn’t randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers. Instead, we’ve sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA.

 

Southampton Publick House Beers hitting Eastern Iowa shelves?

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southamptonWhile visiting the Hy-Vee on Oakland Road in Cedar Rapids this past weekend, I noticed a six pack of Southampton Publick House beer sitting on the shelf in the walk-in cooler. I hadn’t heard of them coming to Iowa and so I asked the store manager and he confirmed that their beers will be making their way to Eastern Iowa shelves in the next few weeks. Here’s more info on Southampton Publick House beers (www.publick.com).

  • One of the most award-winning breweries in America— ranked in the top 20 for GABF medals won by a brewery in the last 10 years.
  • Excluding the big 4 breweries and chain brewpubs, Southampton is in the top 10 in medals won at the GABF in the last 10 years.
  • Awarded Top Brewpub in 2003 by Beer Advocate Magazine.
  • Ranked #8 Specialty Brewery in the World and 3 Top 50 Specialty Brews in America by RateBeer.com in 2004.

2013 Bells Expedition Stout on Eastern Iowa Shelves

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BellsAccording to Benz Beverage Depots’ facebook site, the 2013 Bells Expedition Stout is out and on Eastern Iowa Shelves. At Benz, it is selling at $16.99. I still think you can find the 2012 in select Hy-Vees throughout Eastern Iowa as well. Here’s more about Expedition Stout from Bells website:

The darkest beer we make; this Imperial stout contains double the malt and five times the hops of our Kalamazoo stout and is perfect for cellaring as its complex character will evolve over time. Available October-March.

A Trip to 515 Brewery; Clive, IA

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515(2)I finally made it! After months and months of trying to find a time to get to Des Moines, my wife and I finally made it! Upon returning from a trip to Kansas City to visit some friends we made a little detour so we could hit up 515 Brewery (http://515brewing.com/). Here’s more about how the brewery came to be from their website:

Ryan’s and Brandon’s wives would tell you that it was a fabulous plan that went horribly wrong. Our wives wanted to spend more time together and plotted to have us, Ryan and Brandon, become friends — the common denominator, brewing beer. Little did they realize that bringing us together and then adding Bailey and Dave to the mix would snowball our little home-brewing hobby into an actual brewing business. Now, hundreds of gallons of beer later, we’re starting our beer adventure and can’t wait to take you along with us.

515(3)Upon entering the brewery there are a ton of seats and I noticed a lady (the beer 515(4)broad @beer_broad) dishing up some suds to a couple who had 3 kids in there and watching the Bears/Lions game. So for my wife and I, that was definitely a positive, being able to have some good brews, watch football, and have the kids with (as long as they’re not too rowdy or loud) is nice, though we try to leave the kids at home. The Beer Broad was super friendly while I ordered a flight of four of their beers. I was happy to see they had a pumpkin brew on tap as well (not on untappd.com as of this writing though 😦

515(1)I went for whatever has been talking about when referring to this brewery and that is the OJ IPA, their Dart Dodger, Lil’ Tart, and the pumpkin. The Lil’ Tart was refreshing, the pumpkin was perfect for the fall weather, and the Dart Dodger was an excellent IPA. I don’t want to sound like everyone else, but that OJ IPA is just a really special brew. So damn refreshing, so easy to drink, I would love to be able to grab a sixer of this at my local liquor store and go to town on it. Perfect for any weather, hot or cold, this is just a really tremendous beer; one of the best in Iowa in my opinion. After the sampler I went back for another OJ and grab a sweet glass to take home as 515(5)a souvenir. They do not have food or growlers (yet) but you can bring in your own grub to eat while you enjoy an OJ or any of their other brews.

(5156)My wife got some good pictures, (do I see an Imperial Stout in the works? YES!) and we both talked about how enjoyable it would be to have a great little brewery to be able to go to for a leisurely brew or two; so take note Des Moines area, 515 is legit, so get out and support them. Awesome brew, awesome people!

**I need another OJ ASAP**

Founders Backstage Series Brew for Winter: Sweet Repute

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sweetSweet Repute is the name of the new beer that Founders Brewing Company will be releasing this winter. It is a wheat wine aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels. The following is courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com:

Grand Rapids, MI) – Founders Brewing Co. will introduce Sweet Repute, a wheat wine aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels, this December to mark the eighth installment in the brewery’s popular Backstage Series. Like all Founders Backstage Series beers, Sweet Repute will be sold in 750mL bottles. It has a suggested retail price of $17.99–$19.99 per bottle.

