explore - Butler County Tribune

MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
June 2013 | A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
A GUIDE TO
Breweries
explore
& Wineries
savor
taste
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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Passion for beer,
community drives
new Mason City
Brewing Company
By Jeff Forward - Hampton Chronicle
T
he folding sign on the sidewalk
in front of Mason City Brewing says it all: “Soup of the day:
Beer.”
Mason City Brewing, the joint vision
of its three co-owners – Jake Rajewsky,
Arian Schuessler, and Justin Merritt –
opened in February in downtown
wn
Mason City and has been
n
seeing steady flowss
of curious – and
d
faithful - customers everr
since.
T h e
brewery has
been a
popularr
stop for
Mason
City residents
glad
to
have
a
brewery to
call their own;
as well as others
in the region seeking something different
when it comes to their beer experience.
The brewery is open Friday and Saturday nights, and the cordial environment,
lively crowds, and tasty suds beckon
passerbys into the narrow taproom where
a pleasant vibe of fun can be found.
The vision of a community gathering spot for good beer and conversation
– plus a healthy passion for craft beer
– pushed the trio of co-owners into the
brewing business.
Rajewsky and Schuessler were both
photographers at the local newspaper, the
Globe Gazette, and Merritt worked as a
financial adviser for IMT in Garner.
“We started home brewing together,” said Rajewsky, the brew master at
the East State Street brewpub. “Justin
and Arian were neighbors. I met Justin
through mutual friends. All three of us
went in together on the venture.”
The trio would have friendly get togethers where they’d give the beer to
friends, Rajewsky said.
“They were always saying, ‘this
is good enough to sell,’”
Rajewsky said.
R
Those formattive homebrewing
years
i
included
hhis transfformation
ffrom a
drinker
in
the
“ B u d
Light,
Miller
Lite comfort zone”
to a person
who enjoyed
the
different
tastes and styles
offered by craft beer.
“I didn’t drink a lot of
craft beer in college,” Rajewsky said. “I had some roommates that liked
craft beer. So, I’d try some of theirs and
be like, ‘this is good. It doesn’t taste like
traditional beer.’”
Merritt said he became a fan of craft
beers after experiencing various Colorado craft beers.
Merritt and Rajewsky both said that
becoming a craft beer fan is a process –
one that the trio enjoy helping customers
with.
That goal was the reason the trio decided to have eight different beers on tap
at the brewery – four remain the same: a
saison, a cream ale, a porter, and an IPA
– while the other four taps rotate seasonally.
Mason City Brewing’s tap room offers seating for 65 guests.
(Submitted photo)
“They give a good variety of flavor
ranges,” Merritt said of the eight styles
concocted by brewmaster Rajewsky.
“Whether people are into craft beer or
not, they can try different styles. We really like to have a good, drinkable beer.”
Some of the seasonal styles Rajewsky
has brewed recently included a black IPA,
a dry Irish stout for St. Patrick’s Day, an
English mild, and an oatmeal stout.
Rajewsky said American beer drinkers have been raised on light, lager beers
such as Pilsner made popular by Budweiser, Pabst, and Miller.
“All the light lagers kind of taste the
same,” Rajewsky said. “When someone
says I don’t like beer, they’re essentially
saying, I don’t like mass produced light
lagers.”
and new friends, but they get a window
into the brewing process, too.
The entire brewing process is on display and open to the public – from the
pots used to cook the malt and water to
a specific temperature to the fermenting
tanks and computerized equipment that
aids in the process of mixing malted barley, water, hops, and yeast.
Conor Murphy checks the condition
of the flame underneath a kettle as
Justin Merritt works brew system automation and Jake Rajewsky stirs the
mash during a brew session at Mason City Brewing. (Submitted photo)
Brewer Jake Rajewsky checks the
prefermented beer for sugar content
during a recent brew session.
(Submitted Photo)
Merritt said the craft beer crowd is
different but that the goal at Mason City
Brewing was to appeal to everyone, hence
the eight different taps.
“(We’re) pushing them a little bit outside their comfort zone,” Merritt said.
“They kind of gradually, as their palette
develops, try different beers.”
The brewery, located at 28 E. State St.,
Mason City, is open 5-11 p.m. Friday and
Saturday. The brewery will be open special hours for various community events
and could expand its hours in the future,
Merritt said.
There is no food served on premise –
unless you count liquid bread, a term often used in Europe to describe beer – but
patrons can bring their own food into the
brewery or can order take-out from nearby restaurants and eat it at the brewery.
Visitors to the brewery not only get to
There are eight different taps serving different styles of beer at the Mason
City Brewery.
taste great beers and socialize with old
In the end, what is produced are stellar
brews that will suit any taste. From the
most popular – cream ale – to standbys
such as the hop-heavy IPA and a Belgianstyle saison, Rajewsky is having fun making new creations for drinkers to imbibe.
The brewery currently produces between 180 and 240 gallons of beer per
week with expansion plans in the works.
“Our cream ale is one of our biggest
sellers,” Rajewsky said. “With eight taps,
hopefully we’ll have something for everyone.”
