Tag: iowa craft beer
New to Shelves and other Tidbits: Ruination, Twisted Pine, Boulevard, Tallgrass
Quite a few bits of info to pass along to the Iowa craft beer aficionado today. A few of these future releases have yet to be determined and I will try to get those dates to you folks as soon as I can. Onto the first bit of news:
*Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 – Stone has officially retired their Ruination beer but fans of that beer can rejoice as they will replace it with Ruination Double IPA 2.0 and according to the folks at Beer Street Journal, Stone might have some techniques they will apply for this beer. Here’s more from Stone Brewing’s Blog:
OK, please come back off the ledge. Things aren’t as dire as we made them seem (purely for dramatic effect). We could never completely kill off this saintly imperial India pale ale. I mean, you didn’t really think we’d get rid of our liquid poem to the glory of the hop, did you? Yes, Stone Ruination IPA as we know it now will soon be gone, but only because we’ll be reciting the second stanza in our lupulin-laced ode, Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0. That’s right. We’ve taken this fluid paean and everything we (and our fans) love about it, and taken it a new, loftier level. Why, you ask? ‘Tis a good and inevitable question for any discerning hophead to pose. And we have not one, but many answers to this justifiable query. It’s because, when we first released Stone Ruination IPA…
- A far smaller number of high alpha-acid hops were available compared to present day.
- Myriad brewing techniques for extracting hop flavor and bitterness had yet to be invented.
- Our palates were less used to onslaughts of lupulin and we felt like we’d maxed out the IBU possibilities.
- The tastes of craft beer drinkers, like ours, hadn’t yet been turned up to 11 (something Stone Ruination IPA did for many of our fans).
According to Beer Street Journal this beer will feature Centennial, Citra, Simcoe and Azacca and come in 22 oz bombers at 8.5%.
*Twisted Pine West Bound Braggot*- I’m not sure if we will see this beer on Eastern Iowa shelves or not but we do get other Twisted Pine releases so if you do see this in stores please drop me a line. Not sure what a Braggot is? Here’s what Beeradvocate tells me:
Braggot is simply made by blending spices and herbs with mead and beer, to produce a strong concoction with uncommon flavors. Many taverns would make this blend right at the bar though brewers would also blend them as well.
Here’s more on West Bound Braggot courtesy of Twisted Pine’s press release:
With two GABF medals now under its belt, West Bound Braggot has made a few small batch appearances on draft at the Twisted Pine ale house since its debut as part of the brewery’s 2012 Artisan Ale Series, but has not been bottled since that initial batch. The beer now returns to glass as a 22 ounce bomber offering, dressed in a newly designed label by Boulder-based Anthem Branding.
“With alcohol strength (8.5% alcohol by volume) suitable for any sporadic spring snows and a light, bright body and flavor that pairs perfectly with a sundrenched patio session, the timing of the release seems ideal.”
West Bound is brewed with a combination of malted barley and wheat plus orange blossom honey. This is where braggot traditions end as Twisted Pine’s brewers then add Citra hops, Tasmanian pepper berries and Buddha’s Hand citrus to the kettle before fermenting the beer with a farmhouse yeast strain.
After the beer’s release at Twisted Pine on Thursday, 22oz bottles and kegs will be made available to select accounts within the brewery’s distribution footprint the following week.
**Boulevard Brewing Company** one of the busiest breweries with new releases so far this new year has been Boulevard. Adding brews to their Smokestack lineup, new seasonals, and new year round beers has not gone unnoticed. Soon they add more to their Tasting Room series with a Blonde and a Red IPA. Along with those two Heavy Lifting cans will debut on shelves in April.
*Heavy Lifting – available this April in cans this brew comes in at 6.2%.
