Drekker and Funk Factory coming to Iowa via Pequod! Plus Untitled Art, Artisanal, Bearded Iris, MORE, Lil Beaver, and Octopi!

February 6, 2022Leave a comment

Some big news from Pequod this week as Drekker and Funk Factory will be hitting the Iowa shelves soon thanks to Pequod! Details below, plus more!

Funk Factory Geuzeria Funk Factory of Madison, WI is focused on exploring the traditional production of Lambic and Lambic derived products such as Lambic, Fruited Lambic, and Gueuze. It has quickly become one of the most respected sour beer creators in the country. Untappd has Funk Factory Geuzeria as the Highest Rated Brewery in Wisconsin!
Next we are proud to announce:
Drekker Brewing Company
Drekker Brewing co of Fargo, ND is excited to enter Iowa . Words from the owners: “Beer is our craft, but Drekker is about more than the contents of a glass. It’s about what happens when a few of those glasses get raised together. It’s about doing what you want to do, in a cool place, with people you want to be with.
Drekker is about you after all.

Barrel Aged Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout
Big luscious and raspberry tart, officially made with Raspberry concentrate, Raspberry puree, and cocoa.

NEW – Non Alch Hazy IIPA
This New Double IPA with it’s bright juicy bouquet and fruity medium body Non Alch drinker. Who would’ve thought it was possible, but the last 3 N/As form UA are pretty damn incredible and changing what non alch beer can be.

Homestyle IPA (the flagship)
AN OATED IPA BREWED INTENSELY AND SINGULARLY WITH MOSAIC

Everclever DDH DIPA
DDH VERSION OF EVER CLEVER. DDH WITH SIMCOE, MOSAIC, MOTUEKA, & CENTENNIAL

Double Homestyle DBL IPA
THE DOUBLE VERSION OF HOMESTYLE…MOSAIC FOR DAYS

Attention Please DBL IPA
A DOUBLE IPA WITH 100% CITRA. It’s verbose, yet smooth, and always ready to have the last word

Tunnel Vision DDH DIPA
OUR TUNNEL VISION IPA, BUT DDH WITH CITRA!

NEW_ Artist Escaped Imperial IPA
Who knew our most elusive double IPA could become even harder to catch? The ARTIST has finally ESCAPED to live out its getaway on an unnamed island off the coast of the Maldives, where mango nectar flows and poolside citrus sorbet refreshes our savvy schemer, at least that’s word on the street. Leaving only the traces of a potent 9.5% in its shadow.

Very Varied – DOUBLE IPA HOPPED WITH CASHMERE, NELSON, CITRA, & MOSAIC
VERY VARIED combines nelson + citra + cashmere + mosaic with a unique British yeast for a multilayered mix of bright orange rind, canned peach, and tropical fruit roll-up, balanced by a softly textured body.

Mood Ring
A DOUBLE IPA WITH PINEAPPLE, MANGO, PINK GUAVA, LACTOSE, & VANILLA AND HOPPED WITH MOSAIC, CITRA, & VIC SECRET

After School Prrrt
After School PRRRT Snack Time Sour! This one is jam packed with Gushers® & Fruit By The Foot®, plus a whole bunch of pineapple, plum, strawberry, raspberry, passionfruit, lactose, vanilla beans, & sea salt.

Braaains Dbl fruit Smoothie Cherry Lemonade
Braaaaaaaains! For this one we pulled out the flavor guns and blasted the heck out of this one with cherry & lemon then we hit it with our double secret smoothie treatment of sea salt, lactose, and vanilla beans.⠀

Braaains Dbl fruit Smoothie Strawberry/Pineapple
Braaaaaaaains! This one was blasted with strawberry & pineapple then we hit it with our double secret smoothie treatment of sea salt, lactose, and vanilla beans.⠀⠀

Braaains Dbl fruit Smoothie Mango/Guava/Lime/Coconut
This one was quadruple blasted with mango, guava, lime, & coconut then we hit it with our double secret smoothie treatment of sea salt, lactose, and vanilla beans.⠀⠀⠀

Chonk Peaches & Cream
Our lovable hefty boi is back and he’s got his smol little paws in the dessert stash again! Peaches and Cream Chonk is completely stuffed with peach, vanilla ice cream, lactose, & vanilla beans. This absolute unit of a beer is exactly like a devilishly decadent bowl of peaches & cream.

