4 Big Grove releases coming this weekend: Turtle Hunter, Into the Woods, Red Wedding Wheat and Boysenberry Coffee Sour!

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Big Grove Brewery continues to stay busy getting us beer amid this difficult time and this coming Saturday (4/4) they will once again be getting some fresh and delicious beer into our remarkable washed and clean hands. Here’s what’s coming this weekend:

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*Turtle Hunter – this popular hazy IPA is back; featuring citra, mosaic, and ekuanot and checking in at 7.4%!

*Into the Woods – a collab with Copper Kettle brewing brings us kettle sour with lactose, blackberry, and raspberry and checks in at 6.4%.

*Boysenberry and Coffee Sour – this will be crowler fill only and is another beer brewed with JBC Coffee Roasters. For this particular beer they have used San Sebastian Colombia beans.

*Red Wedding Wheat – checking in at 4.7%, this fruited sour ale, brewed with blood orange and plum, is the perfect addition to your banquet table. Big Grove sends its regards

Stay tuned for more as a beer, burger and fries drive thru may happen again as well. Cheers everyone!

Iowa Brewers Guild Presents: “BYOB Virtual Beer Festival”!

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Grab some of your favorite Iowa brewed beers and join your fellow Iowa beer lovers, Iowa beer brewers, and Iowa beer workers as the Iowa Brewers Guild is hosting a “BYOB Virtual Beer Festival” on March 28th with all proceeds will go to Iowa’s brewing industry staff. Here’s more on this great event:

A BYOB virtual beer festival to raise money for Iowa’s brewing industry staff. Though we love to drink beer in the company of friends, the future of one of our favorite pastimes—beer festivals—is tenuous. And so are the livelihoods of our Iowa breweries and their teams. To help our industry staff in their time of need, the Iowa Brewers Guild is holding a BYOB “virtual beer festival,” and you’re invited to join us!

Here’s how it works:

1. Buy a ticket

2. Pick up some of your favorite Iowa beer

3. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram on Saturday, March 28, so we can drink beer together (from a safe distance), with the help of our hashtag, #virtualbeerfest

ALL proceeds will go to affected Iowa Brewers Guild member breweries’ staff that have lost jobs or significant hours!

More info and how to get a limited edition shirt at www.virtualbeerfest.org

Backpocket hosting “St. Practice Day Bar Crawl” @ Iowa River Landing 3/13!

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Backpocket Brewing will be prepping beer drinkers for St. Patricks Day by hosting a “St. Practice Day” bar crawl on March 13th starting at 7 pm. The event will take place at Backpocket’s Iowa River Landing location. Here’s more on this event:

St. Patricks Day is right around the corner! Are you ready?!
Join us in the Iowa River Landing for a St. Practice Day bar crawl! Tickets are just $7 through the Eventbrite page and $10 at the door! Participants who make a purchase at each stop will be entered into a raffle for a prize basket containing a variety of gifts from 30 Hop, Backpocket Brewing, Vesta, and Marquee Pizzeria.
Tickets also include exclusive drink specials at each stop throughout the night!
Here’s the plan…
*Starting at 7:00 p.m. meet us at 30 Hop to get your raffle punch card.
*At 8:30 p.m. we will move to Marquee Pizzeria.
*At 9:00 p.m. Vesta will have a selfie station set up to capture you and your friends having the time of your lives!
*At 10:00 p.m. end the night at Backpocket Brewing. DJ Poison Candy will be mixing up some tunes. The winner of the raffle will be drawn here and you must be present to win!

Abu Nawas drops: Blackberry Farm, Dugges, Evil Twin, and Schramm Mead!

Drops coming from Abu Nawas this week includes one of my favorite breweries, Blackberry Farm. Has anyone ever been to Walland, TN and had the opportunity to check the place out? Looks like heaven, and definitely on my bucket list. On to the brews!

