Tag: iowa craft beer

Best of Iowa Beer: Imperial/Barrel-Aged Stouts

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As our IPA (Big Grove, TG, Lion Bridge leading the top 3)poll continues on until next Thursday, it’s time to get another poll started! This time around we will be looking at the Best of Iowa Imperial/Barrel-Aged stouts. I believe the definition of an “imperial” anything is an ABV between 8-12. With this poll there are a few slightly below that 8% ABV but they are included. Once again, if I’m missing a beer please let me know. Also, for those who select “other” please comment on the beer you are voting for. Discussion is more than welcome as I’d love to hear what your gold, silver, and bronze beers would be!

I think the difficulty with this particular category is how hard some of these beers were to obtain. So vote for what you’ve had and liked the best!

Anyone know someone who could make up some medals? Wouldn’t mind having some to pass out to the winning breweries, not that they’d care, just think it would be cool to do. Vote on!

Pullman Bar and Diner Jolly Pumpkin Beer Dinner Menu

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pullmanThe menu is set for the Pullman Diner and Jolly Pumpkin Beer Dinner on March 9th! Here’s more courtesy of Pullman Bar and Diner:

Here is the final menu and the pairings for our beer dinner with Jolly Pumpkin on Wednesday, March 9th. Cocktail hour starts around 5 pm and dinner will begin at 6 pm. Please call for reservations. 319-338-1808. Including the beers that you see on menu we will also have Fuego del Otono, La Parcela, Noel de Calabaza, and Forgotten Tales of the Last Gypsy. Bottles on hand that day will be Oro De Calabaza, Calabaza Boreal, Biere De Mars, La Roja, BA Biere De Mars. All 10 taps will be Jolly Pumpkin. It’s going to be a beautiful site!!

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Oskar Blues and Surly New Can Releases

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Surly Brewing and Oskar Blues Brewing will be introducing some new beers to their can lineup.

surlySurly will be canning #MERICA! a pre-prohibition style lager that will check in at 5.4%. Stay tuned for more info on the release date for this brew. Here’s more on this brew from Surly:

Light gold in color, #Merica! is an old-school pre-Prohibition American Lager that was brewed in 2015 for the Annual D4th of July party put on by the Minneapolis-based punk band Dillinger Four. One of the only beer styles truly born in the U.S.A, pre-Prohibition American Lagers used corn as an integral part of the flavor profile, rather than as a simple substitute for barley malt. The flaked corn used in #Merica! comes across as a subtle, fresh corn flavor, while soft hop aromatics come from Warrior and Willamette hops, which add a mild fruity, herbal character that stays in the background. #Merica! is perfect for a hot summer day and celebrating the country’s birthday and 21 years of Dillinger Four.

money shot*Oskar Blues will also be releasing a new can to their lineup with Moneyshot White Wit Wheat. It will be released in 12 oz cans. Stay tuned for more info on ABV and release date.

Restaurant Review: Daisy’s Garage; Cedar Rapids

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IMG_0059.JPGGive me Po’ Boys or give me death! Thankfully, Cedar Rapidians have a great place to grab an excellent po’ boy! Daisy’s Garage and Filling Station‘s shrimp po’ boy left me impressed and craving more!

Going out with some friends is always a good time and thankfully Kizz and Diesel are two friends who are willing to try new restaurants and enjoy a few drinks or ten. They called this place last night and I couldn’t have been more satisfied. Located in the old Butcher Block location (I think), Daisy’s has a cozy atmosphere, some fine tap brews, and a menu that has so many excellent sounding options that it was difficult to pick what to eat. This is my type of bar!

IMG_0060.JPGStarted the night out pleasantly surprised to see Royal Wee from Lion Bridge Brewing on tap. One of my favorite beers of the new year and a perfect sipper to get the night going. We decided to start with some appetizers you can’t go wrong with fried pickles. They were good, but the star of the appetizer show was the Oil Spill; a basket of fries topped with tender pot photo 1.JPGroast, pepper jack cheese, green onions, and brown gravy……PHENOMENAL! My mouth is watering as I type this! My wife and I then decided to just split a po boy. I’m a sucker for them and am always intrigued when I see them on a menu here in Iowa, but I have yet to have one that has blown me away. That all changed last night! The key to this po’ boy is the bread. You need that french baguette that has a little crunch on the outside and is soft and chewy on the inside and that’s exactly what this was, perfect bread! Fried shrimp, (a shit ton of fried shrimp), tomato, lettuce and a cajun remoulade with a side of slaw made this one of my favorite sandwiches in the area!

