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