*Red IPA – a Tasting Room offering will be available in sample packs and checks in at 5.8%. Here’s more stats on this brew courtesy of Boulevard:
ABV: 5.8%
IBUs: 75
Malt Bill: Pale, Munich, Amber, Cara 120, Cara 300, Chocolate Malt
Kettle/Whirlpool Hops:Chinook, Simcoe, Equinox, Exp 6300
Dry Hopping: Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra
*Blonde Ale – another Tasting Room offering along with the Red IPA this beer checks in at 5.8%. Stats courtesy of Boulevard:
ABV: 5.8%
IBUs: 24
Malt Bill: Pale, Honey Malt
Flavor/Aroma Hops:Lemondrop, Saphir, Northern Brewer
Other: Orange peel
Tallgrass Brewing is expanding their portfolio with a few new brews using a couple of their staple beers. 16 Bit Double Pale Ale will hit the market soon as well as Wooden Rooster. Here’s more on these two brews, Both are courtesy of mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com:
I’ve seen this beer in blank silver test-cans, but now we get our first look at the real packaging for Tallgrass Brewing 16-Bit DPA. This Double Pale Ale will be packaged in 16oz cans and it comes in at 6.2% ABV. As a computer-guy, I can’t wait for the 32-bit 32oz triple IPA and the 64-bit 64oz Quad. As a bonus I’ve included the latest packaging for their original 8-Bit Pale Ale. This beer remains in 12oz cans and at 5.2% ABV.
Here’s your first peek at a big new can coming from Tallgrass Brewing Co in Manhattan, KS. This is Wooden Roster and it is a Belgian-style tripel aged in rye Whiskey barrels. This looks to be a 19.2oz can and stay tuned for AbV and release details.
Central Waters Brewing Tap Takeovers Set for El Bait Shop and Parlor City
Central Waters Brewing will be taking over tap lines at 2 Iowa restaurants/bars. The first is set to take place at Parlor City on April 1st followed by another takeover at El Bait Shop on April 3. Here’s more from Central Waters’ Facebook page:
Alright Iowa, you’ve been asking for it. This week we’re bringing it to you! We’ll be invading the taps of two of your finest drinking establishments this week and we’re bringing out some of the big guns! Exact tap lineups will be revealed the day of the events, but trust us, you aren’t gonna want to miss either one.
Parlor City Pub & Eatery in Cedar Rapids on Wed, April 1
el Bait Shop in Des Moines on Fri, April 3
Stay tuned…
Reds Alehouse Tapping KBS April 1st…..but what time?
Following tweet from Reds:
Surly Brewing and Centro Restaurant Beer Event Coming Thursday March 26th
I just received the following information from Surly Brewing. Sounds like a terrific event with lots of excellent beer and food. Full hog porchetta? Yes please! Here’s more info:
WHAT: Centro is welcoming the Twin Cities’ Surly Brewing to Des Moines with an exclusive food and beer event this week. The event will showcase Surly beer and food prepared by Centro executive chef Derek Eidson and Surly executive chef Jorge Guzman. Both chefs will feature dishes for sampling while guests are able to taste Surly’s beers.Entrance includes five Surly beer tasting tickets, two paired small plates from Guzman, hors d’oeuvres from Eidson, and a complimentary branded tulip snifter. Additional pours of Surly beer will be available for purchase.SURLY FOOD MENU:
- Red Chili Pork Tamale with Cotija cheese, pickled red onion and cilantro
- Pecan Smoked Brisket, sweet potato bun, spicy pickles
CENTRO FOOD MENU:
- Full hog porchetta, South Union Bakery bun and pickled vegetables
- Roman-style pizzas with assorted toppings
- Charcuterie (assorted cured meats and accouterments)
- Housemade frites with sauces
WHEN: Thursday, March 26, 6pm – 9pmWHERE: South Union Bread Café at Centro, 1007 Locust St., Des MoinesTICKETS: RSVP to RDeAngelo@CentroDining.com, $30/person
SGAD (Surly Gives A Damn) coming to Davenport; part of Surly Brewing Iowa Distro
Just received the following email from Surly Brewing:
What:Surly Brewing Co., the Twin Cities-based craft brewery has just arrived in the Quad Cities as part of its Invasion of Iowa. Now, two weeks since its launch in Iowa, the brewery is kicking off its community engagement program, Surly Gives A Damn (SGAD) in Iowa by bringing together Minnesota and Iowa craft beer fans in Davenport this weekend to help the city’s spring corridor cleanup.SGAD is Surly’s community engagement program. Since 2010, the brewery has enlisted local beer fans to help with service projects across Minnesota. In 2014, SGAD organized nearly 1,000 Surly fans to take part in 2,376 volunteer hours. The program is now following Surly beer to Iowa.The first SGAD Iowa event will be this Saturday in Davenport, to help the city with their spring corridor cleanup. Surly is bringing 40 volunteers from both Iowa and Minnesota to take part. They will work together to help the city with its spring corridor cleanup, ensuring that unwanted garbage doesn’t make it into the local creeks, streams and waterways this spring and summer. The SGAD group will be cleaning from the LULAC Club, 4224 Ricker Hill/Blue Grass Rd and then making its way to Utah and Rockingham Rd. After the event, volunteers will come together to enjoy a Surly beer or two.When: Saturday, March 21, 8:30am – 11amWhere: From the LULAC Club, 4224 Ricker Hill/Blue Grass Rd, Davenport, IA, and then making its way to Utah and Rockingham Rd, Davenport, IA.Visuals:
- Minnesotans and Iowans working together to help clean up along Davenport highway
- SGAD organizers to discuss its plans to help out with future Iowa community projects
- Celebrating Minnesota’s craft beer coming to Iowa by supporting community projects
Surly has confirmed a number of events around the state this month, and will be posting more Iowa events throughout the months ahead. More information can be found at http://bit.ly/SurlyIowaEvents. SGAD will continue to organize and host volunteering events in Iowa, more information can be found at http://www.surlybrewing.com/surly-gives-a-damn.
New to Shelves: Boulevard Spring Belle Saison, Enjoy By 6 Packs, and Stone Imperial Brown
Two new beers will be hitting Eastern Iowa shelves soon as Boulevard has released a new spring saison and Stone is releasing their popular Enjoy By Series in 12 oz 6 picks. Also making news this week is Stone releasing a brew from their Spotlight Series that fans got to vote on; the winner: Imperial Mutt Brown Ale. Here’s more on all 3 of these brews:
Boulevard Spring Belle Saison :
Spring Belle marries the crisp, spicy flavor of a traditional farmhouse ale, with its citrusy hop notes, to the fresh floral aromas of chamomile, rose petals and elderflower.
Stone Enjoy By: Available in both 12 oz and 22 oz bombers:
You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers- especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs- we’ve taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We’ve not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you’re getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn’t randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the bottle, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and beer fans. Instead, we’ve sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA.
Stone Imperial Mutt Brown:
Coming in April in 22 oz bombers. This was the winner chosen by fans. There is no ABV information on this brown ale quite yet. Stay tuned for more.
Favorite Apps for Beer Lovers
Got to love technology! With so many apps in the marketplace I thought I would go through and list my favorite beer-related apps. Just doing a bland beer search on your iPhone app store brings up thousands of hits. Let’s sort some of these out, here are my go to beer apps:
*Untappd* – the most popular app with most beer lovers. A fun app that ables you to socialize with your fellow beer “friends”. It’s also a great way to see who is drinking around your current area and also gives you a beer recommendation list based on your ratings. Feel free to add me: iabeerbaron
*TapHunter* – only one restaurant/brewery in Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area comes up on TapHunter and that is the Iowa Chop House. By using this app I know all their updated tap lists. This comes handy when traveling to bigger cities and I hope it catches on in the corridor.
*SipSnapp* – love the idea of this app as you can take pictures of a bar’s beer menu and then it provides ratings of those beers with their partner Ratebeer.com. So, if you are presented with a huge menu or see a bunch of beers that you’ve never heard of, snap a pic, upload and SipSnapp takes care of the rest.