Ectogasm IPA – The Flagship that started it all
It’s intensely hopped with Mosaic and Citra for a massively juicy tropical fruit flavor. Think pineapple, peach, apricot and mango with an extremely soft and smooth texture.

Slang Du Jour – Cran-Orange
New Slang Du Jour! For Cran-Orange Cobbler Slang we cranked up the holiday vibes and loaded this with cranberry, orange, plum, granola, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla beans.⠀

The Noodle Effect HAZY Dbl IPA
The Noodle Effect, a devastatingly delicious double IPA brewed with oats, spelt, and wheat, then hopped with Belma, Vic Secret, and Hellertau Blanc. It’s super soft with huge notes of pineapple, white peach, lemon curd, all under a cannabinoid fog that’s holding it all together as we pour over the event horizon.⠀

Mango Double Marbles
a tropical Milkshake DIPA that’s rich with straight Mango juice, vanilla, Milk Sugar, and whirlpool/dry-hopped with a heap of Mosaic for plenty of complimentary flavors. A thick and luscious body is reminiscent of a freshly well-blended mango smoothie that’s as tropical as it is refreshing.

Morever DDH IPA
This Double Dry Hopped, Hazy IPA is a delicious juice bomb thanks to a hefty hopping of Citra, Motueka, & Simcoe hops. An endless succession of juicy pineapple, grapefruit, and tangerine notes are leveled out with just a hint of bitterness that resolves into a smoooooth and refreshing finish. (6.5% ABV)

Peach Crumble – Wheat ale
Wheat ale with peaches, Cinnamon and Vanilla!

Bevo’s Breakfast Stout
This imperial oatmeal stout is brewed with coffee and cacao nibs, providing a medium-thick mouthfeel and moderate levels of coffee flavor and aroma. The chocolate notes from the cacao nibs blends well but adds a depth of flavor to the roasted grains used in this beer. Our Founder’s last name is Bevers, pronounced Beavers, and his nickname was Bevo in High School.

California Beavin’ – West coast IPA
Beautiful take on the west coast style iPA

Clock House releasing “Live, Laugh, Beer” kettle sour on 2/11!

February 4, 2022Leave a comment

Looking for something to get that special someone for Valentine’s Day? How about some beer? Even if you’re not in the Valentine’s mood you still will be able to enjoy Clock House Brewing’s latest kettle sour coming our way on Friday, February 11th! Here’s more on this release from the brewery:

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this fruited kettle sour is brewed with love along with dark cherry, coconut, and marshmallow fluff.
Available on draft and in 16oz 4-Packs

Chameleon’s Pub and Grub in Mt. Vernon tapping Richard the Whale, Jesus on a Forklift, Bourbon County Stout this weekend! (2/4)

February 3, 2022February 3, 2022Leave a comment

I always love when small town bars are able to get their hands on some big time beers and proudly promote and serve them! This weekend, my hometown bar, Chameleon’s Pub and Grub in Mount Vernon will be tapping 3 big bourbon barrel-aged beers, 2 of which are local and also Goose Island Bourbon County stout! This beauty is, you don’t have to dedicate yourself to full pours of these high ABV brews as Chameleon’s is offering flights of them along with their other amazing lineup of craft beers. To go along with the beer, they will be having an amazing cheeseburger special…prepare yourself for….THE BACON JAMBURGER!!! Here’s more courtesy of Chameleon’s Facebook page:

COMING TOMORROW: OUR ANNUAL BOURBON BARREL TAKEOVER ON TAP
We were trying to tap them today but we can’t get Richard the Whale until tomorrow. I hope this isn’t and inconvenience but we will have it for sure tomorrow!! Plus a great special to go with it. The Big Boys are coming out to play, so don’t miss out!!We have Goose Island Bourbon County, Big Grove Brewery Richard the Whale and also, Exile Brewing Co. Jesus on a Forklift. These are limited and will go fast so come and get them while you can. We will also have flights available, so try them all.
Weekend Special to pair with our Bourbon Barrel Beers is The Bacon Jamburger!! A fresh never frozen Hamburger sits atop homemade Bacon Jam, and then covered with a homemade creamy Cheddar cheese spread that has pimentos, cream cheese, Korean chili paste and sriracha, finished with Lettuce, Pickles and onions. Served with our House Cut Fries. This is a great burger.

