Des Moines Craft Beers: Court Avenue Brewery

This beer blog started as an assignment for my digital advertising class. During the semester I posted fairly regularly, but now that the semester is over I'm struggling to decide whether I want to keep blogging or not. And for those of you out there that blog or create content to post on the internet, you know it's hard work. I got pretty burnt out and thought I'd give it a rest for a while. But now I'm back with great beers and breweries to write about and I felt compelled to share these beers with everyone.

This Christmas I visited my family in West  Des Moines. They moved there two years ago and this is the first time I've spent more than just a day visiting. The other night my uncle and I decided to go out and visit breweries in the Des Moines area. This Christmas was a big deal because it marked the first holiday I was old enough to go out and drink and my uncle and I took full advantage of that. Throughout our night we visited three different breweries: Court Avenue Brewery, Exile, and 515 Brewery. I have a lot to say about each one, so I will write 3 posts, each dedicated to a specific brewery. 

Court Avenue Brewery

Court Avenue is a classy restaurant and brewery located at 309 Court Ave in Des Moines, IA. The bar section had a cozy ambiance with modern pop music playing in the background. The key to music in a bar is to have it playing at a level that people can enjoy listening to it, but not have to yell over it and Court Ave had a perfect balance. A few TV's lined the ceiling displaying that night's football game.

I looked at the menu for several minutes before making a decision. All their beers sounded great, but I wanted something a unique. With much deliberation and I picked the "brewers choice" which was an experimental beer called 21st Amendment Ale. One of the better beers I've had the opportunity to enjoy, this ale was aged in whiskey barrels. Poured with a light head, this red hued beer had an aroma of oak and wheat. Starts smooth on the palate with an initial tinge of sweetness and blended nicely with whiskey notes. 21st Amendment continued with a woody flavor that transcended the others and ended with a mild hoppy bitterness. A perfect beer to shout "cheers!" with. I rate this ale 4.5 and highly recommend it to anyone in the Des Moines area to try it before it's gone.  

Great Beers on College Hill

This past Tuesday was an intense day of studying for me. I spent 8 hours studying for my advertising class and decided I earned the right to go out and blow off a little steam. Usually I don't enjoy going out the bars on College Hill in Cedar Falls because of the college masses. Sitting in a cramped little bar surrounded by loud drunk college kids is not my idea of a fun night. But being a Tuesday evening all the college kids were absent from the bars allowing me to actually enjoy my beer and conversation with a friend.

Woodchuck Chocolate Raspberry 

My friend and I met up first up at The Other Place on the hill. When devoid of drunk rude college kids The Other Place is a rather pleasant place. They have good food and a cozy semi-rustic look with wooden booths. I only ordered one drink here and decided to try something new. The O.P. had just received a new case Woodchuck Chocolate Raspberry which I settled on as my drink of choice. 

The Chocolate Raspberry was a great choice. It had a full apple flavor to start with and ended with a sweet dark raspberry note. I have to note the chocolate flavor was lacking. In fact I don't think I could distinguish any chocolate flavor at all. Though despite the disappointing lack of chocolate, the sweet apple and dark raspberry flavor made a wicked combination for a delicious treat.

John, the manager of The O.P., talked to me about this new cider they just got and mentioned they were selling like hotcakes, so if this is a drink you'd like to try hurry into The O.P. while supplies last. I would rate this hard cider much higher than Woodchuck's pumpkin cider. (Honestly that pumpkin cider was a disgrace and never should have been made. Or Woodchuck brewers should have tried their own cider before bottling and selling it.) But the Chocolate Raspberry I give a solid 3.2 rating, which would have been higher if the chocolate flavor was more prevalent (or present to begin with.)  

Deschutes' Chasin' Freshies 

After The O.P. we walked down the hill to the Social House. I've only been into the Social House once before for a couple minutes. It's a classy little place. If the prices weren't so high and college kids didn't flood the place every weekend, I would find this bar to be right up my alley as far as style and theme goes. The second beer of my night was Deschutes' Chasin Freshies. I believe the Chasin Freshies was a saison and one of the most wonderful beers I've had the pleasure of consuming. Sitting pretty at 7.4% ABV this particular saison is packed with intense citrus flavors that smack you upside the head. I cannot stress how good this beer was. It starts with sweet citrus aroma then a tiny bit of hops for a mild hoppy pine flavor and a flood of fantastic pineapple flavor. Totally giving this beer a strong 4.6 rating. Go out to the Social House on College Hill and try this one for yourself and I'm sure you will agree to it's quality. 

6 Stouts That Won't Break the Bank

HyVee Wine and Spirits has a generally good collection of beers to choose from. I went through their beer cooler and created my own six-pack combination for $10. I chose six stouts from six different brewing companies and compared them all. Some were excellent, others merely decent. But for just $10 I thought they were all worth it. I drank all six stouts over the course of about a week. I was hoping to do this all in one weekend, but my work and school work had other plans for me.