In addition to four regular house
beers, Mason City Brewing rotates in four taps of new seasonal
beers including these brews produced for St. Patrick’s day - an
Irish Stout and and Irish Red Ale.
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
The winery also produces popular
grape wine varieties like merlot, cabernet
sauvignon, chardonnay, and riesling.
At a 3000 gallon per year capacity, it’s
a small operation. Ken says he and his
wife like it that way.
“We’re not concentrating on being
large,” he says. “Our wine philosophy is
to concentrate on quality and not quantity.”
Eagle City
Winery
The Eagle City Winery is open for
wine tasting and tours from 10:00 am to
5:00 pm daily and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Sunday. It is closed on Mondays.
If you can’t make it to the tasting
room, Eagle City wine is available at 60
retail outlets in Iowa including Hy-Vee
Wine and Spirits, liquor stores, gift shops
and hometown grocery stores, or online
at www.vinoshipper.com.
beck’s sports brewery
in waterloo
By Molly Angstman
W
The vineyard during spring 2005
By Molly Angstman
T
he seed for Eagle City Winery
was planted when Dr. Ken and
Carolyn Groninga bought an
acreage in rural Iowa Falls. Inspired by all the wild fruits and berries on
the property, Ken began experimenting
with wine-making.
Over the years he perfected his craft,
eventually winning lots of awards, including Best of Show for a non-grape
wine at the Iowa State Fair.
Vineyard planning began in 1996 and
construction on the winery and tasting
room was completed in 2000. “We al-
ways enjoyed wine and we were retired
already,” says Ken. “It was just a hobby
that turned into a business.”
At the time, there were only two other
wineries in operation in the state of Iowa.
Now there are hundreds.
The Eagle City Winery is unique because it fills a special niche, says Ken.
“Fruit wines are our specialty. We’re doing five fruit wines right now, which is
more than any other in the state.”
Fruit wine ingredients include raspberry, cranberry, black current, rhubarb,
and apple.
hat will you be drinking nice refreshing beer. It’s a great beer for
on game day? Maybe a summer.”
One of their popular spring beers was
hoppy Panther Pale Ale
a Belgian wit that was brewed with
or a chocolaty Black
hints of coriander and orange
Hawk Braxator? What about a
peel.
Hawkeye Golden Wheat,
One of
In addition to beer,
served with an orange
their popular
Beck’s also has a full
wedge?
menu and plenty
Beck’s
Sports
spring beers was pub
of sporty atmosphere
Brewery in Waterloo
a Belgian wit that that attracts a wide
has four staple beers
variety of patrons.
on tap at all times and
was brewed with
Area college students
has one tap dedicated
hints of coriander especially like the
to a rotating seasonal
Retro Friday events
beer.
and orange
with live DJs.
General
manager
peel.
The atmosphere is defiand brewmaster Jonathon
nitely unlike a traditional
Wolford says detailed debrewery tap room, but the brewscriptions on the menu mean that
personal taste in beer often trump team master thinks that’s kind of the whole
affiliations. An Iowa fan might still order point.
“We have great beer but this is defia Cy’s Clone Ale, he says.
“We just wanted all the beers to have nitely a sports bar,” says Wolford. “We
have more than 40 high def TVs, can seat
classy Iowa names,” says Wolford.
The first seasonal beer on tap this sum- more than seven-hundred people, and
mer will be raspberry wheat. “That one have the best burgers in town.”
sells like hotcakes,” says Wolford. “It’s a
28536 160th St., Iowa Falls, IA 50126
Phone: (641) 648-3669
[email protected]
Eagle City Red
Red Altar
Sweet Riesling
Cabernet
Rhubarb
Chardonnay
Merlot
Riesling
Cranberry*
Riesling Reserve
Apple
Concord
American Golden Riesling
Raspberry*
Edelweiss
Ruby
Black Currant ***
Eagle City White
* Award winner wines
The Eagle City Winery is open for wine tasting and tours from
10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Sunday, closed Mondays.
Please contact Dr. Ken or Carolyn Groninga for special events at EC.
“We have more than 40 high def TVs, can seat more than
seven-hundred people, and have the best burgers in town.”
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
conFluence:
brewing a passion
for beer
I
t all started, improbably enough,
with a failed attempt to make “raisin
almond beer.”
Although raisin almond beer
sounds like a dubious (ok, horrible) idea
today, back in 1991 it was the “ah-ha” moment for Confluence Brewing Head Brewer John Martin. Then a high school student
and farm boy from rural Imogene, Iowa,
John grew up fascinated with how many
things could be made using Iowa’s bountiful grain crops. Grain … alcohol … beer.
John and his high school buddy, Sean
McClain, failed to make a drinkable raisin
almond beer — but the attempt altered the
trajectory of his professional life. This interest lay dormant until John’s Senior year
of college, when his beer fascination grew
and he started researching how to make
drinkable beer. This wasn’t the average
college boy’s focus on beer primarily for
its alcohol content. John fell in love with
the craftsmanship and creativity involved
in making beer.
Even John’s wife, Katie, understood
his passion and played beer enabler — the
newlywed couple picked up supplies for
home brewing while on their honeymoon
in 1995.
