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.
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. 