Just a quickie on a couple things happening in the QC beer scene this week. First Against the Grain Brewery and Ale house will be having a New Years Eve Dark Horse Release from 4pm to 1 am on the 31st https://www.facebook.com/events/385293361561497/. Second Great River Brewery will be tapping Hop A Potamus on Saturday January 5th, golden keg at 1pm https://www.facebook.com/events/538589626154255/.
Now for a bit of news there is in the works a new nano brewery in the QC area, location is not announced yet. It is Wormburner Brewing Company https://www.facebook.com/WormburnerBrewCo?ref=ts&fref=ts. They mention three beers, an IPA, an APA and a Belgian Ale on their facebook page so looking forward to trying the beers when they are out.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Springfield, IL
My wife and I decided to make a quick trip to Springfield, IL to see some Abraham Lincoln sites and check out a brewpub and a bar or two this past weekend. The Lincoln sites are awe inspiring and helps a person realize what a strong and brave man Abraham Lincoln was. As President he could please no one and was always under siege from the press and detractors. To me he is the greatest President we have ever had.
We only scratched the surface on Lincoln sites. We went to the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library, a must visit for everyone. We also visited the Lincoln Homestead, the only National Park in Illinois, the Old Capitol and the "New" Capitol. We finished our visit to Springfield by going to the Lincoln Tomb and yes we did rub Lincoln's nose.
Beside the Lincoln sites we did a bit of beer tourism as well. Our first stop was Obed and Isaac's Microbrewery and Eatery http://www.obedandisaacs.com/. Located in the Downtown area it is conveniently located close to the Lincoln sites, so if you want you can do like us and make a late afternoon pit stop. The history of the Microbrewery goes back to the days of the Lincoln era in Springfield. The owners of the brewpub are decedents of the family that was friends with the Lincoln family. To me it is a very cool story.
The building is extensive and has multiple rooms to dine in, the entrance takes you into the bar proper. Which unfortunately us was pretty much filled up so we were seated in one of the rooms off of the bar. The food menu was varied it had sandwiches, flat bread pizza, salads and entree. We just had an order of pretzels and a bowl of beer cheese soup, both were very good. What I saw of the other food that was delivered to other tables, I believe the food overall is very good.
Their beer is available by the pint, 10 oz glass or in a 4 beer sampler. They had nine of their own beers on tap as well as a couple guest taps. We decided to go with a couple of samplers which allowed us to try eight of the nine beers. Their beers run the gambit from light to dark and hoppy to malty.
First we tried the Upside down Brown Ale: 5.5% ABV medium brown in color with a tan head. Hints of spice, pine in the aroma as well as a bready nose. Flavors were dark fruit, dark malt and a nice breadiness. The beer finishes with a good nuttiness. This was one of the beer that stood out to us.
Second Obed's Pride Amber Ale: 5.2% ABV amber color with an off white head. A light caramel and noticeable phenolic aromas. The flavor is much like the aroma, which to me the phenolics detract from the beer. To me as the beer warms it actually becomes more drinkable. Overall a decent beer but not high on our list.
Third Isaac's IPA: 6.1% ABV light copper color with an off white head. Aromas of hops and malt great the nose. Taste is a strong malty backbone with citrusy hops. Medium bodied and the finish is dry and crisp. A good beer but not one of my favorite IPAs.
Fourth Frothbite Winter Ale: 6.6 % ABV dark brown with a tan head. Aroma was of dark fruit, dark roast and coffee. The taste was much the same as the aroma with one exception as the beer warms and unpleasant bitterness is perceived. Also surprisingly this is a light bodied beer. We had great hopes for this beer but were greatly underwhelmed by it.
Fifth Mother Road APA: 4.9 % ABV golden color with a white head. Aroma was low hops and medium malt. Flavors were light hops and malt. Light bodied and had a bit of a "dirty" taste. The beer does liven up as it warms and become more drinkable. Unfortunately for this beer to shine you need to let it sit and warm up, so if you are thirsty this may not be the beer to order for a quick drink.
Sixth Ditzy Blonde: 4.6% ABV light gold white head. Unpleasant aromas of butter and dishwater greet the nose. Taste was of butter as well, but it did have a medium hop presence which was a plus. I would suggest avoiding this beer. I am guessing that this is probably their best selling beer and because of that it is served before the yeast had a chance to clean up after itself and take the butter taste away.
Seventh Silly Pants Stout: 3.9% ABV Black with garnet highlights and a strong tan head. Great aromas of coffee, dark roast malts and a hint of licorice. Flavors are pleasant dark malt and coffee in the start, but ends oddly phenolic which is far from pleasant. This beer looks and smells the part but the flavor lets the drinker down. If the phenolic end could be taken away this could be a good session beer.
Eighth German Alt: 4.6% ABV Ruby brown color with a white head that did not last. Aroma was of prunes and other dark fruits with a light phenolic note. Taste was rich and malty with the prune notes carrying over. Medium bodied beer. This was a hit with us, the second beer that we really enjoyed.
The ninth beer which we did not try was a Black IPA, those of you that know me understand why this one was skipped. For those of you that do not I am not a fan of Black IPAs so I usually avoid them.
We greatly enjoyed Obed and Isaac's and on our next visit hope to have a seat at the bar and enjoy the vibe there.