The Founders brewing team painstakingly choreographed each layer of this beer’s characteristics, starting with a healthy wheat and roasted malt base and adding clean, fragrant hops. It’s one hundred percent barrel-aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels and bourbon barrels over the course of sixteen months, then blended using carefully calculated ratios for the ultimate final product. The resulting 13% ABV liquid pours a bright warm russet with a stubborn ivory head and an intoxicatingly sweet nutty aroma. Founders put Sweet Repute in a larger bottle with sharing in mind.

“We’re excited about this one,” said Co-Founder and Vice President of Brand & Education Dave Engbers. “Every sample we’ve pulled from the barrels down in the caves has been incredible.”

Sweet Repute will join the ranks of Founders’ world-class barrel-aged beers, such as Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS), Backwoods Bastard, Curmudgeon’s Better Half and many, many more taproom-only ales.

Founders’ Backstage Series is made up of boundary-pushing, experimental beers. The intent of the series is to take the diehard Founders fan experience to a wider audience—though all of the beers are still released in limited batches. Since its introduction in the summer of 2011, Founders’ Backstage Series beers have quickly become some of the most sought-after releases in the industry.

Sweet Repute will be released in limited quantities across Founders’ distribution footprint beginning on Monday, December 2, and will be available at the brewery’s taproom the same week. This will be the brewery’s last Backstage Series release in 2013, with more releases to come in 2014.

 

Beer Review #112: Crooked Stave Hop Savant

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staveI was really excited to see Crooked Stave beers make their way into Iowa since I’ve been really digging saisons lately. I hope everyone was able to get a few bottles from this brewery. I grabbed mine at Hy-Vee in Marion and noticed they only had the Hop Savant.

This is a 100% brettanomyces, oak fermented, dry-hopped pale ale. The brewery used citra, mosaic, and Simcoe. It’s great to see breweries using more brett as I’m starting to become a brett junky. With the addition of these hops I had high hopes.

A beautiful orange pour with heavy thick white head. Tons of lacing on my glass that sticks throughout the whole drinking of the brew. A lot coming off the nose. Lemon really sticks out followed by citrus of grapefruit and bit of sweet pineapple along with the funk that great farmhouse ales bring. Flavor is much in the same! Not as creamy as I would have thought initially but wonderfully refreshing! Really enjoying this brew!

I really wish I could get my hands on more their products and hope they continue to bring their beer to the great state of Iowa for us to enjoy.

REVIEW

STYLE: Sour/Wild Ale

ABV: 6.7%

PURCHASED AT: Hy-Vee Marion, IA

POUR: Murky Orange with a huge white head.

AROMA: A lot of lemon with some funk.

TASTE: Citrus, brett, funk.

Ratebeer.com rating: 99

Beeradvocate raing: 91

Overall: B+

My recommendation: It you are into farmhouse/saison/wild ales you want to try this brew. Very good stuff from Crooked Stave!

Sneak Peek at Tallgrass Brewing's Zombie Monkey!

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Really looking forward to trying this beer! Coming soon to Iowa!

From craftcans.com:

A Post-Apocalyptic Porter from Tallgrass Brewing Co.

Tallgrass Brewing Company is fearless when it comes to branding their beers, like Buffalo Sweat, Ethos, Velvet Rooster, and 8-Bit Pale Ale. Their newest beer is no exception and embraces the zombie-mania sweeping the country.

Zombie Monkie: A Post-Apocalyptic Robust Porter, the latest seasonal offering from the Midwest brewery, will begin rolling out to selected markets the week of September 23rd.

The new beer will be equipped with the world’s first textured “Tactical Grip” on the side of the can. This feature ensures that drinkers keep a steady grip on the beer as they flee from infected primates.

The new beer will be equipped with the world’s firsttextured “Tactical Grip” on the side of the can

While the name of the beer and the design of the can are all about the undead, what’s inside the can is completely alive with character.

“We have been talking about brewing a porter since we started the brewery in 2007, but it had to be something special and this is it,” said Tallgrass Founder, Jeff Gill.

Zombie Monkie is brewed with a chocolatey combination of roasted and kilned malts. This gives the beer a full body with lots of chocolate and espresso-like flavors. Bravo, Willamette, and Nugget hops add hints of floral and citrus to finish off this complex porter.

