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! 

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! 

Distribution News and New to Shelves: Stone, Deschutes, Founders

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Starting with distribution news; Stone will be on our shelves in Eastern Iowa on October 1st, keep checking back for updates on possible tasting locations and keg tapping parties for them. I’m guessing Reds Alehouse will have something as well as John’s Grocery. Also confirmed that Deschutes has signed on for Eastern Iowa, just not sure with which distributor yet. More to come on them and hopefully as the year winds down we will have more breweries stocking our shelves.

New to shelves this week: Very excited to say that Founders Breakfast Stout is now on the shelves at John’s Grocery and is ready for you to pick up and enjoy this fantastic brew!!

Beer Distribution News: Stone (again) and Deschutes

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First they’re coming, then they are not, now it looks like we can finally reconfirm that Stone WILL BE arriving in Eastern Iowa sometime in the future as Fleck Distribution will be responsible for getting that brew to out shelves. No date set, but it looks promising! Check out Stones’ products here: www.stonebrew.com 

Also, rumblings are that Deschutes brewing is in talks to maybe hit Eastern Iowa shelves. No timetable for this but the Baron will keep you posted on any further news. Check out their brews here: http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/age?redirect_to=%2F