Clock House releasing CH Kolsch this Friday! 2/4

January 31, 2022Leave a comment

An old historical beer style that originated in Cologne, Germany; the Kölsch is a top fermented ale that ages for weeks at cold temperatures to replicate a lager. Our take on this style features locally crafted Pilsner Malt from Sugar Creek in Indiana. This premium malt creates a very clean, delicate base that allows the hops and fruity esters to shine. Bittered with Tettnang, a German noble hop that is very traditional and idigenous from the Saaz group. Thus providing subtle floral and herbal notes that can be found throughout the beer.Available in 16oz 4-packs, growlers, and draft.

Lion Bridge “Emperor of Ice Cream”, “Ziva Voda”, and “Hellscape” returning in February!

January 27, 2022Leave a comment

Lion Bridge Brewery will have 3 beers returning to their lineup in February! Emperor of Ice Cream, Ziva Voda, and Hellscape will be making their way back to tap lines at the brewery and in cans! Here’s more on these three releases:

*Emperor of Ice Cream – (Imperial Milk Stout w/Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, 10%) – Let be finale of seem. The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream.Pairs perfectly with a Neapolitan cheesecake from the Cheesecake Lady! Come get it while supplies last! Releases Feb. 9th!

*Ziva Voda – (Czech-style Pilsner, 4.8%) – Named for the “living water” of Czech fairy tales that heals infirmities and counteracts spells. Bohemian Pilsner Malt adds subtle richness and accents of clover honey, while the addition of traditional Saaz hops throughout the run-off and long boil give this beer the distinctive earthiness and spice associated with authentic Pilsners. Lagered for 6 weeks and brought to you for St. Joe’s Day and beyond. Releases Feb. 9th!

*Hellscape – Come join us at the taproom while we re-release a delicious Smoked Helles (5.5%)! We included Weyermann Beechwood Smoked Malt into this traditional German Lager because we love delicious smoky treats. If you’re not familiar with smoked beers, grab a pint and see for yourself!! Releases Feb. 23rd!

Clock House releasing “Valley Gurl” sour this Friday, 1/28!

January 25, 2022Leave a comment

Let your mind drift to warmer days ahead as you sip on the latest release coming to us from Clock House Brewing this Friday, January 28th as they are releasing “Valley Gurl” sour! Here’s more on this beer courtesy of Clock House’s Facebook page:

Valley girls love it, don’t be ashamed if you do too! After over a year and a half in the waiting, we decided to bring back this highly requested sour! Brewed with Lemons, Raspberries, Strawberries, and lemonade mix to resemble an ice cold pink lemonade!Available in 16oz 4-packs and on draft.

Sneak Peek: Backpocket Brrr Fest Dark Days BA Imperial Chocolate Stout

January 19, 2022Leave a comment

Brrr Fest is a little less than two weeks away and all that are attending are in for a no doubt feast of wonderfully brewed beers by Iowa’s finest! Along with a stellar beer festival, party goers will have the opportunity to see how great the Iowa River Landing really is and how it’s becoming a destination for food and beer lovers! One of the many places is right across from where Brrr Fest will be taking place and that is Backpocket Brewery. Backpocket has been bringing out the big guns for years now during this festival and this year one of the beers they will be releasing is Dark Day and I just happen to be sipping on a bottle right now!(Thank you Aaron!) Before, I get too far into this brew, here’s the details for the brew:

Boiled for 24hrs, this BA imperial chocolate stout has multiple layers. The dark chocolate, cherry puree, toasted coconut & roasted pecans remind us of a classic german chocolate cake.
Pre-party info for Backpocket includes:
Pre-Party that include a pour of Dark Day, Maple Syrup BA Waffle Stout, an all you can eat breakfast, AND we’ll be releasing a pin variant at 10am!

Alright, let’s tear into this bad boy. As you can see by the picture, I’ve framed it up REAL nice!

