Tag: iowa craft beer

Big Clown Shoes drop this week from Abu Nawas!

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A whole bunch of goodies coming to us from Clown Shoes this week courtesy of Abu Nawas. Tons of different syles including some fall/winter warmers coming our way!

Clown Shoes:

  • Clown Shoes Apple Baron 16oz CAN – Brandy barrel-aged Wee Heavy Ale with a rich malt body and startling sweetness. An intense caramel apple aroma and notes of pineapple make for a rich palate of full-bodied flavor. 11% ABV. 🍎🍎🍎
  • Clown Shoes Hammer of the Lion 16oz CAN –  Imperial Stout blended with Wee Heavy Ale aged in Rum, Bourbon and Brandy Barrels. Rich malt sweetness paired with complex notes of Rum, Bourbon, and dark chocolate. 11% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Undead Party Crasher CAN – Imperial Stout, with a kiss of smoke. Rich notes of coffee and chocolate mingle throughout an intense and full-bodied Stout. This beer is brewed with Holy Water, We are not kidding! 10% ABV. 🧛🧛🧛
  • Clown Shoes Pecan Pie Porter 16oz CAN – American Porter with All-Natural Pecan Pie Flavor. A seasonal favorite to go alongside a classic dessert, Pecan Pie Porter puts sweet dessert flavors inside a full-bodied and robust porter. 8% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Bubble Farm 16oz CAN – American IPA maintains an approachable medium-body without sacrificing any of the full aroma and flavor of copious dry-hopping additions of Simcoe, Azacca, and Idaho 7 hops. 6.5% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Leaving Atlantis 16oz CAN – This IPA uses Chardonnay Grape Must to showcase dry and tart flavors that perfectly suit the season, and any epic occasion. Huell Melon and El Dorado hops maintain crisp notes throughout in this refreshing offering. 7% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Space Cake 16oz CAN –  Mosaic and Citra Hopped Double IPA features robust hop aromas that carry through to the strong juicy flavors of tropical citrus. A sweet and strong malt backbone pairs with a subtle booziness to make Space Cake an approachable DIPA fit for an extraterrestrial odyssey. 9% ABV.
  • Clown Pineapple Shoes Space Cake 16oz CAN – Pineapple Double IPA. Pineapple brings luscious tropical citrus flavor to this Double IPA. Matching that fruit flavor are juicy citrus hop notes from additions of Mosaic and Azacca hops. 7.77% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Ride the Lion 2019 22oz – Bourbon Barrel Aged Wee Heavy. A strong malt body couples with rich bourbon notes to give this Wee Heavy a full range of malt flavor in this take on a classic Scottish style.10.5% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Nillionaire 22oz – English Style Barleywine Aged in Rum Barrels with Vanilla Added. 11% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Undead Party Crasher (formerly Vampire Slayer) 22 oz – Imperial Stout, with a kiss of smoke. Rich notes of coffee and chocolate mingle throughout an intense and full-bodied Stout. 10% ABV.
  • Clown Shoes Hammer of the Holy (2019 Vintage) 22oz – Imperial Stout aged in rum barrels and it incorporates holy water, signature dark malts, oatmeal, and malt smoked with demon-killing stakes. Dear Undead, “Die, monsters, die!” ABV: 11%

Dimensional releasing “Can-D-Bar” coconut imperial stout bottles 10/26!

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Big news out of Dubuque and Dimensional Brewing as they will be releasing a tasty-sounding imperial stout on October 26th. Can-D-Bar will be an imperial stout with coconut and chocolate and will be released in bottles as well! Here’s more from Dimensional on this release:

Saturday, October 26th, 11:00 AM Dimensional Brewing Company will be releasing bottles for the first time. Can-D-Bar is a imperial stout with a bunch of coconut and chocolate present in the beer. It reminds us of a tasty candy bar. We will be offering other to-go beer as well. Stay tuned for more beer updates.

