Founder’s Double Trouble back this week!

June 24, 20141 Comment

The popular Founder’s Double Trouble will be making its way back to Eastern Iowa shelves and for a lot of liquor stores it should be hitting this week! I’m not sure on the allotment for many places so if you seek out and find some, let me know availablity please! Thanks and enjoy! More on the brew:

An imperial IPA that was brewed to turn your world upside down. Hops have got you coming and going. Pungent aromatics up front paired with a malt balanced backbone and a smooth bitter finish. 86 IBUs.

Ratebeer: 100/100
Beeradvocate: 94/100

More Bell’s Brewery cans on the way!

June 23, 20141 Comment

The following comes from http://www.beerpulse.com:

Press Release:

(Comstock, MI) – Following the successful launch of Two Hearted and Oberon Ale in 16 oz. 4-packs, we are proud to announce and share the look of the rest of our seasonal lineup in cans.

Best Brown Ale, Winter White and Smitten Golden Rye Ale will be available in cans for the first time later this year and early next year.

All three seasonal beers will continue to be available on draft and in both 6-pack and 12-pack bottles.

“We love being able to offer these brands in both cans and glass to suit the various lifestyles of our customers and fans,” said Laura Bell, Bell’s Brewery Vice President.

Best Brown Ale will be Bell’s third can offering and will be available along with bottles and on draft beginning around Labor Day. All three seasonal beers will be available in the same 16 oz. 4-packs.
Cans of Winter White will be released in November and Smitten will return in February.

What’s your Session IPA?

June 18, 2014June 18, 20143 Comments

India Session Ales are defined as an IPA that has all the hop presence of a regular IPA but has a significant lower ABV level making it “sessionable”. Eastern Iowa shelves have seen a considerable jump in sessionable IPAs and with the warmer “lawnmowing” weather taking over and soon tailgating season begins, this is the perfect time for brewers and breweries to take advantage of this subcategory of IPAs. Let’s focus on what we can get strictly in Eastern Iowa, and the one that started the trend for us, I believe, is Founders All Day IPA. So let’s break this down a bit, cue the music:

**Founders All Day IPA**
ABV: 4.7%
Ratebeer: 96/100
Beeradvocate: 87/100

Founders started this strictly in 6 pack bottles and then made the genius move of putting it in cans allowing for easier mobility and also easier to dispose of (see Iowa Football tailgating). This was the beer of choice at the Beer Baron’s tailgates last fall and will probably be again this year. All the things you are looking for in an IPA is evident: great hop flavor, a bit of sweet resin, and bit of malt backbone. Founders is a top-tier brewery, and this brew helps solidify that.

**Schlafly Session IPA**
ABV: 4.5%
Ratebeer: 88/100
Beeradvocate: 82/100

Schlafly has really made their mark since hitting Eastern Iowa stores with various styles and last summer, their can sessions started showing up. Coming in 6 packs, this beer does a great job in giving you that initial hop flavor and maltiness to balance. This one seemed a bit sweeter to me than the All Day from Founders but still good.

**Stone Go To IPA**
ABV: 4.5%
Ratebeer: 97/100
Beeradvocate: 89/100

The newer of the sessionable IPAs, Stone gives us what Stone usually does, an intense hop forward beer that packs a punch! I got a lot of grapefruit and pine flavor from this beer with minimal to no malt balance. Stone starts putting this in cans and we might have a competition with Founders.

**Boulevard Pop Up Session**
ABV: 4.2%
Ratebeer: 94/100
Beeradvocate: 84/100

I recently had this for the first time at a local bar which shocked the hell out me that they actually had it on tap. Not really known for their great craft beer, and their options were limited, I went for the Pop Up. I honestly admit I’m not a huge fan of Boulevard’s IPAs, but I do really love their Smokestack stuff, but I thought I’d give it a go. Floral and citrus aroma with slight but evident citrus hop flavor.

**OVERALL** – If you are looking for a summer party brew you can’t go wrong with any of these beers. They are all very good sessionable IPAs. The cans from Founders and Schlafly make it easier to take to a BBQ or picnic and Founders recently introduced a 15 pack of All Day cans. I haven’t had Hop Rise from Central Waters yet and if/when Lagunitas gets here they will have Daytime IPA too. Either way, drinking any of these this summer or fall can easily lead to a (SLIM and Matt, this is dedicated to you)……..

