Coming Soon: Stone Points Unkown IPA, Quarter Barrel, Deschutes, Big Grove, Lion Bridge, 3rd Base + Another Road

May 5, 20151 Comment

There will be a few new bottles hitting shelves in Eastern Iowa soon. Go along with what our local breweries have been pushing out and some things already on the shelves that are tasting mighty fine, I’d say we are sitting pretty good in our Midwest Beer Heaven. With Big Grove making a new double IPA every 2 weeks (Death was excellent), Lion Bridge going oak-aged IPA and a new Citra IPA coming this weekend, and Another Road and 3rd Base doing a collab IPA, it isn’t going to be hard to support our local breweries and stopping in for a pint or two while we go shopping for a few six packs. Anyway, on with the list!

*Stone Points Unknown IPA – a collab beer along with Wicked Weed Brewing and Ecliptic, Points Unknown will be a double IPA barrel aged belgian style tripel aged on Tequilla barrels and will come in at 9%. Here’s more from Stone on this release:

In creating our latest collaboration beer, It wasn’t easy deciding how best to pool the resources of brewers from three spatially distant points within the brewing universe: Portland, Oregon brewing legend and Ecliptic Brewing founder John Danis, and Luke and Walt Dickinson, the hop-and-funk brewmaster duo behind Asheville, North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing. It seemed no single beer could adequately convey all that they and Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele bring to the brewhouse. So, this veritable triad of power opted to brew TWO beers: a traditional Belgian-style tripel and a West Coast imperial IPA. Doing so allowed them to work within the parameters of all styles while taking things in interesting directions, adding a touch of Southern Califomia style and petting into the spirit! The tripelwas transferred into barrels that originally housed red wine before finding a second life as vessels for aging tequila. Four months later,that beer was excavated, then blended at a one-fifth to four-fifths ratio with the freshly brewed double IPA to create the beer you now hold: a hind of the traditional and the new, presenting a variety of diverse flavors that coalesce into something more unique than any one beer our trio could have conceived. Its eventual flavors were a mystery to even the group of master brewers who created it, but now they await the palates of those thirsting to venture to points unknown within the rapidly expanding craft beer galaxy. In other words: You.

*Quarter Barrel Brewing, Cedar Rapids – very excited to see that Quarter Barrel will have 3 of their beers available at Benz Beerfest this Saturday in Cedar Rapids. If you will be in the area this weekend, make sure you stop and grab a ticket (if still available)!

*Deschutes Foray IPA – this belgian style IPA will be released this month coming in at 6.4% in 22 oz bombers. Here’s more from Deschutes:

Foray is all about the journey. Belgian yeast delivers hints of apple and pear which blend with the citrus hop aroma for a clean even finish. So no matter where you’re heading, this a trip worth taking.

Malt: Pilsner, Carapils
Hops: Nugget, Amarillo, Mosiac, CTZ, Galaxy
Other: Belgian Yeast Strain

Big Grove Brewery – A lot going on one of my local breweries. Bill and crew have been nailing it with their beers and their latest venture, 8 Horsemen of the Hopocalypse, will be sure to please hopheads all around! Death was terrific and I saw Bill’s schedule posted on Facebook, hope he doesn’t mind me sharing, but here’s what’s in store at Big Grove:

With most of Death missing, presumed drunk, it’s time to start ramping up to the next Horseman. War rides in 12 days.

We’ll cover your hop fetish for the interim period. IPA, Arms Race, Buster, and Red Headed Stranger online this week (I hope).

Batch 300 will show up soon too. I’m thinking of this as a tag line: “It ain’t sloppy bein’ hoppy.” I’ll have to see what Lion Bridge Brewing Companyhas to say about it…

*Lion Bridge Brewery – one new beer already tapped, Trudy, and it’s very good! And another coming this weekend! Here’s what’s happening at Lion Bridge:

Trudy (Oaked IPA, 6.0%) – Named in honor of our favorite dog who is omnipresent at our favorite independently owned beverage depot (Benz Beverage Depot). Releasing to coincide with the 11th year of the wildly successful Benz Beerfest. Slightly more body and caramel backbone than a standard IPA, this beer was heavily hopped with Wakatu and Topaz. The result was then aged in stainless steel tanks with light toast French Oak Spirals. This rustic, yet elegant brew has an aroma of candied orange and grapefruit zest with a slightly tannic mouthfeel backed by notes of vanilla and tropical fruit.

And what has me really excited is their brew Citra IPA, Yard Sale!

