Tag: iowa craft beer

Bomb has hit!

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prairie artisan alesFrom Oakland Road Hy-Vee and also got a Facebook message from Johncy’s Liquor Store in North Liberty as well. Prairie Bomb and Pirate bomb have landed!

We have 2 fantastic beers that have just hit the floor. We have reloaded on Prairie Bomb and have received Pirate Bomb as well, which is Prairie Bomb aged in rum barrels. Stop in a grab a bottle while supplies last. Thanks and have a great day.

 

Imperial Stout aged on Coffee, Cacao Nibs, Vanilla Beans & Chili Peppers

Bomb! is an imperial stout aged on espresso beans, chocolate, vanilla beans, and ancho chile peppers. All the flavors meld to create a truly unique beer. The peppers add just the right amount of heat to compliment the intense coffee and chocolate flavors.

ABV 13%

 

pirates

Restaurant Review: Iowa Chop House; Iowa City, IA

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iowa chopIt’s always great when a new restaurant or bar with an exciting new concept opens up. I’ve been reading about the Chop House for a few weeks and finally had an opportunity to be around downtown Iowa City and decided to give it a go. It’s located right next to the Englert Theater, can’t miss it. Here’s the Iowa Chop House statement:

At the Iowa Chop House, we believe that great food starts with local, fresh ingredients. That’s why we source only the finest sustainable seasonal ingredients from hard working local farmers. Located in historic downtown Iowa City, we proudly carry on the tradition of culture and quality that is unique to our community.

photo 1The hostess offered us a quick tour before showing us our seats. She pointed out that the tables and part of the bar are from a refurbished barn. The “beer barn” was also made to look like a rustic old barn. More on the beer barn later, a terrific concept.

We were shown to our seats, people were starting to filter in for lunch so I’m glad we got there right at opening. The menu had everything from burgers to steaks with some great sounding apps as well. Here’s a link to the menu:http://theiowachophouse.com/iowachophouse_menu.pdf I thought the prices were very fair and I believe the food is locally sourced and then I was told about “The Beer Barn”! The Beer Barn is such a refreshing idea, especially for a craft beer lover as I am. If you want to order from the Beer Barn wall you are given an electronic wrist band. The wall had about 8 Iowa-only beers on tap, a fephoto 3w of which I’ve never had. The band gives you a max of 28 oz of beer. You have several glass sizes to choose from so you are not stuck with a 12 oz pour of something you didn’t care for. You put your band over the electronic sign for the beer you want, get a blue/green light, and start pouring your beer. You can use the 28 oz on whatever beers are on the wall. A fantastic concept! I got to try Firetrucker brewery (http://www.firetrucker.com/)for the first time, they had Exile beers (http://exilebrewing.com/) as well and finished with a Lion Bridge saison (http://www.lionbridgebrewing.com/) and Big Grove arms race http://www.biggrovebrewery.com/)!

photo 2The good news is if you want more than 28 oz you can get your band reset as well and if you don’t want what’s on the Beer Barn wall they have a huge selection of bottles and more tap lines. The barn was just a great interactive way for people to talk beer and get to try some new brews as well.

Onto the food! The burger was great! One of the more flavorful burgers I’ve had in a while and went well with the Firetrucker porter. I got to talk to the manager for a while and he was very friendly and he did say that they photo 5are pretty much booked up for the next few weekends, so if you want to get there to check it out, head for lunch or make an online reservation. Overall, a place I will be heading to when I find myself downtown and want to escape what can be the madness of college bars and shitty beer or escape the unoriginality of fried chicken fingers and ground beef nachos. Check it out, keep these new places going!

Destihl Wild Sour Series Coming to Cans

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destihl

Got the following information from Destihl Brewing’s website and also the picture is courtesy of http://www.craftcans.com.

Our new Wild Sour Series includes several beer styles that derive their tartness from wild fermentation in an extended sour mash process. Unlike our Saint Dekkera® Reserve Sour Series, which are long-term aged and soured in oak barrels, our Wild Sour ales not barrel-aged, but they are still soured with our same spontaneous, wild creatures derived from our Reserve Sour barrels. 

What to drink? What to drink?

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lagunitasThree breweries have/are entering the Eastern Iowa market in the next few weeks. Great Divide is here, New Holland Brewing is on their way, and Lagunitas has had a little trickle of their beers around but a big rollout is coming. Adding those three breweries along with all the others that are currently on our shelves, the wonderful dilemma of what to buy because there are so many choices is out there. Now, I know the talk of some oversaturation is out there and that is for a different blog post, but I would like to know what beer are you looking forward to the most from these breweries? We will be able to do the same thing once Surly, Southern Tier, and whoever else decide to enter the market. Would love to hear some comments as well!

 

Stone Smoked Porter with Chocolate in Orange coming in October

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stoneThe following information comes courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com. Another variant added to Stone’s Smoked Porter repertoire.

We decided early on that we wouldn’t do seasonal beers for the sake of doing seasonal beers. Summer ales and winter lagers certainly have a ring to them. Big-beer focus groups prove consumers get a kick out of them, and macrobrew marketing analyses suggest they sell well. But for us, beer comes first, much as Stone Smoked Porter came first. Actually, it came second — oddly enough, in the form of a seasonal. Our co-founder and original brewmaster, Steve Wagner, thought it would be an innovative, warming creation suited for winter…and it was.

