Tag: Benz Beverage Depot

Cedar Rapids Craft Beer Week Set for May 2nd – May 9th

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benzMatt Hanlin of Benz was kind enough to send the following information along in regards to Cedar Rapids Craft Beer Week starting May 2nd.

Cedar Rapids Craft Beer Week

The first annual Cedar Rapids Craft Beer Week will be held May 2nd-May 9th. Cedar Rapids Craft Beer Week brings together a group of local breweries, distributors, restaurants, bars, retail outlets, and beer fans all working together to promote and enjoy craft beer.

The week will kick off with a national event “Big Brew for National Homebrew Day”. In 1988, May 7 was announced before Congress as National Homebrew Day. The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) created AHA Big Brew as an annual event to celebrate National Homebrew Day around the world. AHA Big Brew is held each year on the first Saturday in May.

Parlor City Pub & Eatery will be rotating taps to feature different Craft Breweries all week – Boulevard, Deschutes, Founders, Goose Island, New Belgium, Rogue and Surly. Additional events with different retailers, bars, restaurants and venues to host Craft Beer inspired events and specials are being planned.

The week will culminate at the 11th Annual Benz Beerfest benefiting the American Heart Association. Over 50 breweries and distributors represented, pouring over 200 beers, Benz Beerfest has become the premier spring beer festival in Eastern Iowa.

Check the Cedar Rapids Craft Beer Week Facebook page for a list of events and plan on being part of this inaugural local event.

 

Benz Beverage Depot BeerFest Update

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11th Annual Benz Beerfest

501 7th Ave SE

Saturday May 9th

1:00pm-2:00pm (VIP hour)

2:00pm-5:00pm (General Admission)

Benefiting the American Heart Association

 

V.I.P. Tickets – $35

General Admission – $20 (in advance), $30 (day of event)

 

Live Music

Jordan Bruce and The Derelectics

 

11 years and counting! The craft beer scene in Iowa continues to boom. New national brands are arriving monthly and the list of Local brewpubs and breweries continues to grow. This year will be the biggest and best yet. We will have around 60 breweries and distributors represented pouring over 200 beers. Jordan Bruce and the Derelctics will be performing.  We will have food to purchase. All of the proceeds will go to the American Heart Association. Come enjoy an afternoon in downtown Cedar Rapids, drink some awesome beer, and support a fantastic charity.

 

BenzTickets are on sale at Benz Beverage DepotIt’s hard to believe that we have been doing this for 10 years. Come help up celebrate a decade of beer shenanigans!
This year will be the biggest and best yet. We will have around 50 breweries and distributors represented pouring 50… 100… I don’t know it will be a lot of beer. The Diplomats of Solid Sound will be performing their soul music with a modern garage band twist. We will have food to purchase. All of the proceeds will go to the American Heart Association. Come enjoy an afternoon in downtown Cedar Rapids, drink some awesome beer, and support a fantastic charity.

Tickets are on sale at Benz Beverage Depot
The Diplomats of Solid Sound

It’s hard to believe that we have been doing this for 10 years. Come help up celebrate a decade of beer shenanigans!
This year will be the biggest and best yet. We will have around 50 breweries and distributors represented pouring 50… 100… I don’t know it will be a lot of beer. The Diplomats of Solid Sound will be performing their soul music with a modern garage band twist. We will have food to purchase. All of the proceeds will go to the American Heart Association. Come enjoy an afternoon in downtown Cedar Rapids, drink some awesome beer, and support a fantastic charity.

Tickets are on sale at Benz Beverage Depot

Comfort in a Great Liquor Store

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johncysI’ve been meaning to write this for a while as I feel it is important to show my gratitude to the great people that run our wonderful liquor stores in Eastern Iowa. We have quite a few to choose from actually. Whether you choose something local, a Hy-Vee, Johncy’s Liquor, Johns Grocery, Family Beer and Liquor, or Benz, we have a pretty great selection of places we can go to get the latest and greatest craft beer.

I was a frequent flyer at the Oakland Road Hy-Vee, who, in my opinion has a huge selection of beer to choose from and you can also get added to the beer club. I believe it is buy so many different beers and get a gift card of sorts, which is a pretty sweet deal, I believe the gift card is somewhere between $50-$100.

As far as customer service goes, Johncy’s Liquor store in North Liberty seems to take the cake for me. So polite, helpful, and accommodating, Johncy is running a class establishment. Willing to have conversations, help you out with a selection, or anything else, I drive the few extra miles from Mount Vernon because I know I’m going to walk out of Johncy’s with what I wanted. (And probably $50-$100 worth of beer).

Another one I have to mention because I practically lived there for a while is the famous John’s Grocery. Terrific selection, especially on the imports, they sell single bottles so you don’t have to throw $10 on something you’re unsure of. I always called them on Wednesday’s just to chat beer with their beerman at the time, Joe Hotek, who is now working for Tallgrass. Joe knew EVERYTHING and ANYTHING about beer and to make it better is just a super nice guy. I go there yet, since my wife is now working in the Iowa City area, and this is another place that it’s hard to leave without dropping a Benjamin.

The other place is one that is closer to where my parents and other family members live. Family Beer and Liquor in East Dubuque, IL has a huge selection of beer and has stuff we just can’t get our hands on in Iowa. I reached out to them during the Bourbon County release and they were gracious enough to hold a nice allotment for me. If you call or contact them they will do whatever they can to help, great beer people! You can also buy singles there and you are guaranteed to drop some dough, as they have a great selection. If you’re lucky enough to find limited releases from Firestone Walker, Lost Abbey, and Dogfish, amongst a ton of others.

The amount of phone calls they receive when a new brew or a beer that is released occasionally come out has to drive them nuts, but they all handled out well, and they can also blame Toppling Goliath for that. (#beerjoke).

So, thanks to all of these terrific beer shops for keeping this beer consumer happy, entertained, and satisfied. Cheers!

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.