The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library and John’s Grocery have teamed up for a two-day celebration of beer and Iowa City’s Northside District that includes a virtual beer tour and socially distant book signing. Iowa native and University of Iowa alumnus S.C. Sherman will sign copies of his newest book, Beer Money: A […]
Casey Wagner
Posted inCOVID-19
Socially Distant Beer Festival will support laid off brewery staff in Iowa
The Iowa Brewers Guild is holding a virtual beer festival to support brewery staff who have been impacted by the shutdown of taprooms and brewpubs. J. Wilson, the guild’s minister of beer, is inviting beer lovers to virtually attend the Socially Distant Beer Festival from 2–6 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, by buying a ticket […]
Posted inFood & Drink
For Iowa brewers, water quality is ‘a really big deal’
According to Iowa brewers, a beer is only as good as the water used to make it. Inside West O Beer’s taproom in West Okoboji is a poster that proudly states, “To us, the water is a really big deal.” West O owner Matthew Matthiesen said the poster has been there since the taproom opened, emphasizing how important clean water is to
Posted inFood & Drink
LV’s May Beer of the Month: Your favorite beer, outside, with friends
After finishing some business on a warm, sunny, summer Saturday in downtown Davenport a few years ago, a couple friends and I stopped at the Great River Brewery. We each got our pints at the bar, walked outside and sat at a picnic table on the brewery’s front patio.
Soft music played on the outside speakers and the water flowing through a tap line fountain lulled us into serenity. The bike rack on the sidewalk was full and bicycles were chained to the brewery’s fence, their spandex-clad riders nursing plastic cups filled with stout and brown ale.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
LV’s April Beer of the Month: Boomtown by Big Grove Brewery
MCF: Free Rock Show Saturday — April 8 at 2 p.m. Big Grove Brewery & Taproom, Iowa City April marks the beginning of my favorite pastime: lawn mowing. Though I love baseball (another great pastime that begins its long season in April), lawn mowing has a special place in my heart. My first (though unofficial) […]
Posted inFeatures, Food & Drink
Jim Beam and Mission Creek team up with Iowa City restaurants for festival cocktail offerings
Those enjoying the musical performances, literary readings and film screenings during the Mission Creek Festival can also wet their whistles with signature cocktails crafted by local mixologists. In partnership with Jim Beam and Mission Creek, participating venues — Forbidden Planet, The Mill, Motley Cow, Pullman, Trumpet Blossom, and the Blue Moose — will serve specially […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery
Quarter Barrel Arcade & Brewery 616 2nd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids thequarterbarrel.com As someone who was born in the eighties, came of age in the nineties and did many 12-ounce curls in the naughties (or whatever you want to call the first decade of this century), arcade games and craft beer are among my favorite […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Proposed alcohol law changes would ‘level playing field’ among manufacturers
Requests to create a more level playing field for all alcohol manufacturers and to allow brewpubs to sell growlers without selling or sending beer to wholesalers first were among five recommendations for changing Iowa’s alcohol laws submitted to Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds on Feb. 1. — changes that brewing and distilling […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV’s February Beer of the Month: ChewBOCKa by Confluence
The “chew” in the beer of the month — Confluence’s ChewBOCKa — is the unintended but delicious result of a common brewing complication. One of the problems that can vex brewers is what is known as a “stuck mash.” When separating the mash — a hot porridge of crushed grains and water — finely ground […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV’s December Beer of the Month: You Be You by Kalona Brewing Company
It’s cold — or at least it’s supposed to be cold in December. Regardless, it’s not an ideal time of the year for citrusy and tropical IPAs. They’re still drinkable, sure, but much less fitting (double IPAs are a different story, however.) Stouts, including imperial stouts, are a much better fit for the cold temperatures […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV’s November 2016 Brew of the Month: Bender by Surly Brewing Company
November is the perfect time to drink brown ale. The style’s toasty notes befit the dropping temperatures, shortening days, bare tree branches and, of course, the cold rain. It’s an ideal brew to sip while relaxing with friends or family after Thanksgiving dinner. There are a number of high-quality brown ales that are widely available, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Ballast Point’s Pumpkin Down is LV’s October 2016 Brew of the Month
October, the best month of the year, is here again! It brings hayrack rides, colorful leaves, scary movie marathons, cool weather — and pumpkin spice up the ass. From coffee to muffins and even pancakes, pumpkin spicing can border on excessive. Some pumpkin is good, but too much can ruin the appetite for a big […]
