Hey Gretna - Time to Get Your Heavy On

November 6, 2022

*The artwork and decor of the brewing is fabulous!*

I bet you thought this was some type of mean joke. Well Gretna it is not, and you should be excited about your new brewery - Heavy Brewing! Jeff Gude and Randy Fredericks, Jr. along with the support of their families have created the brewery that they had always envisioned! It was back in December of 2021 when I met the two at the newly acquired building. You can reminisce about the story I wrote here: The Journey to Starting a Brewery - The Inception.

*This was the space when first acquired. I had fun with Jeff and Randy think what it could* *be.*

*The same wall with the mural and some of the seating in the taproom.*

I was utterly blown away by how the space turned out! It has a very cool bar, plenty of seating, a kitchen, an event room, and yes even an arcade! This is a family-friendly brewery that is going to be one popular place to meet up with your friends and family!

I was only at the soft opening for about an hour. I was mesmerized by the pizza coming out of the oven. So many creative pizzas that I will have to make sure to get one the next time I am in!

My first beer at Heavy Brewing was an excellent NEIPA called Lamborghini Mercy - 7.6% ABV. Mosaic and Azacca hops provide nice tropical fruit notes. For the soft opening there was a nice selection of 7 beers with plenty of taps to expand!

*This logo is on the outside of the building letting you know you have found the right place!*

Set your navigation system to 20333 Patton Street, Gretna, Nebraska, and enjoy all the Heavy Brewing has to offer!

Cheers!

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Breaker One-Nine Next Stop Salt Mine City Brewing Co

September 7, 2022

*Marty has been a major influence on introducing David City to craft beer*

For one resident of David City, Nebraska, C.W. McCall significantly influenced the naming of the town’s brewery. Marty Roper said that the song “Round the World With the Rubber Duck,” which is a follow-up to Convoy, mentions salt mine city that he always remembered. It was only natural for him to name the brewery Salt Mine City Brewing Co.

Marty was born in California. He lived in Oregon before moving to the midwest as he attended high school in Hastings, Nebraska. Marty got a taste of what it was like working in a restaurant as he worked at the Garden Cafe in Omaha. He met his wife, who was from David City. The couple would spend some time in Arizona before coming back to live in David City.

A little over a year and a half ago, Marty opened Ropers Bar & Grill in David City. He wanted it to be that place where you could enjoy some sports, good food, and craft beer. Marty is a big supporter of local Nebraska beer and wanted the community to get the chance to experience it for themselves.

In little to no time, the people of David City and surrounding areas were transitioning to craft beer. Ever since back in Arizona, Marty wanted to start a brewery. Maybe now was the right time!

*Marty pictured above in red and his brewer Tom Polacek in gray*

Marty was ready to start the brewery, but he needed a brewer. It happened that his wife hired two local brothers, Tom and Dennis, to help with the remodeling of the interior of their home. Marty had returned from a trip to Arizona and had brought back an excellent selection of craft beer. It was the icebreaker to get Tom to talk about his enjoyment of brewing beer!

Tom Polacek, a homebrewer for over 12 years and part of the local Brick Street Brews homebrew club, would become the brewer for Salt Mine City Brewing Co! The brewery's goal is to produce the best beer for the community of David City. They had a pretty good idea of some of the first beers they would make, but now it was finding space and ordering the brewing equipment.

Marty secured some space in a strip mall on the north side of town that had enough room to get the brewery up and going. Some work would need to be done, but the two didn’t take long to figure out the desired setup, and construction would begin.

In November of 2021, Marty ordered the 1-barrel brewing system from Blichmann Engineering out of Lafayette, Indiana. The fermenters are from Ss brewtech. Marty was so excited to see the brewing system come in that he quickly purchased some grain for the first batch of beer. To Tom’s dismay, he was trying to figure out what he could brew and came up with an Amber Wheat Ale! The brewery debuted its beers at Ropers Bar & Grill on July 1, 2022.

