Iowa Eats: “The Bar”; Cedar Rapids, IA!

One of the newest additions to the Cedar Rapids area is “The Bar” located at 1100 1st St. SW in the old Lucita’s locations already has a great buzz surrounding it! What seems to be a spin on just your everyday local bar, the FNF group has definitely taken that concept and added their own wonderful spin to it.

Yes, there’s cold beer, tons of TVs, an amazingly friendly staff, and a great clientele, but to add to that is a very short listed, but absolutely delicious menu! I’m here to tell you, the Tavern style pizza they serve is the best tavern style I’ve ever had!

The FNF group is led by Tim Kindl, Tim Oathout, Cale Henderson, and Justin Zehr. When you see the FNF sign you start to eagerly anticipate what spin this group is going to take. Well….along with the amazing pies, their smashburgers are incredible. Full flavored, (the onion burger is like the popular “Oklahoma” smash burger), and filling you will not walk away disappointed.

THE PIZZA
A buddy and I decided to watch the NFL draft at “The Bar”. The place was packed, the TVs were plentiful, the beer was cold and they happened to have Thursday night special of buy 1 pie and get the 2nd half off. No brainer. We each ordered one. I ordered the FNF and he went with the LPSF. They both came out looking exquisite.Absolutely no flop on the pizza, crust was perfectly cooked with a great crunch, the toppings were spread perfectly and they both tasted amazing.

This is going to be one of those places where it’s going to be hard not to eat there a few times a week. Whether it’s the burger, the pizza, or just a few apps with some cold beers, “The Bar” is legit and will become a staple in my restaurant/bar destinations! It’s worth your time to check out!

Field Day + Urban Chestnut collab coming in cans via Abu Nawas plus much more!

URBAN CHESTNUT BREWING CO. 

  • FIELD DAY X URBAN CHESTNUT NUREMBERG STYLE RED LAGER 6/4/16oz CANS – Nuremberg Red Lager. Malt-forward Rotbier, this version is a more modern bottom fermented lager. Light notes of biscuit, caramel. A bit sweet and very drinkable! 4.7% ABV – IA/MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT ZWICKEL 2/12oz CANS – TWELVE PACK! Awesome New Format, Packaging and Pricing for this OG CLASSIC!
  • URBAN CHESTNUT ZWICKEL LIGHT 2/12oz CANS – TWELVE PACK! Awesome New Format, Packaging and Pricing for this Delicious mini-me of Zwickel.
  • URBAN CHESTNUT Big Shark Tangerine Radler 6/4/16oz CANS – Tangerine Radler. In German, “Radler” means: cyclist and it also means: Bier-mixed-with-soda. Thirst quenching and exactly what you need for a summer day! 4.2% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT Big Shark Grapefruit Radler 6/4/16oz CANS – New this year: Grapefruit Radler. In German, “Radler” means: cyclist and it also means: Bier-mixed-with-soda. Thirst quenching and exactly what you need for a summer day! 4.2% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT URBAN UNDERDOG SAMPLER 3/8/16oz CANS – St. Louis’ other American Lager…Prost! 4.7% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT SAMPLER 3/8/16oz CANS – No new brands, no trendy styles…. Just a convenient sampler pack, that features some of your local favorites, and pays homage to the City that was built on Lager biers Each pack includes: 2 x Old Maibock Lager 2 x Stammtisch German Pilsner 2 x Dorfbier Bavarian Dunkel 2 x Zwickel Bavarian Lager
  • URBAN CHESTNUT ZWICKEL LIGHT 4/6/12oz CANS – Light Bavarian Lager. You Asked, They Delivered. All the deliciousness of Zwickel w/ 95 Calories, 3.7 Carbs, 4.0% ABV, and priced to compete with the big boys.
  • URBAN CHESTNUT BUSHELHEAD CIDER 6/4/16oz CANS – Brewed with local Missouri apples from “Happy Apples” and is easy drinking thanks to an excellent balance between sweetness and acidity. 5% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT STLIPA 6/4/16oz CANS – We pronounce it ‘sta-leep-ah’, you pronounce it how you like. STLIPA, an acronym for St. Louis India Pale Ale, is a well-balanced DIPA that uses Sterling, Cascade, Mt. Hood, Willamette, and Chinook hops. 8% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT FANTASYLAND 6/4/16oz CANS – Fantasyland – Noun; a place or circumstance existing only in the imagination or as an ideal; dream world. Origin – Midwest “Coast” of the United States. Need we say more?!, A wonderful West Coast Style IPA Midwestern Style, that uses Aramis, Citra, Mosaic, Cascade, Mandarina Bavaria hops. 7% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT BALKAN 6/4/16oz CANS – Balkan Helles Lager. This classic Helles Lager was brewed in collaboration with Balkan Treat Box and features notes of bread and a medium low hop bitterness along with a floral, spicy hop aroma. 4.8% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT GERMAN PORTER 6/4/16oz CANS – German Porter with notes of Dark chocolate, roast coffee. A lager that’s as rich as it is robust, and as dark as it is strong—does it get more German than that? UC’s version of the classic “Starkbier” is rightfully hefty, in both the ABV and mouthfeel departments. Less fruity than your traditional English recipes, this German Porter is best enjoyed after a long, hard day of winter chores… or, around a warm fire with friends and family this holiday season! 7% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT ZWICKEL 6/4/16oz BOTTLES – Bavarian Lager. Pronounced ‘zv-ick-el’, the flagship lager of Urban Chestnut. It is an unfiltered, unpasteurized, German classic that finishes as a smooth-drinking, naturally cloudy bier. 5% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT ZWICKEL 6/4/16oz CANS – Bavarian Lager. Pronounced ‘zv-ick-el’, the flagship lager of Urban Chestnut. It is an unfiltered, unpasteurized, German classic that finishes as a smooth-drinking, naturally cloudy bier. 5% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT DORFBIER 6/4/16oz CANS – Munich Dunkel. Some refer to the Dunkel style as the original bier of Munich and its surrounding villages (Dörfer). This everyday bier ranges in color and sweetness depending on the amount of Munich and roasted malts used. The sweetness of the malt is then balanced by the use of another Bavarian friend…the Hallertau hop…in this specific case, Hersbrucker, grown near Wolnzach, Hallertau. 5.2% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT STAMMTISCH 6/4/16oz CANS – German Pilsner. A “Stammtisch” is an informal group meeting held on a regular basis – more directly translating to ‘table for regulars’. Our Stammtisch was brewed to celebrate this idea of community and socializing. It’s a traditional German Pilsner featuring a blend of Hallertau and Strisselspalt hops, giving it a pronounced herbal and spicy aroma. It’s crisp and dry with a light grainy malt profile. We think it’s the perfect accompaniment to any gathering. 5.4% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT SCHNICKELFRITZ 6/4/16oz CANS – Bavarian Weissbier. The unmistakable characteristics of this Bavarian Weissbier are achieved with a yeast that is decidedly fruity and phenolic. You may note clove, nutmeg or even vanilla and/or banana-like aromas and flavors. 5% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT Prickly Pear Ku’damm 6/4/16oz CANS – Prickly Pear Berliner Weisse. Prickly Pear Berliner Weisse is pale gold and hazy with clean, lemon-like tartness, light body and light doughy-ness. 4.2% ABV – MO