Food- Chocolate Hog BBQ and Catering will be serving up their super delicious BBQ.

Music- Nate Jenkins starts at noon.

Abu Nawas Drops: FOC, Prairie, Pasteur Street, Kupziner, Mahr’s Brewing, Timothy Taylor, Ridgeway Brewing

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Another big drop coming from Abu this week. Let’s get on with it:

FAT ORANGE CAT

  • Fat Orange Cat Someone In My Head16oz CAN – Double Dry Hopped New England style DIPA with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, & Apollo. 8.8% ABV.
  • Fat Orange Cat It’s Not Yesterday Anymore 16oz CAN – New England style IPA. Gorgeous hazy blonde colored brew with soft pine, uplifting lime zest, and hearty hoppy bitterness on the finish. Hopped with Azacca, Eureka and Mosaic. 7% ABV.
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Prairie

  • Prairie Basic Becky 355ml Bottles – Imperial stout with honey-roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, and pumpkin spice coffee. 13% ABV. Pumpkin Spice Latte Anyone? 🎃🎃🎃
  • Prairie Oh! Fudge355ml Bottles – Imperial stout brewed with brownies. 11.5% ABV.
  • Prairie Bomb 355ml Bottles – The Beer that started it all for Prairie. Imperial Stout aged on coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers. 13.0% ABV. 💣💣💣
  • Prairie Blueberry Boyfriend 12oz CAN – Sour Ale with Blueberries and Lemon Zest! Just in time of the heat wave. 5.4% ABV.
  • Prairie Karate Chimp 12oz CAN – Sour Ale with Apricot, Mango and Tangerine. 5.4% ABV.
  • Prairie No Way Frosé12oz CAN – Sour Ale with Lime Zest, Strawberry and Pineapple and Juniper. Perfect Summer Beer. 4.9% ABV.🌞🌞🌞

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Pasteur Street

Hailing all the way from Saigon, Vietnam! Pasteur Street Brewing Company (PSBC) started with the simple idea to combine American craft brewing techniques with fresh and exotic Vietnamese ingredients to create amazing craft beer.

  • Pasteur Street Passionfruit Wheat 330ml CAN – Delisiousy refreshing Classic American style wheat beer made with fresh-squeezed passionfruit from Da Lat, Vietnam. 4% ABV.

Kupziner

  • Kapuziner Weisse 5L Mini-Keg (two-pack) – The most refreshing beer in the world. Malted wheat and special yeast give Kapuziner Weissbier its light touch and distinctive taste – a yeasty tang offset by a solid malt body and a delightful tropical fruitiness. Unfiltered yeast lends a hazy, seductive look. 5.4% ABV.
  • Monchshof Kellerbier 500 ml swing top – Well-bittered and unfiltered Amber Lager.
  • Monchshof Kellerbier 5L Mini-Keg (two-pack) –  Well-bittered and unfiltered Amber Lager.
  • Monchshof Schwarzbier 500 ml swing top – Delicious and classic black lager.
  • Monchshof Schwarzbier 5L Mini-Keg (two-pack) –  Delicious and classic black lager.
  • EKU Pils 5L Mini-Keg (two-pack) –  Clean bright straw-toned malts and pretty European noble hop character backbone this delicious and approachable pilsner.

Mahr’s Brewing

  • Mahr’s Der Weisse Bock 500 ml – Extra strong and malty hefeweizen from Bamberg, Germany.
  • Mahr’s Hell 500 ml – Helles lager, a Bavarian classic.
  • Mahr’s Mastodon Lager500 ml – Collaboration with the metal band, it’s a fantastic unfiltered kellerbier.
  • Mahr’s Pilsner500 ml – Hopped up pils from Bamberg, the cultural heart of Franconian culture (and brewing!)
  • Mahr’s Ungespundet Lager (Kellerbier) 500 ml – The “U” Mahr’s flagship unfiltered lager.