Next we walked over to Norb Andy's Tarabin http://norbandys.com/ only a few blocks away. This bar has a colorful past, including that at one time it was a speakeasy. Upon entering from street level you walk down stairs into the basement bar. The decor has nautical tones to it but overall it is a comfortable place to be. We were able to have a seat at the horseshoes shaped bar which seats probably about 12-15 people. They have only six taps and up to sixteen bottles of beer. They did proudly serve on tap a fine local beer from Rolling Meadows Brewery, Abe's Brown Ale. The beer was a medium brown color with a tan head. It had a good malty aroma and had a malty flavor with a slight hoppiness and a bit of nutiness. Overall a really nice easy to drink beer.They also had a couple of Rolling Meadows beers in bottles as well Lincoln Lager and Springfield wheat, we did not try either of them which gives us another reason to go back to Springfield.
As I mentioned this is a comfortable bar and we quickly were able to strike up conversations with the bartender, who happens to own the bar with his wife, and the other patrons sitting around the bar. We had a very entertaining evening siting at the bar. I took advantage of one of the beer specials, $1.50 PBRs which was served in a chalice.
The menu is pretty standard bar food with one exception that is a local specialty, a Horseshoe. This is a cardiologists dream. First a layer of toast is laid down, then a layer of meat originally ground beef, then a layer of french fries and topped off with cheese sauce. It is served with a knife and fork and is a glorious mess to eat. No we did not have one but one of the other bar patrons did so my wife could she her first real live horseshoe in person. She had never heard or seen one before.
We were very pleased with the food we ordered. I had a tenderloin and my wife had a burger. The amazing thing besides the good taste of the food was the price of the food. For what you pay for the food it is a great bargain. We will go back to Norb Andy's on our next trip to Springfield. When we finished our food and our beers we called it a night and walked back to our hotel.
We did not make it to a couple of other bars that we wanted to Brewhaus and Floyd's Thirst Parlor, so that means we just have to go back another time. We also did notice a few other bars or restaurants that held promise as well so there will be a next visit. Also we have many more Abraham Lincoln sites to see as well.
QC Beerguy
We only scratched the surface on Lincoln sites. We went to the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library, a must visit for everyone. We also visited the Lincoln Homestead, the only National Park in Illinois, the Old Capitol and the "New" Capitol. We finished our visit to Springfield by going to the Lincoln Tomb and yes we did rub Lincoln's nose.
Beside the Lincoln sites we did a bit of beer tourism as well. Our first stop was Obed and Isaac's Microbrewery and Eatery http://www.obedandisaacs.com/. Located in the Downtown area it is conveniently located close to the Lincoln sites, so if you want you can do like us and make a late afternoon pit stop. The history of the Microbrewery goes back to the days of the Lincoln era in Springfield. The owners of the brewpub are decedents of the family that was friends with the Lincoln family. To me it is a very cool story.
The building is extensive and has multiple rooms to dine in, the entrance takes you into the bar proper. Which unfortunately us was pretty much filled up so we were seated in one of the rooms off of the bar. The food menu was varied it had sandwiches, flat bread pizza, salads and entree. We just had an order of pretzels and a bowl of beer cheese soup, both were very good. What I saw of the other food that was delivered to other tables, I believe the food overall is very good.
Their beer is available by the pint, 10 oz glass or in a 4 beer sampler. They had nine of their own beers on tap as well as a couple guest taps. We decided to go with a couple of samplers which allowed us to try eight of the nine beers. Their beers run the gambit from light to dark and hoppy to malty.
First we tried the Upside down Brown Ale: 5.5% ABV medium brown in color with a tan head. Hints of spice, pine in the aroma as well as a bready nose. Flavors were dark fruit, dark malt and a nice breadiness. The beer finishes with a good nuttiness. This was one of the beer that stood out to us.
Second Obed's Pride Amber Ale: 5.2% ABV amber color with an off white head. A light caramel and noticeable phenolic aromas. The flavor is much like the aroma, which to me the phenolics detract from the beer. To me as the beer warms it actually becomes more drinkable. Overall a decent beer but not high on our list.
Third Isaac's IPA: 6.1% ABV light copper color with an off white head. Aromas of hops and malt great the nose. Taste is a strong malty backbone with citrusy hops. Medium bodied and the finish is dry and crisp. A good beer but not one of my favorite IPAs.
Fourth Frothbite Winter Ale: 6.6 % ABV dark brown with a tan head. Aroma was of dark fruit, dark roast and coffee. The taste was much the same as the aroma with one exception as the beer warms and unpleasant bitterness is perceived. Also surprisingly this is a light bodied beer. We had great hopes for this beer but were greatly underwhelmed by it.
Fifth Mother Road APA: 4.9 % ABV golden color with a white head. Aroma was low hops and medium malt. Flavors were light hops and malt. Light bodied and had a bit of a "dirty" taste. The beer does liven up as it warms and become more drinkable. Unfortunately for this beer to shine you need to let it sit and warm up, so if you are thirsty this may not be the beer to order for a quick drink.
Sixth Ditzy Blonde: 4.6% ABV light gold white head. Unpleasant aromas of butter and dishwater greet the nose. Taste was of butter as well, but it did have a medium hop presence which was a plus. I would suggest avoiding this beer. I am guessing that this is probably their best selling beer and because of that it is served before the yeast had a chance to clean up after itself and take the butter taste away.