It has been a wonderful summer for Salt Mine City Brewing Co beer! Marty said he is seeing a substantial drop in domestic beers like Busch Light. Seeing your beers gaining popularity over macro brewery beers has to be a great feeling! The other thing that has Marty energized is doing some beer festivals to introduce more people to the types of beer they are making. On October 8th, at the Butler County Fairgrounds, the next event they will be hosting is The Gates of Munich Oktoberfest.

*The flight of Salt Mine City Brewing Co beers*

It was now time to sample the brews Tom has been working on this year.

B.O.B - The Blood Orange Blonde uses the base of their blonde ale with blood orange. The orange is a nice note in this smooth blonde ale that comes in at 5.2% ABV.
Cruzin Cream Ale - light and crisp with just a bit of hop finish. Another nice session beer coming in at 4.8% ABV.
Brick Street Amber Wheat - beautiful copper color with light caramel notes in a soft body. Easy drinking at 5.3% ABV.
Mudd Flap Girl - this Pale Ale has those earthy notes from the hops that stand up well in the body of this 6.0% ABV ale.
Big Rig Porter - lots of nutty roastiness upfront that mixes in some chocolate notes. Very enjoyable Porter that I could drink all year around. The ABV on this one comes in at 6.2%.

It was another great brewery visit! Always more fun to have my friend Paul with me. One fun fact about David City is downtown by Ropers Bar & Grill; you actually park in the middle of the street!

Fall is a great time to check out breweries. Plan a trip to David City to enjoy Salt Mine City Brewing Co beers at Ropers Bar & Grill.

Cheers!

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Nature's Perfect Cone

August 26, 2022

*The hop cone basking in the morning sunshine*

When someone says the word “cone,” most people think of an ice cream or pine cone. My mind thinks about the aroma and flavor a hops cone adds to beer. The outside of the cone is very intriguing, but the contents hidden inside are the key to making craft beer.

Inside are tiny, yellow pods called lupulin, which is the source of flavor, aroma, and bitterness in beer. I remember my first visit to a hop farm a few years ago. The owner said to get the scent from the hop to put it between your two hands and roll it back and forth. The warmth and pressure release the lupulin oils providing the citrus, piney, spicey, and other aromas.

I know brewers discuss the alpha and beta acid levels in a hop. My basic understanding is that alpha acids control bitterness while beta acids dictate the aroma. A discussion for another day, but if you are interested, here are more details.

*Amazing how hops train to go up the 18 foot wire!*

On a bright, sunny Saturday morning, I headed to Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, to visit Christensen Hop Farm. Josh and his wife Ronee started the hop farm in 2017 and have expanded it to 7 acres and 11 varieties as of this year.

Josh was busy mowing the property as my friend Paul and I arrived. So many questions were running through my mind as were started to walk back to the field. In Nebraska, it isn’t a common sight to see rows of hops growing in a field. We are used to seeing corn and soybeans.

Josh and his family farm and also own Abe’s Trash Service. Josh said he never thought about growing hops until he did some homebrewing with his brother-in-law. Initially, the idea was to raise a few plants, but that quickly turned into 700 plants in his backyard!

Josh is a very nice guy who seems to have that entrepreneurial spirit. It didn’t take him long to see how this could become a business! Josh has a great piece of flat land south of Fort Calhoun, where the hops grow towards the blue sky.

Hops are similar to grapes in that the soil and region they grow in impact the flavor produced. Josh also said there is a 7 to 10-day window for harvesting hops. During this window, the characteristics can change, enhancing, for example, the citrus and fruit notes. On the other end of the spectrum, if you harvest Triple Pearl too late, you get an onion aroma.

*The long rows of hops that reach the top of the 18 foot wire.*

There is a great deal of work that goes into farming hops. Josh said the two most busy parts of the season are early on when training the bines to go up the wire and harvest. He said that the key is to automate as much as possible to reduce manual labor. Family and friends pitch in to help Josh when manual work is needed.

Nebraska, especially on the eastern side, does provide challenges to keeping the plants healthy. There is downy mildew that can occur because of the humidity. Wind storms can cause catastrophic damage. Last but not least are the hungry little bugs known as Japanese Beetles that love to eat the leaves off the hop plants.

