For those who prefer a less intense pumpkin experience, I want to suggest a great alternative that is not even beer (this being a beer column, and all): Ace Hard…
12 oz curls
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Hop Wranger is our September 2013 brew of the month
‘Tis the season for football and saison! Oddly enough, the September beer of the month—Hop Wrangler, brewed by Peace Tree Brewing in Knoxville, Iowa—is not a saison; however, it offers flavors and aromas reminiscent of this traditionally spicy style. According to Kaleb Livingston, the operations manager at Peace Tree, Hop Wrangler is a different kind […]
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Will drive for beer: Some of the nation’s best bars and breweries are closer than you think
While there may not be enough time left for a long summer vacation, there’s still time for a short excursion or weekend getaway. So, for those of you who love beer…
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Ethos IPA is our August brew of the month
While I was browsing the shelves in the beer cooler at John’s one Friday last month, Joe Hotek walked in and I asked him for a recommendation. “You mean for August?” he asked. I have often sought Hotek’s advice for my Little Village recommendations, but this time I was shopping for myself. “Nah, just for […]
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Pilsner Urquell is our July brew of the month
For July, my instinct tells me to recommend a Czech pilsner. Light, refreshing, grassy and perhaps a touch skunky at first, I think the style not only suits hot, humid days, but also complements the aromatics I associate with summertime. After being disappointed by other versions of the style, I am falling back on the […]
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The Hops: Quality assured?
Beer freshness dates are an inconsistent hodgepodge. While brewery A prints a month-day-year bottling date, brewery B prints an internal batch code—a code which only the company can easily decipher—and brewery C does not print any information at all. While some beers benefit from a controlled aging process, many taste best fresh, and a date […]
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The Hops: June brews of the month
Last summer’s recommendation of PBR, my favorite lawn mower lager, disappointed at least one reader. Feeling the need to redeem myself this June, I am recommending two refreshing and tasty brews that even my mom likes: Stiegl Grapefruit Radler and Lindemans Framboise.
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The Hops: Gears and beers
For Ray Bennett, an avid bicyclist and 27-year RAGBRAI veteran, it is always nice to have a destination at the end of a long, hot bike ride with friends—especially a destination with cold beer. Bennett, who lives in North Liberty, notes that “if you ride 15 or 20 miles, you might want to stop and […]
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Rampant IPA is our May brew of the month
With supplies of spring’s seasonal brews dwindling, I’ve decided to suggest a spring-ish beer that is not only brewed year-round, but also offers a level of hop bitterness that exceeds anything else I have recommended: Rampant IPA, brewed by New Belgium Brewing.
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The bittersweet effects of the 2012 drought
Though brewers said the hot, dry summer of 2012 brought an increase in sales due to beer drinkers looking to quench their thirst, there were also consequences. Brewers say the drought’s effect on the corn and soybean crops will influence the cost of malting barley and potentially the price beer drinkers pay for their favorite six-pack.
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Big Sky IPA is our April brew of the month
Call me crazy, but I have been so eager to go camping that I set up my tent in my basement one afternoon. I even inflated my sleeping pad, put it in the tent and laid on it.
I cannot wait for the first time this year when my friends and I sit around a campfire and watch the hypnotic dance of the flames under the big, star-studded sky. When that happens, I think I will be doing 12-ounce curls of Big Sky IPA, brewed by the Big Sky Brewing Company of Missoula, Montana.
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The Iowa City Beer Riots of 1884
In the second half of the 19th century three breweries operated along Linn and Jefferson streets. Their money and influence ruled much of the Northside’s economy, and they were known as the German Beer Mafia. Hundreds were happily employed in their operations but it all turned very dark one day in 1884. In the worst […]