“I dreamed this beer into existence,” said Tallgrass Brewmaster, Andrew Hood. “I dreamed I was drinking a beer in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The beer was dark and delicious, the kind you want for the end of days. It was also interesting and robust, which is good, because it might be your last. That’s Zombie Monkie, the perfect beer for toasting the end of humanity.”

Sneak Peek at Tallgrass Brewing’s Zombie Monkey!

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Really looking forward to trying this beer! Coming soon to Iowa!

From craftcans.com:

A Post-Apocalyptic Porter from Tallgrass Brewing Co.

Tallgrass Brewing Company is fearless when it comes to branding their beers, like Buffalo Sweat, Ethos, Velvet Rooster, and 8-Bit Pale Ale. Their newest beer is no exception and embraces the zombie-mania sweeping the country.

Zombie Monkie: A Post-Apocalyptic Robust Porter, the latest seasonal offering from the Midwest brewery, will begin rolling out to selected markets the week of September 23rd.

The new beer will be equipped with the world’s first textured “Tactical Grip” on the side of the can. This feature ensures that drinkers keep a steady grip on the beer as they flee from infected primates.

The new beer will be equipped with the world’s firsttextured “Tactical Grip” on the side of the can

While the name of the beer and the design of the can are all about the undead, what’s inside the can is completely alive with character.

“We have been talking about brewing a porter since we started the brewery in 2007, but it had to be something special and this is it,” said Tallgrass Founder, Jeff Gill.

Zombie Monkie is brewed with a chocolatey combination of roasted and kilned malts. This gives the beer a full body with lots of chocolate and espresso-like flavors. Bravo, Willamette, and Nugget hops add hints of floral and citrus to finish off this complex porter.

“I dreamed this beer into existence,” said Tallgrass Brewmaster, Andrew Hood. “I dreamed I was drinking a beer in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The beer was dark and delicious, the kind you want for the end of days. It was also interesting and robust, which is good, because it might be your last. That’s Zombie Monkie, the perfect beer for toasting the end of humanity.”

Crooked Stave Beers Hit Eastern Iowa Shelves!

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staveI was very excited to get the following information from the beer and wine manager at the Oakland Road Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids. Crooked Stave is here! Here’s what they are getting to us:

Crooked Stave Hop Savant 375 ml

7.99 per bottle

RateBeer  99

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

100% Brettanomyces Pale Ale. Dry Hopped Artisian Ale Fermented in Oak Foeders.

36% Citra, 36% Mosaic, 28% Simcoe.

 

Crooked Stave Vieille Artisanal 375 ml

7.99 per bottle

RateBeer 98

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

Vieille meaning “Old” is our artisinal barrel-aged Saison, lightly dry hopped. Each batch release is a diverse blend of Vieille casks that have taken on a soft Brettanomyces character before being lightly dry hopped. Dominated by a floral, citrusy hop character, a subtle herbal note and a tart finish, Vieille’s character exemplifies artisan Saisons.

 

Crooked Stave St. Bretta (Summer) 375 ml

9.99 per bottle

RateBeer 98

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

Whitebier Brewed with Blood Oranges(100% brettanomyces)

 

Crooked Stave Surette Provision Saison 375 ml

9.99 per bottle

RateBeer 98

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

Brewed with traditional harvest grams. Surette is a provision Saison with a tart and vinous character from extended barrel aging.

Beer and Food Pairing: Stone Enjoy By 9-13-13 and Shrimp Ceviche

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photo (1)Thanks to the recommendation from Marc Morehouse I have now found the perfect mexican restaurant. El Perico in Marion, IA serves some great homemade mexican food. My favorite thing on the menu, their shrimp ceviche. Now, I understand ceviche is relatively easy to make. Just chop up a bunch of seafood or fish and let it soak in citrus juices for a few hours to cook it. But El Perico does it better than I can, and better than anywhere else I’ve ever had it.

My wife and I decided to grab El Perico for some takeout food, you know it’s good when you make a 20 minute drive for takeout, and I thought it would be great to pair the ceviche with a brew.

I bought a shit load of Enjoy By from Stone so I went with it knowing that IPAs usually pair well with spicier foods. This ceviche had lime and orange juice as well as jalapeno, which went perfectly with the IPA. The malts come out from the IPA and the citrus from the hops really shines through. If you are in the CR/Iowa City area, El Perico does ceviche right, and an IPA goes excellent with it! If you want a great homemade IPA recipe, I’m a big fan of the Beeroness and her blog, check it out here: http://thebeeroness.com/2012/08/21/ipa-ceviche/