 

Timothy Taylor

Timothy Taylor Landlord500ml Bottle – The drinkers’ favorite Bitter, classic pale ale with a complex citrus and hoppy aroma. A recent survey revealed that Landlord has the highest proportion of drinkers who call it their favorite ale. And it has won more awards than any other beer, winning both CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain and the Brewing Industry Challenge Cup four times. 4.3% ABV.

Ridgeway Brewing

  • Ridgeway Imperial Stout 330ml Bottle – Imperial Russian Stouts. 10% ABV.
  • Ridgeway Imperial Barley Wine 330ml Bottle – Imperial English Barleywine. 10% ABV.
  • Ridgeway Querkus Smoked Porter 500ml Bottle – Smoked/oaked porter, Querkus is made with a blend of Scottish peated whiskey malt and traditional English pale malts, as well as real English hops. 5.8% ABV.

Zwanze Day tap list @Schera’s Released!

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Zwanze Day quickly approaches and Schera’s in Elkader is prepping to make this a day beer lovers will not forget! They’ve just released their tap list and it is a Lambic and Mead lover’s dream! Here it is:

Pullman/Kroul Farm Dinner Year #4: Truly Delicious!

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Year #4 of the popular Pullman/Kroul farm dinner is in the books and once again the staff outdid themselves. Chef Smart and Pullman staff continue to present inspiring and beautiful dishes to attendees of this event and this year was no different. Considering they were cooking over an open flame on a close to 90 degree Sunday, you may have thought there would be hiccup….not at all! Every dish, start to finish was excellent!

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DISH #1
Za’atar eggplant gallette, sungold tomato, ricotta salata, green chile zhoug
Canteloupe gazpacho, coconut, cucumber, mint
Rosemary skewered Mussels, lemon-caper aioli, roasted red pepper

The perfect way to start the evening! A chilled gazpacho with melon and cucumber to cool off the hot evening and then digging into the mussel with a fresh caper aioli. Finish it off the somewhat spicy gallette and its flaky crust….I’ll take more of that gallette please!

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DISH #2

Wood-fired chanterelle mushrooms, grilled diver sea scallop, sweet corn, brown butter sabayon, pickled apple, hazelnut, sweet basil

The second dish might be my favorite of the night! A perfectly cooked scallop served alongside sweet corn and chanterelle mushrooms…absolutely outstanding! And anytime brown butter is added to a dish it makes it that much more exquisite…just an outstanding dish.

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DISH #3

Cedar plank trout, herb roasted marble potatoes, marinated cherry tomato, blistered green beans, horseradish & smoked trout roe cream, fines herbes

Extremely fresh fish and perfectly cooked vegetables made this the perfectly placed dish amongst the courses. The added touch of the horseradish to give it a little bite was very nicely done.

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DISH #4

Pavelka’s point Lamb Merguez with blistered shishito & onion
Roasted zucchini, confit summer squash, blistered radish, garlic, mint & red chimichurri

I love the idea of serving dishes family style and this lamb sausage dish not only tasted wonderful but was visually appealing as well. The sausage had a little heat to it and blistered shishito peppers were the perfect accompaniment. Delicious!

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DISH #5

Short rib Shepherd’s pie, roasted carrot, onion, celery root, thyme
Grilled prime cut of Kroul Farm’s beef
Roasted pumpkin & bitter greens with fresh chevre & apple-onion-pancetta agrodolce

I did say the scallop was my favorite until I remembered the short rib shepherd’s pie! Creamy and delicious with melt in your mouth beef. This is a dish for the cooler months for sure but it tasted damn good on a warm Sunday night as well! The prime cut of beef was perfectly cooked and seasoned and was melt in your mouth!

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DISH #6

Gooey butter cake & bourbon poached pears with maple cream, rosemary caramel, spiced streusel & candied ginger

I don’t consider myself much of a dessert guy but all 4 years of this dinner the crew has put together some of tastiest desserts I’ve ever had and this year was no different. The butter cake was extremely moist and the poached pears still had some crunch in them and were not mushy at all. The cake was paired wonderfully with one of the best coffees I’ve ever had, a chai cream coffee.