Over the five years, Josh has learned that specific hops produce better than others. Two of the better producers are Triple Pearl and Vista. To get an idea of what volume is expected, he looks for 3/4 pound per plant. On a per acre basis, 1,500 pounds is considered good. He went on to say that Vista has shown the potential of producing up to 3,000 pounds per acre. I would say Vista likes living in Nebraska!

Josh created this setup for cutting down the hops.

There are some hectic days when harvest time comes in August and September. Josh said that he starts off going down a row where he cuts the plants off toward the bottom. Then the tractor with the cutter at 18 feet can go down the row and cut off the bines where they fall into the wagon.

*This machine is responsible for picking the cones off the vines.*

The next part of the process is pretty amazing when you consider that if you had to hand pick the hops, you would need many people. The plant shown above can take the bines in, pick the cones off of them, and send them up the conveyor belt to be dried. Josh purchased the equipment from a retired hop grower in Michigan. The machine was taken apart and shipped to Fort Calhoun. The previous owner then came onsite to help with the installation. Josh said it went smoothly having him there to get it assembled.

*The Pelletizer machine that takes the dried cones and turns them into pellets.*

The hops will dry in about 18 hours, where they are then pressed into pellets. Pelletizing allows for the hops to last anywhere from 2 to 4 years if they are refrigerated. Having a pelletizer is a big time and cost saver; otherwise, you have to transport the hops to someone who would process them for you.

Now with the product in hand, off to finding buyers for the hops. In 2021, Josh visited 120 - 140 breweries covering Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas. Now that is one dedicated road warrior!

Here is just a short list of breweries that you might know that use his hops:

Oh, and there is one more that Josh didn’t drive to but flew to. Oceans Lab Brewing Co. in Puerto Rico has used his hops.

*Digging the row markers walking through the hopyard*

Here are just a few of Josh's hop varieties, along with their characteristics.

Comet - the aroma is strong grapefruit and citrus. The most common flavor notes are grapefruit and tangerine.
Cashmere - the aroma is melon, pineapple, and peach. The most common notes are melon, pineapple, and coconut.
Vista - the aroma is orange, tangerine, apricot, and pear. The most common flavor notes are honeydew melon, papaya, and tropical fruit.
Triple Pearl - the aroma is melon, orange, spice, and pepper. The most common flavor notes are orange peel, pepper, and pine.

What a day it was! Great to get to know Josh better and to learn more about hops. You must share the word that this hop farm produces excellent hops! Josh said he loves supporting the breweries and would like to be able to grow the operation to 20 acres. I know he will get there!

Cheers!

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Roc Hopper Brewing - Not Your Typical Taproom

May 31, 2022

*The sign that greets you on the bricked 5th Street in Syracuse, Nebraska*

It has been amazing to follow Roc Hopper Brewing Co over the past two years as they prepared for a spectacular grand opening on Saturday, May 28th, 2022! Growing up, I spent some time in Syracuse enjoying Elms Ballroom while listening to local Omaha and Lincoln bands. Also, I was born there in a small community hospital during a tornado. Mom says we had to go to the basement to ride out the storm. She said that all dad could talk about was taking me fishing when I got a little bigger. We had some great times during my childhood fishing in ponds around Syracuse!

*Ben and Katy Biehl, founds of Roc Hopper Brewing Co*

Fast-forward as an adult, I never in a million years would have thought there would be a brewery in Syracuse. Ben and Katy’s vision for this taproom is nothing like I have seen before. As I walked around, I felt like I was in an art gallery in Laguna Beach, California!

Katy’s art is on display throughout the brewery. I love art, and I would say Katy is one of the top artists I have ever seen. There are sections of the taproom with different themes that make it such a great atmosphere.

The black and white theme throughout is elegant and brings out some of the rustic features of the building built in the 1880s. Back then, the building was originally an opera house. Before Ben and Katy acquired the building, it was a pharmacy. Two years of hard work has turned into a beautiful gathering spot in this small community. Ben said it would have never been possible without the design and buildout that Katy’s brother Noah Zahn did.

The bar has plenty of seating and has a beautiful white bartop. It is in the middle of two sections. One is the main area with tables and a small lounge to kick back and relax. The other section is space for events. A good friend of mine, Nathan, says he looks forward to having a family event there.