Seventh Silly Pants Stout: 3.9% ABV Black with garnet highlights and a strong tan head. Great aromas of coffee, dark roast malts and a hint of licorice. Flavors are pleasant dark malt and coffee in the start, but ends oddly phenolic which is far from pleasant. This beer looks and smells the part but the flavor lets the drinker down. If the phenolic end could be taken away this could be a good session beer.
Eighth German Alt: 4.6% ABV Ruby brown color with a white head that did not last. Aroma was of prunes and other dark fruits with a light phenolic note. Taste was rich and malty with the prune notes carrying over. Medium bodied beer. This was a hit with us, the second beer that we really enjoyed.
The ninth beer which we did not try was a Black IPA, those of you that know me understand why this one was skipped. For those of you that do not I am not a fan of Black IPAs so I usually avoid them.
We greatly enjoyed Obed and Isaac's and on our next visit hope to have a seat at the bar and enjoy the vibe there.
Next we walked over to Norb Andy's Tarabin http://norbandys.com/ only a few blocks away. This bar has a colorful past, including that at one time it was a speakeasy. Upon entering from street level you walk down stairs into the basement bar. The decor has nautical tones to it but overall it is a comfortable place to be. We were able to have a seat at the horseshoes shaped bar which seats probably about 12-15 people. They have only six taps and up to sixteen bottles of beer. They did proudly serve on tap a fine local beer from Rolling Meadows Brewery, Abe's Brown Ale. The beer was a medium brown color with a tan head. It had a good malty aroma and had a malty flavor with a slight hoppiness and a bit of nutiness. Overall a really nice easy to drink beer.They also had a couple of Rolling Meadows beers in bottles as well Lincoln Lager and Springfield wheat, we did not try either of them which gives us another reason to go back to Springfield.
As I mentioned this is a comfortable bar and we quickly were able to strike up conversations with the bartender, who happens to own the bar with his wife, and the other patrons sitting around the bar. We had a very entertaining evening siting at the bar. I took advantage of one of the beer specials, $1.50 PBRs which was served in a chalice.
The menu is pretty standard bar food with one exception that is a local specialty, a Horseshoe. This is a cardiologists dream. First a layer of toast is laid down, then a layer of meat originally ground beef, then a layer of french fries and topped off with cheese sauce. It is served with a knife and fork and is a glorious mess to eat. No we did not have one but one of the other bar patrons did so my wife could she her first real live horseshoe in person. She had never heard or seen one before.
We were very pleased with the food we ordered. I had a tenderloin and my wife had a burger. The amazing thing besides the good taste of the food was the price of the food. For what you pay for the food it is a great bargain. We will go back to Norb Andy's on our next trip to Springfield. When we finished our food and our beers we called it a night and walked back to our hotel.
We did not make it to a couple of other bars that we wanted to Brewhaus and Floyd's Thirst Parlor, so that means we just have to go back another time. We also did notice a few other bars or restaurants that held promise as well so there will be a next visit. Also we have many more Abraham Lincoln sites to see as well.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Beer and Food
Most people know that red wine goes with heavy foods and meats, where white wine goes well with salads and lighter foods. One can go further and split it even further by certain vintages of wines with in the reds or the whites. Believe or not different styles of beers can be paired with foods as well. Many beer lovers realize that beer with all of it styles actually can be a better match with food than wine.
The best example of this fact is the book " The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food" by Garrett Oliver, yes that Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery fame. Here is a link to purchase the book through Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Brewmasters-Table-Discovering-Pleasures/dp/0060005718. This book goes into great depth explaining how beer and food can be paired together. In explaining this Mr. Oliver tells how some flavors and attributes in beer can compliment or contrast with the food the beer is paired with. Some of the beer and food examples he puts forward are classics like oysters and a stout, an IPA with spicy Thai or Mexican foods.
Another book that looks interesting as well is "The Best of American Beer and Food: Pairing and Cooking with Craft Beer" http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-American-Beer-Food/dp/0937381918/ref=pd_vtp_b_3. It seems to be worth a look at least.
Besides these books there are numerous websites that have beer and food pairings. Here are a couple I like http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style_pairings, http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/beer-and-food/pairing-tips/pairing-chart. There are many more if you just google "beer and food pairings".
Once one has learned about pairing beer with food, they can then delight their family and friends with a beer themed meal or a beer and food tasting. It could be something as simple as pairing cheese or deserts with beer or something as complicated as a several course meal with a different beer for each course.
My wife and I have been to a couple beer dinners and have enjoyed them very much. One local brewpub holds a beer dinner approximately each month, our friends at Blue Cat Brewpub http://www.bluecatbrewpub.com/. Dan and Martha do an excellent job pairing food with their beer.
We are trying to figure out a time and menu so we can host our first beer and food tasting. Probably we will start out slow with a cheese and beer pairing or go with a dessert and beer pairing. The most important thing is just to enjoy oneself and remeber it is just beer.
So just do some exploring and find what beer and food sound appealing to you and proceed from there.
QC Beerguy
The best example of this fact is the book " The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food" by Garrett Oliver, yes that Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery fame. Here is a link to purchase the book through Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Brewmasters-Table-Discovering-Pleasures/dp/0060005718. This book goes into great depth explaining how beer and food can be paired together. In explaining this Mr. Oliver tells how some flavors and attributes in beer can compliment or contrast with the food the beer is paired with. Some of the beer and food examples he puts forward are classics like oysters and a stout, an IPA with spicy Thai or Mexican foods.