MY PICK: If I had to choose one, gun to my head, I think I would go with Founders All Day IPA. I think it’s the most balanced but also has the great hop flavor. What’s your Session IPA?

Rush River Brewing heading to Iowa via Abu Nawas

June 17, 20141 Comment

The following post was received on Facebook via Abu Nawas Facebook Page.

We’re very excited to be bringing Iowa the good stuff from Rush River Brewing!

Another brewery bringing their brews to Iowa shelves and we are still waiting confirmation on a few others that we have been talking about for the past few months. If you want to know more about Rush River Brewing’s offerings please visit their website here: http://rushriverbeer.com/

Green Flash Hop Odyssey White IPA hitting shelves this week

June 12, 20142 Comments

A new member of the Green Flash Hop Odyssey series will be making its way to Eastern Iowa shelves this week. Green Flash Hop Odyssey White IPA will be showing up soon in the Eastern Iowa market. Here’s more on this beer from the Green Flash brewery website:

There’s a lot going on in this beer with two yeast strains, copious amounts of wheat malt, and a big focus on “C” hops to deliver a citrus explosion. In fact we lined up more than a dozen hop varieties in the brewery to select 3 hops with the biggest citrus character to dry hop the beer.

This golden beer pours with beautiful, fluffy white beer foam that lasts due to its bottle conditioning. Feel free to rouse the yeast that settles in the bottle for a fuller texture and a more cloudy white appearance. The citrus aromas that jump from the glass are largely tangerine up front with other types of citrus notes that mingle with the Belgian yeast esters. Hop flavors of bitter orange zest dominate the brew and linger to the finish with a nice play of American and Belgian yeast combo.

Stone Brewing Update: Unapologetic IPA + Coffee Milk Stout coming

June 11, 20141 Comment

The following information comes courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com. More brews from Stone Brewing are on their way and they both sound terrific!

(Escondido, CA) – Some brief news on a pair of upcoming Stone Brewing Co. beer releases…

First, a release date has been set for Beachwood / Heretic / Stone Unapologetic IPA, according to company marketing materials. The beer will ship next week with an intended launch date of June 30th. More on the beer below…

When you get three hopheads together to collaborate on a beer, it’s only natural to expect some hopped up liquid incarnation of their lupulin lust to spring forth from such a session. Maybe it seems passé to some—three masters of hoppy beer once again exploring the familiar territory of the India pale ale. After all, who needs yet another IPA, double or otherwise, right? It’s all been done. To those who feel this way, this trio’s reply is: “So what?” In birthing a double IPA made bitter and fruity care of a mélange of new and experimental hops (Azacca, Belma, and yet-to-be-named varieties from Washington’s Yakima Valley), they aren’t staying in a comfort zone—they’re hitting a sweet spot in the name of all that is good, delicious, hoppy and forward-thinking to create an IPA that’s both like and unlike anything they, or you, have ever tasted. Rife with essence of pine, resin, and fruits both citrus and tropical, there’s no need for apologies with this beer. All that’s necessary is a yearning for hops, a sturdy constitution and an empty glass.

Hops bill: Belma, HBC342, Azzaca, and Steiner 06300
Packaging: 22oz bottles and draft
Stats: 9% ABV / 90-100 IBUs

Also coming this summer is Stone Coffee Milk Stout, previously known as Gallagher’s After Dinner Stout at Liberty Station. The beer will replace Stone Saison in the seasonal six-pack rotation on August 4th. Marketing copy below…

Update on Iowa City/Coralville’s newest beer bar: 30 Hop

June 9, 2014June 9, 2014Leave a comment

Iowa River landing’s website recently gave its Facebook followers an update on the progress of 30 Hop, which is an American Grill and Craft beer bar. Owners of Big Grove Brewery, Blackstone, Vesta, and Reds Alehouse have announced a possible opening at the end of July and recently hired a chef. Here’s the article courtesy of http://www.iowariverlanding.com:

30hop will be the next business to open in the Iowa River Landing. It is a restaurant/bar with the area’s first rooftop patio. Located directly east of the University of Iowa Healthcare Clinic on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 9th street as guests turn to approach Von Maur.

