Tag: iowa craft beer

Cedar Rapids Ale Trail Spotlight: Breweries

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ale.jpgThe Cedar Rapids Ale Trail is a terrific way to venture out and try some the best food and beer in the area and save money while doing so!

Over $500 in discounts and perks at more than 25 of the best breweries and restaurants in the Cedar Rapids area. Available on your phone for only $30 per year.

The best way to experience Cedar Rapids’ national award-winning craft beer & culinary scene.

Let’s go ahead and focus on some of the perks that having the CR Ale Trail app can get you by looking at what our local breweries/beer stores are offering when purchasing. Here we go:

another road**Another Road Brewing** 
1. Buy one pint get the second pint half off. Put the bag in the hole with one shot on table bags, get free bottle opener.
2. $5 off $25
3. Buy one pint and get 2nd pint 1/2 off

benz**Benz Beverage Depot**
1. 15% off 2 mix and match 6 packs.
2. 10% off 1 mix and match 6 pack
iowa-brewing**Iowa Brewing Company**
1. $10 off $25
2. $5 off a growler fill – limit two per day

lion bridge**Lion Bridge Brewing Company**
1. Free 8 oz beer with purchase of taster tra
2. 1/2 price nacho platter with purchase of taster tray

millstream**Millstream Brewing Company**
1. $10 off $25
2. Buy one beer and get the 2nd for $1

quarter barrel**The Quarter Barrel Arcade and Brewery**
1. Two free beer flights with purchase of any pizza
2. 1 liter glass stein of any house brew for price of a pint

third base**Third Base Brewery**
1. Receive a 25 oz mug for the price of a pint: $4.50

 

That’s just the breweries! Stay tuned for deals at Hy-Vees and restaurants! For more information visit the Cedar Rapids Ale Trail Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/crAleTrail/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Founders Bringing “Doom” Back to 4 packs and 750’s

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foundersA barrel-aged double IPA will be making it’s way back to Eastern Iowa as Founders will be releasing “Doom”. This double ipa is aged in bourbon barrels and was last seen back in 2013. Here’s more on this release courtesy of Founder’s Brewing website:

We’ve just received the green light to share info about the third beer in our new Barrel-Aged Series: Doom. You heard it here first.

Doom may be impending but that doesn’t mean you have to fear it. A collision of worlds, the intense hop character of our imperial IPA mingles with the warm vanilla and oak notes imparted from time spent in our favorite bourbon barrels. Like all good things, Doom comes to those who wait.

We previously released Doom in 2013, although it was featured in our taproom as a draft-only option long before that. Given the number of times we’ve been asked when it will return to our lineup, we expect this news to be well-received.

Doom is the third release of 2017 in the Barrel-Aged Series, preceded by Frootwood and KBS. There are two remaining Barrel-Aged Series beers to be announced this year, with Backwoods Bastard being the fifth in the lineup.

As with all the Barrel-Aged Series beers, Doom will be available in 750mL bottles and 4-packs of 12oz bottles. Look for it beginning in May, with most states receiving theirs by early June.

3 Iowa Beers to Drink Now!

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beerbaronI couldn’t do just 1 Drink This! edition this time around as the state of Iowa is sending out so much great beer I had to do three! As we approach the 2017 Coralville Brrr Fest and with the program released this past week anticipation is mounting for ticket holders to get a taste of Iowa’s finest breweries and beers. Within the last 5 days I’ve had the opportunity to try 3 amazing beers from 3 amazing Iowa breweries. So here are three beers the you have to DRINK NOW!

img_0990**Big Grove Brewery – Buster Triple IPA** – Buster released this past Tuesday and I knew for sure I had to hit Big Grove and try this baby fresh. Mosaic hops shine with flavors of juicy fruit gum, tropical fruits, and some grassiness. A wonderful dank ass triple IPA. There is one thing that can be bad about this brew…it’s scary drinkable. An 11.4% ABV triple IPA can definitely put you on your ass if you don’t pay attention! This might arguably be the best or one of the best double/triple IPAs in the state. Follow this link to see my post on where it will be available and they also just hit the Cellar Peanut Pub in Pella with a hell of a lineup! So good, can’t wait for another glass! Cheers Big Grove!