The six stouts I chose were

1. The 8 Ball Stout: Lost Coast Brewery
2. Sierra Nevada Stout: Sierra Nevada
3. Uncommon Stout: Bent River Brewing
4. Kalamazoo Stout: Bells Brewery 
5. Dreamer Oatmeal Stout: Breckenridge Brewery
6. Moo Joo: Brau Brothers Brewery 

The 8 Ball Stout
The 8 Ball stout poured a deep brown in color and sat in the glass nearly black, similar to most stouts. A small head covered the top but dissipated in a moment of ten seconds. The aroma was thick with a robust chocolate note. On the front of the palate the flavor was light and marginally sweet and ended with a full chocolate flavor on the back of the palate leaving a mild roasted bitterness after flavor. The consistency was rather thin. This stout was good, but definitely not the best of the six.
ABV 5.8%
Rating 3.0





Sierra Nevada Stout
Rich nut brown in color, this stout poured also with a thin head. The head parted across the class as if Moses himself had parted it with his staff. The flavor moved moved across the palate smooth at first but became sharp, earthy, and bitter at the back of the palate. The aroma had a roasted earthy sent but not chocolaty. The Sierra Nevada was my least favorite stout and had a thin consistency to it.
ABV 5.8%
Rating 2.8




Uncommon Stout
This stout reminded me of a stout dwarves would raise their glasses to. The Uncommon Stout is an oatmeal stout and had an aroma of roasted coffee. The head poured a little larger than the last two stouts and lasted longer, about twenty seconds. Sitting serenely in the tulip glass, it reminded me of a cup of dark Colombian roast coffee. The consistency was smooth and creamy with notes of roasted oats and coffee and left a definitive coffee flavor on the back of the palate. With every sip an rich roasted earthy and coffee aroma wafted up to the nose. A great stout that I would enjoy buying again.
ABV 6.5
Rating 3.4




Kalamazoo Stout
The Kalamazoo poured a dark chestnut brown and looked like black glass reflecting back at you. It poured with small head that disappeared as quickly as it formed. It had a complex aroma full of roasted oats and dark chocolate notes. Thinner in consistency than the Uncommon Stout, but creamier and fuller than the first two. Sharp dark flavors rolled over the tongue with earthy notes on the back of the palate and a slight licorice note than transcended above the other flavors for a full bodied complex taste. Very enjoyable with lots happening in the mix of flavors.
ABV 6.0%
Rating 3.3




Dreamer Oatmeal Stout
This particular stout poured with almost no head at all and sat in the glass with a blackness as dark as a black bear's fur. The aroma was dark and earthy yet subtle compared to the others. My favorite of the six I tried, the Dreamer Oatmeal Stout was creamy and smooth in flavor and light on the palate with no bitter after flavor. Easy to drink and pleasing ion the tongue this was a stout I could easily have more than one.
ABV 4.9%
Rating 3.5





Moo Joo

Moo Joo is an oatmeal milk stout that poured without a head. When undisturbed in the glass Moo Joo had an appearance of polished obsidian. It had a smooth full bodied flavor with a silken consistency. Complicated notes of sweet, chocolate, and roasted coffee with a mild bitter bite. This stout will raise spirits and seems like a good beer to drink while contemplating deeply. Drinking Moo Joo makes me think of a black bearded huntsman easing himself into his handcrafted wooden chair in front of a roaring fire in a log cabin enjoying this stout.
ABV 5.8%
Rating 3.4

My three favorites were the Dreamer Oatmeal Stout, Moo Joo and Uncommon Stout. I noticed my favorites all had a creamy smooth finish which I find to be a trait necessary in a good stout. I also scaled the ratings a little because I know there are more fantastic stouts out there and I didn't want to discredit them by inflating the ratings of these 6, but for their cost these were quite enjoyable.  If you get the chance, go out and try these stouts and share what you think in the comments below. 

Cans are in Vogue in the Craft Beer World

From Bottles to Cans

Since the conception of this blog in early September I have had the opportunity to savor many a'good brews. Some of the craft beers I've enjoyed were poured from draught at local breweries and bars. Many others were bottled beers and ales bought from Happy's Wine and Spirits and HyVee. Thursday evening marked the occasion of the first canned craft beer I've purchased.

Cans are on the rise in the beer industry especially in smaller craft beer businesses. Cans vs. bottles has been a debate for years. In the past consumers viewed cans as containers for cheap generic beer and that bottles held the higher end craft beers. And in the past this made sense. Before canned technology reached the point it's at today bottles were better at preserving the integrity of the beer's flavor. There was also a perception of sophistication that came with drinking out of a bottle. The heftiness and solidity of the bottle in your hand made you feel what you were drinking was good quality. However the only thing in this world that is consistent is change and the beer industry is no exception. Cans are now made with better quality than in the past and are superior than bottles at preserving the flavor of the beer.