After utilizing the owners’ network of Big Grove Brewery, BlackStone, Reds Alehouse, and Vesta in search of a chef with a fresh perspective, 30hop is excited to announce the hiring of Ryan Funk as Executive Chef.

Ryan is originally from Iowa City, graduated from the Art Institute of California-San Diego before helping Top Chef contestant, Brian Malarkey, open Burlap restaurant in San Diego. After the corporation shifted focus, Ryan was integral in the transition of Burlap restaurant to another concept, Searsucker. This is where he furthered his culinary skills working alongside voted San Diego best Chef Anthony Sinsay. During his time in culinary school, Ryan was a student worker allowing him to gain extra mentoring from some of the best Chef Instructors in the Nation.

Ryan will provide a refined perspective on modern American cuisine for 30hop. He will focus on introducing fresh & seasonal ingredients in a creative way, while making the dishes approachable and unique with an Asian inspired twist.

30hop is looking to open towards the end of July. The restaurant is currently looking to hire 130 employees. Please email Managing Partner Dan Blum at dan@30hop.com for questions, employment information, and to set up an interview. Ryan Funk is available at ryan@30hop.com. The website is under construction, but is available at www.30hop.com.

Bell’s “The Planet Series” coming in August

June 6, 2014Leave a comment

Bells Brewery will be releasing a “Planet Series” of beers according to http://www.beerpulse.com and a Bell’s press release. The list is below and there are some very intriguing offerings that will be coming out, but it looks like it’s going to be limited. Here’s more:

(Comstock, MI) – In the same tradition as our Batch and Wheat Series,’ Bell’s Brewery, Inc.is proud to announce The Planet Series.

It will feature seven different beers each inspired by a different piece of music from the composer Gustav Holst. Each beer will be limited and released both in six-packs and on draft according to the arrangement of Holst’s composition across all area’s Bell’s distributes to.

The first Planet beer will be released this August with each successive entry debuting about every two months after. The final beer is scheduled for release in July 2015.

“Our two most successful brands come from a couple of my great literary references. This time, I took inspiration from a great piece of music,” said Larry Bell, Bell’s President and Founder.

“This piece, being in seven movements, gives us a lot of freedom to innovate and create,” he added.

Holst conceived the idea for “The Planets” in 1913 with the first complete performance occurring in 1920. Each movement of the suite is named after a different planet and its corresponding astrological character

The lineup:
“Mars, The Bringer of War” – Double IPA
“Venus, The Bringer of Peace” – A Blonde Ale brewed with honey, apricot, vanilla and cardamom
“Mercury, The Winged Messenger” – A Belgian Single
“Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity” – A malt forward Brown Ale
“Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age” – A Bourbon Barrel-aged Barleywine
“Uranus, The Magician” – Black Double IPA
“Neptune, The Mystic” – A beer inspired by Dr. Bell’s Medicinal Stout, one of Larry Bell’s homebrews that also helped inspire Eccentric Ale

More information will be released as it becomes available on the Bell’s website (bellsbeer.com) as well as on its social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Google+).

Iowa Craft Brew Festival list of Beers

June 3, 2014Leave a comment

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The following information comes from http://www.iowabeer.org. Here is a list of breweries and beers that will be attending the Iowa Craft Brew Festival on June 14th in Des Moines.

515 Brewing
*OJ IPA
*Mexican Spring

Anchor Brewing
*Anchor IPA
*Anchor Liberty

Albia Brewing Company
*Avery Pale Ale
*Albia IPA
*Soap Creek Shandy
*Grant & Benjamin’s Root Beer

Backpocket Brewing Company-Coralville, IA

TBD

Big Sky Brewing Company-Missoula, MT

Big Sky IPA

Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale

Blue Moon Brewing Company-Golden, CO

Blue Moon Belgian White

Blue Moon Summer

Boone Valley Brewing Company-Boone, IA

Roxie Irish Red Ale

Iron Horse IPA

Double IPA

Hefeweizen

Midnight Stout

Dunkelweizen

Boston Beer

TBD

Boulevard Brewing Company-Kansas City, MO

Wheat

Pop-Up IPA

80-Acre

KC Pils

Zon

Brick Street Brewing Company-Woodbine, IA

TBD

Broad Street Brewing Company-Reinbeck, IA

Sticky Wicket

CooCooCachoo

Pale Ale

CIB Brewery-Carson, IA

Pott. County Purple (Belgian Trippel IPA)

