Last night I was lucky enough to get to visit the latest restaurant being opened by the guys who have brought us Bricks, Local Pour, Cliff’s Dive Bar, and Moco Game Room! The hip-stir in Marion is officially opened and let me tell you, you’re going to want to check this place out! The food, ambiance, drinks, and staff made this a place that I will be frequenting!
Upon entering from the back alley you walk up a small flight of stairs and are greeted with a amazingly creative interior. Booth seats enveloped by wooden barrels and old parlor-esque hanging lamps coming down from the ceilings really give the comfortable vibe of your favorite speakeasy/pub. Upon being greeted by the friendly staff, we were sat in one of the wooden barrel booths to the delight of my kids.
Waters for the kids…beer for me. A nice mix of craft beers and domestic bottles were available along with some creative cocktails (ordering at least 1 next time) and a number of wines for the wine lover to choose. The hard part was coming up….narrowing down what to order! Every single thing on the menu sounded unique, creative, and most importantly delicious. I could be wrong but many items seem to be asian inspired which is perfectly fine with me! Onto the food:
*CALLAHAN WINGS – the wings were mammoth! Definitely not your traditional wing, these were oven baked and had a tangy/spicy sauce that seemed to be a mix of a buffalo/sweet and sour/orange chicken combination with big chunks of funky blue cheese. Terrific! These were a meal in itself and that tangy sauce hit the spot!
*HOT FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH – Usually when your read hot fried chicken you are thinking Nashville hot or maybe a spicy breading, well the hip-stirs’ version might be even better. A kimchi sauce…that’s right…kimchi sauced chicken sandwich with black garlic ranch. Simply delicious! Sweet and spicy and don’t forget those seasoned waffle fries on the side!
*BIGGER BETTER BURGER #1 – just an outstanding hamburger. Probably a top 5 all time burger. Two brisket patties, velveeta cheese, mustard sauce, onion, the coup de grace…pickled fresno chiles. The taste of the burger patties itself was delicious, add the accompaniments and it’s on another level. I’m a huge fresno chile fan and to get these pickled on this burger added a wonderful sweet and briney heat element. Excellent burger!
*PORK BELLY STEAM BUNS – this item right here will be ordered every time…without question. Sometimes steam buns can either be too pillowy and thick and too sweet…the hip-stir completely nailed the buns themselves. Not super thick, but enough to hold the ingredients on the inside. The pork belly was crispy and delicious and every steam bun needs that crunch and freshness from a cucumber. Add the kimchi sauce and you have a deathbed meal right here! THE BEST!!
OVERALL: Can’t say enough good things about the place really. I was blown away and it will be a place I return to frequently. My picture taking skills are shit and don’t do it justice by any means so you simply have to visit on your own. Marion has some great things going for it and the hip-stir certainly adds a unique and delicious destination to an up and coming area! Thank you Tim and staff!
We are super pumped to share MORE exciting news with you… We have partnered with Iowa’s very own Kinship Brewing! We will be distributing these beers in the Eastern part of the state only. For specifics on where we will be able to distribute, please reach out to your sales person directly.
“We have a passion for making good beer and fostering a thriving community.” -Kinship Brewing **Specific beers to be announced soon!**
Ghost Stories TIPA Do you believe in ghosts? Bust out your flashlights, ‘cause sh*t’s about to get spooky. Terrifying quantities of our Hand-Selected Strata, Idaho 7 Cryo, Simcoe & El Dorado. Regardless of if you’re a true believer or not, this one is ghastly.
Building Blocks Strata & Spelt DIPA A simplified (relatively) expression of some of our favorite raw materials. The ones we can take a leap with and know we have something close to home to land on. This version is comprised of Briess Pilsner Malt, Weyermann Speltmalz & our hand selected Strata from the amazing folks at Indie Hops & our beloved LA3 yeast.
It’s that time of year! For the 2nd year in a row I’ve teamed up with Gly-Mawr The Local in Mt. Vernon, IA to put together an Iowa-only beer advent calendar! We tried to include as many Iowa breweries as possible and also to include different options than we had last year! With that being said, I’ll be giving one calendar away to one lucky winner! Here’s how you can win!
Comment on any of my Facebook pages where this link is posted by telling me your absolute favorite Iowa brewed beer, Iowa brewery and tag one of your friends!