Remake of Disaster at Meux this morning because I didn’t get enough before. & Dry Hoppin our new Citra IPA,“Yard Sale”.

*Another Road Brewing and Third Base Brewing Collab IPA – still waiting word on when and where this beer will be available. Excited to see what Jim and Alex cooked up for us! Stay tuned for more!

America’s River Festival BrewFest set for Saturday June 13th in Dubuque, IA

April 8, 2015Leave a comment

The early planning stages are being worked on but right now I can confirm that Dubuque will be holding a BrewFest on Saturday, June 13th in the Port of Dubuque. This festival will pair local breweries to go along with some great music. More details on the brewfest can be found here:

http://www.americasriverfestival.com/brewfest/

Gates open at noon for VIP ticket holders ($40) and 1:00 p.m. for general admission ticket holders ($30). Here’s the list as of now of the breweries who will be pouring their delicious brew:

*Backpocket
*Another Road
*Baraboo
*Confluence
*Galena
*Deb’s Brewtopia
*Green Flash
*Goose Island
*Great River
*Firetrucker
*Franklin Street
*Jubeck
*Kalona
*Lion Bridge
*Millstream
*Old Man River
*Potosi
*Retro
*Rockford
*Schlafly
*Summit
*Tallgrass
*Third Base
*Bent River

I’ll keep you posted if more breweries are added.

**I will be attending and I hope to see you there! Cheers!

Local Breweries and Restaurants Make Me Happy

March 19, 2015Leave a comment

Within the last 2 weeks I’ve been to quite a few local restaurants and breweries. Granted, I practically live in these places but lately I continue to be blow away with what these brilliant minds are doing. Let me start with what I love…the beer. The sweet, the hoppy, the malty, the chocolatey, the coffeey?, just beer.

My wife I headed to 3rd Base Brewing in Cedar Rapids to meet her bro-in-law and his family for a meal. I’m not going to lie, they had Abrasive on tap, and it was delicious. But, after my Abrasive, their Cobra coffee oatmeal stout caught my eye, and then after the first one, caught my taste buds again. A fantastic stout, wonderful for the coffee lover, wonderful for the stout lover, wonderful for the beer lover. 3rd Base has become a staple, a mainstay, a frequently attended spot for the Baron and family. Why? I get great beer, excellent food, and the best thing, I can take my kids.

Onto my next destination. Lion Bridge. Now, Quinton and Alec probably get sick of seeing my mug at this place. I probably should just rent an apartment nearby. I live 13 minutes and 36 seconds away from Lion Bridge and depending on my aggressiveness, can get their a bit sooner. Yellow light means speed up, correct? Anyway, the beer they brewed for St Pats and St. Joseph’s Day, the Olde No. 17 could easily replace Guinness as my go to green holiday stout. In fact, it should be go to year round stout. Brewed with potatoes to give it more dryness, this beer is what I picture people enjoying at the classic pubs across Ireland for years, now turns into what people enjoying at pubs/breweries in IOWA enjoying for years to come. Excellent stuff. And, once you finish that, I hope you have/had the opportunity to try a GAZPROM! and the collab Mellowdrama. All terrific!

Off to Big Grove in Solon I go. Since opening close to two years ago I’ve spent more time at this establishment than I have at my workplace. Ok, a bit far-fetched, but seriously, I’m here alot. And why not? Another 11 minute and 24 second trip from door to door, being able to talk to the brewery, talk to the restaurant manager, talk to the manager, and at times enjoy beers with them. With their latest and greatest beer, Bill and company have hit one out of the park. The first ever, Iowa-brewed, Triple IPA. And like most of the things these folks do, there’s a terrific cause behind it. This brew benefits the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society of Eastern Iowa. The beer is the smoothest of all triple IPAs I’ve ever had and most doubles as well. I believe it checks in at 11.4%, but the booze is hidden remarkably well, making this dangerous so damn drinkable.

Onto the grub. All three of the above have terrific menus. Some are the basic bar/pub fare, some are locally sourced, some are unique and artisanal. All are amazing. Chef Ben Smart at Big Grove puts out some the best food in the area, his Beer Dinners are becoming legendary and their not even 2 years old yet! Now, onto my town. Mount Vernon, Iowa. Smaller college town that has 2 options I think can satisfy both beer and food. 1st place is Chameleon’s Pub and Grub. Nick and company continue to get craft beer on tap, pushing the envelope in a small town for craft beer can be very difficult. He’s working his ass off to do it. Lion Bridge, Big Grove, Exile, Kona, Summit all on tap, with Stone, Green Flash, Sam Adams, Founds coming in bottles. Get yourself a bacon, bleu-cheese burger, a local brew and sit back and enjoy and comfortable atmosphere.