IMG_0061.JPGOur friends went ahead with the steam pot and had their work cut out for them. 1 pound of crab legs, sausage, potatoes, corn and potatoes. It takes a little work but you reap with benefits with some delicious crab meat! We washed it down witphoto 2.JPGh a few Turner Alley Pale Ale’s and you just sit back and smile after a meal that satisfying! Will I come back to Daisy’s? Hell yes! The difficult thing is going to be trying not to go 3-4 times a week! Check it out folks, great stuff!

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Stone Brewing “Beer Ambassador” Dr. Bill Sysak w/ 2 Upcoming Events Feb. 27th

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bait shopThe following comes from Stone Brewing in Iowa’s Facebook page. I’ve been following Dr. Bill for a while now on twitter, untappd, Facebook, and the podcast “New Brew Thursday” when that was on. This guy knows beer, how to pair it with food and cigars, and is just interesting to listen to so check out one of these events if you can. Winestyles in Des Moines and El Bait Shop will be hosting:

Stone Brewing Beer Ambassador “Dr.” Bill Sysak will be touring ‪#‎Iowa‬ at the end of February and will be stopping in ‪#‎DesMoines‬ on Saturday Febraury 27th. We have set up two special events with “Dr.” Bill in town. The first being a beer and cheese pairing at WineStyles from 5-7pm. The second being a rare beer tapping at el Bait Shop featuring some beers that have never been on tap in Iowa such as ‪#‎Xocoveza‬ Charred, ‪#‎Stone‬Imperial Irish Stout, and the reemergence of a favorite ‪#‎StoneCollab‬,‪#‎Suede‬ Porter. Make sure you don’t miss out on this fun and educating experience. ‪#‎craftbeer‬ ‪#‎DrBillTourdeIowa‬

Coming to Shelves: Boulevard Tropical Pale Ale cans, Lagunitas Waldo’s Special Ale, Summit Pils, New Holland Sour Series, Bells Session Pale Ale

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A few news tidbits from around the web this week with some updates of beers that should be coming to Eastern Iowa at some point. Have any news? Drop me a line @benmed15@yahoo.com:

tropical.jpeg**Boulevard Brewing Tropical Pale Ale – what started as a collaboration with Cigar City is now turning into a canned version solely released by Boulevard. Tropical Pale Ale will be released in cans. No word on if there will be a recipe change from the original and no release date yet. Stay tuned for more on this one.

 

waldo.jpeg**Lagunitas Waldo’s Special Ale – part of Lagunitas’ One-Hitter Series returns for a brief time and release date looks to be 4/20. This is a double IPA that in past checked in around 10.8% ABV and this year will be available in 12 oz bottles. Really excited for this one in bottles!

**Summit Brewing 30th Anniversary Pils – Summit’s 30th summitAnniversary coming out and another beer they’re releasing in celebration is a Keller Pils. This unfiltered German-style pils will come in at 5.1% ABV and be available in 12 oz cans and be released late spring/summer this year.

new holland.jpeg**New Holland Mischievous – part of New Holland’s Sour Series is Mischievous. This is an American Wild Ale that is fermented with brett. This beer checks in at 5.5% abv and will be available in 22 oz bottles. Here’s more from the brewery:

Mischievous presents flavors derived from its 100% brettanomyces fermentation. This wild yeast contributes earthiness, spice, mineral-character and slight tartness.

**Bells Oatsmobile Ale – a session pale ale brewed with oats is bells.jpegcoming from Bells this April. At 4.3% ABV, this hop-forward pale ale is dry hopped with Mosaic, citra, and amarillo, amongst others and the using malted oats to give it that unique body. Here’s more from Bells:

COMSTOCK, Mich.—Bell’s Brewery will roll out a brand new beer in April. It is the first new addition to its year-round lineup since 2010.

A hop-forward session Pale Ale brewed with oats, Oatsmobile Ale (4.3% ABV) will be available on draught and in 12 oz. bottles, packaged in six-packs across Bell’s distribution footprint.

Oatsmobile is dry-hopped with a blend of classic and modern Pacific Northwest hops, including Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo, for a pungent blend of stone fruit and tropical aromas.