Perks of a can

Cans protect the beer from sunlight and air, both of which can damage the integrity of the beer's flavor. Nothing is worse than drinking a bottle of skunky beer after it's been sitting in the sun too long. Cans also have the advantage of being lightweight, don't break as easily, and are easier to stock than bottles. You can take cans with you to places bottles would be less ideal for such as hiking, biking, golfing, etc.

Canning beer is not only better for the consumers but also for the producers. Cans are cheaper to produce than bottled beer. Being more lightweight also means fewer trips for beer companies to make during distribution. For a business, if it makes money it makes sense.

Jumping on the Canned-wagon

Image from Mike on Flickr

Samuel Adams has even jumped on the 'canned-wagon'. Sam Adams designed a new can over the past two years and spent over a million dollars doing so. The one million dollar can has new features to enhance the drinking experience. You can read about the Sam Can on their blog.

1. a wider lid provides more airflow resulting in a slightly smoother taste
2. the opening is slightly further from the edge of the lid, making the opening closer to your nose and allowing more of the beer aroma to reach your nose
3. an extending lip places beer at the front of your palate
4. an hourglass ridge creates turbulence which pushes flavor out of the beer 

Beer Review

The Big Wood Bark Bite was a wonderful IPA purchased from Happy's Wine and Spirits. I didn't pour it into a glass to see how it looked, but the flavor said it all. The Bark Bite had a magnificent piney hop flavor with a fresh citrus undernote. At a refrigerated temperature the IPA was smooth and refreshing and left a lingering citrus flavor on the tongue with each sip. A great beer for you hop lovers. And my consensus on canned beer is that it is just as good, and dare I say better than bottled beer. Though I will miss the bottle tops and the weight and feel of the bottle in my hand.  

Microbrews at Broad St. Brewery in Reinbeck, IA

After weeks of trying to find the time and a ride out to Reinbeck, I finally succeeded. Every Sunday morning my close friend, Jon, and I meet for coffee and chess (and other occasional strategy games). This particular Sunday I requested that we visit the Broad St. Brewery in Reinbeck instead of our usual coffee shop. It would be a refreshing change from our predictable Sunday plans. Jon agreed with enthusiasm and we made the 26 minute trek from Cedar Falls to Reinbeck.

Ignore the first 2 steps as they pertain to my specific address. (now that my address is revealed, please no stalkers or paparazzi.)

Broad St. is a small brewery that adds character to the small town of Reinbeck. The moment you step through the door you feel a sense of coziness and community. Three sets of tables and wooden benches line the  right side of the wall. A handful of bar stools stand neatly at the bar counter, and behind the counter hangs the board naming all the current brews on tap. The last brew on tap, the Sticky Wicket, happens to be a guest brew at Singlespeed at the moment, so if you're interested in trying a taste of Broad St.'s microbrews you can head down to the Cedar Falls' Main St. and try a glass. The Sticky Wicket is a smooth light flavored IPA with a good balance of hoppiness and an ABV of 6.5% if my memory serves me right. 

Jon and I sat at the middle table and set up our chess board and bought a paddle to sample each microbrew. Billy Joel songs played in the background from the record player up at the bar counter. A few other men from town came in as well and sat up at the bar chatting among them-selves. The sense of community in the brewery was strong, especially when one of the men at the bar asked Jon and I if we'd like to try some of his homemade fried green tomato slices he brought in. In a bigger city no one would would have talked to us let alone offer us homemade food. (The fried tomatoes were still hot and quite delicious.) 

Broad St. Brewery is a nice little get away from the cities and offers a unique selection of microbrews. From the sample paddle I noticed that most of the beers had a sweetness to them. Not something I'm entirely accustomed to, but an interesting change of pace. The Black Porter and Sticky Wicket were my favorites on the paddle, but also of notice was their Oktoberfest, and the wheat beer though it's name eludes me. 

For you beer enthusiasts out there who like to go brewery hopping I want to encourage you not to miss this brewery. It may be in a small town but the beers have big flavor. 

Happy's Wine and Spirit's Has it All

My first encounter with the name Happy's Wine and Spirits was a "coming soon" sign with their name on it located on University Ave in Cedar Falls. If I remember correctly I was driving at the time which means I saw their sign last spring. (The story of why I'm not driving now might be presented in a future blog post.) I remember thinking it was interesting that they were opening just across the parking lot from HyVee Wine and Spirits. Though as a business major I know that's a good tactic. Being close to your competitor allows you both to benefit from the increased customer traffic that comes to the area for their weekend drinks.