The next stop is Lincoln Wine Bar. A once, sometimes twice, sometimes three times a week stop for the Baron household is pushing out wood fired pizzas with nightly specials using locally sourced ingredients. All the pizzas I’ve ever had have been terrific. The last one being a goat cheese, shrimp, and jalapeno, pie of perfection. I just met Jesse (sp?) for the first time on my last stop. He had a full selection of new-to-Iowa Surly Beers which go excellent with their terrific pizzas. Not only Surly, but a excellent bottle list for such a small-spaced pizzeria. Not to mention, he also kicked out a Prairie Apple Brandy-Noir. Does he want draft lines? Absolutely. Right now the space is too tight but I think this guy is going to make it work one way or the other.

Okay, that’s too much typing for me. Time for a brew. The good news is, tons of people know about and support these places, the better news is, I think it’s only going to get better. Cheers!

Lion Bridge Brewery Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary! Event Details

March 5, 2015March 5, 20151 Comment

Received the following email from Lion Bridge Brewery in Cedar Rapids who will be celebrating their 1 year anniversary today, March 5th! To celebrate they will be having many events and beer releases throughout the month. Here are the details:

One Year Anniversary Celebration

It’s hard to believe that today, March 5th, marks 1 year that Lion Bridge has been in business. We are truly honored to have many of you as loyal patrons (or maybe even just loyal followers), and we are constantly striving to make sure our beer and our building remain catalysts to conversation and community.

You trust us to produce world-class beers and we do not take that responsibility lightly.

As our way of celebrating and showing our appreciation, we want to offer some special events and discounts throughout the month.

Lion Bridge and Cobble Hill Beer Dinner March 31st

Come celebrate the successes of two great local businesses with a night of world-class beer and amazing food. Lion Bridge Brewing Company turns 1 year old this month and Cobble Hill just recently celebrated 2 years in February.

Head Brewer Quinton McClain of Lion Bridge and Chef Andy Schumacher of Cobble Hill have teamed up to create a 4-course beer pairing dinner (as well as 1 “Welcome” pint upon arrival at 6:30pm) that will highlight, complement, and contrast the talents and these two individuals and the talented teams that assist them.

This is an experience not be missed. New and previously unreleased beers from Lion Bridge will be utilized and paired with the diverse and imaginative selections of Chef Andy.

Menu to be released soon. Price includes all gratuity and tax. Simply show up and enjoy.

Click here for tickets

Pint Night
March 15th

Don’t have enough beer glasses at home?? Help us help you. $9 gets you an imperial pint of Lion Bridge beer and then you get to take the glass home with you!

Winterland plays Lion Bridge March 27th @ 6pm

Specializing in the Grateful Dead’s music from 1969 through the late 1970s, Winterland channels the music of the Grateful Dead with an uncanny authenticity, a sublime fidelity to the Dead’s musicianship, sound and emotional connection with the audience – that almost indefinable something that, according to audience feedback, Dead fans are currently hard pressed to find elsewhere.

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Follow us on social media to stay up to date on Anniversary events and new happenings everyday!

Cheese and Beer Pairing
Thursday, March 19th
Do you love beer? Do you love cheese?

Well, make your way over to Lion Bridge Brewing Co. for a cheese and beer pairing on March, 19th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. We will be putting together 5 “do it yourself” cheese appetizers that will be paired with 5 of our beers. Come learn how to prepare these simple cheese dishes which are sure to impress all your future house guests.

For $25 you will receive 5 taster glasses of beers that go along with each cheese appetizer, a taster glass to take home, and a 12oz beer of your choice (Specialty beers excluded). Don’t miss out on this fun and informative event!

Click here for tickets

Special St. Patrick’s Day Hours March 17th

Having the official stout of St. Patrick’s Day means we need to be open (taproom is typically closed on Tuesday). On March 17th, come in as early as 10am to get your fill of Olde No. 17 Irish Potato Stout. The taproom will be open at least until 8pm. Irish food specials will also be available.

St. Joseph’s Day Parade and Polka Music
March 21st at 2pm

Local Favorites Czech Plus will get you in the mood to drink some Pilsener on March 21st for the St. Joseph’s day parade. Come watch the parade at Lion Bridge at 1pm and enjoy some awesome polka music shortly after. Pair with Czech food specials!

