QC Brew News

This Spring and early summer will be an exciting time for the QC beer scene with two brewpubs expanding production into new facilities and a new nano-brewery opening.  Front Street Brewery is in the process of moving brewing operations into the Freight House building in downtown Davenport.  Besides having the brewery in the Freight House, they will also have a tasting room.  Also they went local with their brewing equipment having Crawford Company from Rock Island, IL make it.  This is the first time for such a project for Crawford Company.  That is pretty cool.  Even cooler is the thought of sitting in the tasting room, enjoying a beer and looking out the window to see Le Claire Park and the Mississippi River.  This will be a great location to enjoy a beer.

Also moving their brewing into new digs is Bent River Brewing Company.  They are moving into a former car wash in Downtown Rock Island, an interesting new use for the building.  Bent River will include a tasting room and a retail space to sell Bent River goodies.  As well they will have a drive up coffee hut that will sell packaged beer to go.  With the expanded capacity they hope to meet the continuing expanding demand for their beers.  Also a familiar face will be in charge of quality control, original owner Tim Koster.  I am looking forward to checking out how a car wash can be changed into a production brewery.

Last but not least is the opening of Against the Grain Brewery and Alehouse.  As I mentioned this will be a nano-brewery, owned by the only GABF award winning brewer in the Quad Cities, Rich Nunez.  Rich is in the process of getting his location up and running; it is located in Rock Island near Augustana College at 1340 31st St.  Rich will be brewing his own beers as well having some guest taps.  Since this is a nano brewery, brewing in small batches less than a half barrel at a time, Rich will be able to have a variety of his beers on at a time.  I am looking forward to enjoying some beers from Rich and maybe even giving his garlic porter another try if he decides to make it again.

I believe all locations are hoping to be up and going at the latest by the end of May.  This will be a fun adventure checking out these new locations and enjoying the beer being produced at them.  Hope to see a lot of people out supporting the new locations and the new brewery.

QC Beerguy