John’s first, quality home-brewed beer
was an Octoberfest, which remains his fa-
vorite variety today. After years of hobby
brewing and in increasingly ardent interest in brewing as a profession — including countless brewery tours and immersion in local and online brewing interest
groups — John and fellow home brewer
and co-founder Ken Broadhead launched
Confluence Brewing in 2012. John left his
construction management day-job to pursue Confluence and his passion for beer
making full time.
The brewery is itself a confluence of
John and Ken’s love for Iowa and craft
beer. The result is a microbrewery that
shares Iowa’s attributes of honesty, humility, hard work and a sense of humor. Confluence also has Iowa’s knack for being a
delightful surprise to those who actually
experience it.
Confluence cares about the creativity
and craftsmanship that goes into making
excellent beer, and knows that excellent
beer can bring good friends together.
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We’re devoted to creating
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TUESDAY – THURSDAY
4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
NOON – 10:00 p.m.
SUNDAY
NOON – 5:00 p.m.
5
6
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
Wooden Wheel
Vineyards
C
ome join us for a glass of fine
wine in our historic Vincent
Family Event Center. Easily
accessible, we are located in
southeast Iowa on Highway 92 between
Sigourney and Washington. Our comfortable and charming space is the perfect
place to relax with others or to just escape
with a glass of fine wine. Our event center
is ideal for gatherings such as weddings,
receptions or any social event (a loft view
on right).
Our wine experts are always available to educate you about wine and demonstrate wine tasting techniques. Come
taste a world of wine at Wooden Wheel
Vineyards.
History
Wooden Wheel Vineyards is located on
the family farm first settled by my Great
- Great Grandmother, Isabella Clark
Wright. Isabella received the farm as a
Bounty Grant from the U.S. Government
for minor children of Veterans from the
War of 1812. Isabella was orphaned at
the age of 2, as her father died in August
1835, and her mother died in childbirth 3
months later. Her older sister, Mary Ann,
did much to keep this family of ten children together.
Years later, her brother, who was
traveling in Iowa, learned of the Bounty
Grant program and returned to Ohio to
have Isabella complete the paperwork
for the grant. Isabella turned her claim
in just a few weeks
before she turned
18, upon which she
would have no longer qualified as a minor
child for the program. The next year she
married John Wright and came to Iowa
by riverboat settling on the farm in 1850.
For five generations the descendants of
Isabella’s family have maintained ownership of the farm. As the 5th generation,
Connie and I purchased the farm from my
father, Robert in 1978.
Connie and I (Michael G. Vincent) returned to the farm in 2010 planting our
first vines and began a 2-year construction project building an event center and
winery.
Event Center
Our Event Center is the last original
building erected by John and Isabella.
The barn was built in the 1860’s and was
625 square feet. In 1937 my father and
grandfather added 20’ to the west side of
the barn and 20’ to the north.
The most recent remodeling added 28’
to the south side. The event center now
has over 3,000 square feet and can seat
300 people on the main floor plus an additional 40 in the loft.
THE WINE
This historic setting can be the perfect
place for a variety of business or social
gatherings. We have had the pleasure of
hosting wedding receptions, weddings,
rehearsal dinners, retirement dinners,
bachelorette parties, baby showers, birthday parties, graduation open houses, business meetings, training sessions, class
reunions, family reunions and Christmas
parties.
The event center can also be the perfect place to just relax with your friends
and enjoy the atmosphere of an 1860’s
barn with your favorite bottle of Wooden
Wheel wines.
The Vines
In our quest for the finest wines we have
planted our own grape vines. Our varieties include some of the newest varieties
available. To date we have planted Brianna, Marquette, LaCrescent, Noiret and
Regent.
The winery is open from 1-6 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday. Stay in
touch on their website or Facebook.
We are pleased to introduce to
you our initial wine offering:
George G.
made from LaCrescent grapes,
is a dry fruity white wine.
Charity Mae,
made from Brianna grapes,
is a Riesling Style white wine.
Isabella,
a blend of Niagara & Edelweiss,
is a fragrant sweet white wine.
Martin & Tessie,
a blend with Frontenac Gris,
is a sweet Rose’ wine.
The Judge,
made from Norton Grapes,
is a dry, aromatic red wine.
Mountain Man,
made from Noiret grapes,
is a smooth dry red wine.
Private GW,
made from Marquette grapes,
is complex dry red wine.
Uncle Johnnie,
made from Marquette grapes,
is a fruity semi-dry red wine.
Amazing Grace,
made from Norton grapes,
is a sweet fruity red wine.
Chautauqua
a white sparkling wine.
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
7
lake time brewery Madison County
Winery
By Molly Angstman
“C
raft beer brewers and that people can come in and enjoy a great
drinkers are some of beer in a comfortable atmosphere,” says
the most creative and Rolling. “We want it to be a place to relax
and enjoy a conversation.”
passionate people
Rolling attributes the
we know,” says Bob Rolling,
uniqueness
of his tap room
brewmaster at Lake Time
“Our
to the early 1900s house
Brewery in Clear Lake.
focus is on a
the brewery inhabits
“The industry is really
taking off in Iowa and great atmosphere, and the décor which
he and his wife, Suzy,
it’s exciting to be part
customer service made sure to include.
of that.”