This fall I finally traveled past Happy's and saw they were open for business. If I had my own car I probably would have stopped in earlier this fall to check it out. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that the next impression I received was a tweet Happy's posted about the Riding the Lion ale from Clown Shoes. I remember seeing the picture of that beer and reading the description and wanting it so badly. Unfortunately it wasn't until two weeks later that I finally procured a ride from a friend to take me out there to buy this outstanding looking beer. I fancy myself as an entertainer and artist and instantly was drawn to the brand name Clown Shoes and the fantastic bottle art that wrapped around it. The description of Riding the Lion goes as such;

Descended from a notorious clan of Scottish lore, head brewer Dan Lipke Channeled the Tartan tapestry encoded in his DNA to create a formidable Wee Heavy. The beer has been aged one hundred percent in fresh bourbon barrels. Ask yourself, "Who needs a reason to ride the lion?"   

A wonderful sounding beer if you ask me. I can't review the flavor yet because I'm waiting for the right moment to savor such a beauty. The first thing that struck me as I walked into Happy's Wine and Spirits was the vast and eclectic selection of drinks. They had the best selection of craft beer I've yet seen in Cedar Falls (sorry HyVee). Plus much more besides, though I didn't get the chance to wander the entire store so I can't be too specific as to their wares. You'll just have to visit and see for yourself.

For my first visit I scooped up a 6 pack of Stone Pale Ale, Ride the Lion, and Prairie's Pirate Bomb. The Pirate Bomb, at 14% alcohol by volume, I'm expecting to pack quite the punch. A cannon blast in a bottle. The Stone Pale Ale is on the smoother more conservative side of the IPA flavor spectrum but with a solid hoppy note. Though the craft beers ran a premium price, I can't say I've been much happier as far as purchasing decisions. If you're looking to buy a great tasting beer to enjoy back at home, I think Happy's Wine and Spirits will have what you're looking for.

Drinking Means Responsibility

Before this weekend approaches, I want to take this time to write about the responsibilities of drinking. For most college students the weekend is a time to cut loose and let off some steam after a hard stressful week of lectures and homework. Every weekend Cedar Falls Main St. and College Hill are packed with young adults looking to have a good time. As much fun as having a few drinks with your friends can be, a good night can quickly turn into a nightmare. There are certain ways to minimize the risks of going out and drinking.

• Have a designated driver
  If you and you're friends are driving somewhere to drink it is always a good idea to have a designated driver to get everyone home safely. I know some people think it's not cool to be sober while their friends seem to be having such a fun time drinking, but one night of sacrifice and staying sober is better than the consequences of drinking and driving. Besides, sometimes it's more fun to stay sober and watch the stupid shit your friends do while they're drunk. 
• Give up your keys
  If you go out to drink at a friends house, give your keys to a friend you trust. A fun night at a friends house can go from a night of revelry to a night in jail if you decide to drive home afterwards. And its a good idea to give up your keys right away because you might forget later after the alcohol has already impaired your judgement. 
• Have a taxi cab's business card in your wallet or purse
  Already had a couple drinks and you don't have a sober friend who can drive? Having a business card of a taxi service will solve any of those issues. 
• Keep a 1:1 ratio of alcoholic drinks to glasses of water
  This ratio won't prevent you from having a good time, and will make you feel so much better waking up the next morning. 

A few years ago when I first headed off for college, my dad gave me his advice about drinking.

1. it's better to go to a party than to host a party
2. if you host a party, lock up the power tools
3. don't let drunk people sleep in your bed. (you don't want anyone puking on it)

So with this advice in mind, go out and have a good time but remember to drink responsibly. 

Is Craft Beer Just a Perception?

Recent years has seen a cultural shift from mass produced generic beer to craft beers. Millennials have gravitated towards products that are labeled as "authentic", "craft", and "local". This cultural shift can be seen in the beer industry as well as coffee and other various consumer products. And since this rising trend started, large corporations have attempted to jump on the bandwagon and penetrate this growing market. Passionate consumers are in a rage that large corporations are taking words like "bespoke", "craft", and "artisan" and slapping them on their products in an attempt to appeal to this new wave of consumers. This is damn near sacrilege to most consumers looking for a true authentic product. How dare corporate giants claim to be "artisan" when they clearly do not put personal care into each individual batch of products using only the highest ingredients. How many words are going to be bastardized and mutilated by corporations just to earn a quick profit? Hamilton Nolan's article makes a good point on the marketing extortion of the word "bespoke".

But why can corporations get away with this? In all honesty I believe it's because of the hazy definitions of these words. Or at the very least companies can make an argument that their products fall into these "artisan" and "craft" categories because of their new unusual flavors or extra ingredients not added to past products.

flickr image by Mike

So how does this affect the beer industry and how is a beer defined as a "craft beer"? According to the Brewers Association craft beer is defined by 3 attributions; small, independent, and traditional.

Small
Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorship.

Independent 
Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

Traditional
A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

But are these requirements really necessary to be a craft brew, or have we deviated from the traditional meaning of the word craft? The word craft is of Germanic origin and means "an activity involving skill in making things by hand", among other definitions. How do we judge how much skill is necessary during the beer making process to brand the beer as craft? No one can really say because it's so subjective. But I'd say the entire beer making process takes skill and knowledge. I wouldn't be able to read a book about the brewing process go home that night and make a good batch of beer.

