Toppling Goliath Expansion Update

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Information courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com

Press Release:

(Decorah, IA) – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company’s new addition will increase capacity, add bottling capabilities and create a destination beer location in Northeast Iowa.

The new 10,000 sq ft brewery will include a 30 bbl brew system (in addition to the current 10 bbl), filling line, barrel aging program, and a small tasting room with limited hours. TG’s current taproom at 310 College Dr will remain open at its regular hours.

When construction is completed in January 2013, Toppling Goliath anticipates a total production output of 5,000 bbls. Expansion will provide improved ability to meet increasing customer demand and accelerate the company’s mission of promoting Northeast Iowa as a tourist destination for travelers and beer appreciators.

To assist with the expansion, Toppling Goliath is currently competing for a $5,000 small business grant through the Northeast Iowa “Dream Big, Grow Here” contest. So far, there has been a great outpour of enthusiasm from the beer community and midwest small business supporters. TG currently stands in 2nd place and would appreciate any and all help to reach their goal. Voting is easy. Just visit our website. Supporters can vote once daily until Oct. 19th at 6PM.

 

Restaurant Review: Backpocket Brewery; Coralville, IA

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This past weekend my wife and I needed to satisfy our sushi fix and so we hit up Konomi (http://konomigrill.com/) which is located in the Iowa River Landing development down by the new Marriott in Coralville. My favorite place for sushi, the whole area down there is actually very nice. After enjoying a bunch of sushi, this was our opportunity to finally get to Backpocket Brewery. I’ve been wanting to head over to this place since it opened and we finally got the chance. I’ve had Backpocket’s (http://www.backpocketbrewing.com/) dunkel a few times and really enjoyed it.

Upon walking in the door you are greeted by the hostess but the first thing I noticed was how nice the bar was and how busy the place was. I was happy to see that they let the place open; they didn’t try to hide the vats or the brewing supplies, in fact, I thought their picnic table area was cool for those who didn’t need a table or want to sit at the bar. You got actually sit at a picnic table right in the warehouse. They had four of their own on tap: Their Pennywhistle is a Bavarian wheat and I saw a lot of those being poured throughout the night, their Jackknife which is a German pale ale, their Wooden Nickel which is a Scottish lager, but the winner of the night for me was their stout called “The Second Coming”. A really nice stout with tons of roasted malt flavor. Among the beers brewed by the brewery they also had Green Flash Hop Head Red, Schlafly raspberry hefe, and one that escapes me at the moment.

We didn’t intend on eating their but after looking through the menu we decided on the beer cheese served with toasted bread. A great appetizer that paired well with the beer. We watched a little playoff baseball and enjoyed a few more brews, I intended to try all of their beers, but was really digging the stout so I stuck with it. After seeing their brick oven pizzas coming out, and noticing their special was an “au jus roast beef, garlic mashed potato, with horseradish sour cream sauce” as their special of the week, there was no way I couldn’t order it; right? The pizza was absolutely terrific, their crust is up there with some of the best I’ve had.

Talking with many beer people I know I get the feeling that Backpocket has not taken a hold of them yet because of their beer style selections. There is no pale ale, porter, or even the popular IPA there yet. My advice, give it time. This facility is gorgeous and I get the feeling they are determined to make the greatest beer around and I believe that in time this will happen. They are sticking with their roots from Old Main River Brewing……for now. I enjoy their dunkel and I really enjoyed their stout, they’re not a beer that you would put in your top 5 but they are all very drinkable and overall good. The overall experience at Backpocket has me yearning to get there as soon as possible. Great to have this place 20 minutes from my home! Check it out!

Pumpkin Beer Guide: Fall 2012

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This is easily my favorite time of year; football season, chilly weather, and fall seasonal beers. I never thought I would be a fan of pumpkin ales but have grown quite fond of them. Below is my list of pumpkin beers available in Eastern Iowa. I would love to include Dogfish Head’s Pumpkin, Souther Tier Pumpking, and Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin, but they are not distributed here. This is a list for people who can run to Hy-Vee and get a bottle of one these. They are not in any particular order. Onto the brews:

**Samuel Adams Fat Jack Imperial Pumpkin Ale**- 28 lbs of pumpkin are poured into this intensely flavored pumpkin brew. New to Eastern Iowa shelves this year, it comes in a bomber bottle for around $6-8. This might be my favorite of the fall or close to it. Heavy on the pumpkin pie spice and less vegetabley than other pumpkin brews, it satisfy the sweetness but also hits home with the  roasted smokey malts. A must try!