Customers will be
Rolling’s ten tap
that will exceed
able to enjoy a bay
brewery is slated to
expectations and window, big comfy
open to the public
furniture, and a firesome time this sumconsistently
place.
mer. The first beers
great beer”
Although they are lookon tap, all appropriately
ing into a bigger brew syslake-themed, will be Bobber
tem for the future, small and
Down Pale Ale, Sandy Bottoms
American Wheat, Rusty Rudder Brown cozy is just the way the Rollings like their
Ale, Park Bench Porter, and Wheat Sucks “mom and pop” brewery right now.
“Our equipment is small, our space is
Gluten Reduced Ale.
Future brews will include Chasing small, but our attention to details is rich,”
Sunsets Amber Ale, Propeller IPA, and says Bob. “Our focus is on a great atmosphere, customer service that will exAnchors Away Imperial Stout.
Rolling, who describes himself as “a ceed expectations, and consistently great
bit of a water geek,” uses a 15-gallon sys- beer.”
At press time, the brewery does
tem to brew his beer. “It’s allowed me to
perfect my recipes and make each batch not have a specific opening night announced. Once it is open to the public,
consistent,” he says.
The small batch brew system is com- the hours will be Fridays from 4 pm
patible with the small size of the brew- to 10 pm and Saturdays from 2 pm to
ery’s tap room, which has a capacity of 10 pm. Craft beer fans can watch the
Lake Time Brewery Facebook page for
35 people.
“We are hoping this will be a place updates regarding an opening date.
By Molly Angstman
N
estled in the heart of coveredbridge country, Madison
County Winery offers its
customers a wide variety
of wine, new craft beer options, and
lots of Iowa scenery.
“One of the unique things about
our winery is that when you’re sitting
on our patio you’re surrounded by
our vineyard,” says owner and winemaker Doug Bakker. “We’re located
in a really beautiful, hilly area.”
A busy calendar of musical events
also makes Bakker’s winery special.
“Since we’re out in the country,
music events help bring people out
on a night when they might not have
come,” says Bakker. “It creates a great atmosphere.”
Visitors have lots of wine options to
enjoy while they soak up the view and
music. The winery produces everything
from a dry spicy red to a semi-sweet
white with a little twist of strawberry flavor.
Wines come in colorful bottles and
have names like Lollipop, Summer
Blonde, Midnight Rain, and Prairie Fire.
The winery also sells small platters
of Iowa-produced chocolate and cheese.
“You can’t go wrong with the dark or
milk chocolate with a glass of red wine,”
says Bakker.
Many of the artisan cheeses go well
with the winery’s newest addition: craft
beer from the only Iowan brewery-within-a-winery, Twisted Vine Brewery.
Beer fans can choose from six taps that
at anytime could include anything from
Whistling Ogre Wheat to Parteezon Porter to Old Crusty’s Scottish Ale.
“Often you get a couple coming in
and one drinks wine and the other drinks
beer,” says Bakker. “Adding the brewery
component has been nothing but a positive for us. We get people on beer tours
and winery tours now.”
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
old bank Winery
By Molly Angstman
N
ancy Litch, who owns the get the cranberries and crush them whole
Old Bank Winery with her to ensure a “big and bold” cranberry flahusband, David, has a wine vor, she says.
Although it takes a trip out of state
philosophy. “Wine
to make the cranberry wine, the
should complement the
“I’m
main ingredient for most of
things we like to do and
looking for
their wines can be found
our Midwest culture,”
just south of town.
she says. “I just want
area artists and
“We grow all our own
our winery to be a part
potters to display
grapes,” says Litch.
of that.”
Litch says that their work, especially “It’s always fun to drop
by the vineyard and see
means making wine
if they’re creating
how the vines are doing
which will appeal to
art about Iowa”
and watch them maturing
local palettes, and not
~ Nancy Litch
in such a beautiful place.”
paying undue attention to
The tasting room and
what vintners in places like
retail center for the vineyard is
California or France might be
located downtown in the small town
doing.
“Most of our wines are fruity and sweet, of Kanawha in a “constantly evolving” old
but not too sweet,” she says. “The flavor building that Litch calls a “neat piece of
history.”
is definitely on the fun side.”
There are plans to add some new decoThis makes her Iowa wine perfect for
Iowa summer activities like having friends rations to the recently remodeled lobby.
“I’m looking for area artists and potters
over for brats on the grill, she says. She
recommends Old Bank Winery bestsell- to display their work, especially if they’re
ers like the lightly sweet St. Pepin and the creating art about Iowa,” she says.
According to Nancy, the Iowa angle is
Moscato-like Edelweiss for the hot weathwhat her winery is all about.
er months.
“We used to come here just to visit and
Another summer favorite at the winery is cranberry wine, which some people as the years went by and I realized I really
mix with club soda. “It’s light, fruity, very loved this place. When the building besmooth, and has a beautiful color,” she came available, we just jumped on it, and
says. “It doesn’t have that edgy after taste we’re so glad we did. We’ve been having
a great time and the people of Kanawha
that cranberries can have some times.”