Comment on my Instagram account by doing the same. Tell me your favorite Iowa brewed beer, Iowa brewery and tag a friend!
-Deadline: Last time to comment to enter the drawing will be Sunday, November 14th @ 8:00 p.m. I will be randomly drawing a name and will contact the winner. Pick up times for the calendar are as follows:
Wednesday, Nov 24th, 10-4 Friday, Nov 26th, 12-8 Saturday, Nov 27th, 8-8
Please spread the word! There are a few calendars left for purchase as well and they make wonderful gifts! Cheers and good luck! For more info on the calendar please click HERE!
Thew Brewing Company in Cedar Rapids will be paying homage to their “Old and in the Way” IPA with the release of “Older and in the Wayer” Triple IPA this Friday! Here’s more on this release courtesy of Thew:
Celebrate with us on Friday – Old and in the Way is turning another year older. Do you know what that means?We’ve got a special release for you – Older and in the Wayer – triple IPA – made just for you to celebrate Old and in the Way!Join us in the taproom on Friday – we’ll have popcorn and a few additional surprises us our sleeve.
Let’s welcome Hoosier Brewing into the Hawkeye State as they will be bringing their tasty brews to us via Pequod! A full list of what to see below plus more! Check it out!
HOOSIER BREWING:
Pie Face: Pumpkin Pie One of our taproom favorites of the past. This brew is straight pumpkin pie in a glass! We started with a heap of real pumpkin puree, and added our pie treatment along with a few other secret ingredients. It is smooth w/a medium mouthfeel, and a little tart on the finish! Grab a can of whip cream and serve it on top of this baby when you partake at home. Java Berry: Pinball Black Currant, Dark Chocolate, Espresso. This series is super unique in that we start with our solid sourbase, add tons of real fruit puree, and top off with name brand coffee! It is rich, super unique, and sure to please the fruit-boys who are also coffee drinkers.
Chubby Bunny: Storm Cloud Blueberry, Blackberry, Marshmallow: The sky is getting dark with this medley of flavors. We pulled out the dark berries and paired it with loads of marshmallows for a tart, rich, and creamy brew.
Spin to Win: Ace Strawberry, Blueberry, Gooseberry: This series is all about the fruit.. no additional adjuncts needed- let the fruit shine! A beautiful arrangement of fruit with this one– featuring crazy amounts of real strawberry, blueberry & gooseberry puree….. A clean, tart, and super refreshing brew.
Let’s ALSO welcome Collective Project is a sister brand of Collective Arts focusing on CBD-infused sparkling juices and teas that feature international commissioned art projects on each can. List below:
Sparkling Juice – Cucumber, Lemon, Lime This mix of real cucumber and lemon and lime cold pressed juices will keep you cool, calm and collected.
Sparkling Tea – Lemon, Pear, Schisandra Green Tea Naturally energizing green tea with fresh lemon cold press juice and schisandra, a complex dried fruit with peppery notes.
Sparkling Juice – Mango, Pineapple, Coconut Let us help your mind wander to the beach (and maybe some other places) with our twist on a classic. Silky mango and delicately citrusy lemongrass blend with the classic piña colada ingredients of fresh pineapple and coconut.
Sparkling Tea – Raspberry & Hibiscuc Rooibos Tea Steeped with a blend of fruity Hibiscus tea with smooth, naturally sweet Rooibos, then infused with fresh raspberries for a tart, not too sweet finish.
Midnight Toffee Stout Coming in at 12.3%, this imperial stout is filled with cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, Belgian candi syrup & milk sugar. The Belgian candi syrup is used to boost the alcohol content without adding extra body to the beer, so this stout won’t feel as thick and heavy… just insanely delicious! This collaboration is only done once a year and flies off the shelves every time, so trust me, you don’t want to miss out!
Key Lime Pie Berliner Freshly squeezed key limes, vanilla beans, and just a hint of graham cracker pair perfectly with the tart wheat base beer in our Key Lime Pie Berliner. We colored a bit outside the lines to recreate our favorite summer dessert, adding over 250 lbs of key limes for the signature citrus character, lactose and vanilla beans for the pie filling, and just a hint of graham cracker for the crust. Tart, creamy, complex, and dangerously drinkable.