*The flight boards are very cool and easy to carry!*

I got to sample four of Roc Hopper’s delicious craft beers in a flight.

Doll Face Coconut Blonde - easy drinking with a nice bit of coconut flavor. ABV: 4.8% IBUs: 14
ALT’rd Mental Status - is a German Altbier. Nutty and bready notes with a wonderfully dry finish. ABV: 4.7% IBUs: 28
Polar Bear White Coffee Stout – has an excellent coffee flavor with some vanilla notes. Medium to full mouthfeel makes this white stout seem like a dark one! ABV: 6.6% IBUs: 40
Clementine Wit - This Witbier has sweet orange notes upfront, then finishes with a bit of spiciness. Excellent summer brew! ABV: 4.8% IBUs: 14

*Series of rock artist on one of the walls in the taproom*

The taproom this afternoon was a constant stream of people coming in and enjoying the atmosphere and beer. Also, Chef Kelley was preparing some fantastic food! A great time to be had by all.

With it being so busy, I didn’t get as many pictures as I would like to have. However, that is a good thing to leave some intrigue to make your way to Syracuse soon to check out Roc Hopper Brewing Co.

Cheers!

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A Labor of Love

May 18, 2022

*The sign that greets thousands of visitors every September and October*

Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard was created back in the 1980s by Tim and Jan Vala. Over the years, the family, with their three daughters, Kelsey, Kirsten, and Kyla, have made a magical place in the fall for people of all ages. The hayrack rides, pig races, and haunted houses are just a few attractions. The beautiful orange pumpkins you see all over the property are the epitome of fall!

It has been the family’s love for creating unforgettable experiences that make Vala’s the place to visit every year during September and October. Many people feel this way as there were around 350,000 people who came out to Vala’s in 2021. Even though Jan Vala is no longer with us, I am sure she looks down from heaven and smiles as each person makes their way into Vala’s.

*Kelsey Vala Donovan and her husband David, creators of Vala’s Orchard Cider Co.*

New ideas for attractions are never-ending at Vala’s. In 2019, Kelsey’s vision of making hard cider became a reality. The production would begin to serve customers in the fall of 2020.

Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. is the first cidery I have ever experienced. I was curious to discover how you learn to make cider and what the process is. I asked the couple how they got into making cider. David told me that he had friends that were homebrewers who got him interested not in beer but cider. The couple began experimenting and traveling the country to discover all the different ciders that were out there.

David said they had learned by each small batch that they had created but was glad to be able to go to the Cider Institue of North America for some formal training.

Kelsey’s background is in Culinary Arts. She enjoys creating ideas for flavor profiles for different ciders. As you will see in this article, there are many ciders, including ones with other fruit in addition to apples. Kelsey also is in charge of making all of the wonderful pies at Vala’s. Now I am thinking about pie and cider pairings, but back to the main story!

Kelsey said that she and David work well as a team because David’s palate picks up on every subtle note, and he can describe them in great detail! I bet that makes it fun when telling others about the cider!

I can only imagine the creative fun that this couple must have when making cider recipes! Let’s see how this comes together, starting with the orchard.

*A perfect day to capture the beauty of the apple trees in full bloom*

Kelsey had picked a fantastic day for me to come out! The apple trees were in full bloom and looked gorgeous against the blue sky. While on a tour of the property, Kelsey said that they have over 30,000 apple trees and 35 varieties of apples. I didn’t know you could grow that many different kinds of apples in Nebraska! The trees are dwarf apple trees and are on a trellis, making it easier to pick the apples. The idea was to make it easy for parents and their kids to enjoy apple picking in the orchard.

The cider is wholly produced from the apples from the orchard. They use all of the apples left from the trees that people can pick from. Also, there are apples grown just for cider production. Kelsey provided the pictures of the ones above. The following are just a few examples of excellent cider apples.

Golden Russet - sweet and tart simultaneously with some spiciness to it.
Franklin Cider Apple - is known for its bitterness, acidity, and tannins. This apple also has a lot of natural sugars, making it an excellent cider apple.
Northern Spy - is a late-season apple with a good balance of tartness yet also sweet with a hint of pear flavor.
Gold Rush (not pictured) - is a very aromatic apple with a nice sweet and tart balance that makes an excellent dry cider!

