New Holland Brewing Company from Holland, Mich. has announced that it will begin distributing its beers and spirits in Iowa by mid-September as the brewery expands its footprint in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. Mad Hatter IPA, Sundog Amber Ale, Full Circle Kolsh and Dragon’s Milk Barrel-Aged Stout are among the New Holland beers […]
Beer Reviews
Beer Review: Left Hand Brewing Company’s Milk Stout Nitro
Nitrogen beers such as Guinness are served on draft using a pressurized mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, that results in a beer with a velvety smooth, creamy mouthfeel and little carbonation. Because nitrogen has a low solubility in liquid (meaning it cannot be dissolved), beers poured “on nitro” feature a distinctive cascade of bubbles that is caused by rising nitrogen.
2nd annual Bikes and Brews ride set for this Saturday
This Saturday, Aug. 16, the Bikes and Brews bicycle ride between Reds Alehouse and Blackstone is back for its second year. Sam Hall, the general manager at Blackstone, said this year’s route is reversed from last year’s, when riders both started and finished at Blackstone. A layover at Joe’s Place in downtown Iowa City has also been added. At each stop, riders will be able to enjoy a selection of beers brewed by co-sponsor Boulevard Brewing Company.
Sága IPA is LV’s August 2014 brew of the month
Brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of St. Paul, Minn., Sága IPA is named after the Norse goddess of poetry and drinking companion of Odin. Sága IPA is an excellent West Coast-style IPA. Though it is a little maltier than some versions of the style, Sága features that hallmark burst of tropical fruit, citrus and […]
12 oz. Curls: Freigeist Geisterzug Gose offers a tasty lesson in sour beer
Gose is a style of sour beer that originated in Goslar, Germany and was very popular in Leipzig. The beer’s back label refers to gose as being “nearly-extinct.” However…
Left Hand Brewing returns to Iowa
Left Hand Brewing Company announced yesterday that a selection of its beers will return to Iowa in early August. Johnson Brothers of Iowa will distribute Left Hand’s brews across a number of Iowa locations, and the company says that the available beers will include Milk Stout, Sawtooth Ale, 400 Pound Monkey IPA, Black Jack Porter, Polestar Pilsner, Stranger Pale Ale and many seasonals like the Fade to Black series.
12 oz. curls: Dubuque’s ‘Jubeck New World Brewing Company’ makes its debut
The Jubeck New World Brewing Company, a Kickstarter-funded nano-brewery that plans to be a place “where everybody knows your name,” has opened in Dubuque…
Take a ride on Millstream’s 13th Annual Tour de Brew
The Millstream Brewing Company is inviting cyclists to warm up their legs and palates for RAGBRAI on the 13th annual Tour de Brew this Saturday, July 12. Registration for the 38-mile tour costs $25 and will take place at the brewery (835 48th Ave., Amana) from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The tour will take riders through Norway, Blairstown and West Amana before returning to Millstream. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Amana Colonies Recreational Trail.
Beer Review: Stone Brewing’s ‘Go To’ IPA
In light of the recent holiday, here is a damn good “go to” beer that is perfect for any summer celebration: Go To IPA, brewed by the Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, Calif.
pseudoSue is LV’s July 2014 Brew of the Month
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company’s pseudoSue is an American pale ale that puts other beers to shame with its ferocious aroma and flavors of citrus and tropical fruit. Created as a more hop-forward version of Toppling Goliath’s other pale ale, Tsunami Pale, Toppling Goliath brewmaster Michael Saboe said pseudoSue was first called Pseudo Tsu. However, “Tsu” […]
Beer Review: Deschutes Brewing’s ‘Hop in the Dark’
Black IPAs have become one of my favorite styles of beer, pairing the characteristics I love most about darker beers wtih those of IPAs. Not only does it offer the chocolate and toasted malt flavors characteristic of heavy, opaque stouts, it also features IPA bitterness and flavors of citrus, tropical fruit and pine.
Beer Reviews: Squatters Full Suspension Pale Ale
Home to many alcohol-abstaining Mormons, Utah has some of the most restrictive alcohol laws in the country. Beer sold at grocery stores, convenience stores and bars without special licenses cannot have an alcohol content higher than 3.2 percent by weight (4 percent ABV).