 

IMG_0992.JPG**Lion Bridge Brewery – GAZPROM 2017** – I’ve been waiting for this release since last year. Lion Bridge takes the shitty, dark, long ass month of January and makes pretty damn enjoyable with their Barrel-Aged January releases. A new release, every week, for the month of January and all barrel-aged beers. I’ve loved the Winter Warmer and the Royal Wee but the big dog for me is GAZPROM!. The sweetness from the syrup is the perfect balance to booziness from the barrels. I say this a lot but this is a top-tier beer for me….maybe top 10? Top 5? Either way, I can’t wait to have more of this and thank you Quinton and Alec and Lion Bridge for making January tolerable!

 

img_0994**Madhouse Brewery – VIP Barrel Aged Vanilla Porter** – was happy my Mt. Vernon Road Hy-Vee had a few bottles of this, wasn’t sure if we would see it all. I had been hearing good things coming from the fine beer folks in Des Moines and was hoping to land one of these. I’ve been hit and miss with vanilla added to my beers. Sometimes I dig it when it’s not over they type vanilla extract and with Madhouse VIP I’m really digging it. The slight sweetness from the vanilla pairs with the barrel and just a faint hint of cigar smoke on the aftertaste. Viscous, tasty, and warming. An excellent companion to a chilly January evening.

There you go Iowa. Three newer beers for you to try. Hopefully all 3 make it somewhere close to your area and you get a taste, and hopefully you enjoyed them as much as I did/do! Cheers!

Big Grove Buster Kegged Today, Here’s Where You Can Find it Friday!

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Big Grove will be releasing their Buster Triple IPA at the brewery Tuesday and below if where you will be able to get it at other locations around Cedar Rapids/Iowa City starting on Friday this week. Make sure you get yourself a taste of this bad boy!

busterThere she is..Buster Triple IPA checking in at 11.3%. It got kegged today and will be tapping this week on Friday. Here’s a list of who will have this bad boy on tap: Shorts Burger & Shine, Club 76, Reds, 30Hop, Vesta, Zeppelins, Need Pizza, Bricks, The Mill, Blackstone, Shakespeare’s, Central Standard and Mosley’s.

New Breweries Added to Brr Fest Lineup!

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brrfestCoralville Brrr Fest is 10 short days away and the lineup of breweries just got a little bit bigger. According to an email from Brrr Fest organizers there are 6 more breweries added to the list. They are:

Parkside Brewing, Burlington
Lark Brewing, Waterloo
Barn Town Brewing, West Des Moines
Torrent Brewing Company, Ames
Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery, Cedar Rapids
Lionstone Brewing, Geneseo, Illinois
These breweries will join the huge list below. It should be a great weekend and I hope to see some of you there!

Participating Brewers

  • 515 Brewing Co. (Des Moines, IA)
  • Alluvial Brewing Company (Ames, IA)
  • Another Road Brewing (Marion, IA)
  • Backpocket Brewing (Coralville, IA)
  • Ballast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, CA)
  • Barn Town Brewing (West Des Moines, IA)
  • Bent River Brewing Co. (Moline, IL)
  • Big Grove Brewery (Solon, IA)
  • Boone Valley Brewing (Boone, IA)
  • Cedar Ridge Vineyards, Winery, & Distillery (Swisher, IA)
  • CIB (Chefs In Black) Brewery (Carson, IA)
  • Confluence Brewing Company (Des Moines, IA)
  • Contrary Brewing Co. (Muscatine, IA)
  • Court Avenue Brewing Company (Des Moines, IA)
  • Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR)
  • Exile Brewing Company (Des Moines, IA)
  • Firetrucker Brewery (Ankeny, IA)
  • Fox Brewing (West Des Moines, IA)
  • Franklin Street Brewing Company (Manchester, IA)
  • Front Street Brewery (Davenport, IA)
  • Granite City Food & Brewery (Davenport, IA)
  • Great River Brewery (Davenport, IA)
  • Green Tree Brewery (Le Claire, IA)
  • Iowa City Brewlab (Iowa City, IA)
  • Jackson Street Brewing (Sioux City, IA)
  • Kalona Brewing Company (Kalona, IA)
  • Keg Creek Brewing Company (Glenwood, IA)
  • Lake Time Brewery (Clear Lake, IA)
  • Lark Brewing (Waterloo, IA)
  • Lion Bridge Brewing Co. (Cedar Rapids, IA)
  • Lionstone Brewing Company (Geneseo, IL)
  • Lost Duck Brewing Co. (Fort Madison, IA)
  • Madhouse Brewing Company (Des Moines, IA)
  • Millstream Brewing (Amana, IA)
  • Mississippi River Distilling Company (Le Claire, IA)
  • New American Brewing Co. (Ankeny, IA)
  • Odell Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO)
  • Olde Main Brewing Co. (Ames, IA)
  • Parkside Brewing Company (Burlington, IA)
  • Peace Tree Brewing Co. (Knoxville, IA)
  • Potosi Brewery (Potosi, WI)
  • Pulpit Rock Brewing Company (Decorah, IA)
  • Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery (Cedar Rapids, IA)
  • Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company (Bondurant, IA)
  • ReUnion Brewery (Coralville, IA)
  • SingleSpeed Brewing (Cedar Falls, IA)
  • Surly Brewing Company (Minneapolis, MN)
  • The Galena Brewing Company (Galena, IL)
  • Third Base Brewery (Cedar Rapids, IA)
  • Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. (Decorah, IA)
  • Torrent Brewing Company (Ames, IA)
  • Twisted Vine Brewery (West Des Moines, IA)
  • West O Beer (West Okoboji, IA)
  • Wilson’s Orchard (Iowa City, IA)
  • Worth Brewing Company (Northwood, IA)
  • Small Town Brewery (Wauconda, IL)