BLACKBERRY FARM

  • Blackberry Farm Classic Saison 12 oz CAN – Belgian-style Saison features European noble-type hops, authentic Belgian Saison yeast, and the finest European two-row malt. 6.3% ABV.
  • Blackberry Farm Boundary Tree 12 oz CAN – This hop-forward Belgian-style ale features notes of citrus fruit that complement its bready malt undertones. A soft bitterness, reminiscent of orange marmalade, balances delicate spice notes that result from a warm fermentation. 6.5% ABV.
  • Blackberry Farm Fenceline12oz CAN -Belgian-style ale brewed with generous portions of wheat malt for a creamy mouthfeel and hazy straw color. Generous additions of Huell Melon hops lend notes of melon and strawberry, along with a balanced bitterness. 5.9% ABV.
  • A variety of cool 375 and 750ml Limited editions!

DUGGES

Dugges Daylight 24-716oz CAN – A beer to salute the never-setting sun. Follow our journey as we tweak our way towards the perfect IPA. Step by step, beer by beer, on and on and on. Forever!  For our third IPA brewed on US soil and our first IPA brewed at the all-new Twelve Percent Beer Project brewery in North Haven, CT, we wanted to bring Sweden. During a couple of months every summer the northern parts of Sweden experience a never-setting sun. Literally daylight 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is that daylight in a can. Cheers! 7% ABV.

Evil Twin

  • Evil Twin Brewing I GREW UP IN NIVA 16oz CAN – IPA Brewed with Motueka, Galaxy, Falconer’s, and Citra. 7% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Brewing I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO MY I-95 16oz CAN – Triple Epic IPA with Nelson, Galaxy, and Citra. 11% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Brewing All Galaxy Diane 16oz CAN – Small batch edition of Consumed 15 today Diane, all Galaxy IPA from Twelve Percent Project. 7% ABV.
  • Evil Twin How Cool Is This? In The Catskills We Can Get That True Upstate Experience 16oz CAN – DDH DIPA brewed with Citra, Simcoe, Ekuanot. Notes of peach, melon, lime zest and pine sap. Medium-bodied. Creamy mouthfeel. Subtle bitterness. Soft carbonation. 8% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Everyday, Once A Day IPA  16oz CAN – Double dry-hopped Imperial IPA brewed with lactose and vanilla beans. 9% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail 12oz CAN – Jeppe’s Legendary Triple IPA. 12% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail  Peach and Grapefruit  and Passionfruit 12oz CAN – Jeppe’s Legendary Triple IPA with a surprise twist. 12% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Molotov Lite 16oz CAN – Lite version of the Triple IPA is a Double IPA  at only 8.5% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break  16oz CAN – Imperial Stout with Almonds, Espresso, Vanilla. 11.5% ABV.
  • Evil Twin Even More Jesus 16oz CAN – Jeppe Legendary Imperial Stout. 12% ABV