Certain advertised craft beers such as Blue Moon and Shock Top are not actually craft as defined by the Brewers Association because their parent companies, MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch respectively, are too large to fulfill the small size requirement. But the size of the company doesn't detract from the quality their beer. Tom Long, the CEO of MillerCoors, stated in an opinion piece to CNN "We respect the fact that some of our fellow brewers would want to differentiate themselves, but we're convinced that the ultimate assessment of our beers will not come from an industry organization, but instead from America's beer drinkers." I agree and believe that the size of the company shouldn't dictate if a beer is craft.

So what about being independent? Every beer is produced to have a specific quality to it whether it's a light beer, dark beer, ale, porter or IPA. The process of brewing is a craft in and of itself, so I believe that anyone who brews regardless of being independent can produce craft beers. So with all these requirements thrown out the window and by the definition of craft every beer is technically a craft beer. But what makes certain beers more special? PERCEPTION. "Craft beer" is a perception held in the mind of consumers and nothing more.

A List of Iowa Breweries

Gov. Chet Culver passed a law in 2010 allowing Iowa breweries to brew beers with a limit of up to 12% alcohol by weight (15.2% alcohol by volume). Before the passing of this law, the maximum limit was only 6%ABW. The old law stifled creativity and growth in the brewing industry and put Iowa at a disadvantage. Since 2010 and the amending of this law the number of Iowa breweries has more than doubled and more keep popping up across the state. And not only are more beers being brewed, but Iowa is receiving national attention for it's quality beers.

Award winning home-brewer and certified beer judge, J. Wilson, traveled across Iowa visiting every brewery and upcoming brewery and compiled a comprehensive list in his book aptly named Iowa Pints. This book contains a map of Iowa showing all the locations of the breweries, their addresses, and a couple page description of every brewery. There is also a section on the basics of brewing to help educate readers about the brewing process, which I found to be very helpful. So for anyone planning on taking a trip across Iowa, brewery hopping, or just interested in beer, this is a must buy book.

What Kind of Beer Drinker Are You?

Everybody seems to have a unique drinking style, but we never seem to notice it about ourselves. It's only our friends' styles that we seem to notice. Thrillist.com posted an article depicting 43 different types of beer drinkers, and I have to say I find them amusing and strangely accurate.

I have a friend from home who drinks only Bud Lite. (And I don't make fun of him for it, it's a personal choice. Just perhaps the wrong one...) According to Thrillist.com my friend is labeled as "The Light Beer Loyalist". Every time we hang out for a night of drinking I can count on him to have a giant rack of Bud Lite cans. He will try the occasional sip of some other beer someone offers him, but rarely is another kind of beer seen in his hand. Another close friend of mine likes anything strong and abrasive. This pertains mostly to his hard liquor, but he enjoys a good dark brew as well. His favorite being Guinness Stout, and since he's actually been to Ireland he claims it's better across the Atlantic. I wouldn't know, but I don't think a bottle of Guinness changes flavor just because it's been shipped across an ocean. This particular guy is obviously "The Guy Who Orders Guinness and Always Insists it's Better in Ireland". I've been able to label a few other friends from the list as well. I myself am probably "The Guy Just Trying to Pad His Untapped Stats". Or at least I've become that guy since I've started this blog and attempt to catalog my beer exploits.

Curious to know what kind of beer drinker you and your friends are? Visit Thrillist.com and find out!

Koppi Coffee IPA: A Diamond in the Rough

I walked into Sidecar today thinking I would just sit at a table, relax with a beer, and get some homework done. Little did I know I would make an impulse buy on the spot for the most expensive beer I've ever bought. (Though to some who really enjoy their unique craft beers I may not have paid that much.)

While I was standing in line at the counter I overheard the barista talking to the male student in front of me. Apparently he was the only one so far who had bought and tried a particular beer and was asked how he enjoyed it. Naturally I was curious to know what beer this was because it might influence my purchase decision. I asked the barista what beer he was referring to and he responded the Koppi Coffee IPA. This particular beer is hard to find around here because there are only 6 of these beers (to the knowledge of the barista) in North East Iowa, and they were all purchased by Sidecar. With this in mind and a natural desire to own unusual and rare things I jumped at the opportunity to be the second buyer of the Koppi Coffee IPA. It cost a pretty penny ($14 plus tax to be exact) but when I saw the size of the bottle I felt better about the expenditure. 

So how did Sidecar happen to acquire all 6 of these unique beers? The barista informed me they had a personal connection with the brewer. The brewer in question, Friedreich of Abu Nawas Brewing Company helps supply Sidecar with artisan beers and ales. This selection includes Prarrie, Mikkeller, and Evil Twin. The Koppi happened to be Mikkeller.

