Though many craft beer drinkers hold Busch and other macro lagers in contempt, I am willing to bet that most of us have been Busch drinkers at some…
Food & Drink
Zipline Brewing Company makes Iowa debut with tap takeover at Red’s Alehouse this Wednesday
Zipline co-founder and head brewer Marcus Powers said distribution in the Hawkeye State will officially kick off with tap takeovers at Red’s Alehouse in North…
Chicken Little Reviews: India Cafe
When I first moved to Iowa City half a lifetime ago I had never eaten Indian food. The first time I fearlessly dove into the buffet at India Cafe would be the beginning of a lifelong love of Indian spices and preparations. I crave those crazy Indian pickles like other people do chocolate, and I’m […]
Rare Vos is our February 2014 Brew of the Month
February’s beer of the month is Rare Vos, a “Belgian-style café ale” produced by Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, N.Y. Rare Vos (“sly fox” in Dutch) takes its name from a pub in Schepdaal, Belgium, known for being the starting point of pigeon and bike races. Rare Vos is the perfect beer to celebrate an accomplishment or to cap a long day’s efforts. According to Ommegang’s website, Rare Vos is its “most quaffable” beer and what the brewers like to drink after a lengthy shift. Indeed, this ale makes for easy drinking: Not only is Rare Vos tasty, it lacks the high ABV of Ommegang’s other Belgian-inspired brews.
As the Lincoln Cafe shuts down, a new restaurateur steps in
When Matt Steigerwald decided to close the Lincoln Cafe, Mount Vernon native Rachel Sauter took the opportunity to pursue her own aspirations of owning a restaurant. Her close ties to the community and former jobs at area restaurants (including Augusta in Oxford and the Wine Bar in Mount Vernon), helped inform her decision to re-open […]
Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale is our January 2014 brew of the month
Finding Bigfoot is one of my favorite TV shows. Though I do not watch it religiously, I catch the reruns every now and then and am always sucked in. Why? Because…
Snowstorm is our December 2013 brew of the month
While some breweries release the same, traditional holiday seasonal year after year, others keep consumers on their toes by always brewing something new. Anchor Brewing’s Christmas Ale is most well-known for surprising beer drinkers each year, but I always look forward to Schell’s Snowstorm. The 2010 weizenbock and 2012 biere de garde were superb, and […]
Minor indulgences: Scrooge gets an attitude adjustment
“Eat, drink and be merry” is a familiar holiday toast, but did you know that there’s a second, somewhat morbid half to the saying that explains the reason why we should imbibe and rejoice? In case you were unaware, the phrase in total goes: “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” So there: Put that in your holiday pipe and smoke it.
Chicken Little Reviews: La Michoacana Taqueria
Tucked between a meat market and a physical therapy clinic in Paul’s Discount Strip stands La Michoacana Taqueria, quite a find amidst a typical splattering of businesses in Iowa City. A step inside is a step out of the rush of the day and into a different kind of rush—very friendly bilingual staff hustling around […]
Winter Beer Guide: Gather ‘round the fireplace and celebrate the season with a perfect pour
Much like bears in a den, my pilsner glasses are overwintering in the cabinet above my fridge. I won’t be using them much because winter is the season for opaque…
On the table: For these visitors, writing isn’t the only challenge
While nobody is keeling over dead at the Iowa House Hotel’s continental breakfast or fainting of malnourishment in workshop, the 34 fall writers in the…
Food Bank Benefit: Sample local homebrewers this Saturday at Sanctuary Pub
About a dozen local homebrewers will be serving their handcrafted and homemade brews this Saturday, November 16, at The Sanctuary Pub’s Homebrewers…