N/A URBAN CHESTNUT:

  • URBAN CHESTNUT PILOT N/A 4/6/12oz CANS – Made using the same Lagering techniques as the beloved Zwickel! minus the alcohol. Nicely carbonated, light-bodied, well-attenuated, refreshing NA lager. 0% – ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT HOP WATER ORANGE 6/4/16oz CANS – Infused with natural Orange flavor and American hops, UC Orange Sparkling Hop Water is unsweetened and naturally free of both Alcohol and Calories. 0% ABV – MO
  • URBAN CHESTNUT HOP WATER GRAPEFRUIT 6/4/16oz CANS – Infused with natural Grapefruit flavor and American hops, UC Grapefruit Sparkling Hop Water is unsweetened and naturally free of both Alcohol and Calories. 0% ABV – MO

Confluence “Batch 2199” Hazy Double IPA releasing this Friday! 4/18

Courtesy of Confluence’s Facebook page:

Taproom release on Friday, 4/18!

Batch 2199,
Hazy Double India Pale Ale
9.0% ABV

Our company was built on the ingenuity of a homebrewer with a passion for experimentation and a deep appreciation for tradition. Near the end of 2018, we released our 1,000th batch of beer and our first hazy double IPA. Since we had such a great time with that beer, we decided we didn’t need a fancy number like 1,000 to justify playing around with hops, malt, and yeast—like we were homebrewing again. A yeast strain designed to maximize the amount of fruit-forward flavors and aromas produces this double dry-hopped, hazy, blond, double IPA packed with Mosaic, Erebus and Belma hops. Look for these hops to contribute bright aromas and layered flavors of candied blueberries, fresh strawberries, sweet orange and ripe melon, all wrapped up in a sticky malty body with a soft mouthfeel.

Enjoy a glass in the taproom and don’t forget to grab a 4-pack!

Big Grove releasing “Lupo” Italian style Pilsner this Friday!

Courtesy of Big Grove’s Facebook page:

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝘂𝗽𝗼: A crisp, clean & refreshing Italian-style Pilsner with a touch of sweetness. Named after the national animal of the ‘Beautiful Country’ – the wolf.🐺

This light & approachable premium pilsner has a complex aroma of earthy spice and citrus that will have you howling at the moon.🌙 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟰/𝟭𝟴!