Now that I purchased this rare beer I find myself in a dilemma. Should I drink it or is it unique enough that I should keep it untouched in the bottle to show off? If anyone knows more about this beer and has a suggestion, please leave a comment. 

But since I have not yet opened the Koppi IPA, I also purchased Goose Island's The Muddy Imperial Stout to sip on while blogging. So I suppose I should do a review about that as well. 

Beer Review: 

Goose Island Beer Co. The Muddy Imperial Stout is quite a strong beer. Naturally because it is an imperial and contains 9% alcohol by volume with an IBU of 32. IBU stands for International Bitterness Unit. Usually the hoppier a beer is the higher the IBU. So if you don't like hoppy beers or IPA's look for a beer with a low IBU. But I digress. The Muddy has a deep rich dark flavor with a hint of licorice. Like most dark stouts this stout is also creamier than a regular ale. Just as the name suggests, The Muddy is a very down to earth stout. As a kid I'm sure most of you played the game Candy Land. In Candy Land if there was a deep dark cavern, this stout is the underground lake that occupies the center of this cavern. I give this beer a 4 out of 5 rating, though I caution that this beer is particularly suited for dark beer consumers. 

Pabst Blue Ribbon Turns Russian Red

Pabst Blue Ribbon, once the beer of choice for the hard working American man, was bought out by a Russian company. Billionaire C. Dean Metropoulos was the previous owner of the now iconic Hipster beer along with his two sons. PBR was sold to Moscow-based Oasis Beverages. Chairman of Oasis, Eugene Kashper, shared his sentiments. "The opportunity to work with the company's treasure trove of iconic brands, some of which I started my career selling, is a dream come true."

Perhaps in a twist of fate, beer will be the bridge peacefully connecting America and Russia. For the full article on PBR defecting to Russia visit the Huffington Post online.

Sidecar Coffee Shop: When Coffee Just Doesn't Cut It

College Hill is home to the Sidecar Coffee Shop. In my opinion the best coffee shop in Cedar Falls. Perhaps a bold claim, but one I intend to prove. When you walk into the Sidecar you are presented with a lot of stimulus. College kids crowd around the small tables enjoying their coffee and paninis as they study together or simply converse with enthusiasm. The mellow lighting and music offers a relaxing and enticing atmosphere. As you continue to walk towards the counter and glance around you would notice the painting lining the walls. Every few weeks a new artist features their work providing a unique experience with every gallery.

As you walk up to the counter you are greeted by a smiling barista prepared to take your order. The service is usually swift, and for any time consuming order the barista will serve your food or drink to you at your table while you wait. The menu choices are quite extensive for a coffee shop as well. There's the usual coffee related drinks as well as soups, salads, paninis, breakfast pastries, desert bars, and an eclectic selection of beer when coffee just doesn't quite cut it. I've had a few of the beers and I'm quite happy with what they have available.

Beer Review:

Two Hearted Ale is a crisp bubbly IPA with a bitter bite. The bitter piny hop flavor is the overriding characteristic of the ale. It has a deep amber color in the low light of the Sidecar ambiance. All these IPA's I keep drinking are helping me develop a taste for them, though I think it will still take a while to truly appreciate and enjoy the taste completely. The Two Hearted Ale made me think of biting into an acorn. Now I have no idea what an acorn actually tastes like, but I imagine it's something similar to this IPA. I would recommend this ale to any IPA lover, but not to anyone who doesn't enjoy the bitter taste of a hoppy beer. I give the Two Hearted Ale a 3.75   out of 5. 

The Cuvee Renee is a lambic style beer. Absolutely one of my favorite beers I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. There's a premium cost to purchase it, but worth every penny. It had a light crisp bubbly sensation as you sipped it from the glass. Bubbles rose in a continuous column causing a slight fascination. The beer had a distinct sweet citrus flavor with a tart and slightly vinegar over note. A glass of the Cuvee Renee reminded me of a champagne more than anything. Merchant duVin can offer more information about the lambic style beers. I rate this beer a 4.75 out of 5.

Craft Terroir: a Reflection of Craft Beers

Tuesday evening, Sept. 16, I attending a talk about craft beers by a Kentucky University professor. Jeff Rice, professor of writing, rhetoric, and digital studies was asked to present a talk about craft beers and how they reflect the land upon which they were crafted. Needless to say I was very excited to hear what Mr. Rice had to say, and I walked into the talk with the expectation of having great things to blog about. Unfortunately that wasn't quite the case.

As Mr. Rice stood at the podium the room fell to a hush with an almost palpable anticipation . The first words uttered by Mr. Rice were lost upon me as my ears adjusted to the poor acoustics of the room. His voice emanating from the speakers behind him was muddled as the sound reverberated around the room making it difficult to understand what he was saying.

