I am back in Des Moines again tonight and decided to go the the third brewpub in Des Moines tonight. Even though the place was a ghost town, maybe 20 people total besides myself while I was there, it is still a great pain to find parking near Raccoon River http://www.raccoonbrew.com/. Walking in the brewpub is very impressive, just to your left as you walk in is the brewhouse. Also there is an upstairs billiard and game room. To your right is the bar and when I walked in there was one other person at the bar.
After I sat down I ordered a sampler, it includes 7 of their beers. Tallgrass Light, a light refreshing beer that was one of there better beers. Vanilla Cream Ale, the vanilla overwhelms everything else, if you like vanilla this is your beer. Lakeside (?) Wheat an American wheat that was very grainy and slightly harsh not a favorite. 10th St. Cherry Wheat, their wheat with I'm guessing cherry juice added, sweet red and very cherry, almost a cherry cough drop without the menthol. Homestead Red, sweet malty with some hops, but just missing something in my opinion. Bandit IPA, very hoppy aroma and taste with a decent malt backbone, mainly piny hops but maybe some simcoe in it is as well slightly catty. Their last beer was Stonecutter Stout, black dark roast and coffee flavors as well as some chocolate and coffee, roast flavors. Some sweetness and slickness coming from oats?
Their menu has a good selection to chose from, but as usual I went with a burger. I ordered a raccoon burger, a burger with smoked Gouda and fried onions on it, quite tasty. Raccoon River seems to be more concentrated on food that beer. Overall I would rate this third out of the three brewpubs in Des Moines. I really prefer Court Avenue and Rock Bottom to Raccoon River, they both seem to make better quality of beer. Raccoon is far from a horrible brewpub, but the other two are just better beer wise. Do not be afraid to give them a try.
QC Beerguy
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