Schramm

  • SCHRAMM VALENTINE 375ML – Black Currants and Maravilla Red Raspberries. Valentine marries the focused acidity and crisp flavor of whole red raspberries with the unmistakably deep and rich aromatics of black currants. A combination of two of our most popular flavors, we are certainly sweet on Valentine. Pair someone you love.
  • SCHRAMM MARIONBERRY 375ML – Marionberry is a Melomel made purely from Willamette Valley Marion Blackberries. Like our ‘Blackberry’, Marionberry has a full, natural fruit acidity that is balanced by premium Orange Blossom honey sweetness to create an extremely flavorful mead. Very dark in color, the Marionberries provide a jammy, juicy fruit-forward character. This mead has great aging potential for many years, though it’s pure fresh fruit character may make it difficult to leave alone for long. 14% ABV.
  • SCHRAMM CRANBERRY 375ML – Cranberry Mead takes the distinct tartness of the earthy, fragrant and penetrating cranberry and matches it with the sweet, yet balanced style for which Schramm’s Mead is known. The pronounced acidity of the fruit demands to be offset by substantial sweetness, and the vast number and throaty nature of the berry’s flavor compounds requires pairing with a complex, full-bodied honey.
  • SCHRAMM LUTOWKA STATEMENT 375ML – This unique incarnation of The Statement is made with Lutowka Morello-type cherries from Poland. The taste is definitely cherry, but more focused, brighter and with a touch more acidity than our standard Balaton version. It is delicious in its own singular way and is demonstrative of the subtle but notable differences in flavors that can be achieved by using different fruit variations.
  • SCHRAMM RASPBERRY 375ML – Schramm’s Raspberry is a mead made from whole Michigan raspberries. The flavor is unmistakably fruity raspberry, reminiscent of Michigan summers, and is balanced by honey sweetness. Due to the high level of acidity from the berries, it can age gracefully for many years. A tribute to our home state’s strong fruit growing tradition, this was the first mead made by head meadmaker Ken Schramm. It holds a special place in our history as well as our cellar.
  • SCHRAMM THE STATEMENT 375ML – The Statement is our Balaton cherry mead – made with the highest quality Traverse City Balaton cherries, carefully selected honey and twenty years of experience – having gone through more than a dozen iterations. Living up to its name, this mead truly makes a statement due to its incredible expression and depth of flavor and character rendered from honey and Michigan tart cherries. A natural complement to chocolate and sharp or blue cheeses, The Statement also pairs well with grilled pork and makes a terrific reduction sauce for desserts.
  • SCHRAMM MADELINE 375ML – Schramm’s Madeline is our boysenberry mead, made with whole boysenberries and Michigan honey. A cross between European raspberry, common blackberry and American dewberry, the boysenberry has a unique tannic flavor which combines wonderfully with carefully selected premium honey. The resulting mead is thick, jammy and extremely flavorful and pours dark purple with a very smooth, lightly tart finish. This mead is a tribute to our favorite, tiny release to date, Madeline June Schramm Naeger. Ten percent of sales of this mead are donated to the Royal Oak Beaumont NICU, where Madeline spent nearly the first three months of her life. She was beautiful when she was born, but we know she will continue to mature beautifully with age. 14% ABV.
  • SCHRAMM BLACK AGNES 375ML – Our sweet black currant mead, Black Agnes, is named after one boisterous Scottish wench who successfully defended the Scottish Castle of Dunbar during a five-month siege by William Montague, the Earl of Salisbury. While relatively unknown in the United States, black currants have been grown in the British Isles for more than five hundred years and used by herbalists since the Middle Ages. Sharply tart and acidic, the potent flavors of the fruit are perfectly balanced by the sweetness of premium honey to create a particularly unique, memorable and delicious mead. 14% ABV.
  • SCHRAMM RED AGNES 375ML – Schramm’s Red Agnes is finely balanced Melomel. Red currants provide deep floral aromatics, a fruitier initial impression, more focused acidity, and a stunning cardinal hue. This mead is dangerously drinkable with a delicately balanced acidity which allows the honey and fruit to sing in harmony together. 14% ABV.
  • SCHRAMM BLACKBERRY 12/375ML – Blackberry is earthy, brightly acidic mead balances the lingering tartness of whole blackberries and carefully selected honey. Intensely fruity with balanced acidity, a complex flavor profile and an earthy aroma, this mead is reminiscent of picking fruit on a mid-summer day. A strong option for the cellar, blackberry will continue to mature and develop in the bottle for years. Blackberry pairs well with creamy cheeses, duck, and veal. 14% ABV.
  • SCHRAMM GINGER 375ML – Schramm’s Ginger is a full-throated, unapologetic expression of pure grated ginger and honey. Honey sweetness is balanced by full ginger flavor with a touch of spiciness, making this mead a perfect choice to pair with spicy Indian, Ethiopian or Thai cuisine, grilled Korean mackerel or flavorful sushi and sashimi. It also pairs well with dark chocolate and is a great addition to a whiskey ginger cocktail or a Moscow Mule. 14% ABV.

Drink This! Lion Bridge Home Baked 2020

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We are in the middle of Lion Bridge’s Barrel-Aged January and last night I was able to get a sneak peek of one of, if not, their most sought after beers, Home Baked! (Thanks Lange Brothers!).