After a moment of adjustment I realized Mr. Rice was recounting his experience with the Pliny the Elder beer, an IPA crafted by the Russian River Brewing Co. in California. He used various words to describe the ale; floral, piny, hoppy and citrus among others. A brief history of hops followed to explain the name of the beer. Lupus salictarius, the origianal botanical name for hops which translated into “wolf among scrubs” grew wild among willows. And Pliny, a man who lived in the first century - 23 to 79 A.D. was credited being the first to name the plant or at least write about it. Hence the name of the ale.

Soon after the point about the original name of hops was made I was lost again. Jeff moved from topic to topic before I had a chance to understand what he was speaking about leaving me in a state of confusion and desperate strain for understanding. He read his talk from a paper like a speech rather than talking to his audience. I liken him to a man presenting a reading at a church service.

The most interesting part of his speech was when Mr. Rice started explaining terroir which means land. beers should reflect the land upon which they are crafted. Terroir was originally a political concept to protect food and products by tying them to the land of origin. Contemporary meaning of terroir is more closely associated with the culture surrounding the product than with the product itself. The land gives the product identity. Mr. Rice was making the argument that every ingredient that goes into the crafting of a beer reflects the land from which it came and gives identity to the beer. Emotional connections are also made between consumers and the craft beers from their region.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to take away any more information from the talk given. The concept of Craft Terroir is interesting and I may have to do individual research into the subject. I wish the talk by Mr. Rice was more substantial and less about his own personal experiences with craft beers on the West Coast. Though some parts were interesting, on the whole I found the talk to be unengaging and difficult to follow. I attribute a large portion of that to the bad acoustics. Perhaps the venue for his next talk will have better sound.

Back for Another Beer at Singlespeed

Once again I find myself sitting at the small round table in the window of Singlespeed Brewery. This time I just happened to be a victim of circumstance. My mother allowed me to take her old touring bike to college. Now keep in mind this bike is 30+ years old and needs a lot of maintenance. Just a couple days ago the breaks started to go out on me. I procrastinated fixing them because of the unusually cold weather, but after warming up slightly today I jumped at the opportunity to ride to Main St and submit my bike to Bike Tech. Singlespeed sits just next door so I took a hop, skip, and a jump over to the brewery to sit and relax with a cold brew while waiting for the cycle surgeons to finish operating.

Beer Review:

On this occasion I chose to try a guest microbrew courtesy of Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. located in Decorah, IA. This particular beer is named Dorothy's New World. It has a slightly sweet wheat flavor that lingers in your mouth until the next sip. A fantastic beer for drinkers who do not like hoppy brews. If you enjoy light beers, this is a good one to mix up the game. It packs a lot of flavor but in a subtle way. As  an added note there is a very subtle hint of hop to it that I didn't notice until I closed my eyes to envision the flavor in my mind. In one word the beer depicts camaraderie. Fully in my mind this beer makes me see a close group of guys cheering with wild enthusiasm during a Sunday afternoon football game and clinking their glasses filled to the brim with Dorothy's New World. I give this beer a 4 out of 5 rating.

And I realize this is the third post in a row about Singlespeed. I promise I will visit another venue very soon to write about.

Beer Tour at Singlespeed Brewery

Anybody walking down Main St. for the Cedar Falls Art-a-Palooza may have seen me between the hours of 2:00 and 3:30 sitting behind the window at the Singlespeed bar-counter. I returned for my second visit ever on Saturday for the 2:00 beer tour guided by one of the brewers. It was interesting to listen to the brewing process, but I happened to be stuck at the back of the tour and couldn't hear too well and don't recall many details about the brewing process. But my main concern was the free beer after the tour. It's hard to turn down the opportunity for a free beer.

Before the  tour began I sat at the bar and purchased a beer titled The APA. Supposedly it's just a less hoppy IPA. I had only been sitting with my purchased brew for a couple minutes when the tour started to commence. During the entire tour presentation I kept sipping on my beer and fine-tuning its taste in my mind. (Now I am a very visually oriented individual so a lot of my beer descriptions will be images that formulate in my mind as I drink. For you other visual people out there, my reviews may be very entertaining. Hopefully you others who are dominantly either auditory or kinesthetic will still be able to relate to my flavor descriptions.)

Brewery Tour

The most amusing moment during the tour for me was when the tour leader paused and took a sip from his beer. He commanded the attention of the group, so when he paused to take a drink several others all raised their glasses in unison to drink as well. It was a subconscious response to mimic his actions, and I found it amusing from a psychological standpoint.

After the tour ended I returned to the bar to claim my free beer, so I have two beer reviews today.  The second beer was their Raspberry Farmhouse, a slightly hoppy ale brewed with fresh raspberries for a genuine raspberry flavor. Very refreshing on that particularly hot day.



Beer Review:

The APA had a flavor that reminded me of approaching Christmas. The beer had subtle hints of orange citrus flavor and a mellow hoppiness. It was like pine needles and candied orange peels being swept up in a light snow flurry on a December evening. I give this beer a 4.25 out of 5. I would definitely have this beer again and suggest it to anyone who wants to dip their feet in the pool of hoppy beers.