The Class Act Restaurant at Hotel Kirkwood and Lion Bridge Collaborate

Chef de Cuisine at The Class Act Restaurant, Daniel Dennis, helps us celebrate our anniversary during the week of March 25th by creating a weekly special inspired by what inspires him (in this case, Lion Bridge beer). Come in early this week and see what he has prepared. The special will be limited. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

CSA Appreciation Week

We are coming up on selling our 300th Community Supported Ales Membership! In honor of that we want to extend a thank you to all of our CSA members who have worn our shirts, filled our growlers, and drank our beer.

We will be doing a week long appreciation from March 25th-March 29th for all of our CSA members as a thank you for your support this first year.

Not yet part of the CSA? Purchase your membership in the month of March and receive all the benefits of membership (growler and first fill, t-shirt, discounts, exclusive events) as well as get your first imperial pint as a new member on us!

(Don’t want to be a CSA member? That’s fine too. Look to Facebook and Twitter for other beer and food specials that are available to everyone. We appreciate your support!)

List of CSA Appreciation Week Events:

Tuesday, March 24th: Our new beer, Fabio (Pink Peppercorn American Wheat, 6.0%abv) will release for CSA members only. We will open only for members and a significant other from 5-7ish so you can come and try the new beer plus get $12 growler fills of Fabio (normally $15 for CSA members)

Wednesday, March 25th: CSA Imperial Pint night. All night, Imperial Pints of our standard price beers will be $4 for CSA members.

Thursday, March 26th: Growlers of Ziva Voda will be $9

Friday, March 27th: Winterland show and beer discounts tbd

Saturday, March 28th: Tapping a keg of Barrel Aged Wheat Wine. CSA members get 1 free, 5 ounce taster of this delicious brew today only.

Sunday, March 29th: CSA members who come in wearing a t-shirt this day get $12 growler fills of Coffee Compensation (or an equivalent if you have drank us out of all of it before the day)

Beer Review #117: Lion Bridge Brewing Whirligig

August 11, 2014Leave a comment

I’ve become a regular at Lion Bridge as I had been spending a decent amount of the month of July at St. Luke’s hospital for a family emergency. And though I always intend to spend dinner time at a Subway or even do the unthinkable and eat the hospital food with my “free” meal pass, I always took that time and wandered around the downtown Cedar Rapids area. Many stops at Batas (review to come), beers at Parlor City, a buffalo chicken wrap at Bricks, and then the majority of my stops would always conclude at Lion Bridge Brewery in the Czech Village.

I’ve enjoyed many of the beers here, the smoked chocolate stout on Nitro, the Ziva Voda, the new double IPA, El Doble has quickly become a favorite but I was really impressed with Quinton’s new saison style brew called Whirligig. I know saisons are not a style for everyone, but I do think they are climbing the ladder into the niche market of double ipas, barrel aged anything, and sours.

The first flavor I experienced from this brew was a bazooka like bubble gum flavor followed nicely by the mild tart and bitterness. A really refreshing brew that I intend to have growlers of during the Iowa Hawkeye football season to enjoy. Almost seemed like a mix of a saison and an American wheat brew. Very drinkable and very tasty!

Not only is Lion Bridge doing great things beer related, their kitchen also impresses. Locally made sausages, meat and cheese plates, pulled pork nachos (fantastic!), reuben fritters, and muffaletta fingers make fantastic companions to the beer that flows through this brewery. The staff is always friendly and accommodating and the brewer is usually on hand happy to have a conversation with you. If in the area check this place out, grab a growler and enjoy!

REVIEW

STYLE: Saison

ABV: 4.5%

PURCHASED AT: Lion Bridge Brewery; Cedar Rapids, IA

POUR: Hazy yellow pour, nice white head.

AROMA: A little barnyard, lemon, grass.

TASTE: Bubble gum, lemon, grassy notes.

Ratebeer.com rating: N/A

Beeradvocate rating: N/A

Overall: B

My recommendation:Between Lion Bridge and Big Grove, you’ll usually can find the Baron at one of these locations!

Interview with Quinton McClain; brewer/owner Lion Bridge Brewing

April 21, 20143 Comments

Quinton McClain was kind enough to take time out from a very busy schedule to answer some questions about his new brewery, Lion Bridge Brewery in Cedar Rapids, IA. I’ve been multiple times now and absolutely love what Quinton and his staff is going. The smoked chocolate stout is amazing and the Mad Max is terrific as well. Check out Quinton and his beers soon!

Q: Would you classify your beers as traditional or more of a unique style?