So what does the process look like for making the cider?

The apples are harvested and brought into the production area.
Next, they are washed thoroughly.
The apples then make their way into the grinder that crushes the apples into a pulp that would resemble applesauce.
The pulp goes through the press that looks like a series of screens or filters. The juice gets extracted from the pulp.
The juice is then transferred into the fermenter with yeast to turn the sugars into alcohol.

Kelsey said that it took about two weeks for the fermentation to complete. During those two weeks, the yeast has to be fed some nutrients to help keep it healthy and active.

Shown above is the freezer where the fresh juice is stored right after it is pressed. The juice is then defrosted over the winter to ferment. The fermented, filtered cider is stored in the cooler in the large cardboard bag in box totes. The cider will then be kegged from those totes. To give you an idea of how much cider is being produced, in 2020, Vala’s Orchard Cider Co sold 4,000 gallons. The following year, 2021, would see an increase to 14,000 gallons.

Beyond kegging the cider to be served at various locations inside Vala’s, such as the Cider Silo or Cider House, the cider is bottled and sold to patrons to take home. In 2021, Kelsey said they produced 22,000 bottles, and in 2022, they have a goal of 45,000 bottles!

I never knew that bottles of cider go through a pasteurization process. Pasteurization kills any remaining active yeast and increases the shelf life of the hard cider. If the yeast were to remain active, CO2 buildup could cause the bottles to become cider fountains when you open them, and no one would want to have that!

*From the fall of 2021, the line up of ciders - photo credit Vala’s Orchard Cider Co.*

Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. has a great cider selection ranging from dry to sweet. The labels on the bottle show this, which I love! There are apple cider offerings like the Nebraska Classic Cider and Goldrush Dry. The Goldrush Dry is incredible! At first, there is a slight bit of sweetness. The finish is nice and dry, creating a well-balanced cider at 7.5% ABV (alcohol by volume).

The other ciders available have natural fruit additions such as cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackcurrants. The subtleness of the fruit adds notes without taking away from the apple flavor. Cherry Fizz, Tractor Jam, and Witches Brew are few in this category. Witches Brew has blackcurrants, a bitter little berry that provides outstanding color and balance to the sweetness of an apple. Tractor Jam is a must to try for those who like a sweet cider!

Kelsey and David are also barrel-aging some ciders in bourbon barrels. They have an Imperial Cherry made with Montmorency tart cherries and Bourbon-Barrel Blueberry. The ciders age in the barrels for up to six months. Over this time, the cider grabs additional characteristics of the spirit and the wood from the barrel.

*Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) medals from 2021.*

What is so impressive for this young cidery is the medals they won in the 2021 Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP)! Goldrush Dry and Cherry Fizz were both gold medal winners! It must feel good to see your ciders appreciated amongst so many others in a competition like this. I can’t wait to see how this year’s competition turns out!

*Goldrush Dry shines on a sunny day. This crisp, dry cider is very enjoyable.*

This fall, Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. is expanding to a new building called Vala’s Cider Mill. I got a sneak peek of this fantastic establishment that is under construction. You will want to mark your calendar for some visits this fall because the atmosphere will be like no other you have ever experienced!

Kelsey said they are so excited, and the cider crew has been working very hard for this launch. I can’t wait to experience Vala’s Cider Mill this fall and their delightful ciders!

Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard, I don’t know how you keep coming up with these incredible new attractions, but I know all of your visitors love them!

Cheers!

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Kros Strain Brewing Company Celebrates 5 Years of Growth

May 11, 2022

*Founders Scott Strain and Robert (Bobby) Kros enjoying 5 incredible years*

Robert (Bobby) Kros and Scott Strain launched Kros Strain Brewing Company five years ago in June 2017. For these two gentlemen, the one constant thing over the past five yours has been growth. It is fun to see the evolution of Kros Strain Brewing, and it has been a challenge to keep up with everything they have going on! Luckily, I got the chance to meet and discuss with Scott and Bobby what it has been like over the past five years.