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Special thank you to the Kroul family for hosting once again and to Cory Kent and Chef Ben Smart and staff. A truly remarkable meal and I look forward to next year’s event! Cheers!

 

Iowa Eats: Goldfinch Tap & Eatery; Marion, IA

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Last night I was lucky enough to attend a soft opening at Goldfinch Tap & Eatery (740 10th St. Marion) and I’m already eager to get back and try some more things on their menu.

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Goldfinch is headed by Andi Sofranko (Lincoln Winebar fame) and Chef Brandon Banaszek (Pullman fame) and is located in the old Louie’s Scoreboard location in Marion. With the addition of Goldfinch, Marion has a lot of beer/food offerings. Ramseys, Uptown Snug, Zoeys, and Tomasos are all located in the same area, so definitely an up and coming spot!

Let’s get to the nitty gritty. First thing on my mind…..

BEER
What looks to be an ever changing tap list that appeals to every beer drinker. Many local brews from Lion Bridge, Big Grove, SingleSpeed, Clockhouse and more to go along with the domestics of a Busch Light. Easy Eddy was my pick and it went down great with the apps we had.

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FOOD
The appetizer selections at Goldfinch are going to be a hot spot. A lot of great options to choose from, at the time they were out of the Buffalo Cholouah wings so we went with french onion dip, cheese balls, and loaded fries. Great pub food selections. The french onion dip was outstanding. I was worried it would be too sweet but was not, excellent starter. Cheese balls were good and crispy on the outside and served with a side of ranch..what’s not to love? The cheese fries were a nice combo of crispy bacon, green onion, and then a cheddar cheese/ranch combo which played together nicely. My kids loved them all!

 

At the time we arrived, they were out of their main entrees, which wasn’t a problem, although every one of them sounded great. Cavatelli with a sweet corn sauce??? YES PLEASE!! We went with some mac and cheese, pork tenderloin, and their burger. All tasty, all packed with flavor. The pork tenderloin will no doubt be an item they sell a lot of and this one is crispy and not over breaded. The burger was wonderful. I love a burger where the meat shines and this one does! Mac and cheese with crumbled bacon is just something that everyone should have!

 

Tip of the cap to the chefs and staff at Goldfinch, a busy soft opening night that they pulled off. They will be opening their doors to the public this Friday (9/13) @ 3:00 p.m. and then 2:45 on Saturday for the Iowa/Iowa State game. Happy hour is everyday from 3-6 so make sure to take advantage of their awesome list of cocktails, beers, and wine! Check it out!

Iowa Brewing releasing Double Barrel Hang Fire + more on Oct. 12th!

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Iowa Brewing announcing another big release coming this fall! On October 12th they will be releasing double barrel Hang Fire, a variant of last year’s anniversary Hang Fire release. Along with Hang Fire, they will be releasing some other brews as well. Here’s more courtesy of Iowa Brewing:

For our first anniversary we brewed an Imperial Stout called Hang Fire. For our second anniversary we released four barrel-aged variants of it (Aquila-Nilla, Brunch AF, Rubus & Templeton). But that wasn’t all… The legacy of Hang Fire continues! We took one of the Templeton Hang Fire barrels and put that back into a fresh Rye barrel for an additional year! Behold! Double Barrel Hang Fire, two years in barrels and finished with chipotle, cinnamon and cocoa nibs.

But that also isn’t all…

Once upon a time we had a Belgian-style Tripel that we called, Tripel. We put some of that Tripel into a Cedar Ridge port wine barrel which was used to create one of their Single Malt silver label whiskies. We then let that barrel chill for two years! This magic liquid is now known as Barrel-Aged Tripel and will also be available in bottles.