Independent Reading Time IPA Fans of the best-selling Citra series will love this latest edition as our main character embarks on another terpene-laden adventure with his old pals Mosaic and Motueka. When these three get together you know they’re going to get into some hijinx! The piney and fruity essences are still a huge plot point but with a lower ABV compared to a DIPA, to ensure you make it from cover to cover.
Cactus Valley IPA Indie Pale Ale brewed with Prickly Pear Juice, Real Agave & Citra, Belma + Barbe Rouge hops. This poky boi is a remixed version of our Cactus Canyon IPA, only this time, we tossed in a lil’ somethin’ extra to make it even more cactus-y – prickly pear juice! That enticing yet still spiky red fruit on the top of a cactus adds a sugary fruitiness that perfectly compliments the Belma and Barbe Rouge hop profile. It’s another single IPA so it comes off very well balanced between hop and fruit notes. The agave adds a smooth sweetness and overall is much more enjoyable to consume than just straight up taking a bite out of a giant Saguaro. Which is, like, not recommended.
Here Comes The Sunflower India Pale Ale brewed with malted Colorado sunflower seeds & Citra + Nectaron hops. Little darling, it’s been a long and hot summer. And as the seasons change and temps drop we wanted to make a beer using an ingredient right from our very state, the big tall yellow guy, that late-summer hit, the Colorado sunflower. We put a heapin’ helpin’ of sunflower seeds into this recipe to pay homage to the big bright blooming boy that helps us squeeze every last drop of sunlight out of summer. If you’ve never had sunflower seeds in a beer you’re gonna wanna give this a go or two. It’s as if our brewers found a way to liquify the beauty of a clear Colorado afternoon and package it. We’re also thrilled to add a new hop varietal to our arsenal! Nectaron hops come from New Zealand and bring forth a burst of passionfruit, pineapple citrus notes to further brightent his beer.
Juicy Bits IPA Our flagship IPA features a huge citrus and tropical fruit hop character from the Mosaic, Citra & El Dorado hops and softer, smoother mouthfeel from the adjusted water chemistry, higher protein malts, and lower attenuation. The end result is a beer reminiscent of citrus juice with extra pulp, thus the name Juicy Bits.
Speltie Oatie Dope Delicious TIPA A liquid love song for our favorite alien space pimps from the dirty south. Cadillacs full of our hand selected citra, amarillo cryo, simcoe cryo and el dorado on a long body malt base. If we were to describe it in 4 words, it would be: speltie, oatie, dope, delicious. Just wait for the trumpet solo.
Meat Sweats Lager This beer is a bastardization of some of our favorite lager/lagerish traditions from near and far with our good buds at the private sector.
Autumn Fields Cream Ale The leaves are changing, which means it’s time to bring back one of our favorite seasonal releases. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 is a cream ale with cranberry and orange to provide you with some fresh Fall flavor that pairs nicely with the imminent brisk weather. Bright and crushable with a rush of tart fruity flavor, this light-bodied ale is perfect for a trip to the apple orchard, pumpkin patch, or while nestled in a blanket around an open fire. (4.5% ABV)
Dbl Frooted Mango This week we’re bringing back a doubled version one of our most popular variants from our FROOTED series…𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗢! This Smoothie Ale is absolutely loaded with fresh Indian-grown Mangos. Simply brilliant, this straightforward mango ale permeates with everything you love about the ripe tropical drupe that’s refreshing as it is tasty. Ultra-juicy with a nice tangy mouthfeel and exquisite fruity aroma. (8% ABV)
Mangoshino What two words would you combine if you could combine two words? Introducing Mangoshino, our Smoothie Sour w/ malted wheat, 2-row barley & over 3400 lbs of Mango & Sweet Cherries.
Abracadaver A quick flick of the wrist. Don’t blink, you might miss it. “Abracadaver”. Was it sleight of hand? Is that an actual wizard? What is this sorcery? Don’t question it. Accept it. Abracadaver. Introducing Abracadaver, our New England Double IPA w/ barley, oats, flaked oats, hopped & double dry hopped w/ Sultana, Citra, El Dorado Cryo & Strata.
Dreamyard Hazy IPA An New England IPA that’s made ENTIRELY from oats and wheat. Splendidly hazy with aromas of stonefruit, pineapple, and citrus. An insane amount of Citra and Denali hops per barrel make this beer an incredibly juicy and citrusy treat with an approachable level of bitterness.