**Those are the three I use the most. There are a ton of apps that allow check-ins, add wishlists, check abv, check history, etc. Beeradvocate app comes in handy as well but the 3 more unique are the ones I’ve listed. Chances are, by the time I publish this, another great app will have been created. What are favorite beer apps?
Hitting Shelves: Wasatch, Green Flash Silva Stout, Oberon Returning, Madhouse El Hefe
Some new beers will be hitting Eastern Iowa shelves soon. 2 new releases, one of which will be extremely difficult, and an old standby returns. If you know of any new beers hitting shelves feel free to drop me a line! Here we go:
Wasatch Polygamy NITRO Porter – this beer will be available in 12 oz bottles and will be a new year round release for Wasatch brewery. Here’s more on this beer courtesy of Wasatch and thefullpint.com:
To date there are less than a handful of breweries successfully packaging nitrogenated craft beers.
“Getting nitrogen to pour properly in a bottle is about a hundred times more challenging than nitrogenating a keg.” Schirf said. “I could not be prouder of our guys putting their cumulative brewery experience of more than a hundred years together and pulling off a game-changing achievement in the craft brewing industry. You really have to try it to fully appreciate the love.”
The Wasatch Polygamy Nitro Porter aroma comes off as cocoa in the nose from the use of chocolate malt. The silky smooth texture and mouthfeel is provided by fine nitrogen bubbles.
To enjoy the ultimate experience of nitro beers, it requires an aggressive approach. “Pour it harder into your favorite glass and enjoy watching a bazillion little nitrogen bubbles make their way to the top of the glass,” brewmaster Dan Burick says. “Watch the beautiful dark mahogany fluid that Polygamy Porter is cascading through the rising bubbles. This necessary foreplay creates a dense head of foam that invites you to enjoy a silky smooth Porter.”
Wasatch Brewery has been bottling a four percent session Polygamy Porter since 2001. Recognized at World Beer Cup and winning gold and silver awards in the session category. The name and edgy taglines – Take some home to the wifes! Why have just one? I’ve tried polygamy. – have grabbed the attention of craft beer drinkers over the years. It is not difficult to see it was time to add to the fun.
Green Flash Silva Stout – a beer I’m really excited for is Green Flash’s Silva Stout. This is their double stout aged in oak bourbon barrels and comes in at 10.1%. Everything I’m reading online tells me this beer will for sure hit the Des Moines market with Doll in April but be extremely limited; I haven’t heard about when/if Eastern Iowa will see this brew. Here’s more from Green Flash:
Our Double Stout ages in oak bourbon barrels, and artfully emerges as Silva Stout. This midnight black ale features elegant notes of oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, coffee, roasted barley and ripe cherry. Round and delicately balanced in body, each sip envelops the palate with its impressively complex craft composition.
BLACK ALE AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS
IBU’S: 45 ABV: 10.1
Bells Oberon Returns March 23rd – an always popular beer for the late spring/early summer months here in Iowa is Bells Oberon. This American Wheat beer will make its return on March 23rd. More from Bells:
Bell’s Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer.
From thebeerstreetjournal.com:
Oberon release day was so popular the last few years, that a pint was poured every 15 seconds for 15 hours.
**Madhouse Brewing El Hefe** – A beer I’m very excited to try comes to us from our friends at Madhouse Brewing! El Hefe is a Mexican stout brewed with chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks, and barrel aged. Extremely limited bottle release but check it out at their taproom THIS WEEKEND!
Lion Bridge Brewery Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary! Event Details
Received the following email from Lion Bridge Brewery in Cedar Rapids who will be celebrating their 1 year anniversary today, March 5th! To celebrate they will be having many events and beer releases throughout the month. Here are the details:
One Year Anniversary Celebration
It’s hard to believe that today, March 5th, marks 1 year that Lion Bridge has been in business. We are truly honored to have many of you as loyal patrons (or maybe even just loyal followers), and we are constantly striving to make sure our beer and our building remain catalysts to conversation and community.