I wouldn’t say last year’s release of Home Baked was a surprise hit since all of what Lion Bridge releases is of the best quality, but I think after a few social media posts, untappd check ins, and Iowa Craft Beer Crew posts this beer hit “best of Iowa” status quickly and the demand went through the roof! Attention from the 2019 version continued through the year and the countdown to today’s release (1/15) began! Here’s the deets from LB on their brew:

Dessert for your desert island. Fudge and saigon cinnamon meld with a little bit of hazelnut goodness to produce something we liken to a cookie in beer form

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I was lucky enough to be a +1 at the early release for Lion Bridge’s CSA members and eagerly watched with bated breath as the beer tender poured my beer. Served at the perfect temperature, maybe even let sit a bit after the initial pour, the aromas of hazelnut and cinnamon hit your nose immediately. The first sip is cinnamon with the roasted hazelnut, almost a coconutty taste to it followed by hit of fudge. The second sip…. pure decadence!

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The beauty of this beer is that not one adjunct dominates the flavor, they all mesh perfectly well and you get a hit of each with every sip. This is a beer to seek out, to beg a buddy to mule for you if you can’t get to CR, to pray to the beer gods that one winds up in your kitchen ready to be poured. Every sip comes with a smile!

This is one of the best beers that is brewed in Iowa…without a doubt and this year’s version may even be better than the 2019. Lion Bridge does it again…place of employment is canceled today, beer releases at 3:00 p.m…..hmm.. it looks like the beer gods want me to get more of this I believe! See you there and Drink This!

Your Iowa Beer Guide to Black Friday!

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If you are out and about this coming Black Friday there are quite a few options from the beer community to take advantage of. Can releases, bottle releases, and speciality tappings a plenty!
*If you know of an event that I didn’t post up please drop me a line and I’ll add it to the list! 

**Lion Bridge Brewery – Oakonut Delight release. 1 case per customer per purchase starting at 11 a.m., but if you get back in line you can get more! Imperial stout aged in whiskey barrels with coconut, chocolate, and caramel!  

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**Confluence Brewing – If you are in the Des Moines area Confluence has a stellar Black Friday lineup.
-Letter of Marque Rum Barrel Aged DIPA W/ Coconut
-Kiano’s Cut Rye Barrel Aged Rye DIPA
-Conifer Ginelly Gin Barrel Aged Saison W/ Cranberries & Spruce
Tips
-Ghostly Presents Tequila Barrel Aged W/ Agave & Peppers
Doors open at 11 AM. No bottle limits. Enjoy $2 off pours of everything in our taproom until noon!

 

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**Bricks Bar and Grill – Bourbon County and Black Friday go hand in hand and what better way to take a break from the early morning shopping and stop by Bricks for a 2020 BCS or variant. Here’s what Bricks will have on the lines:

Featuring Five BCBS beers on draft ~ 2018 BCBS Original ~ 2018 BCBS Bramble Rye ~ 2019 BCBS Original ~ 2019 BCBS Cafe De Olla ~ 2019 BCBS Mon Cheri
Blind Auction for 2 2015 BCBS Rare Bottles ~ 4 2012 BCBS Coffee Bottles

~Breakfast Taco Bar~

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**Iowa Brewing Company – a big day of bottles for Iowa Brewing Company as they are set to release Barrel-aged OREOja Baltic Porter that is finished in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels with “America’s Favorite Cookie.” This and the Hurricane Season will be available Friday the 29th @ 11AM only at the Iowa Brewing taproom.

thew**Thew Brewing Company – Thew will be continuing their “Dark Beer” week on Friday with a whole bunch of tappings. Here’s what they have going:

On tap Friday:
– Darkest Corners (barrel-aged imperial stout)
– Double Tappa (imperial brown ale)
– Old Man Strength (barrel-aged old ale)
– Black IPA
– Imperial stout
– Belgian strong

Bottle release deets courtesy of Thew:

We’ve had an old ale aging in a Weller barrel from Buffalo Trace and we’re anxious to share it with you. Old Man Strength will be packaged in 22 oz. bomber bottles and wax sealed.

Thew Crew members will have two bottles each reserved. You may pick your bottles up beginning Wednesday. Member bottles will be held until Friday, December 6th.