The Litches drive up to Wisconsin to have been wonderful.”
How To Taste Wines
Here’s How:
1. Look: Check out the Color and Clarity. Pour a glass of wine into a wine glass.
Tilt the glass away from you and check out
the color of the wine from the rim edges to
the middle of the glass. What color is it? If
it’s a red wine is the color maroon, purple,
ruby, garnet, red or even brownish? If it’s
a white wine is it clear, pale yellow, strawlike, light green, golden, amber or brown in
appearance?
2. Move on to the wine’s opacity. Is the
wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque,
dull or brilliant, cloudy or clear. An older
red wine will often have more orange tinges on the edges of color than younger red
wines. Older white wines are darker, than
younger white wines.
3. Smell: To get a good impression of your
wine’s aroma, swirl your glass for a solid
10-12 seconds (this helps vaporize some of
the wine’s alcohol and release more of its
natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff
to gain a first impression. Now stick your
nose down into the glass and take a deep
inhale. What are your second impressions?
Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or
citrus? A wine’s aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics.
4. Taste: Finally, take a taste. Start with a
small sip and let it roll around your mouth.
There are three stages of taste:
The Attack Phase, is the initial impression
that the wine makes on your palate. The At-
tack is comprised of four pieces of the wine
puzzle: alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. These four pieces
meld together to offer impressions in intensity and complexity, soft or firm, light or
heavy, crisp or creamy, sweet or dry, but not
necessarily true flavors like fruit or spice.
The Evolution Phase is next, also called
the mid-palate or middle range phase, this
is the wine’s actual taste on the palate. If
it’s a red wine you may start noting fruit
– berry, plum, prune or fig; perhaps some
spice – pepper, clove, cinnamon, or maybe
a woody flavor like oak, cedar, or a detectable smokiness. If it’s a white wine, you
may taste apple, pear, tropical or citrus
fruits, or the taste may be more floral in
nature or consist of honey, butter or herbs.
The Finish is labeled as the final phase.
The wine’s finish is how long the flavor
impression lasts after it is swallowed. This
is where the aftertaste comes into play. Did
it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied
(like the weight of water), medium-bodied
(similar in weight to milk) or full-bodied
(like the consistency of cream)? Can you
taste the remnant of the wine on the back of
your mouth and throat? What was your last
flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak? Does
the taste persist or is it short-lived?
After you have taken the time to taste
your wine, you might record some of
your impressions. Does it taste better with
cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you
buy it again? If so, jot the wine’s name,
producer and vintage year down for future
reference.
Visit Historic Old Bank Winery
When traveling
through the vast
corn fields of
northern Iowa be
sure to stop for
awhile at Old Bank
Winery. Located in
the restored
Farmers State Bank
Building we
produce semi-sweet
and dry fruit and
grape wines.
Old Bank Winery
Winery and Tasting Room Hours:
Open Year Round
Tuesday - Saturday 1:00PM to 5:00PM
We also offer two
comfortable Bed &
Breakfast Suites for
our travelers.
200 N. Main St.
Kanawha Iowa 50447
Phone: (641) 762-3406
www.oldbankwinery.com
3 NEW BREWS
• Wood Cellar Blonde Ale
• Slobber Knocker
• Old Man River
Mon. - Wed. 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Thurs. 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
117 1st St. NW • HAMPTON
641-456-2141
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
9
Rustic Brew
now serving its own beer;
‘Slobberknocker’
oatmeal stout inspired by
saying of H-D football
coach Shafrath
By Jeff Forward - Hampton Chronicle
H
ampton finally has a beer it
can call its own.
Joel Heuer, a co-owner of
brewpub/restaurant
Rustic
Brew, has been serving his three styles of
beer since May 15.
Heuer set up a small craft brewery in
a second-floor apartment above the First
Street eatery and has been brewing since
early-April.
Heuer – who co-owns Rustic Brew
with his wife, Kathy, and Brad and Kim
Mulford, has actually been brewing beer
since April 4, the day after all the applications to commercially produce beer were
finalized.
Rustic Brew co-owner Joel Heuer is
leading the charge on the brewing
side as the restaurant produces its
own beers in-house. Photo by Jeff
Forward, Hampton Chronicle.
than 6.25 percent.
The beer was first served to members
of the restaurant’s “Mug Club” on May
15 at a special event.
There are three types of beer, Heuer
said: Slobberknocker – an oatmeal stout
with an ABV (alcohol content) of about
5.1 percent; Wood Cellar Blonde Ale – a
pale ale with an ABV of between 4 and
4.5 percent; and Old Man River Citrus
Wheat – a wheat beer with citrus notes.
All
the beers
are available on
tap in Rustic Brew
and can be taken home by
“It was definitely a long process,” thirsty drinkers in convenient to
Heuer said of getting the OK to brew go “growlers.”
A “growler” is a large jug used by craft
from the state of Iowa as well as the federal Tax and Trade Bureau, which regu- beer brewers so fans can take home draft
lates brewers. “The Iowa portion of it is beer that may not be available for sale
pretty simple. It’s the federal end of it, the outside the brewpub.