– A nice viscous pour, thick with a small tan head. Smell of dark fruit and chocolate on the nose. Took a few sips with the beer being freshly poured and chocolate was dominant and blended very well with the barrel. With a beer like this, it’s best to let it sit or even just drink it room temperature. As the great Travis Lange will advise you, if you order a big stout, order another beer to drink while the stout sits and warms a tad…the fella is not wrong. Flavors pick up and sometimes if feels like you are drinking another tasty brew. When Dark Day warms, the cherries start to flood in and the slightest touch of coconut starts coming through. Chocolate still shines though..description says German Chocolate Cake which I’ve never had, but if it tastes like this, get me a slice soon! Definitely worth seeking, and if you’re heading to Brrr Fest, definitely a reason to stop into the Backpocket taproom! Along with this brew they’ve just released a DDH Galaxy version of Bubba, Tiki Sour is back and if you get there in time to try the Maple Syrup BA Waffle Stout you’ll be having yourself a lovely day.

Untitled Art, Blackstack, Modist, and Fair State beers coming via Pequod!

January 15, 2022Leave a comment

Hazy IIPA v12 – 8% ABV
Big juicy double ipa brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvign, Chinook hops

Sweet & Sour Georgia Peachy O-Rings – Pontoon Brewing Collaboration
Kettle Sour Berliner Weisse style ale with Peach Puree, apple and Pineapple Juice plus Peach Ring candy.

AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION – DDH IPA (7.5%)
Things happen fast around these parts. Sometimes you get time to ponder on it. Sometimes you just gotta go for it. Thoughtfully doubled additions of Azacca Cryo, Citra, Cashmere, Idaho 7 & NZ Motueka. Just do what feels right.

Who’s Idea is this? – Hazy Pale ale 4.8% ABV
Hand selected Mosaic, New Zealand Nelson Sauvin & a dash of Columbus Cryo on a light & crispy Pilsner malt base.

Local 755 – IPA 6.8% ABV
Our Foggy Favorite. Azacca, Amarillo & a Gwop of Citra. Soft, Juicy & Hazy like 70’s Home Movies.

Intergalactic Sofa Ghost – DDH New England Hazy IPA

Skafl “snowdrift”- Hazy IPA
SKAFL means “snowdrift” in Icelandic, and it’s our second iteration of this kinda-sorta winter hazy IPA. SKAFL is a hair more aggressive than your average hazy, leaning into a winter-appropriate blend of dankness and fruit, with a lightly bitter edge. Hazy IPA brewed with spelt, wheat, and oats, fermented cool with our favorite German ale yeast, and hopped intensely with hand selected Sultana, Strata, and Columbus Cryo. SKAFL blends overripe tropical fruit notes with the right amount of dankness.

Tmave Pivo – CZECH-STYLE DARK LAGERFair State makes lots of lagers, we put a fair number of them in cans, but we’ve somehow never married a dark lager and an aluminum tube before. Tmavé Pivo is the sort of beer brewers get excited about. An obscure lager style that kinda only gets made in one place? Sign us up! Tmavé Pivo, essentially “dark beer” in Czech, is the Bohemian cousin to German Schwarzbier. Malty, round, with some dark malt flavor but none of the acrid roast character one might find in a stout, Tmavé Pivo is everything we want dark lager to be.

SingleSpeed “Tip the Cow Day” is this Saturday (1/15), and here’s the lineup!

January 12, 2022January 12, 2022Leave a comment

Courtesy of SingleSpeed’s Facebook page, here’s what the brewery has in store for Saturday’s event!

•𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 – Double Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout (11.4% ABV).Twice the barrels, twice the fun. First, 12 months in Cedar Ridge Bourbon Barrels. Second, 3 months in Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon Barrels.
•𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 – Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout (10.9% ABV).Two cows walked into a barrel 12 months ago… and finally, they awakened.
•𝐓𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐰 ‘𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐧’ – Milk Stout (6.2% ABV).All of the cocoa and espresso goodness you’ve grown to love in Tip the Cow, with an extra layer of decadence
.•𝐓𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐟 – Session Milk Stout (4.5% ABV).2x GABF ‘Session Beer’ medalist… What more do you need to know?

Might want to get to Waterloo this weekend! Cheers!

Beer Baron’s Top 10 of 2021!