You trust us to produce world-class beers and we do not take that responsibility lightly.
As our way of celebrating and showing our appreciation, we want to offer some special events and discounts throughout the month.
Come celebrate the successes of two great local businesses with a night of world-class beer and amazing food. Lion Bridge Brewing Company turns 1 year old this month and Cobble Hill just recently celebrated 2 years in February.
Head Brewer Quinton McClain of Lion Bridge and Chef Andy Schumacher of Cobble Hill have teamed up to create a 4-course beer pairing dinner (as well as 1 “Welcome” pint upon arrival at 6:30pm) that will highlight, complement, and contrast the talents and these two individuals and the talented teams that assist them.
This is an experience not be missed. New and previously unreleased beers from Lion Bridge will be utilized and paired with the diverse and imaginative selections of Chef Andy.
Menu to be released soon. Price includes all gratuity and tax. Simply show up and enjoy.
Click here for tickets
March 15thDon’t have enough beer glasses at home?? Help us help you. $9 gets you an imperial pint of Lion Bridge beer and then you get to take the glass home with you!
Website
Follow us on social media to stay up to date on Anniversary events and new happenings everyday!
Thursday, March 19th
Do you love beer? Do you love cheese?Well, make your way over to Lion Bridge Brewing Co. for a cheese and beer pairing on March, 19th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. We will be putting together 5 “do it yourself” cheese appetizers that will be paired with 5 of our beers. Come learn how to prepare these simple cheese dishes which are sure to impress all your future house guests.
For $25 you will receive 5 taster glasses of beers that go along with each cheese appetizer, a taster glass to take home, and a 12oz beer of your choice (Specialty beers excluded). Don’t miss out on this fun and informative event!
Click here for tickets
March 21st at 2pmLocal Favorites Czech Plus will get you in the mood to drink some Pilsener on March 21st for the St. Joseph’s day parade. Come watch the parade at Lion Bridge at 1pm and enjoy some awesome polka music shortly after. Pair with Czech food specials!
The Class Act Restaurant at Hotel Kirkwood and Lion Bridge Collaborate
Chef de Cuisine at The Class Act Restaurant, Daniel Dennis, helps us celebrate our anniversary during the week of March 25th by creating a weekly special inspired by what inspires him (in this case, Lion Bridge beer). Come in early this week and see what he has prepared. The special will be limited. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
CSA Appreciation Week
We are coming up on selling our 300th Community Supported Ales Membership! In honor of that we want to extend a thank you to all of our CSA members who have worn our shirts, filled our growlers, and drank our beer.
We will be doing a week long appreciation from March 25th-March 29th for all of our CSA members as a thank you for your support this first year.
Not yet part of the CSA? Purchase your membership in the month of March and receive all the benefits of membership (growler and first fill, t-shirt, discounts, exclusive events) as well as get your first imperial pint as a new member on us!
(Don’t want to be a CSA member? That’s fine too. Look to Facebook and Twitter for other beer and food specials that are available to everyone. We appreciate your support!)
List of CSA Appreciation Week Events:
Tuesday, March 24th: Our new beer, Fabio (Pink Peppercorn American Wheat, 6.0%abv) will release for CSA members only. We will open only for members and a significant other from 5-7ish so you can come and try the new beer plus get $12 growler fills of Fabio (normally $15 for CSA members)
Wednesday, March 25th: CSA Imperial Pint night. All night, Imperial Pints of our standard price beers will be $4 for CSA members.
Thursday, March 26th: Growlers of Ziva Voda will be $9
Friday, March 27th: Winterland show and beer discounts tbd
Saturday, March 28th: Tapping a keg of Barrel Aged Wheat Wine. CSA members get 1 free, 5 ounce taster of this delicious brew today only.
Sunday, March 29th: CSA members who come in wearing a t-shirt this day get $12 growler fills of Coffee Compensation (or an equivalent if you have drank us out of all of it before the day)