“These are all pretty light beers,”
taxation, that’s time consuming and a lot
Heuer said, originally predicting that the
of paperwork.”
By legal definition, a microbrewery is Wood Cellar Blonde Ale would be his
one that brews less than 60,000 barrels of best seller in the beginning.
“It’s what I call an introductory beer to
beer per year. A barrel is equivalent to 31
gallons. Heuer also said he cannot make the craft brew market,” he said. “It has a
any beers with an alcohol content higher citrus-y note to it. It’s smooth and the ladies like it. It’s a good summer beer.”
However, after the first
few weeks of selling his
brew, Heuer noted that the
Slobberknocker Oatmeal
Stout has been the surprise
hit of this three styles.
“It was kind of a surprise,” Heuer said. “But
people really liked the
Slobberknocker.”
Heuer said he is going
to experiment with various
other styles and types, but
didn’t want to name them
because he said it can build
These tanks are where the beer making process
up anticipation and then the
is intially started. Malt and water are heated to
beer may not work out as
certain temperatures in order to get sugar for
planned.
the fermentation process. Later, flavoring agents
such as hop, spices, or other adjuncts are added.
That is part of the unfor-
giving and exact science of brewing beer.
Humans have been brewing beer for
thousands of years, although it’s only
been in the past 40 years that craft and
home brewing has taken root with the
general public.
The process of extracting the sugars
from malted barley, then infusing the resulting liquid with
hops or other flavoring
agents, all under controlled
temperatures and time constraints, is a precise science.
That’s not even including
the most important part,
adding the yeast to ferment
the beer.
It’s a process that seems
more suited to a chemist in
a white coat rather than
a man many
know as
a local football coach and liaison/probation officer with the Hampton-Dumont
High School and school district.
It was Heuer’s football association
with Hampton-Dumont’s legendary
coach Jerry Shafrath, who used to say the
phrase ‘slobberknocker’ when his teams
had a hard-hitting game with an opponent.
The idea of the Rustic Brew restaurant
was a group project between the four coowners and, Heuer said, was in part driven by his wife, Kathy.
“My wife was really pushing this,” he
said of the eatery idea. “It was something
she really wanted to do.”
Heuer noted that it was his wife who
also proposed the idea that he could involve his burgeoning craft beer hobby
into the eatery.
Heuer has been brewing beer for about
six years, and began like many in the
scene do – with a home kit.
“I just liked beer, been drinking it a
long time,” Heuer said. “It started with
a Mr. Beer kit – Hop Head Red was the
very first batch we made.”
A simple beginning with the pre-made
kit soon morphed into a semi-serious
hobby, Heuer noted, as he switched to a
more involved process with partial cooking of the mash, and then onto full blown
all-grain brewing.
“We started doing all-grain brewing on
the kitchen stove,” he said. “It’s difficult;
a messy process.”
It is also a process that involves more
number-crunching that one would imagine and requires the use of a hydrometer
and measuring data such as original and
final gravity and determining how much
sugar can be extracted from the malt.
“I was never a real math person, but
it gets to be kind of fun and also kind of
nerve wracking,” he said. The hard work
and attention to detail behind the scenes
equals a lot of enjoyment, Heuer said.
From the creative aspect of making
different beers with varying ingredients –
to having his friends sample his concoctions and provide feedback, he said it’s
been a lot of fun.
Getting friends to taste the beer may
have been the easiest part of the process.
“A lot of those friends have been around
and sampled the beer. They’ve tasted it
and know how good it is,” Heuer said.
“(I’d) always bring that around and pass
it out for sampling.
“Guys will come up here (to the second floor micro-brewery) and sample.
People will ask me to sample, and I say,
‘yes,’” Heuer said. “We want to know. If
you don’t like it, tell us. The idea is to put
something out that sells.”
Rustic Brew now serves three types
of their own beer, brewed on premise. Descriptions of the beers are
available on a board at the restaurant.
10
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
Beer boasts some
surprising health
benefits
T
o some men, the major food
groups include burgers, chicken wings and beer. Whether
hanging out with buddies
watching a game on TV or firing up the
grill for a backyard barbecue, many men
prefer beer as their beverage of choice in
social settings. Though beer is not something many people associate with health,
some might be surprised to learn that beer
does provide some notable health benefits. Beer should always be consumed in
moderation, but beer fans should know
that those cold ones aren’t just refreshing
but potentially healthy as well.
Builds bone strength
A 2009 study from researchers at Tufts
University determined older men and
women who consumed one or two drinks
daily had higher bone density. Beer
contains silicon, which has been linked
to bone health. Of the various types of
beer, pale ale has been shown to have
the highest concentration of silicon, so
beer drinkers might want to enjoy a pale
ale when having their next beer. Keep in
mind, however, having more than two
drinks has been linked to increased risk
of bone fractures, so stick to one or two.
Looking for a classic,
unique IPA?