Another book that looks interesting as well is "The Best of American Beer and Food: Pairing and Cooking with Craft Beer" http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-American-Beer-Food/dp/0937381918/ref=pd_vtp_b_3. It seems to be worth a look at least.
Besides these books there are numerous websites that have beer and food pairings. Here are a couple I like http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style_pairings, http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/beer-and-food/pairing-tips/pairing-chart. There are many more if you just google "beer and food pairings".
Once one has learned about pairing beer with food, they can then delight their family and friends with a beer themed meal or a beer and food tasting. It could be something as simple as pairing cheese or deserts with beer or something as complicated as a several course meal with a different beer for each course.
My wife and I have been to a couple beer dinners and have enjoyed them very much. One local brewpub holds a beer dinner approximately each month, our friends at Blue Cat Brewpub http://www.bluecatbrewpub.com/. Dan and Martha do an excellent job pairing food with their beer.
We are trying to figure out a time and menu so we can host our first beer and food tasting. Probably we will start out slow with a cheese and beer pairing or go with a dessert and beer pairing. The most important thing is just to enjoy oneself and remeber it is just beer.
So just do some exploring and find what beer and food sound appealing to you and proceed from there.
QC Beerguy
Monday, October 22, 2012
End of Outdoor Fest Season
The time has come and the end of outdoor beer fest season is upon us.
To me the end usually is filled by attending Oktoberfest in Amana, IA.
Our group spent Friday and Saturday in Amana attending games, listening to
music, and of course drinking beer. A great time was had by all, even
though waking up to cool thirty degree mornings made tent camping a bit of a
challenge.
A new event added to our local outdoor fest season, was Iowa's first all homebrew festival put on by CR Beernuts http://www.crbeernuts.org/. They are a homebrew club in Cedar Rapids, IA and the event was at Benz Beverage Depot in Cedar Rapids. CR Beernuts Homebrew Festival was attended by four homebrew clubs accounting for over 50 beers. Needless to say a person could not help but find a good beer that they liked. Overall the quality of the beer was very good and there were few if any beers that a person would dump.
My club was one of the four to supply beer. We had nine beers and a soda; the beers ranged from an American wheat to several flavored beers to dark and dangerous stouts. I supplied a fitting seasonal and a favorite beer of my wife, Betsy's Prized Ale; an ESB brewed with sweet potatoes and spices. All of our beers were well received and I believe the members that were present had a great day.
A wonderful side effect of the event was our trip inside Benz Beverage Depot http://benzbeveragedepot.com/. It was a store that none of us from the QC had ever heard of let alone been in. Once inside it was a very pleasant surprise, they had many quality beers at this place. As one of my fellow club members noted, they carried Founders beers that you cannot find even in Michigan. In my beer store rankings I would place this ahead of John's Grocery but behind Blue Max in Apple Valley/Burnsville, MN.
Yes it is a sad time of the year as the weather turns colder and we cannot enjoy our outdoor fests for another 6-8 months. The good thing is this also means the starting of beer judging season and the start of inside beer fests. So as one season ends another season begins. What a glorious thing beer is!
QC Beerguy
A new event added to our local outdoor fest season, was Iowa's first all homebrew festival put on by CR Beernuts http://www.crbeernuts.org/. They are a homebrew club in Cedar Rapids, IA and the event was at Benz Beverage Depot in Cedar Rapids. CR Beernuts Homebrew Festival was attended by four homebrew clubs accounting for over 50 beers. Needless to say a person could not help but find a good beer that they liked. Overall the quality of the beer was very good and there were few if any beers that a person would dump.
My club was one of the four to supply beer. We had nine beers and a soda; the beers ranged from an American wheat to several flavored beers to dark and dangerous stouts. I supplied a fitting seasonal and a favorite beer of my wife, Betsy's Prized Ale; an ESB brewed with sweet potatoes and spices. All of our beers were well received and I believe the members that were present had a great day.
A wonderful side effect of the event was our trip inside Benz Beverage Depot http://benzbeveragedepot.com/. It was a store that none of us from the QC had ever heard of let alone been in. Once inside it was a very pleasant surprise, they had many quality beers at this place. As one of my fellow club members noted, they carried Founders beers that you cannot find even in Michigan. In my beer store rankings I would place this ahead of John's Grocery but behind Blue Max in Apple Valley/Burnsville, MN.
Yes it is a sad time of the year as the weather turns colder and we cannot enjoy our outdoor fests for another 6-8 months. The good thing is this also means the starting of beer judging season and the start of inside beer fests. So as one season ends another season begins. What a glorious thing beer is!
QC Beerguy
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Drinking Age
With a couple recent birthdays in my family I began to think about the
drinking age for alcohol. One of my nephews turned 21 recently and my own
birthday happened within the last month. My thought process began with
his downplaying of his milestone birthday. He attends a college that is
dry and he probably was not even going to go to a bar or restaurant to have a
beer or a drink. It is a big contrast to
my own 21st birthday, where my fraternity brothers’ whole point was to get me
drunk. Needless to say they did succeed in that aspect. These are two
very different ways to look at the milestone 21st birthday. I am not
saying which is better or even more correct, that is up to your own discretion.