I wouldn’t say the beers I am making are traditional. Some of them are representing specific styles, but they have subtle changes that I think make them intriguing. These initial beers are not brash. Uniqueness is often associated with brashness and rightfully so. These initial beers are subtle and I think some people equate subtlety with traditional styles. I am very proud of the beers we have now and as inventory steadies and I branch out to more high abv, etc beers, I will be excited for different flavor possibilities.
I think our uniqueness will come from my ability to improvise and grow a portfolio that represents a lot of different beer styles. I believe a great portfolio makes a great brewery. There need to be session beers, experimental beers, herb and spice variants, and oaked beers…all available at the same time. There are no beers I am afraid of making for fear of ruining my classification.

Q: How many beers will be available at the brewery? Any plans for seasonals or special releases?

Lots of plans for new beers. We have 21 taps, and I hope to have at least 12 dedicated to my beers by the end of the year. I am aging a wheat wine in Cedar Ridge Brandy Barrels right now. A rye IPA is coming up, and I will be doing some cask beer in a few more weeks.

Q: What was your story before opening Lion Bridge? How did you get involved in brewing?

I was a brewer at the Fort Collins Brewery for a few years, took a Siebel Course before that and has an internship at Millstream. I wore a lot of hats at FCB and helped put together a brand new facility that really helped me understand the guts of a brewery. Before all this, I worked in some craft beer stores, brewed at home a bit, traveled a lot, and really loved the stories and culture behind beverages and food. There is nothing more important in the world than getting together with friends for a beer and food. I truly believe that. I felt the best way to live out that belief is to make beer and be around it all the time. It’s a spectacular feeling to provide people with the joy of good beer.

Q: Do you feel any pressure to follow beer trends and brew what’s popular?

I think the trends are what make beer great. We have few rules as brewers and people are always pushing the envelope. It’s important to remember that the beer that’s most popular is a macro lager…by a longshot. I want to bring people into the fold of craft beer; to convert them away from a light macro lager that I feel is not very fulfilling on a lot of levels. I want to have a portfolio big enough that I can brew a little bit to follow a trend, as well as keep some beers on tap to try and convert that person who comes in and wants a pitcher of Busch Light.

Q: What is the beer that you are most excited about?

I am excited about my pre-prohibition beer with corn and rye. It’s called Usonius. It will be dry and refreshing with a little bit lactic tartness. A fun beer with a fun name that I think will pair great with summer and our patio (hopefully we get that in soon). A few IPA’s in the works and a big stout that won’t be ready until Fall. I have 1600 square feet in our basement that is just empty space right now. As soon as things calm down a bit, I might start filling it up with barrels.

About every other beer I make now is a new beer. They are all exciting.

Q: Was opening a brewery in Cedar Rapids area pretty easy? Was their any resistance?

Opening a brewery anywhere creates it’s unique challenges, I imagine. It’s a steep learning curve to understand the laws on local, state, and federal levels. I greatly respect anyone who goes through the process and makes it out with their own beer. It’s easy to say, “I want to open a brewery.” It’s a big deal to actually get it out there making beer. People in our community were very supportive. I had great mentors and advisors from many different types of businesses.

Q: What’s your favorite trend in the craft beer world right now?

I think beer and food is a growing trend that I like. It might be increased attention to detail with beer all together. Restaurants and bars care more about glassware, about serving temps, about food and beer. It gives beer more credibility. The customer is demanding a heightened experience to pair with heightened flavor, and I think publicans are responding. It raised the bar for everyone and this is a good thing for beer.

Q: Will there be food at the brewery?

We have an appetizer and snack menu and it will always be just that. It is a conscious decision on our part to stay more of a “beer hall” and not a restaurant. We serve beer, cider, artisan sodas, and small plates. That will be it. Our kitchen is big enough and has enough bells and whistles to put on some elaborate beer dinners. I see that being a time when we shine with the food. I also have some plans to bring in guest chefs to do dinners.

Q: Can you discuss short term/long term goals for the brewery?

Keep filling kegs with beer. Start doing more self-distribution which is a great part of being a Native Brewery. I will assess in September/October needs for more tanks. We have space for about 12 more 20bbl tanks and a capacity of about 8,000-10,000bbls a year if we ever decide to go full on. Maybe thrown in a Meheen bottler or a cask canner. Who knows. Right now, I just want to get my beer out there as much as possible, bring people into the tasting room, and get people aware of the Lion Bridge brand. I am taking it a day at a time, but always dreaming of where I would like to see things go.