“This beer is unique. Aromatics may drive it, but the signature ingredient – oats – are what really makes this beer stand apart and also where the name comes from. It’s approachable and intriguing with a fun personality,” said Bell’s Vice President, Laura Bell.

“The use of malted oats help give it a body that you don’t see in most other session Pale Ales. Once we tweaked the recipe to combine the body from the oats with those powerful hop aromas, we thought it would make a great addition to our year-round portfolio,” she said.

This 100% all-malt Pale Ale was first brewed in 2013 to explore the use of oats in a Pale Ale at Bell’s original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo. Initially Oat Ale, it was renamed Boiling Pot Pale Ale when it was released as a limited specialty draught option in select markets.

Oatsmobile launch events and additional details will be shared at bellsbeer.com and on Bell’s social media as it becomes available.

Big Grove Head Brewer, Bill Heinrich, Leaving Big Grove

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big groveBig Grove Brewery head brewer, Bill Heinrich, will be leaving the brewery. His last day will be April 1st. Since Big Grove has opened Bill has been the head brewer and has supplied us with some amazing beers. You will have until April 1st to get over to Big Grove to taste his terrific beer. On a personal note, every time I would visit the brewery, Bill was always gracious enough to talk beer, give samples, and was always interacting with customers. I want to wish Bill the best in whatever he decides to do next, and hopefully he continues making some amazing beers! Cheers Bill!

Coming to Shelves: Green Flash Porter, Boulevard Session, Crooked Stave, Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado, Lagunitas Sour

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Hoping to make my first trip to Quarter Barrel Arcade Brewery in Cedar Rapids this weekend and making a few pit stops at Lion Bridge and maybe a journey to Big Grove for a growler fill or 3. It should make for a great super bowl weekend. Some new beers will soon be gracing our shelves, some sound pretty unique and worth trying. Here we go:

cosmic*Green Flash Cosmic Ristretto – this is a baltic porter with Espresso beans and will become part of Green Flash’s new year-round lineup starting this month. It will be available in 22 oz bottles and clocks in at 8.2%. More on this brew from Green Flash:

Marvel at its rich black appearance with bruleed edges and mocha-colored beer foam. Breathe in its coffee aroma and sweet malts, and savor its smooth, espresso, chocolate flavor.

 

bully*Boulevard Frequent Flier Session IPA – Frequent Flier is the new name for their Pop-Up session IPA with a slight adjustment in the recipe along with new logo and its availability in cans. It checks in at 4.4% ABV.

stave*Crooked Stave – a ton of Crooked Stave releases upcoming. I’m not quite sure on their availability for us in Iowa but I will keep you posted with news on their releases. Lots of info on the releases of: Persica, Motif, L’Brett, Petite Sour, Salvador Cybies, Silly Cybies, Serenata Notturna, Hop Savant, Colorado Wild Sage, Surette, Nightmare On Brett at mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com here.

watermelon.jpeg*Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado and Thai Chili Wahoo – two new beers from Ballast Point that sound interesting. First is Watermelon Dorado, a double IPA brewed with….you guessed it! Watermelon! It checks in at 10% and sounds pretty damn refreshing. More on this beer courtesy of Ballast Point:

 

This Double IPA is not one to back down from big flavors. Mash, kettle, and dry hopping blend to create a huge hop profile that is balanced with a blast of watermelon.

thaiThai Chili Wahoo is wit beer brewed with thai chili, lime and ginger and checks in at 4.5%. More on this beer from Ballast Point:

Our Thai Chili Wahoo is a favorite in our tasting rooms for its complex balance of ingredients. Citrus and spice have long been a part of our Wahoo White. In this edition, we added a dose of Thai chilies, even more head from ginger, and a counterpunch of lime. The flavors in this beer need to be experienced first-hand, so grab one and try it for yourself.

lagunitas.jpeg*Lagunitas Aunt Sally – last but not least is the beer I’m most looking forward to besides Crooked Stave. Aunt Sally from Lagunitas Brewing is a sour ale that is dry-hopped and comes in at 6.2%. For those wondering….I believe it’s a kettle sour…I’m still looking forward to it! Stay tuned for more on this brew!

 

**Anything I’m missing? Drop me a line @benmed15@yahoo.com. Love to hear from Iowa breweries as well as bars for upcoming events! Please let me know and I will post your info! Thanks!