In a review of the drinking age around the globe a person quickly finds that the United States is in the minority with the 21 year old drinking age. The vast majority of countries are around 18 years old. Is this a good thing? Our voted in leaders of our country believe so. I am not convinced. The United States (US) is one of the leading countries for alcoholics, binge drinkers and general alcohol abuse. Countries that have much younger drinking ages have a lesser degree of all of these instances.
So this leads one to believe that by delaying the drinking age to 21 we in the US are actually harming our young adults. Since we delay the important day of drinking to such a late age we actually make it overly important. I believe if we would look at going back to 18 we would be doing our young adults a favor. Especially since at 18 our young adults can join the armed services, vote and smoke. My biggest concern is the denying of the young adults that have decided to protect our country the right to drink. I believe that if they are old enough to die for our country they are old enough to drink.
Our 21 year old drinking age really does not do what it is meant to do, which is prevent under- age drinking. The overwhelming majority of adults have drunk before their 21st birthday. I am not saying that every adult had a binge drinking event before turning 21, but a good amount of us have. Especially those of us that have gone away to college, the rule of "out of sight out of mind" applied to many of us. Meaning we are away from home, we were more likely to give into peer pressure.
As I have learned currently, many teenagers do not even wait to go away to college to drink. The rate of high school and tragically even junior high school age kids is on the increase. Which I believe is due to the high drinking age we have. In countries with lower ages they wean their youth onto alcohol slowly and with reverence. They downplay the importance of drinking alcohol and make it a common occurrence to their youth.
I am not saying that the countries that have lower drinking ages are perfect. They do have problems with youth drinking under age and binge drinking, but they have lower occurrences than the US does. Needless to say there is no perfect way to introduce our youth to drinking alcohol. Even those of us that think we are being progressive and introducing our sons or daughters to properly drinking alcohol can be wrong.
There are always those of us that are predisposed to abusing alcohol no matter what age. There is no perfect age to set forth for a drinking age, but I believe that a younger age than we have currently is a good thing.
So needless to say the debate continues and will be decided about the people we elect to represent us in our government. Unfortunately I do not see a change coming any time soon.
QC Beerguy
In a review of the drinking age around the globe a person quickly finds that the United States is in the minority with the 21 year old drinking age. The vast majority of countries are around 18 years old. Is this a good thing? Our voted in leaders of our country believe so. I am not convinced. The United States (US) is one of the leading countries for alcoholics, binge drinkers and general alcohol abuse. Countries that have much younger drinking ages have a lesser degree of all of these instances.
So this leads one to believe that by delaying the drinking age to 21 we in the US are actually harming our young adults. Since we delay the important day of drinking to such a late age we actually make it overly important. I believe if we would look at going back to 18 we would be doing our young adults a favor. Especially since at 18 our young adults can join the armed services, vote and smoke. My biggest concern is the denying of the young adults that have decided to protect our country the right to drink. I believe that if they are old enough to die for our country they are old enough to drink.
Our 21 year old drinking age really does not do what it is meant to do, which is prevent under- age drinking. The overwhelming majority of adults have drunk before their 21st birthday. I am not saying that every adult had a binge drinking event before turning 21, but a good amount of us have. Especially those of us that have gone away to college, the rule of "out of sight out of mind" applied to many of us. Meaning we are away from home, we were more likely to give into peer pressure.
As I have learned currently, many teenagers do not even wait to go away to college to drink. The rate of high school and tragically even junior high school age kids is on the increase. Which I believe is due to the high drinking age we have. In countries with lower ages they wean their youth onto alcohol slowly and with reverence. They downplay the importance of drinking alcohol and make it a common occurrence to their youth.
I am not saying that the countries that have lower drinking ages are perfect. They do have problems with youth drinking under age and binge drinking, but they have lower occurrences than the US does. Needless to say there is no perfect way to introduce our youth to drinking alcohol. Even those of us that think we are being progressive and introducing our sons or daughters to properly drinking alcohol can be wrong.
There are always those of us that are predisposed to abusing alcohol no matter what age. There is no perfect age to set forth for a drinking age, but I believe that a younger age than we have currently is a good thing.
So needless to say the debate continues and will be decided about the people we elect to represent us in our government. Unfortunately I do not see a change coming any time soon.
QC Beerguy
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
September Events
I wanted to get the word out on a few events upcoming this September in the
Eastern Iowa area.
September 2nd, Sunday- Festival of Iowa Beers Amana, IA across the street from Millstream Brewery 1-5pm. Tickets can be purchased online or at Millstream. Things will be a bit different this year with more Iowa based breweries and less Iowa homebrew clubs. Even with that, this will be a fun event.
September 7th, Friday- First Friday at Mississippi River Distilling Company 5:30- 8pm. So far I have not seen any information on what is going on, but I am sure they will have some special preview of one of their spirits.
September 15th, Saturday- Oktoberfest at Great River Brewery 2-6pm. Oktoberfest beer, live music and German cuisine from Bier Stubbe.
September 15th, Saturday- Celtic Highland Games at Centennial Park Davenport, IA 9am-6pm. Not really a beer event, but wanted to get this out there. My wife are looking forward to this with the headline musical act Wylde Nept. This is a fun day of watching the Celtic athletes showing off their prowess.