**O’Fallon Pumpkin Ale** – O’Fallon is great to have in Eastern Iowa because there beers are usually quite tasty and little bit different than others. Their Hemp Rye is great, their Wheach is a terrific summer brew, and their smoke ale is an amazing smoked beer. Come fall, they do not disappoint with one of the better and more affordable pumpkin ales. Coming in a sixer at around $7-8, you are getting one of the easiest drinking and tastiest pumpkin beers out there; the perfect amount of cinnamon and spices. 

**Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale**- claimed to be the first pumpkin ale on the market; Buffalo Bills using baked and roasted pumpkins added with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. If you are pumpkin pie lover; this is the pumpkin beer for you to try; pumpkin pie in a bottle. Excellent stuff. 

Guest Review by sLim: Abita Jockamo IPA

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Thanks to our good friend sLim for the following review:

ABV: 6.5%

Style-India Pale Ale

Upon completing the move into my new place in Ankeny, my old roommate graced me with his presence one night and also brought over an assortment of brews as a housewarming gift. Most of them were fall seasonals but one that caught my eye was the Jockamo IPA. It’s from the Abita brewing company which is located in Louisiana just a little north of New Orleans. I know little about this brewer but I did recall that they made purple haze. I tried it once and it’s not bad but I would say there are limited occasions where you could enjoy it.  Onto the Jockamo, a decent beer. It was easy to drink for an IPA, kind of a hybrid fall seasonal/IPA. Usually I can instantly tell that I’m drinking an IPA . The hoppiness grabs my attention almost immediately but that wasn’t the case with this one. The website boasts this beer’s hoppiness but I didn’t really find that; not a bad thing if you’re not a big IPA guy like me.

Pour-An amber/red pour with a thin head that remained through most of the imbibement.

Aroma-mostly hops but with a caramel aroma and even a hint of citrus (orange perhaps?).

Taste-Good brew. Easy to drink, it goes down very well and finishes clean. It tasted like the hoppiness was overshadowed by the amber/caramel presence which almost gave it that fall seasonal kick to it.

Overall-B . Purple Haze had set the bar low in terms of my opinion of this brewer overall. But Jockamo brought it right back up to the level of respectability. I also felt a personal tie-in with them because they’re located very close to the city that is home to my favorite NFL team (who dat!). Abita also offers some of their brews in can form which is an essential for tailgating. Jockamo is definitely a beer worth a try and this brewery is for sure worth a look to anyone seriously interested in craft brewing.

Stone Brewing Release Party Locations

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Tuesday is the big day! Stone finally makes their way to Iowa! If you are in the Des Moines area you get a shot at going to a meet and greet with Stone brewmaster Greg Koch at the Simon Estes Amphitheater. Here is the lineup for Iowa:

Oct. 2
-Simon Estes Amphitheater kickoff meet; meet and greet with Greg Koch 6-9.

Wed. Oct. 3
-Zombie Burger 4-6 (Greg Koch meet and greet from 4-5 with special release beers on a tap and new burger creation using Arrogant Bastard)
-El Bait Shop 7 p.m.

Thur. Oct. 4
-The Keg Stand (West Des Moines; 4-6:30)
-DG’s Taphouse 7-9

Fri. Oct. 5
-Mulligans Brick Oven and Pub; Cedar Falls, IA 6-8

Sat. Oct 6
-Reds Alehouse; North Liberty, IA 9-10:30 a.m. (Beer-akfast)
-Northside Octoberfest beer festival
-Parlor City Pub and Eatery; Cedar Rapids,IA
*All nine year round releases on tap and special tapping of Stone 16th Anniversary Ale and Dry Hopped Stone Ruination IPA

All of these locations will have Stone reps on hand so a great turnout would benefit Iowa’s future beer distribution greatly! If you head to any of these locations let me know how it goes, might see you at Parlor City!