Two beers coming back to the Lion Bridge rotation getting re-released today! Majestic Beast and Fun Size are now available in the taproom and at select beer retailers! Here’s more on these two delicious brews:
Majestic Beast (Hazy IPA, 6.8%) – We dry-hopped our Majestic Beast with Galaxy and Motueka hops and dumped in a healthy addition of Comet at the end of boil to add even more beauty to this magnificent creature.
Fun Size (Oatmeal Porter w/Chocolate and Sea Salt, 6.0%) – Brewed with Sea Salt and then rested on toasted cacao nibs. The result is an adult treat for Halloween. No tricks needed!
Big Grove Brewery has announced the release details for the one of the best, if not the best, beer releases in the state of Iowa as Richard the Whale will be coming back to us on December 4th! Pre Order starts this Wednesday (10/13), check out the information below courtesy of Big Grove for more details! Click HERE for Wednesday’s presale!
Richard the Whale, our bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout, resurfaces Saturday, December 4. To get your fins on this big, beautiful four-pack, you can snag it beginning Wednesday at 10AM online at biggrove.com. Additionally, we’ll once again host the Friday night Omakase Dinner at the Iowa City Taproom, featuring the very best in food and beverage from our chefs and brewers—prepared right in front of your table. Saturday, December 4, Richard the Whale returns with brunch for all alongside…HDTV | Imperial Hazy IPA Double Dry Hopped with Galaxy | We took inspiration from our Color TV, which is brewed with a whole lot of Galaxy hops and brewed a truly out-of-this-world beer: HDTV. This one is hitting the airwaves at a whopping 9.2% ABV. Project Hop Fisch | Big Grove collab with Lua Brewing + Toppling Goliath | This second round of the Hop Fisch IPA collab heads into the tanks later this week… and you can count on something special from this trio of Iowa brewmasters. This release is available from our Iowa City Brewery & Taproom and Solon Brewpub.Iowa City 7am-10am: in-house pick-up with brunch menu availableSolon 7am-10am: in-house pick-up with regular menu and breakfast options available No limits. Proxies are allowed with the buyer’s order number and a digital copy of ID. The pick-up for this release is in-house pick-up only and will not include a drive-thru.
Eastern Seaboard DDH DIPA A double dry hopped New England style IPA brewed with American barley, Canadian oats, Germany spelt malt, and a dash of lactose sugar. Hopped in the whirlpool and hop back before being dry hopped twice with 5 lbs per gallon of Lupulin saturated Mosaic, Citra & Galaxy.
New Territories IPA Abundantly tropical, saturated, and easy to drink… this high-tech IPA collab with Mikkeller Brewing San Diego uses a genetically modified yeast that directly produces massive tropical fruit aromas, active fermentation dry hopping with a fancy new blend of cryo hops that emphasizes mango aromatics, and Talus, everyone’s favorite new hop.
Union Lager Inspired by the Dortmunder Union brewery and their crispy golden lagers, Union Lager is somewhere between a Pilsner and a Helles in terms of hop expression and malt heft. Union Lager is our take on a Westphalian pale lager. It’s crisp, moderately malty, easy to drink but with a pronounced hop profile, and best of all, this beer is a celebration of our newfound status as a Union-operated brewery.
Hop Coastal DIPA Hop Coastal is your sea voyage from northern pine banks to southern tropical beaches. Bursting with a boatload of Simcoe and Citra hops, you’ll encounter the full depths of juniper, grapefruit, peach and melon. This double IPA, at 7.5% ABV, has enough umph to get you there and back again.
Orange Ripple Sorbet IPA Here is your favorite creamsicle NEIPA but without the lactose. The sweet creaminess comes from puréed oranges and vanilla which are both added after fermentation.
Batisserie S’mores Stout This S’mores beer is full-bodied, with a silky mouthfeel and layered with notes of milk chocolate, graham cracker and roasted marshmallow. Contains milk sugar. 10% ABV.
Bistro Spiced Apple Donut If you haven’t been able to visit the apple orchard this year, just reach for a can of Bistro Spiced Apple Donuts. It’s the fall experience in a can! Breathe in the bready donut aroma, watch the spice flecks descend like falling leaves and feel the thick body of apple pulp wash over your taste buds. Just like the classic fall donut, this heavily fruited Berliner Weisse delivers on not being too sweet while offering a comforting yet sophisticated flavor experience. 6.5% ABV
Dormitory Daze Hazy IPA Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado blend together for an overripe tropical juicy hop bomb. This hazie is a collab with our friends from Freehand Goods in Orlando. Pineapple, fresh orange peel, and dank mango fill out the nose and palate and finish out to a smooth mouthfeel.