The Raspberry Farmhouse has a much simpler flavor image. It's a raspberry hop sandwich. After taking a sip you are initially hit with a wave of strong raspberry then replaced a moment later with the piney bitter hops only to end with a lingering raspberry flavor left on your tongue until the next sip. Great to drink with a spring salad or just to enjoy on a hot day. (or really any time for that matter.) Also rated a 4.25 out of 5. I think any beer drinker would enjoy drinking this beer as long as they enjoy a fruit flavor in their beer.

A Steady Speed at Singlespeed

It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Click photo for link to SingleSpeed website

I sure was swept off my feet when I walked into Singlespeed brewery for the first time. As I opened the door the first thing I noticed was the small cozy interior. Framed prints of art depicting beers and bicycles lined the red brick walls. A long wooden bench sat along the right wall with two small tables, while several high top tables stood on the left. Two little round tables sat in each corner window overlooking the Main St. of Cedar Falls. The bar stood at the back of the welcoming room beckoning me to come closer. The surrounding atmosphere and quaint decorations were soon forgotten as my head tilted back to take in the entire blackboard of with the beer menu upon it written colorfully in chalk.

My head got dizzy just staring at seven different microbrew options, the likes of which I’ve never seen before. I didn’t know what to expect. I needed to put all this stimulus in context. The bartender, a ruggedly handsome fellow who looked to be in his late 20’s maybe early 30’s, was hard at work writing new beer names on the menu as I made my way over. Briefly I explained to him the nature of my visit and said I was in search of the best brew in the Cedar Valley, to which he replied, “Well the best beers are here.” And if this is true, my search ended quicker than it begun, but I will still have to continue to other breweries before I can make a decision on that point.

I arrived at Singlespeed with the intentions of having an interviewer with a brewer or manager who could shed some light on the business, how it started, and explain some of the technical aspects of the brewing process, however that didn’t happen as planned. The assistant brew manager was too heavily laden with work to be able to come out to chat, though he expressed much enthusiasm in getting to talk to someone so interested in the beers they craft with such artistry. So for today I had to content myself with simply ordering a beer and writing my opinion about it’s flavor.

After trying a couple samples, I narrowed my choice to their Saison Six. Apparently a saison contains some hops but not enough to categorize it as an Indian Pale Ale. (I had no idea there were other beers other than IPA’s that contained hops. I always assumed by definition, a hoppy beer was an IPA.) But I digress.

Beer Review: Saison Six

The official description of the Saison Six offered by Singlespeed goes as follows; “The latest launch in our Experimental Saison Series. This one steers West of traditional, featuring a handful of fruit-forward hops while restraining the clove-like, spicy notes. We are describing it as tropically cool. We aren’t certain what that means though.”

Honestly this entire description basically went over my head, so I will present my average drinker description in a moment. I don’t particularly care for hoppy beers. I think they taste either like soap or pine tree. However this saison beer was different from other hoppy beers I’ve tried in the past. The hoppy flavor was much more subtle with a true fruity undertone. So ultimately I would describe the flavor of the Saison Six as a mellow pine tree relaxing on the beach surrounded by tropical oranges. If you can take that mental image and think of it as a flavor, that is what the Saison Six tasted like to me.

I would definitely get this beer again presented the opportunity, but not until I’ve also tried some others first. I would recommend the Saison Six for all you beer lovers who enjoy hops or for those of you looking for an easy transition into the realm of hoppy beers. Since I don’t particularly enjoy hoppy beers myself, this was the perfect microbrew to help me transition into the hoppy realm. So how would I rate this beer on a 5 star system? I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Beers with Bennett: An Introduction

Greetings to all you beer fans out there. My name is Bennett Becicka and I am a senior marketing major studying at the University of Northern Iowa (Go Panthers!). I am currently taking a digital advertising class and have to create a digital presence across several different social media. Our class project is to generate and post content over a topic we are passionate about. I have chosen beer! Which makes this the best class project ever! Who doesn't want to drink beer and get a grade for it?

My personal branding statement sums me up along with my goal for this project. I am a goofy, fun-loving, enthusiastic college student interested in reviewing beers and their venues because I want to generate ideas of what works and doesn't work for my future ambition of owning a bar. So what is my plan for this blog exactly? Well, I plan on going all around the Cedar Valley finding the best craft beers, microbrews, and unusual bottled beers from breweries and retailers and reviewing them. I have little prior knowledge about the brewing process or any correct terminology about beer or their descriptions, so my reviews should resonate with the average consumer. I am not a beer snob by any means.

My blogging will not just stop at reviewing and critiquing beers and their venues. I will also share my new knowledge about beers and how they differ as I educate myself on the subject. Also there will be some interviews with brew masters who will help explain the brewing process for all of you who have thought about home brewing and just haven't quite gotten to it yet. So stay tuned for more Beers With Bennett; "beer reviews by the average drinker, for the average drinker".