Beer Review #88: Stone Ruination 10th Anniversary IPA

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Wow! The words used by my brother, my brother-in-law, and myself as we sampled this fantastic beer from Stone Brewing. (http://www.stonebrewing.com/) If you are hophead and are looking for something to slap you in face, then this is a must try beer. Here is a commercial description from Stone:
“And as Stone Ruination IPA turns 10, we thought we’d make ourselves a nice little birthday present to celebrate. But what kind of selfish jerks would we be if we didn’t share?! Behold, the Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA. (Clever name, eh? That’s why us folks in the Marketing Dept. get the big bucks!) It’s an amped-up version of Stone Ruination IPA, with a bit more malt to bring the abv up from 7.7% to 10.8%, and a very heavy dose of hops. “Classic” Ruination uses 2.5 pounds of hops per barrel–which is more than double the amount we use in any other of our core beers–but for Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA, we went double again, using an impressive 5 pounds of hops per barrel, including about a pound each of Citra and Centennial in the dry hop. (Hell. Yes.)

Suggested Pairings, provided by “Dr.” Bill Sysak 
Appetizers: Kimchee, ceviche, bacon-wrapped jalapeños (or habaneros)
Entrées: Salt and pepper shrimp, jambalaya, roasted pork chops with apple sauce, pineapple curry 
Desserts: Apple pie with caramel sauce, toffee bars, spiced carrot cake 
Cheeses: Aged Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Roquefort, Mimolette 
Cigars: Ashton Classic Majesty, Litto Gomez Diez, Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label Invictos Corojo Robusto”

Nice orange/copper pour with a medium sized white head. The aroma definitely has the smell of hash, mixed with pine and citrus with a bit sweet malt. Nice amount of bitterness, resin, citrus, and HUGE hop flavor. This is one of those beers that you will never forget when you tried and I was glad to share it with my brother and brother-in-law.

I’m not sure if there is any more of this stuff on the shelves, I know it won’t be available in Iowa since we won’t have Stone until October 1st, but for those with Stone on their shelves, if you see this one, it is a definite must try beer!

REVIEW

STYLE: Imperial India Pale Ale (Double IPA)

ABV: 10.8%

PURCHASED AT: Got it from a buddy.

Pour: Copper orange pour with a medium sized white head.

Aroma: Weed, pine, citrus hops.

Taste: Perfectly balanced! Huge amount of hops, resin, citrus, and pine flavor balanced by the malt.

Overall: A

My Recommendation: Buy it if it’s fresh. This is definitely one to try.

Beer TV: "How Booze Built America" coming to Discovery Channel

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Remember Mike Rowe from the Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs? Well he’s coming back with a new show that will be starting on the Discovery Channel September 19th. Thanks to http://www.beerpulse.com for the following information.

“Mike Rowe is thirsty.  Really thirsty.  And after doing hundreds of dirty jobs, who can blame him?  In Discovery’s brand new three part series HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA, premiering on Wednesday, September 19th at 10pm ET/PT (and airing on the following two Wednesdays), host Mike Rowe takes a break from the dirty jobs…and takes a seat at the bar.

Did you know that the Puritans landed the Mayflower early on Plymouth Rock…because they ran out of beer?  Or that Johnny Appleseed was actually creating farms to sell hard apple cider?  Mike Rowe does, and he’ll walk you through all of this and more.  He’s proven that dirty jobs can be fun.  He’s ready to do the same for history.

In HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA, Mike Rowe will crisscross the country, stiff drink in hand and beer goggles firmly strapped on, to take an in depth and slightly unusual look at the story of our nation.  Between reenactments of actual historical events, and current day interviews with historians and experts, Rowe will make the case that alcohol is clearly one of the key ingredients that formed our culture and our country.  He’ll take viewers on a liquor fueled journey based on historical facts, such as:

  • Paul Revere actually rode from tavern to tavern on his Midnight Ride, and may have slipped in a few cold ones along the way
  • George Washington distilled his own whiskey, Thomas Jefferson brewed his own beer, and Abraham Lincoln sold booze out of his grocery stores prior to saving the Union
  • The Pilgrims gave beer to their kids – on purpose

From the Mayflower to the moon landing, from George Washington to the O.K. Corral, booze has been there every step of the way.  And that’s not just the liquor speaking.

HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA is produced by Karga 7.  Kelly McPherson, Emre Sahin, Sarah Wetherbee, Miriam Leffert and Jeanne Begley are executive producers for Karga 7.  Mike Rowe and Mary Sullivan are executive producers for mikeroweWORKS.   Craig Coffman is executive producer for Discovery.”

SOURCE: http://www.beerpulse.com

Beer TV: “How Booze Built America” coming to Discovery Channel

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Remember Mike Rowe from the Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs? Well he’s coming back with a new show that will be starting on the Discovery Channel September 19th. Thanks to http://www.beerpulse.com for the following information.

“Mike Rowe is thirsty.  Really thirsty.  And after doing hundreds of dirty jobs, who can blame him?  In Discovery’s brand new three part series HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA, premiering on Wednesday, September 19th at 10pm ET/PT (and airing on the following two Wednesdays), host Mike Rowe takes a break from the dirty jobs…and takes a seat at the bar.

Did you know that the Puritans landed the Mayflower early on Plymouth Rock…because they ran out of beer?  Or that Johnny Appleseed was actually creating farms to sell hard apple cider?  Mike Rowe does, and he’ll walk you through all of this and more.  He’s proven that dirty jobs can be fun.  He’s ready to do the same for history.

In HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA, Mike Rowe will crisscross the country, stiff drink in hand and beer goggles firmly strapped on, to take an in depth and slightly unusual look at the story of our nation.  Between reenactments of actual historical events, and current day interviews with historians and experts, Rowe will make the case that alcohol is clearly one of the key ingredients that formed our culture and our country.  He’ll take viewers on a liquor fueled journey based on historical facts, such as:

  • Paul Revere actually rode from tavern to tavern on his Midnight Ride, and may have slipped in a few cold ones along the way
  • George Washington distilled his own whiskey, Thomas Jefferson brewed his own beer, and Abraham Lincoln sold booze out of his grocery stores prior to saving the Union
  • The Pilgrims gave beer to their kids – on purpose

From the Mayflower to the moon landing, from George Washington to the O.K. Corral, booze has been there every step of the way.  And that’s not just the liquor speaking.

HOW BOOZE BUILT AMERICA is produced by Karga 7.  Kelly McPherson, Emre Sahin, Sarah Wetherbee, Miriam Leffert and Jeanne Begley are executive producers for Karga 7.  Mike Rowe and Mary Sullivan are executive producers for mikeroweWORKS.   Craig Coffman is executive producer for Discovery.”

SOURCE: http://www.beerpulse.com

Guest Review by sLIM: The Cafe; Ames, IA

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http://www.thecafeames.com/

As a Hawkeye fan, I used to be quite hesitant to venture to Ames for any type of function. When I was there, I never really gave the place a chance. I maintained that Iowa City was a much better college town, and I do still believe that but after having experienced some of their latest offerings, Ames has closed the gap some. While it has a lot of chains that you can find in most cities in Iowa, it has unveiled some attractive local establishments if you are looking to escape the monotony of a Chili’s or a Buffalo Wild Wings.

The Café is located on the NW part of Ames in a fairly refreshing, newer section of town. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by a friendly, youthful, and exuberant staff.  The inside features a trendy and obscure décor, by Ames standards that is. The restaurant is divided into a few sections and we were seated in a booth in the back bar area separate from the main dining area. Although there were many other patrons in the same area, it gives off a nice private and secluded feel which is a nice change of pace from the big open sports bar setup.

Seeing as I had already downed some glasses of wine and the nearby Prairie Moon Winery, I was looking to take it easy on the drinks. They did have some cocktails that look appealing and their beer selection was adequate featuring brews from Bells, Peace Tree, and Big Sky Brewing Company. Their menu is constantly changing so the meal I had is no longer on the menu. But if you take a look at it you’ll notice a good selection of unconventional dishes as well as some safe picks if you’re not feeling adventurous. Whatever you pick, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The quality of food is clearly the main focus here. The fish tacos are rumored to be very tasty.

Dessert is also something for the Café to boast about. Their regular menu isn’t all that expansive but what they do have, they do very well. There are several selections for dessert and they put a unique touch on all of those as well. I could not find their dessert menu online so I can’t make any suggestions but once again you have my word that whatever you get will be enjoyable.