January 3, 2022Leave a comment

Another year in the books, and like every year since I’ve been doing this blog and releasing my Top 10 I was once again blown away by the amazing beers that our Iowa brewers and their staff have made for us this year! Not only that, the resiliency shown by breweries/restaurants/bars during the past few years cannot be overlooked and huge thank you to all service industry workers! Cheers to you! Onto the TOP 10!
LIST CRITERIA
*Beer must have been brewed in Iowa
*Beer must have been released in 2021
*Annual releases not counted unless a new adjunct had been added to that particular beer

Like every list, I know opinions will differ and I’m looking forward to reading what your top 10 list was for this year! Once again, so many beers, so little time, and I know I wasn’t able to even scratch the surface as to the beers I wanted to try!

**Big Grove Richard the Whale Chocolate Coconut Cake– – this year’s “Golden Ticket” beer during the Richard the Whale release, and like every year, it does not disappoint. Chocolate and coconut shine as this is wonderfully balanced, great for any time of the day, another win for Big Grove with this beer!

**Lion Bridge Silvia – Farmhouse ales are a style that goes overlooked and thankfully is making their way back to some breweries, and Lion Bridge not only made a great one, but possibly my favorite beer of the year. It was a perfect accompaniment to the Thanksgiving dinner table..not just one bottle either…If you’re a saison/farmhouse ale fan this is one to definitely try!

**Pulpit Rock Island Life – first enjoyed on a guy’s trip to Decorah and was blown away by the wonderful tropical flavor this beer brought. Maybe the setting had a lot to do with it, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a great beer to drink!

**Gezellig Long Story Short – 4.9%– smoothie sours/seltzers were all the rage in the beer world this past year and Iowa breweries sure made a whole lot of good ones. One of my favorites comes from the lovely folks in Newton, Iowa at Gezellig. Strawberry starbursts and pomegranate helped make this a flavor packed brew!

**Lua Brewing Dawn – 13.5% – part of last year’s “Resolution” I set for myself was trying to make it to Central and Western Iowa more often to taste what the breweries are pushing out there, especially the ones that don’t get much distro to Eastern Iowa..I kind of failed in that endeavor, however, I did get to Des Moines a few times and was able to procure some Lua brews! One that really stood out was this imperial stout. Coffee and a hint of vanilla make this decadent brew stand out, and hides that ABV very well! Looking forward to more from Lua in 2022!

**Clock House Brewing Barrel Aged Peanut Panic Porter – 12% – the base beer was one of my favorites in 2020 and then adding it to barrels and resting it on peanuts, cocoa nibs, and vanilla really added more depth to an already wonderful beer. The misconception from some was that this was a peanut “butter” beer, not the case, straight up peanuts and the balance of the flavors comes through remarkably!

**Adventurous Easy Peel (triple dry hopped Mosaic)- 8.3% – the 2nd Easy Peel I’ve had this year and I think the Mosaic barely beats out the El Dorado for me. Both very good and the combo of the mosaic hops and cryo mosaic hops really stands out. Excellent beer, any of the Easy Peel beers from Adventurous would be a safe bet!

**Lion Bridge Percussive Maintenance Macaroon – 11% – Chocolate and coconut paired with a great barrel is hard to go wrong and Lion Bridge balances this beer perfectly. There are some beers that you’ll always remember opening and pouring and this is definitely one of those for me. One to sip on yourself or share with someone you care about….a moment making beer for sure! One of the best of the year!

**Lua Pushpop: Because My Heart is in Iowa – Lua Pushpops can be hard to come by if you live in Eastern Iowa, luckily they sometimes drop a few beers off at Tin Roost in North Liberty to get us a taste here in Eastern Iowa. Mango and cherry beer, super thick and delicious. Lua dominated the slushie/sour landscape in the beer world! A trip to Des Moines in needed soon!

**Dimensional You Down with OCP – 13.1% – Pastry stouts can be hit and miss with me. Many are too sweet for my liking, and the adjuncts are too dominate over the base beer, but not with this one…Dimensional added 100 lbs each of oatmeal cream pies, oatmeal cookies, and toasted coconut to this big beer and it worked wonderfully. Not too sweet at all, in fact, if the 13.1% wouldn’t drop me I could easily see myself sipping on glass #2 letting the beer warm me up in the Iowa winter!