Go no further than
Front Street Brewery
By Jeff Forward - Hampton Chronicle
T
The East River Drive location serves
he next time you’re in Davenport or the Quad Cities area and food and according to Ash has excephunkering for a good beer and tional burgers, fish tacos, and pulled pork
created in-house by Chef Jon.
tasty burger, you might
“It’s some of the best
want to make a visit to the
The
food in the Quad Cities,”
Front Street Brewery.
East River
Ash said. “Our hamburgDating to 1992, the
Drive location
ers are always excellent
Front Street Brewery
as is our slow cooked
is officially the oldest
serves food and
brewpub in the state of
according to Ash has pulled pork. We have
such a varied menu.”
Iowa.
exceptional burgers,
On the beer
Co-owned by the
fish tacos and pulled side of the menu,
husband-wife
team
Zuidema is the brewof Steve Zuidema and
pork created inmaster
and specializes in
Jennie Ash, Front Street
house by Chef
IPA style brews. IPA stands
Brewery now has two locaJon.
for India Pale Ale, which is a
tions where craft beer fans can
traditional English-style pale ale
get a delicious, locally-crafted beer
that had more hops added to it as a preseras well as a bite to eat.
vative for the long ship journey to India.
kidney stones by 40 percent. Researchers
suggest beer’s high water content helps
keep the kidneys working and flushing
out the system.
Antioxidant boost
Beer contains flavonoids,
Any
which are natural antioxiIncreases mental acuity
source of
dants that help to protect
Beer may be associthe body from disease. alcohol, including ated with hazy thinkDark beer contains
ing and forgetfulness
beer or wine,
more flavonoids than
the morning after conincreases the level sumption -- but that’s
other varieties. Beer
also contains vitamin of good cholesterol only when consumers
B6. This is essential
overindulge. A 2005
in the blood.
to making hemoglobin,
study published in the
the red protein in blood
New England Journal of
that also helps ferry oxyMedicine that examined the
gen around in the body. More
effects of moderate alcohol conoxygen helps muscles work more efsumption on cognitive function found
ficiently and has other health benefits.
older women who consumed about one
drink per day lowered their risk of mental
Lowers heart disease risk
decline by as much as 20 percent when
Dark beers have roughly one gram of sol- compared to nondrinkers. Such benefits
uble fiber in each 12-ounce serving. Vari- may be applicable to men as well.
ous research suggests that consuming adequate amounts of soluble fiber through Guards against stroke
a healthy diet can help lower LDL, or According to researchers at Harvard
“bad,” cholesterol in the blood. Any School of Public Health, moderate
source of alcohol, including beer or wine, amounts of alcohol, including beer, help
increases the level of good cholesterol in prevent blood clots that block blood
the blood, too. Hops and the malt used in flow to the heart, neck and brain. These
beer making also provide polyphenols, clots are contributors to ischemic stroke,
which are heart-healthy antioxidants.
which occurs when an artery to the brain
is blocked.
Reduces risk for kidney stones
According to the Academy of Nutrition
Beer can also promote relaxation, reand Dietetics, compounds in hops could duce stress levels and help bring on a
help slow the release of calcium from more restful sleep. The United States.
bones, which may prevent kidney stone Department of Agriculture also reviewed
formation. A study in Finland singled out various studies that indicate moderate
beer among other alcoholic drinks, find- drinkers live longer than nondrinkers due
ing that each bottle of beer men drank to lower rates of heart disease, stroke and
daily lowered their risk of developing diabetes.
Jennie - Front Street Brewery Manager
Steve - Brew Master, Co-Owner
“There’s a lot of history here,” said
Ash of the brewery. “The building is 100
years old. We split it and the taproom is
at the Old Freight House on the river. It’s
absolutely gorgeous.”
Front Street Brewery’s main location
– at 208 E. River Drive in Davenport – is
open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m
until 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday’s 11
a.m. until midnight; and Sunday 11 a.m.
until 9 p.m.
The IPA style has become one of the
most popular craft beer styles in recent
years and many fans call themselves
‘hopheads’ in reference to the high
amount of hops found in the style.
Ash said Zuidema makes his signature
Raging River IPA but also experiments
with various types of IPAs with his rotating brewmaster’s special. Currently that
is the Three Duck IPA.
“It’s extremely good,” Ash said of the
Three Duck. “(Zuidema’s) IPAs are all
truly unique and outstanding. Whether
it’s his Raging River or other specials.”
At this time you can purchase
merchandise at the bar at
Front Street Brewery.
Baseball Hats - $12
Polo Shirts - $20
Short Sleeved T-Shirt “The Beer That
Makes you Hoppy” - $10
Sweatshirts - $25
Pint Glasses - $5
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
towns end Winery
HOURS:
We are open May - December,
Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
Harvest Wine Festival & Wine
Release August 31 &
September 1, 1-6 p.m.
By Travis Fischer
U
pon reaching retirement age,
Vernon and Judy Harper of
Hansell decided they needed to
find something to fill their days.
“We didn’t want to just sit around and
watch television all the time,” said Judy
Harper. “We wanted something to keep
us busy and healthy.”
Eventually, the Harpers decided on
opening up their own winery.
After Vernon took online classes and
did some practice with wineries in neighboring states, the Harpers got down to
business. Forming a corporation with
their children, the couple turned their
cattle lot into a vineyard and converted a
farm building into a wine shop.