If I lived in Ames, I would make a habit of eating at this fairly little known gem. If you find yourself up that way, I highly suggest breaking away from all the mainstream restaurants on Lincolnway and going a little ways north to try out the Café.

Beer Trip: Kansas City/Lee's Summit, MO

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My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Kansas City, MO area where we stayed with some friends down there who I will refer to as Big Nuts and Moonbeam. While the trip wasn’t set out to be all about beer, but more of a nice, much-needed break, it turned out be a fantastic beer and food experience!

*Friday – The Flying Saucer – Kansas City MO http://www.beerknurd.com/stores/kansascity/

*Saturday – Pork N Pit (during Iowa football game) Sat. Night – Stuey McBrews http://www.stueymcbrews.com/

FRIDAY
When we arrived and Big Nuts and Moonbeam knew the perfect place to take us. The Flying Saucer is a place I’ve read about a few times in various beer magazines and websites and sounded like the perfect place for the weekend to begin….. and it did not disappoint. We started the evening with a few appetizers; the Rocket Tots, which are tater tots with peppers in them served with a side of chipotle sour cream. Sounds basic, but it was awesome! Along with that we had two giant soft pretzels served with a cheese sauce on the side. These weren’t your everyday pretzels, giant, soft, and chewy, a fantastic companion to a nice cold beer. One thing that the Flying Saucer does well is rotate seasonals into their massive beer lineup. I was excited to see Southern Tier Pumpking on tap and started off with that. Great pairing with the pretzel and tots.
Main course: I actually ordered the “Hungry Farmer” which was essentially a charcuterie plate. I went with the peppered salami, prosciutto, and a cheddar with chives in it. This was served with crackers and a mini loaf of fresh-baked french bread. I paired this with Lagunitas IPA and I honestly think I reached a moment of zen! The peppered salami was something I would go back to again; my wife got the Sheboygan side by side; which is two beer brats with kraut and spicy mustard. Great stuff! Would really love to see a german-inspired menu hit the CR/IC spot sometime.

SATURDAY
Iowa football game day. Nervous early and the game didn’t help, Hawks didn’t seem to play that great but to help matters we ordered some BBQ from a local joint in Lee’s Summit. The Pork N Pit, according to Big Nuts, has been around for a couple of years and seems to have a good following. I ordered something a bit different from my usual pulled pork sandwich. I ordered, for the first time in my life, the burnt ends and the smoked beef sausage. Besides marrying my wife this is the greatest decision I’ve ever made! Burnt ends are so amazing, words cannot describe, and I won’t try..you just need to order them sometime. If you don’t like them at the place you order them, then the place is shit hole and you need to find another. The smoked beef sausage was also amazing; juicy, smokey, and the perfect amount of fattiness to go along with a Boulevard Bob’s 47 Octoberfest brew. Their fries are also great; perfect amount of salt, excellent stuff. And I have to mention the smokey baked beans; they add pulled pork into the mix…wonderful! So, drinking during the game and eating copious amounts of bbq would make you lay down and take a nap, nope!! Let’s head out for some wings and tacos…onto Stuey McBrews!!  http://www.stueymcbrews.com/

I will say, walking into the place it looks like a college bar/pool hall. The atmosphere is not something I would correlate with a place that has amazing food, but this was some of, if not the best bar food I’ve ever had. The menu is huge, with wings, tacos, sandwiches aplenty. It took me a while to decide what we wanted since the menu has over 30 different styles of winds, 20 some different tacos, it was overwhelming. We decided to get 10 of the Bar-a-cha-cha wings, which are hot thai honey and BBQ wings. Big Nuts and Moonbeam ordered the award-winning Adobe, and they get them charred and double dipped! Awesome stuff! We also had the Jalapenoroll, which was egg roll stuffed with cream cheese, sour cream, pepper jack, and parmesan, and some bacon and fresh ranch dipping sauce; tremendous! The beer selection was small but still had the local go-to which is Boulevard and I was very happy to see Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Deschutes Black Butte Porter on tap. We also decided to order “The Real McCoi Spicy Fish Tacos” which were a fish taco topped with asian slaw and asian vegetables. Think, stir fry mixed with a taco. Great stuff! Add a game of darts to the mix and it was the perfect evening!