Lemon Cheesecake Shakeeee Sharp, bright lemon and sweet lactose meet beautiful cheesecake flavors in this Berliner. Light and rich flavors from a favorite dessert all rolled into a fun and unique beer.
Cosmic Fudge Imperial Stout Imperial Milk Stout with Walnuts, Marshmallow, and Cocoa Nibs Rich chocolate brownies, deep fudge, whipped marshmallow, and roasted walnuts meld into this dessert stout. Sweet and flavorful!
Are You There God? It’s me Strawberry We’ve got some more goop for you. Our Mixed-Culture Foeder-Fermented Berliner-Base conditioned on unconscionable quantities of juicy Strawberries & Tahitian Vanilla Bean Caviar with a dash of Milk Sugar for good measure.
Building Blocks Mosaic & Wheat DIPA The brews in this series are meant to showcase some of our favorite raw materials. This version highlights Pilsner Malt from Wisconsin, Flaked & Malted Wheat from Canada, Our Hand Selected 2020 lot of Mosaic & Mosaic Cryo from the amazing folks at Loftus Ranches in Yakima Valley & Our Beloved London Ale 3.
Local 755 NEIPA Our All-Time Ale. Countless tweaks & nudges in the right direction over three and a half years in pursuit of our own turbid utopia. Citra, Azacca & Amarillo love from our house to yours.
Fugazi Italian-style Pilsner We’ve been brewing our little keisters off trying to keep our beloved Unfiltered Italian-Pilsner around full time, but we haven’t quite gotten there yet folks… One Day We do have a fresh batch in cans for you as we speak though Weyermann Pils Malt lagered for 7 weeks, Spunded for natural carbonation & kissed with Czech Kazbek. It’s the Rill Dilly
S’mores Stout – 8.0% ABV Pasty stout with vanilla extract, dark chocolate flavor, milk sugar, toasted marshmallow & pie crust flavor.
Tropical Smoothie Seltzer Version 2 – Omnipollo Collab – 5.0% ABV Smoothie Seltzer with Pineapple, Mango, Guava, and Apple
Juicy IPA – Version 11 – 7% ABV Untitled Art’s Juicy IPA Series is back! This version is made with Nelson Sauvin, citra & mosaic hops.
Pineapple Papaya Lime Sour – 6% ABVBerliner Weiss Style Ale with Pineapple Puree, Red Papaya and Lime Juice
Raspberry Double Marbles Milkshake IPA – 8% ABV Raspberry Marbles is making it’s way back into orbit…and this time it totally doubled! This tubular Milkshake-Style DIPA contains a cosmic amount of fresh Raspberries, Mosaic hops, sweet Vanilla, and creamy Milk Sugar for the ultimate raspberry milkshake profile. A hefty payload of straight raspberry juice orbits around a subtle acidic piquancy thats all contained within a nebulously plump body of haze. Cut the hyperspeed engines and shower your tastebuds in this intergalactic storm of flavor
DDH 755 Nelson – 6.8% ABV Our favorite fog dog gets some flashy new threads in the form of a third dry hop full up with a deliciously fruity lot of New Zealand Nelson Sauvin after the first two of our hand selected Azacca, Amarillo & Citra. Saturated salutations from our house to yours.
Non-Fungible TIPA – 10.1% ABV Just like those nifty tokens everyone’s been so stoked about that certify a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. For fear of sounding, well, sentimental, we can’t ever get this exact bushel of hops in again. This grain was grown in a specific region that experienced unique weather during the growing season. You get the idea. It may be next to imperceptible on a shorter timeline, but this beer will never be the same as it is at this very moment. This is a fleeting expression of impermanent joy in the form of beer in a can. F*ck%*# science, amirite?
Local 755 – 6.8% ABV Our Foggy Favorite. Azacca, Amarillo & a Gwop of Citra. Soft, Juicy & Hazy like 70’s Home Movies.
Weyermann Pils Malt lagered for 7 weeks, Spunded for natural carbonation & kissed with Czech Kazbek. It’s the Rill Dilly