Reds Alehouse Hopslam Release Party set for Tuesday, January 24th! A 1 Night Stay in Kalamazoo giveaway also!

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hopslam.pngReds Alehouse will be hosting their Bells Hopslam release party next Tuesday, January 24th. They will tap the keg at 11 a.m. Along with this event will also be a chance to win a 1 night stay to Kalamazoo, Michigan and a $150 gift card to spend at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe and Gift Shop! The drawing for the stay will be at 7:30 p.m. The official release from Reds is below:

Tuesday, January 24th – The release of Hopslam!

We all know you want Hopslam, but we didn’t want to stop there. So, listen up beerlings. One lucky Hopslam drinker will win a trip to Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI!

The grand prize includes:

– One night stay in Kalamazoo, MI
– $150 gift card to spend at the Eccentric Cafe and/or Gift Shop at Bell’s.

How do you enter? That is super simple my friends. Drink Beer! You order a Hopslam, your lovely bartender or server will give you a ticket to enter the drawing.

Hopslam taps at 11am – drawing at 7:30pm.

*Must be 21 and present to enter/win, one entry per person. ID required to claim your prize!*

2017 Sierra Nevada Hoptimum to be “reimagined” + “hoppiest yet”

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sierra nevadaSierra Nevada Brewing company looks like they are tweaking their Hoptimum recipe a bit as according to mybeerbuzz.com, they are reimagining their popular triple IPA and they have stated it will be their “hoppiest beer yet”. The back of the bottle description informs us that it will be a tropical hop and citrus hop aroma profile. It looks to also check in at 9.6%.

According to their release schedule, Hoptimum is a May release. I would expect 4 packs/12 oz bottles once again and it looks like different packaging. Sierra Nevada has taken a different approach with their latest releases of their pales and IPAs. Their Sidecar Orange Pale Ale and Tropical torpedo have recently hit shelves and the future release of a Peach IPA shows the attention is being given to fruit forward ales so you can probably expect the same type of attention given to Hoptimum’s release. Cheers!

hotimum.pngSierra Nevada Brewing company looks like they are tweaking their Hoptimum recipe a bit as according to mybeerbuzz.com, they are reimagining their popular triple IPA and they have stated it will be their “hoppiest beer yet”. The back of the bottle description informs us that it will be a tropical hop and citrus hop aroma profile. It looks to also check in at 9.6%.

According to their release schedule, Hoptimum is a May release. I would expect 4 packs/12 oz bottles once again and it looks like different packaging. Sierra Nevada has taken a different approach with their latest releases of their pales and IPAs. Their Sidecar Orange Pale Ale and Tropical torpedo have recently hit shelves and the future release of a Peach IPA shows the attention is being given to fruit forward ales so you can probably expect the same type of attention given to Hoptimum’s release. Cheers!