John’s Sour Ale Batch #2 (aged on charred burr oak staves)

Strawberry Tart (sour American Ale fermented with strawberries)

Confluence Brewing Company-Des Moines, IA

TBD

Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company-Des Moines, IA

ESB

Biere de Garde

Bock (Cody Road Bourbon barrel-aged)

Belgian Golden Strong (aged in a wine barrel with caramelized blueberries)

Crispin Cider-Colfax, CA

Crispin Original

Crispin Pear

Crispin Blackberry Pear

Deb’s Brewtopia-Elkader, IA

TBD

Empyrean Brewing Company-Lincoln, NE

Third Stone Brown

Super Nova Summer Ale

Watchman IPA

Dark Side Vanilla Porter

Burning Skye Scottish Ale

Exile Brewing Company-Des Moines, IA

TBD

Founders Brewing Company-Grand Rapids, MI

All Day IPA

Dirty Bastard

Dry Hopped Pale Ale

Great River Brewery-Davenport, IA

Dirty Blonde Chocolate Ale

The Herd IPA

Tripel Crank

Golden Ale

Granite City Food & Brewery-Cedar Rapids, Clive & Davenport, IA

TBD

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company-Chippewa Falls, WI

Summer Shandy

Sunset Wheat

Kalona Brewing Company-Kalona, IA

TBD

Keg Creek Brewing Company-Glenwood, IA

Apricot Wheat

Keg Creek IPA

Impure Thoughts Saison

Waseya Cream Ale

Lake Time Brewery-Clear Lake, IA

8:08 Coffee Brown Ale

Chasing Sunsets Amber Ale

Lion Bridge Brewing Company-Cedar Rapids, IA

Iron Lion (Belgian Strong Ale w/ Hibiscus and Ginger)

Ryed in the English Countryside (English Rye IPA)

Workman’s Compensation (Dark Mild)

Živá Voda Czech Pilsner

Untitled Saison

Lost Duck Brewery-Fort Madison, IA

TBD

Madhouse Brewing Company-Des Moines, IA

Honey Pilsner

Pastime Pale Ale

Hopburst IPA

Oak-Aged Imperial Red

Sumatra Coffee Stout

Maple City Brewing Company-Osage, IA

Sage Hopper IPA

Dam Sweet Wheat

Kealiher’s Irish Red Ale

Osager Weiss

Millstream Brewing Company-Amana, IA

White IPA

Schild Brau Amber Lager

Hefe “r” Weissen

Iowa Pale Ale

Old-Fashioned Root Beer

Moonstruck Meadery

TBD

Nebraska Brewing Company

TBD

New American Brewing Company-Ankeny, IA

1789 Porter

Independence Pale Ale

Shenanigans Session IPA

Double IPA

New Belgium Brewing Company-Fort Collins, CO

Fat Tire Amber Ale

Snapshot

Rampant Imperial IPA

Ranger IPA

Summer Helles

Number 7 Brewery-Ankeny, IA

Drunken Sailor IPA

Number 7 Amber

TBD

Okoboji Brewing Company-Spirit Lake, IA

Veneration IPA

Shot in the Dark Vanilla Cream Stout

Boji Blue Pale Ale w/ Apricots

Coffee Porter

Olde Main Brewing Company-Ames, IA

Dinkey Wheat®

Off KILTer Scottish Ale

Lemontyme Lemon Ale

Peace Tree Brewing Company-Knoxville, IA

Blonde Fatale

Red Rambler

Hop Wrangler

Sidekick

Royale 41

Indecision Dark IPA

Rye Porter

Templeton Hop Wrangler

Raccoon River Brewing Company-Des Moines, IA

Vanilla Cream Ale

Homestead Red

Bandit IPA

Cerveza Negra

TBD

Redd’s Brewing Company-Milwaukee WI

Redd’s Apple Ale

Redd’s Strawberry

Schlafly-St. Louis, MO

Pale Ale

Helles Summer Lager

Dry Hopped APA

Yakima Wheat

IPA

Kolsch

SingleSpeed Brewing Company-Cedar Falls, IA

Stout (un-named)

IPA Blanco (White IPA)