For the general public, release will start at noon on Friday. $20/bottle, 4 bottle per person limit.

In addition to Old Man Strength, we’ll have:
– Firkin of Double Tappa with Coconut
– Randall with Helianthus (sunflower saison) infused with fresh cranberries

 

**Quarter Barrel – Darkest Peru Russian Imperial Stout aged 9 months in Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels with Peruvian Coffee, Peruvian Cacao, and Huacatay (Peruvian Black Mint) will be sold in 4-packs @ The Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery! 

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**Big Grove Brewery and Bootleggin’ Barzini’s have teamed up for an exclusive barrel-aged barleywine release only available at Barzinis on Black Friday. This barley wine is aged in Cedar Ridge single malt whiskey barrels and will come in a 375 mL bottle. Barzinis will also have their Bourbon County release.

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**Marto Brewing Company – Marto will be releasing All the Bean Things which is their
first in house collaboration that was brewed with  Barn Town Brewing!
A  13.1% imperial stout brewed with Ugandan vanilla beans, Caturra Coffee Roasting Co. – A Subsidiary of Coffee King, Inc Mexico Altura coffee beans, & Ghana ABOCFA cacao beans roasted by Just the Nib in Lincoln, NE.
Available on tap & limited crowlers to go. $18 per crowler.

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**Clockhouse Brewing – From Clockhouse:

They say, “We all need a little more fruit in our diet.” So we loaded our kettle sour with Raspberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries. The perfect trifecta for starting your post thanksgiving diet.

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**Need Pizza – Need tapping some heavy hitters on Black Friday!

2018 Bourbon County Bramble Rye
2019 Madhouse El Jefe
Pours and crowlers available while they last!

Dimensional Brewing Celebrating 1 Year Anniversary w/ week long tappings!

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Happy Anniversary to Dubuque’s Dimensional Brewing Company. It was a year ago when I was lucky enough to check the place out at their soft opening and you just knew they were going to be successful. This week they will be tapping some speciality beers, something new every day, so make sure you go check them up. Here’s their lineup!

🎂🎂It’s our Birthday Week, so we are tapping new beers every day leading up to our big Birthday Bash on Saturday!🎂🎂

🍻New Beers on tap🍻

Wednesday
Atlast Hefeweizen- 5.7% 9 IBU A different recipe than Key City. This Hefeweizen has added some smoothness and a more pronounced banana presence. The Beer was named after the business that was occupying Dimensional Brewing Company prior to the changing of the guard. (Available to go Wednesday)

Robot Voice -NEIPA- 6.6% 26 IBU Brewed with Galaxy, Citra, and El Dorado hops. This is the first time DBC has used Galaxy hops in a beer. We had to showcase the Galaxy. (Available to go Saturday)

Thursday
90 Mile Smile- Sour Gose 4.7%. Raspberry/Lime Margarita Gose in collaboration with our friends at Pulpit Rock from Decorah, IA. It’s fruity with a the right amount of lime and a slightly salty finish, just like a margarita! 90 Mile Smile was named for the approximate distance between the 2 breweries and the anticipation of the tasty beverages at the end of those 90 miles. (Available to go Saturday)

Friday
Bubble Baths With Nelson- NEIPA 7.2% 26 IBUs- Brewed with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops. This is the first time DBC has used Nelson hops in a beer. We had to showcase the Nelson. (Available to go Saturday)

Saturday
The UnderCAKEer – Imp. Stout 12.2%- German Chocolate cake inspired Imp. Pastry stout brewed with cocoa nibs, pecans, coconut and lactose. We brewed this beer with Barn Town Brewing at Barn Town. (Draft Only)

Sweet Acoustics- Imp. Stout 13.5%- Imperial Stout w/ Madagascar vanilla beans added. Taste this beer cold and then periodically as it warms to experience the beer to its full potential. (Available to go Saturday)

Gussied Up- Imp. Stout 13.5%- Imperial Stout w/ Jumble coffee, toasted coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon. This beer will also have different tasting notes at different temps. You will be able to detect each of the flavors in this beer without being overpowered by any one ingredient. (Available to go Saturday)