September 28th, 29th and 30th- Oktoberfest Amana, IA If you cannot make it to Germany for Oktoberfest, this is the next best place. On Friday the tapping of the first keg happens at the Festhall at 2pm. It is a weekend full of music, events, food and beer. If you cannot make it for the full weekend, come when you can.
QC Beerguy
September 2nd, Sunday- Festival of Iowa Beers Amana, IA across the street from Millstream Brewery 1-5pm. Tickets can be purchased online or at Millstream. Things will be a bit different this year with more Iowa based breweries and less Iowa homebrew clubs. Even with that, this will be a fun event.
September 7th, Friday- First Friday at Mississippi River Distilling Company 5:30- 8pm. So far I have not seen any information on what is going on, but I am sure they will have some special preview of one of their spirits.
September 15th, Saturday- Oktoberfest at Great River Brewery 2-6pm. Oktoberfest beer, live music and German cuisine from Bier Stubbe.
September 15th, Saturday- Celtic Highland Games at Centennial Park Davenport, IA 9am-6pm. Not really a beer event, but wanted to get this out there. My wife are looking forward to this with the headline musical act Wylde Nept. This is a fun day of watching the Celtic athletes showing off their prowess.
September 28th, 29th and 30th- Oktoberfest Amana, IA If you cannot make it to Germany for Oktoberfest, this is the next best place. On Friday the tapping of the first keg happens at the Festhall at 2pm. It is a weekend full of music, events, food and beer. If you cannot make it for the full weekend, come when you can.
QC Beerguy
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Qc Beer Primer
This is a guide to beer in the Quad Cities (QC) area, included in this are
local Breweries/ Brewpubs, Beer Bars and Restaurants, Homebrew Club and
Suppliers and Beer Stores. This is my attempt to be complete and if I
left something off it was not intentional.
Breweries/ Brewpubs:
Against the Grain Brewery and Alehouse- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Against-the-Grain-Brewery-Alehouse/445902535438203
As of this posting they are not brewing yet but should hopefully have their own beer for sale within the next few of months. This will be the QC areas first nano-brewery. Soon the people of the QC will be able to enjoy beers from brewer Rich Nunez. Currently they are serving unique craft beers from around the US.
Bent River Brewing Company- http://bentriverbrewing.com/
They now have two locations open and operating. The original brewpub is located downtown Moline only a few blocks from the Mark of the Quad Cities (now know as the I Wireless Center). The tasting room is located just off the Rock Island entrance to Arsenal Island in a former car wash. They are known for their flagship beers the Mississippi Blonde and Uncommon Stout. This was my first place that I really cut my teeth on craft beer in the QC.
Blue Cat Brewpub- http://www.bluecatbrewpub.com/
Own and operated by a brother and sister team this is the second oldest brewpub in the QC. Dan does the brewing while Martha runs the kitchen. They continue to have a good food menu and some interesting and good beers. The interesting thing about Dan is he is self taught brewer and has learned his craft well since he makes some very drinkable beer that I enjoy. They are located in "The District of Rock Island".
Front Street Brewery- http://frontstreetbrew.com/
They also now have two locations up and operating. The tasting room and brewery are located in the Freighthouse in Davenport. The original location is located across from the riverboat casino in Davenport. The brewpub has food as well as their own beer. The food menu is your typical pub food. With the opening of the second location the quality of the beer has improved. No longer brew in the basement of the original location, which was flooded out during one of the many floods of the Mississippi River.
Great River Brewery- http://greatriverbrewery.com/
They distribute into many Midwestern states through use of cans and kegs. The brewery is located just of the Arsenal Bridge in Davenport. Brewers and owners Paul and Scott moved operations from Iowa City to Davenport in December of 2008. Also they have a tasting room in the same building as the brewery; the tasting room was the first of its kind in the QC. They are also home to the QC area's homebrew Club MUGZ.
Bars/ Restaurants:
Against the Grain Brewery and Alehouse- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Against-the-Grain-Brewery-Alehouse/445902535438203
Yes I realize I am listing them twice but until they start brewing they are a really good beer bar that has one of the most unique beer selections in the QC. Currently they are the only bar that has Schlitz on tap in the QC. Yes, I mentioned Schlitz and no, Schlitz is not bad. It is a nice clean tasty American Lager, so give it a shot.
Barrel House 211- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barrel-House-211/247211661960974
This bar is located only a few blocks from both Great River and Front Street in Davenport. The name to me is a bit of a misnomer since they only have six tap beers, but they do have a good selection of craft and import beers at least 30 in total. They also have a good menu that includes a few twists on the typical pub food.
Bier Stube- http://bier-stube.com/
They have two locations open in the QC Area one in Moline, only a few doors down from Bent River, and the second in LeClaire, IA just off I-80. As you might think this is a German themed restaurant. Besides the good food menu they offer an extensive selection of German, Import and Craft Beer. They hold events at the Moline location several times a year.
Crust- https://www.facebook.com/CrustPizzeriaAndPub
As they name implies this is a pizza place which happen to also have craft and import beer. They are more than your average neighborhood pizza joint. They cook their pizzas in a stone oven, Neapolitan style. They have a good amount of taps and most are craft beers and imports. They offer some unique beers on tap that you cannot find elsewhere in the QC.