“Is there more?” you ask…

Yes! We will be debuting the newest batch of our Juicy-Hazy IPA series, Jinkies! AND perhaps something else that’s extra fun, so stay tuned…..

Pricing TBD
Double Barrel Hang Fire, 375 ml bottle
Barrel-Aged Tripel, 375 ml bottle
Jinkies!, 16 oz. 4-pack

Quarter Barrel “Darkest Peru” Imperial Stout 4 pack going to the Pop Culture Trivia winner on September 10th!

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Quarter Barrel Arcade and Brewery with some fun news to share. On September 10th they will be hosting a Beer and Pop Culture Trivia Night on September 10th and the winning group on this night will be receiving a 4 pack of their yet to be released 4 pack imperial stout called “Darkest Peru”! Here’s more on this tasty sounding brew:

It’s a 14% abv imperial stout that was aged in bourbon barrels for 9 months and with Peruvian coffee, Peruvian cacao nibs, and an herb called Huacatay that is also known as Peruvian Black Mint (it’s not particularly “minty”, but just adds some spice to the heat).

And for you trivia freaks who happen to be beer freaks…here’s how you sign up for this event:

Maybe you can’t pronounce Reinheitsgebot, and for all you know, the ingredients in beer are hops, skips, and jumps … but you’ve grown up on movies, music, and TV that more than occasionally reference the world’s greatest beverage. Queue up some old episodes of Cheers, re-watch Strange Brew, channel your inner Barney Stinson and join us for Beer in Pop Culture trivia on Tuesday, September 10. The Quarter Barrel is the featured brewery at this year’s BrewNost International Beer Festival at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, so we’ve teamed up with them for a little pre-game fun.

We cap Trivia at 20 teams. The cost is $5 per team and registration proceeds will benefit the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. You need your team size and team name to register. Teams are limited to 6 members or less. Trivia sells out so register now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beer-in-pop-culture-trivia-registration-70730072551.

Come early to eat, drink and be merry before Trivia starts at 7:30pm. Prizes will be given to the 1st and 2nd place teams!

Also, go visit the NCSML staff at the BrewNost table where you can purchase a raffle ticket for $10 to win a trip to Prague with airfare for 2 and 7 nights with breakfast at Hotel Rott. BrewNost will also be giving out throwback glasses and will have a special BrewNost giveaway free to enter! To purchase tickets to BrewNost visit: NCSML.org/BrewNost

Another great local event with another great local beer to be had. Get to Quarter Barrel and give your team a shot..even if you don’t win…you might be able to get a taste of Darkest Peru sometime…if you’re lucky!

 

Lion Bridge releasing Oktobot + Oktobot 3000 today! (9/4)

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Fall season is underway and what better way to ring it in than sitting in the Czech Village at the Lion Bridge patio and sipping on their fall favorite Oktobot…and if you’re feeling froggy……their Barrel-aged imperial Marzen Oktobot 3000 is available too! Here are the deets courtesy of Lion Bridge:

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Our odes to Oktoberfest become self-aware on draft and in package TODAY at 3pm.

These Imperial Oktoberfestbiers are the finest we’ve ever made and super excited to share with you all.

Oktobot (Imperial Märzen, 7.7%) – A fusion brew with German and Czech roots in the recipe as well as the name (“robot” is a word with Czech origins). Munich and Bohemian Pilsner Malt are the motherboard to this amped up version of the style, while a healthy dose of German hops provide fuel to keep it running. This is the non-barrel aged version. Look to Oktobot 3000 for even more power. Available in 6 packs.

Oktobot 3000 (Barrel-Aged Imperial Märzen, 8.5%abv) – A fusion brew with German and Czech roots in the recipe as well as the name (“robot” is a word with Czech origins). Munich and Bohemian Pilsner Malt are the motherboard to this amped up version of the style, while 6 months in Rye Whiskey barrels greases the cogs and makes sure it all computes. Available in 4 packs.