Smith & Forge-Memphis, TN

S & F Hard Cider

Spoetzel Brewing Company-Shiner, TX

Shiner Ruby Redbird

Shiner Bock

Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale

Stone Brewing Company-San Diego, CA

TBD

Summit Brewing Company

TBD

Tallgrass Brewing Company-Manhattan, KS

Halcyon Wheat

8-Bit Pale Ale

Ethos IPA

Pub Ale

Thunderhead Brewing Company

Golden Frau Honey Wheat

Cropduster IPA

Cornstalker Dark Wheat

Leatherhead Red

Toppling Goliath Brewing Company-Decorah, IA

Zeelander IPA

Smoove Opferator Brown Ale

Pseudo Sue Pale Ale

Dorothy’s New World Lager

Third Base Brewery-Cedar Rapids, IA

IPA

Session IPA

Hefeweizen

TBD

Twisted Vine Brewery-St. Charles, IA

Nugget IPA

Old Crusty’s Scottish Ale

Twisted Blonde (wine barrel-aged)

West O Beer-West Okoboji, IA

West O Pilsner Lager

West O Smoked Red

Holy L Session India Pale Lager

Honeysuckle Saison

10FOOT10 Double IPA

Woodchuck Cider-Springfield, VT

Amber

Granny Smith

Pear

Raspberry

Summer

Worth Brewing Company-Northwood, IA

Queen’s Pride Honey Lager

Devil’s Delight Dark Lager

Cascadian Concussion Black IPA

Zipline Brewing Company

TBD

Deschutes future releases: Bock, Belgian IPA, Black Butte XXVI

June 2, 2014Leave a comment

The following information comes from beerpulse.com. More beers heading to our shelves this summer, should be great beers all summer long!

(Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery shared a newsletter update this week including some info on upcoming beer releases. More below…

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Doppel Dinkel Bock 10.5% Alc. by Vol. / 17 IBUs

This third Conflux Series brew features a collaboration with Distelhauser Brewery of Germany who have been brewing beer since 1811.

A connection between our two breweries was discovered over 10 years ago, so we decided it was high time we created a beer together to celebrate this beautiful relationship.

Our brewmasters decided on a Doppel Dinkel Bock or Imperial Spelt Beer. Spelt is an ancient species of wheat traditionally used to bake bread, but the malty, wheat and slightly spicy flavors of this ingredient combine with very fragrant notes (including bubblegum, clove, banana, and just a hint of citrus), to give this beer a ton of flavors and an outstanding aroma. Double down with this Doppel Dinkel Bock collaboration…its smooth, full bodied and drinkableness (is that a word?) will make the Bavarian in you, very proud! CONFLUX SERIES NO. 3

AVAILABILITY: Late June in 22 oz. bottles and on draft in limited quantities in most states where Deschutes Brewery beers are sold

Foray Belgian Style IPA 6.5% Alc. by Vol. / 60 IBUs

A brand-new addition to our lineup, this beer made its way into bottles the same way all of our Bond Street Series beers do – by being a popular “experiment” at our pubs. When our “focus group” of pub patrons rave about one of our pub exclusive beers loud enough and for long enough, we make every attempt to make it more widely available to our fans. This bright golden color and medium bodied Belgian Style IPA complement dry, fruity esters and tropical fruit flavors. Foray is a journey during which Belgian yeast delivers hints of apples and pear, and the citrus Galaxy hop aroma make this a trip worth taking. BOND STREET SERIES

AVAILABILITY: June – September in 22 oz. bottles and on draft where Deschutes Brewery beers are sold

Black Butte XXVI ~11% Alc. by Vol.

Each year, we celebrate our anniversary with a huge double version of our flagship Black Butte Porter. Our brewers love to experiment and they always add some fun new ingredients to this beer. In the
past, we’ve added chilies, chocolate nibs, dates, figs and tart goodness. This year, we’ve added cranberries, pomegranate molasses and Theo’s cocoa nibs to this 50 percent bourbon barrel-aged awesomeness. Like all of our Reserve Series beers, we encourage you to drink one upon its release and put some away for later. Some things just get better with age! Head on over to our Bend or Portland Pubs on June 27th for a snifter or bottle of this beer. We’d love to celebrate with you! RESERVE SERIES

AVAILABILITY: June 27th in 22 oz. wax-dipped bottles and on draft in limited quantity in all. 25 states where Deschutes Brewery beers are sold.