The Kalona Brewing Company’s signature IPA, Sucha Much, was named after a song by Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans titled “She’s Such a Much.” According to Lew Brewer, Kalona’s co-owner and head brewer, the song is about a girl who is “such a much.” “We just felt that way about the beer,” he said. While […]
12 oz curls
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New beer alert: Surly Brewing Company comes to Iowa
The Surly Brewing Company of Brooklyn Center, Minn., has begun selling a limited amount of beer in the Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas and plans a larger rollout in 2015. Surly made a grand entrance last Thursday, taking over the taps at El Bait Shop in Des Moines. Surly spokesman Lee Jones said representatives dropped off a pallet of BLAKKR, an Imperial Black IPA, for distribution by Johnson Brothers of Iowa.
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Dank as promised: A review of Stone Brewing Company’s Enjoy By 4/20 IPA
While perusing the beer selection at the New Pioneer Food Co-op, I found a little something I could not pass up: Enjoy By 04.20.14 IPA…
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Frost Line Rye is our March 2014 Brew of the Month
Just as March is stuck between seasons, the beer of the month, Summit’s Frost Line Rye, is a seasonal between seasonals. Offering spice and malt alongside an invigorating and energizing tease of citrus, Frost Line Rye befits a month when temperatures rise and the days lengthen but the snow still flies, the trees are still […]
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12 oz. Curls: Busch injects a little flavor into their new Signature Copper Lager
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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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 […]
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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…
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November 2013 brew of the month: Thomas Beck Black I.P.A.
Though October is my favorite month, I love November as well. The temperatures fall, the shadows lengthen and the sun sets earlier. It’s a time when coats, gloves and stocking hats become preferred attire in the stands at Kinnick Stadium, and also when I start craving darker, thicker, more malt-forward beers. Black I.P.A.s are darker […]
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O’Fallon Brewery’s Pumpkin Beer is our October 2013 Brew of the Month
Pumpkin ale is the quintessential seasonal for October, and I prefer these beers to taste like pumpkin pie in a bottle. Many pumpkin ales are only halfway there…