Governor's Bar and Grill-
They have two locations one in Bettendorf and the other in Moline. They have been in business for about 30 years and the place is kind of an English Pub. They provide complimentary popcorn and in the shell peanuts. There is an extensive food menu and portions that will not leave you hungry. Most of their tap beers are the run of the mill BMC products, but they do have a decent bottle selection of the mainstream craft and import beers.
Granite City- http://www.gcfb.net/
This is a chain "brewery" that is constantly expanding around the greater Midwest. The food is by far the best part of the "brewery" which to me makes this a restaurant that serves decent beer. Their claim to beer fame is that they have a central brewery and they ship via a converted milk truck to unfermented wort in the restaurants. They do have a mug club and have events for their mug club members throughout the year.
Old Chicago- http://oldchicago.com/
Old Chicago is another chain restaurant that is beer themed. They are a sister company to Rock Bottom Brewery, even though most Old Chicago's do not serve Rock Bottom Beer. Old Chicago is known for the beer tour, which entails the beer tour cardholder drinking 110 beers per tour. After reaching certain milestones the cardholder receives prizes. As well they have mini tours throughout the year. They do have a good selection of craft and import beers, but prices do seem a bit high. For food, they do pizza, pasta and sandwiches; the food is good but the main draw is the beer.
RIBCO- http://ribco.com/
The full name is Rock Island Brewing Company and they are the oldest and best beer bar in the QC. They have around twelve taps which almost all of them feature craft beer. Also they have a very good selection of cans and bottles in the cooler behind the bar. At various times throughout the year they have special tappings of rare or special kegged beers. These tappings involve usually keeping the glass the beer came in. Also they will soon hold their annual beerfest. The food is your typical bar food, but it is tasty none the less. They are located just around the corner from Blue Cat Brewpub in "The District of Rock Island".
Homebrew Club and Suppliers:
MUGZ- http://www.mugzhomebrew.org/
This the only homebrew club in the QC area and since the QC area entails Illinois and Iowa we have members from both states. The full name is Mississippi Unquenchable Grail Zymurgists. Members are of all experiences when it comes to brewing beer. We have extract brewers up to all grain brewers. The equipment the members brew on is a mixture as well from repurposed parts and pieces to some of the best homebrewing equipment money can buy. The main purpose of MUGZ is the gathering of like minded people and enjoying the fellowship and of course the beer! We meet the last Sunday of the month usually at Great River Brewery starting at 2pm. Just check the web site for exact locations.
Camp McClellan Cellars-http://www.campmc.com/
As the name implies this is mainly a wine store, but over the years they have improved the amount of beer brewing supplies. They carry the most common items brewers would need, but do not have the most complete selection. It is a place that will suit your basic needs or if you are missing something for your brew day it is a place you can run to quickly.
Somethings Brewn- http://www.somethingsbrewn.com/
This is the most complete homebrew shop in the QC Area. They are located in Galesburg, so really not in the QC but it is worth the drive. The owners Jim and Mary know homebrewing and can help answer almost any question a homebrewer may have. They also are members of MUGZ so when they come up to the monthly meeting they will bring the orders for MUGZ members.
Beer Stores:
There are no good independent Beer Stores in the QC, but some of the local Hy-Vee Wine and Spirit stores do a good job with beer. I will list some of the best locations: Moline- John Deere Rd, Milan, Silvis and Bettendorf -Devil's Glen. One thing to remember is if you do not see what you want ask the location if they can order it for you. Some managers are more willing to work with you than others, but it never hurts to try.
Hopefully this is a good primer for beer in the QC. I tried my best to cover as many places as possible, if I left something out just let me know.
QC Beerguy
Breweries/ Brewpubs:
Against the Grain Brewery and Alehouse- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Against-the-Grain-Brewery-Alehouse/445902535438203
As of this posting they are not brewing yet but should hopefully have their own beer for sale within the next few of months. This will be the QC areas first nano-brewery. Soon the people of the QC will be able to enjoy beers from brewer Rich Nunez. Currently they are serving unique craft beers from around the US.
Bent River Brewing Company- http://bentriverbrewing.com/
They now have two locations open and operating. The original brewpub is located downtown Moline only a few blocks from the Mark of the Quad Cities (now know as the I Wireless Center). The tasting room is located just off the Rock Island entrance to Arsenal Island in a former car wash. They are known for their flagship beers the Mississippi Blonde and Uncommon Stout. This was my first place that I really cut my teeth on craft beer in the QC.
Blue Cat Brewpub- http://www.bluecatbrewpub.com/
Own and operated by a brother and sister team this is the second oldest brewpub in the QC. Dan does the brewing while Martha runs the kitchen. They continue to have a good food menu and some interesting and good beers. The interesting thing about Dan is he is self taught brewer and has learned his craft well since he makes some very drinkable beer that I enjoy. They are located in "The District of Rock Island".
Front Street Brewery- http://frontstreetbrew.com/
They also now have two locations up and operating. The tasting room and brewery are located in the Freighthouse in Davenport. The original location is located across from the riverboat casino in Davenport. The brewpub has food as well as their own beer. The food menu is your typical pub food. With the opening of the second location the quality of the beer has improved. No longer brew in the basement of the original location, which was flooded out during one of the many floods of the Mississippi River.