This version, released in the literally gray area separating sunshine and snowfall, incorporates dark chocolate and orange peel, making for a semisweet, citrus-nuanced porter that comes across like a break-apart chocolate orange enjoyed by a campfire. It’s not a seasonal-it’s just a phenomenal beer, regardless of the time of year. Throw out the calendar and enjoy.

ABV: 5.9%
Distribution: Nationwide
Release Date: Starting 10/6/14

Restaurant Review: 30hop; Coralville, IA

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30hopThe trend of some excellent craft beers and tasty food continues to strike in Eastern Iowa, this time in the Iowa River Landing area in Coralville. A location that already hosts Backpocket Brewing the newly opened Winestyles continues its impressive dedication to craft beer and food with 30hop. More from their website:

Trendy and yet a comfortable, urban-industrial, dining and drinking establishment will feature the area’s first rooftop patio. The contemporary menu will focus on simple, fresh, delicious offerings and will include 60 beers on tap on the main level and 30 beers on the rooftop. Through constant focus on superior service, exquisite food, and craft beers, guests will be eager to make 30hop a new hangout. Welcome to the newest addition to Iowa River Landing, Coralville’s gateway to the corridor.

photo 2 (13)As you approach it’s hard to ignore the rooftop seating and the view that you will experience when you get up there. But once you get in it’s hard to ignore the view of the 60 beers on tap! A fantastic looking chalkboard with ever-rotating lines of deliciousness greets you as you enter. I think I was too busy focusing on the board of beer as the hostess was trying to ask how many in my party, but eventually she got through to my beer-numbed mind and we took a spot near the back wall with the sweet looking giant American flag. photo 1 (13)

The beer menu was up-to-date and I noticed Toppling Goliath pseudosue, which I photo 3 (11)hear is good:), so I order a glass of greatness as my wife and I pondered our food move. So many things that looked intriguing and unique but I usually test a place by their wings. It might be a bit cliche but damn, I love wings. These were called Firecracker wings and they had an asian flare to them. Soy, sesame, cilantro with a cool blue cheese dipping sauce and fried crisp to perfection was the perfect starter and went well with my Sue.

photo 4 (6)And then it was on to the beast. Now, it wasn’t a huge burger size wise, but it was huge in flavor. The 50/50 burger at 30hop is 50% beef and 50% bacon and is mouth watering delicious. My wife and I agreed we would share it, (I could eat 2 by myself and then die a happy heart-attack death) and after our first few bites she made me promise I wouldn’t order it again because…..IT WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME! I loved this burger! A bit messy, but you really can’t go wrong with that mix of ingredients. Burger went terrific with a Deschutes Black Butte Porter and the trip overall was great. Was happy to meet a few beer lovers there as well!

After leaving I took a trip to Winstyles and picked up a few bottles of brew. (Evil Twin BA Imperial Biscotti Break!) This area really has it all, great food, shopping, and not too far from University of Iowa athletics. We will be back (and have been!).

Boulevard Joins up with Brewery Ommegang for Collaboration #4 Saison!

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Boulevard-Ommegang-Collaboration-No-4-SaisonThe following information comes courtesy of the thefullpint.com:

Kansas City, MO – There is no sibling rivalry between Duvel Moortgat’s US-based Boulevard Brewing Company and Brewery Ommegang. The sister craft breweries recently partnered on Boulevard’s newest edition of its Collaboration series. Collaboration No. 4 is a Spiced Saison, which will be distributed in 750mL bottles and 1/6 barrel kegs throughout Boulevard’s distribution network later this month (Kansas City distribution begins on September 22nd for draught and September 23rd for bottles; other markets to follow soon after) .

Ommegang’s brewmaster Phil Leinhart traveled to Kansas City in July to make the beer alongside Steven Pauwels, brewmaster at Boulevard and his team of brewers. After the brewing process, the wort was transferred into two fermentation vessels. Boulevard’s primary Belgian yeast strain was added to one, and the other tank received Ommegang’s house yeast strain. The two batches were blended during the filtration process resulting in Collaboration No. 4. In addition to a variety of malts and hops, sweet orange peel, lemon peel, coriander and grains of paradise played key roles in the beer’s characteristics.

“Brewery Ommegang excels in using spices to add complexity and character to their Belgian-style beers while we’ve become known for our saisons at Boulevard,” said Pauwels. “The mutual admiration each brewery has for the other worked well as we combined our strengths into a complex, yet approachable beer that serves to reintroduce our breweries as Boulevard joins the Duvel Moortgat family.”

Previous beers in Boulevard’s Collaboration series include an “Imperial Pilsner” made in 2010 with esteemed Orval brewmaster Jean-Marie Rock, a “White I.P.A.” with Deschutes in 2011, and a “Stingo” with Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project in 2012.

Great Divide Brewing at Reds Alehouse Sept. 18!

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redsJust found this on Reds Alehouse Facebook page:

We just received some awesome, awesome news! Great Divide Brewing Company will be in the state of Iowa next Thursday 9/18. More specifically, be at Reds Alehouse next Thursday 9/18! First place in Eastern Iowa to get your Yeti on! Or maybe your Titon on! Or Hercules if that’s what your flavor is. Maybe some BBA Yeti?? I don’t even know, I’m too excited to think!!
Stay tuned for a more detailed post on what we’re getting!