Lua releasing “Mirth” BA Stout on 4/19!

Another Lua release coming on 4/19! Info courtesy of Lua Brewing’s Facebook page:

MIRTH (15.5%)

BA Imperial Stout aged 28 months in 20 year Old Forester bourbon barrels. Rested on house-toasted coconut, hazelnut, and Windmill coffee.

Collab with Mikkeller (Copenhagen, DK)

Bottles of MIRTH will be available for purchase in person at Lua on Saturday, April 19th, starting at 9AM. MIRTH will be available in person only; first come, first served, with limits determined at open.

Draft pours of MIRTH and its release partner, COMPERSION, will be available Saturday 4/19 when we open our taproom doors 🙂

Lua and Mikkeller share a grounding principle that quality reigns paramount, and we took that approach with this beer.

Whether you’re drinking this in Iowa, Denmark, or somewhere else altogether, here’s to great beer, great moments, and great friendships 🤝.

See ya on the 19th 🥳.

Lua releasing “Compersion” BA Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout on 4/19!

Courtesy of Lua Brewing’s Facebook page:

COMPERSION (15%)

BA Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout with Marshmallow, Cacao Nibs, Saigon Cinnamon, & Mexican Hot Chocolate

Collab with Black Cat Ice Cream (Des Moines, IA)

Inspired by the out-of-this-world Mexican hot chocolate flavor from the cool folks at Black Cat Ice Cream, bottles of COMPERSION will be available for purchase in person at Lua on Saturday, April 19th, starting at 9AM. First come, first served, with limits determined at open. We will have a limited number of bottles available online via TOAST at 9AM as well. Proxies are allowed. Picking up for a proxy? Just be sure to have their name & order number ready for us when you’re picking up.  

Draft pours of COMPERSION will also be available Saturday 4/19 when we open our taproom doors 

We love this beer, but our biggest joy is knowing you will, too!

Hop Butcher beers on their way!

HOP BUTCHER OF THE WORLD

  • HOP BUTCHER Blazed Orange Milkshake 6/4/16oz CANS – Hazy Milkshake Double India Pale Ale w/ Citra, Strata. 7.5% ABV – IL
  • HOP BUTCHER Dungeness 6/4/16oz CANS – Hazy Double India Pale Ale w/ Simcoe, Motueka & Nelson Sauvin. 7.5% ABV – IL – A collaboration with YCH Hops.  A 100% grower-owned global hop supplier with a mission to connect brewers with family hop farms.
  • HOP BUTCHER Preserved In Three Dimensions 6/4/16oz CANS – Hazy Double India Pale Ale w/ Sabro & Simcoe. 7.5% ABV – IL
  • HOP BUTCHER Riwakamania I 6/4/16oz CANS – Hazy India Pale Ale w/ Citra & Riwaka. 6.5% ABV – IL
  • HOP BUTCHER Triple Galaxy Bowl 6/4/16oz CANS – Hazy Triple India Pale Ale w/ 100% Galaxy. 10.5% ABV – IL
  • HOP BUTCHER Secret Snacks 6/4/16oz CANS – Clear Double India Pale Ale w/ Mosaic, CTZ, Chinook, Nectaron. 8.067.50/% ABV – IL

Lion Bridge releasing “Ziva Voda”, “Library Lager”, and “Iowa Nice Tea” this month!

Courtesy of Lion Bridge newsletter:

Library Lager
Library Lager (Pale Lager, 5.0%) – Brewed to celebrate the new Westside Library and National Library Week (4/6-4/12). This highly drinkable lager utilizes pilsner malt, Hersbrucker Hops, and a touch of corn to lighten it up. Support Libraries and all they do for our community! Available 4/1!
Iowa Nice Tea
Iowa Nice Tea (Golden Ale with Local Honey, Earl Grey Tea, and Lemon Peel, 5.0%) – Brewed to celebrate New Pioneer Co-op and the 10th Anniversary of their Cedar Rapids store. This golden ale delivers everything you would want in a refreshing porch sipper. Available 4/1!
Živá Voda
Živá Voda (Czech-style Pilsner, 4.8%) – Named for the “living water” of Czech fairy tales that heals infirmities and counteracts spells. Available 4/16!

Lua, Wise I, and Dimensional collab on “Three Fools” triple IPA releasing week of 4/8!

Courtesy of Lua Brewing’s Facebook page:

What better day to hype up our upcoming Hazy Triple IPA than today?

Dropping next week, THREE FOOLS is the final release in our series of hazies with the fools at @dimensionalbeer and @wiseibrew

Hopped to the heavens with Citra, @jacksonhopfarms Pink and HBC-1019, THREE FOOLS is a creamy, tropical daydream with the ABV to bring out your inner jester.

Look for this at Lua on draft and on tap next week and at the Dimensional and Wise I taprooms in the next few weeks.