Interestingly, Towns End Winery and
Vineyard wasn’t named for the fact that
the winery is located at the edge of Hansel. Townsend is also a family name of
the Harpers. When going through the
process of naming their new business, the
Harpers liked the double meaning and decided to go with Towns End.
Today the Harpers grow a variety of
northern grapes for their wines. Each
kind, from La Crosse to Fontenac, producing a different flavor.
The Harpers use more than just grapes
though. A variety of other fruits are used,
from common items like raspberries and
cherries to more uncommon materials
like gooseberries and aronia berries.
They even produce a pumpkin wine.
Much of the fruit used to make their
wines is grown on their farm and for the
fruit they don’t grow themselves, the
Harpers still go to efforts to keep the material for their wines as locally based as
possible.
The winery features a spacious tasting
room with wine bar and various custom
wine related gifts. Outdoor seating will
also be available on the expansive back
patio for enjoying those perfect summer
and fall days. Visitors can enjoy not only
the wines, but the picturesque views of
the vineyard, farmland surrounding the
winery, and our own “field of dreams” in
the neighboring park.
11
Special events on web site:
www.townsendwinery.com
Enjoy a taste of rural Iowa with
handcrafted grape, berry and
fruit wines. Free wine tasting.
Spacious tasting room. Gift Shop.
Outside patio seating.
Open-air stage.
Vineyard tours available-guided
or self-guided.
Groups welcome by appointment.
Call 641-456-2836 for a group visit
or to arrange a private tasting.
Our 5th annual wine release Festival
will be held August 31st and September 1st 1 to 6 p.m. There will be free
entertainment, lots of vendors and
homemade ice cream.
Winery & Vineyard
2138 160th Street
HANSELL, IA 50441
Located 6 miles E of Hampton on Hwy
3 and 1 mile N on S56/Timber Ave to
160th Street. Turn E at Hansell City
Park corner go 300 ft to winery sign.
Open daily for lunch and dinner, Front Street Brewery
is the complete dining experience. Meal specials are
offered daily along with happy hour, Monday through
Friday. Happy hour includes $3 pints and selected
half price appetizers.
Our Beers
Old Davenport Gold
This beer is particularly light and refreshing.
Hefe Weizen
Refreshing and unique beer served with a slice of lemon.
www.frontstreetbrew.com
Cherry Ale
A delightful, refreshing taste and aroma.
Raging River Ale
This is a bronze colored beer made with the highest
quality malts. A true “English Ale.”
Bucktown Stout
An extra dark, almost black bottom brew, smooth with
a slight coffee flavor, achieved by the use of highly
roasted barley and black malts.
Brewmaster’s Special
HOURS: Mon - Thur 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. • Fri & Sat 11 a.m. - Midnight • Sun 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
It changes with the season and the
Brewer’s frame of mind.
12
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING
We have a 5 barrel micro
brewery where we are
making our own craft
beers. We can make 150
gallons at a time.
Our facility has a banquet
hall upstairs and a private
courtyard in the back.
The building was built in
1889 and went through
a thorough renovation
in 1996.
Our menu right now is
pizza, calzones, appetizers
and sandwiches.
Microbrewery & Restaurant
11 Benton Ave. E. | Albia, Iowa
641-932-4085
albia brewing
company
By Molly Angstman
“F
amilies with babies come
in and 90-year-olds come
in,” says brewmaster Brian Linberg, who owns the
brewery with his wife Barb. “Everybody
feels at home here.”
Housed in a striking Victorian building, Albia Brewing Company is a brand
new business steeped in the tradition of
the historic Skean Block in Albia.
“We feel like this is more Albia’s business than our own,” he says. “We are
watching over the building and enjoying our hobby of making hand-crafted
beers.”
There are no plans to ever distribute
the beer, says Linberg, so the historic tap
room will always be the focal part of the
business. “It was built in 1889 and it’s
just perfect. We feel very fortunate to be
here.”
The tap room features at least eight
Albia Brewing beers on tap, including
crowd-pleasers like pale ale, red ale,
bock, India pale ale, and Guinness-like
stout. There is also an Albia Brewing root
beer on tap. Another four taps are dedicated to popular beers from big breweries
like Boulevard and New Belgium.
Linberg’s five barrel brew system can
produce up to 150 gallons of beer at a
time, using up to 350 pounds of grain per
each batch. He still makes small batches
of 15 gallons, however, and that gives
him the opportunity to try new things.
“I like to experiment,” says Linberg.
“I’ll put in coffee flavor in some, sorghum
in some. I’ll put a wheat beer along with
a cider. I’ll do a raspberry and a peach
wheat.”
Having opened in December of 2012,
Albia Brewing is looking forward to using it’s outdoor courtyard area for the first
time.
“We opened in the winter so we’ve
never got to really use it before,” says
Linberg. “It’s going to be a great summer.”
Albia Brewing Company is open
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm
to 10pm, Fridays from 4 pm until late,
and Saturdays from 11 am until late.
The kitchen is open during most brewery hours and offers a full menu which
includes pizza, salads, sandwiches, and
appetizers.
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