Great River Brewery- http://greatriverbrewery.com/
They distribute into many Midwestern states through use of cans and kegs. The brewery is located just of the Arsenal Bridge in Davenport. Brewers and owners Paul and Scott moved operations from Iowa City to Davenport in December of 2008. Also they have a tasting room in the same building as the brewery; the tasting room was the first of its kind in the QC. They are also home to the QC area's homebrew Club MUGZ.
Bars/ Restaurants:
Against the Grain Brewery and Alehouse- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Against-the-Grain-Brewery-Alehouse/445902535438203
Yes I realize I am listing them twice but until they start brewing they are a really good beer bar that has one of the most unique beer selections in the QC. Currently they are the only bar that has Schlitz on tap in the QC. Yes, I mentioned Schlitz and no, Schlitz is not bad. It is a nice clean tasty American Lager, so give it a shot.
Barrel House 211- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barrel-House-211/247211661960974
This bar is located only a few blocks from both Great River and Front Street in Davenport. The name to me is a bit of a misnomer since they only have six tap beers, but they do have a good selection of craft and import beers at least 30 in total. They also have a good menu that includes a few twists on the typical pub food.
Bier Stube- http://bier-stube.com/
They have two locations open in the QC Area one in Moline, only a few doors down from Bent River, and the second in LeClaire, IA just off I-80. As you might think this is a German themed restaurant. Besides the good food menu they offer an extensive selection of German, Import and Craft Beer. They hold events at the Moline location several times a year.
Crust- https://www.facebook.com/CrustPizzeriaAndPub
As they name implies this is a pizza place which happen to also have craft and import beer. They are more than your average neighborhood pizza joint. They cook their pizzas in a stone oven, Neapolitan style. They have a good amount of taps and most are craft beers and imports. They offer some unique beers on tap that you cannot find elsewhere in the QC.
Governor's Bar and Grill-
They have two locations one in Bettendorf and the other in Moline. They have been in business for about 30 years and the place is kind of an English Pub. They provide complimentary popcorn and in the shell peanuts. There is an extensive food menu and portions that will not leave you hungry. Most of their tap beers are the run of the mill BMC products, but they do have a decent bottle selection of the mainstream craft and import beers.
Granite City- http://www.gcfb.net/
This is a chain "brewery" that is constantly expanding around the greater Midwest. The food is by far the best part of the "brewery" which to me makes this a restaurant that serves decent beer. Their claim to beer fame is that they have a central brewery and they ship via a converted milk truck to unfermented wort in the restaurants. They do have a mug club and have events for their mug club members throughout the year.
Old Chicago- http://oldchicago.com/
Old Chicago is another chain restaurant that is beer themed. They are a sister company to Rock Bottom Brewery, even though most Old Chicago's do not serve Rock Bottom Beer. Old Chicago is known for the beer tour, which entails the beer tour cardholder drinking 110 beers per tour. After reaching certain milestones the cardholder receives prizes. As well they have mini tours throughout the year. They do have a good selection of craft and import beers, but prices do seem a bit high. For food, they do pizza, pasta and sandwiches; the food is good but the main draw is the beer.
RIBCO- http://ribco.com/
The full name is Rock Island Brewing Company and they are the oldest and best beer bar in the QC. They have around twelve taps which almost all of them feature craft beer. Also they have a very good selection of cans and bottles in the cooler behind the bar. At various times throughout the year they have special tappings of rare or special kegged beers. These tappings involve usually keeping the glass the beer came in. Also they will soon hold their annual beerfest. The food is your typical bar food, but it is tasty none the less. They are located just around the corner from Blue Cat Brewpub in "The District of Rock Island".
Homebrew Club and Suppliers:
MUGZ- http://www.mugzhomebrew.org/
This the only homebrew club in the QC area and since the QC area entails Illinois and Iowa we have members from both states. The full name is Mississippi Unquenchable Grail Zymurgists. Members are of all experiences when it comes to brewing beer. We have extract brewers up to all grain brewers. The equipment the members brew on is a mixture as well from repurposed parts and pieces to some of the best homebrewing equipment money can buy. The main purpose of MUGZ is the gathering of like minded people and enjoying the fellowship and of course the beer! We meet the last Sunday of the month usually at Great River Brewery starting at 2pm. Just check the web site for exact locations.
Camp McClellan Cellars-http://www.campmc.com/
As the name implies this is mainly a wine store, but over the years they have improved the amount of beer brewing supplies. They carry the most common items brewers would need, but do not have the most complete selection. It is a place that will suit your basic needs or if you are missing something for your brew day it is a place you can run to quickly.
Somethings Brewn- http://www.somethingsbrewn.com/
This is the most complete homebrew shop in the QC Area. They are located in Galesburg, so really not in the QC but it is worth the drive. The owners Jim and Mary know homebrewing and can help answer almost any question a homebrewer may have. They also are members of MUGZ so when they come up to the monthly meeting they will bring the orders for MUGZ members.
Beer Stores:
There are no good independent Beer Stores in the QC, but some of the local Hy-Vee Wine and Spirit stores do a good job with beer. I will list some of the best locations: Moline- John Deere Rd, Milan, Silvis and Bettendorf -Devil's Glen. One thing to remember is if you do not see what you want ask the location if they can order it for you. Some managers are more willing to work with you than others, but it never hurts to try.
Hopefully this is a good primer for beer in the QC. I tried my best to cover as many places as possible, if I left something out just let me know.
QC Beerguy
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