A few months ago I attended the Potosi Beer Festival in Potosi, WI. A very fun event that I recommend you to check it out, if not for the beer but the scenery as well. After that event, my sister and brother-in-law took me to Jubeck New World Brewing. I’ve intended on going to this place for quite some time and I finally got the chance.

Upon entering the first thing I noticed was the eloquent decor and the comfortable vibe that the brewery gave out. No tvs, no loud music, no kitchen, just a place to order a brew, have some pretzels and converse with a friend or patron sitting at the bar with you. Old-school, throwback feel that made me feel like I was in an episode of cheers, which to me, is very complimentary. A very nice change of pace to the hustle and bustle of some places where you try to talk over the TV, music, or loud patrons.

Jubeck New World Brewing is a small microbrewery located in downtown Dubuque, Iowa. Our mission is to create interesting and delicious craft beer while providing a social space that cultivates conversation and camaraderie. Our community is important to us—it literally funded our startup and continues to shape our business.

The Beer

What seems to be a pretty rotating lineup had a few things that caught my eye. I started with their Apricot IPA. Here’s Jubeck’s description of this beer:

American pale ale style beer finished with a healthy dose of Citra hops and dried apricots, added late in the boil, for a subtle fruity flavor. This is one of Jubeck’s signature brews.

Citra hop definitely present and then fades into a fruity finish. Tasty brew, especially on the warm day we had it. The second beer I tried was their Saison. A style I’m really into and a style a really enjoy trying from the local breweries to get their take. Jubeck didn’t have any adjuncts to their saison, it was the pretty straightforward belgian yeast strain saison, which isn’t a bad thing at all. It was refreshing and did the trick.

They don’t have a kitchen but pretzels and gardettos can hold a guy over. However, there are a few places in Dubuque that foodies and beer lovers can congregate.

*Lot 1 – very solid beer selection that rotates constantly. I’ve been there when they’ve had TG, Surly, and Hoptimum on tap. I can’t comment on the food since I don’t believe I’ve eaten there.

*1st and Main – I had a very good burger and some shrimp tacos here. The beer selection was pretty solid as well. A coffee bender from Surly went well with the burger.

*Copper Kettle – always has Bells Two Hearted (underrated/underappreciated brew) in a bottle and their wings and pork nachos are excellent!

*Brazen – I’m missing out on this one as my brother frequents this place and is bragging about it’s greatness! I definitely need to make this a priority of places to go when I’m in Dubuque next. He’s enjoyed cans of Sue many a time here.

*L May Eatery – terrific pizza. Thin crust with sausage and mushroom was excellent and I believe I enjoyed it with a few Sierra Nevada Pale Ales.

Dubuque may be the biggest untapped (no pun intended) market in the Iowa, especially Eastern Iowa. The beer movement has been slow in Dubuque but is slowly starting to show thanks to the efforts from the folks I listed above. Make sure you get local and check out Jubeck, awesome place and great experience along with super friendly staff.  If you’re in the area, give a few of these places a try!