*Just of few of the fermentors at Kros Strain. They range from 5 BBL to 100 BBL*

Does it feel like five years have passed?

Scott started by saying that the time had flown by quickly. It has been an exciting journey filled with the cycles of expansion and adjustment. The adjustment time until this year has been very minimal.

Scott and Bobby put into perspective the growth they have experienced. The initial brewery setup was 5 - 30 barrel fermenters and 2 - 5 barrel ones used mostly for experimentation. Their initial capacity at a given time was 160 barrels or 4,960 gallons. By no means was this a small operation to start with!

Bobby described the expansion of the equipment over the years, including 2 - 100 barrel fermentors. Today their capacity at a given time is 900 barrels or 27,900 gallons. I have to say equally as impressive as the capacity is the engineering to be able to fit all of the equipment in the space they have!

Scott described that having some years with up to 60% growth is fantastic and also daunting at the same time. The logistics of getting more space, employees, and materials to keep up with the production takes lots of planning.

*This canning line can do between 60 - 70 cans per minute*

*This wooden foeder produced in Missouri is perfect for producing sours*

What are the most significant changes that have taken place in the brewery over the past five years?

Immediately, two items stood out for Bobby and Scott. The first was transitioning from a bottling line to a canning line. The two have seen many advantages, including the consistency of the fills. I would imagine the cans are easier to work with also. I remember seeing the one bottling machine in action. The bottles looked like spokes on a wheel getting filled and capped. It would seem that a system like this would need more care when packaging the beer than a canning system. Incredible numbers though from both. The bottling line filled 1,000,000+ bottles, and the canning line has filled 2,000,000+ and growing each week!

The other significant item is the sour beer program, which is very popular. The addition of the second bay in the building provided space to create the separation from the main brewery to produce sour beers. Kros Strain uses white oak foeders from Foeder Crafters of America out of St. Louis, Missouri.

I have read that the wooden foeders help add complexity to the beer. There are several reasons, including the tannins (bitter compounds) released from the wood to the yeast and bacteria that build up in the pores of the oak wood. However you look at this, lots of science and care goes into these beers!

*The hop lights add to the cool atmosphere of the taproom in La Vista.*

What has surprised you most about owning a brewery?

Scott said that brewing was the easy part compared to the sales and marketing side. There is a great deal of time spent working with the distributors to get their beer to market. Another difficult part of the distribution is getting used to having someone else represent your product.

Beyond the creative recipes, they have invested a lot of time and money in the quality assurance controls of production. The high-quality standards were essential to maintain as they grew to ensure that the customers were always satisfied with the beer. I can say that every beer I have had from Kros Strain has been top-notch!

The other big thing is human resources and keeping up with the growth of the employee base. The gentlemen said they have been fortunate to have great employees that stay a long time with them. I have to say that everyone is always so friendly and knowledgeable about the beer. It makes for a wonderful experience every time you visit the taproom!

What are some of your favorite charity events you have participated in?

Scott and Bobby said there were several, but two of their favorites are:

Hops for Harmony supports Project Harmony. Project Harmony supports children that are suspected victims of abuse and or neglect.
Brew Haha supports Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. Habit for Humanity helps to provide quality, affordable housing.

What have been some of the challenges you have faced over the past five years?

The two gentlemen explained that every growth cycle takes a great deal of planning. Along with that is the financing that is needed to expand the operation. Last but not least is hiring and training new employees.

The pandemic has been difficult and they had to adapt how they went about finding new employees. Just as much of a challenge has been the supply chain issues from getting in the needed grains to finding vendors that could provide aluminum cans.

*The display of awards in the La Vista taproom*

What has been your favorite award?

Bobby and Scott both said they have never focused on contests; it has always been about people enjoying their beer. Both said that they do appreciate the fact that when chosen for an award, it means the beer they love to produce is recognizable amongst their peers.

Bobby then described the moment in 2018 at the Great American Beer Fest (GABF) when the announcer called Kros Strain’s name out! It was at the end of the competition, and the last category was Hazy IPAs. There were almost 400 entries which is hard to fathom.

Then the moment arrived. Kros Strain Brewing Company - Fairy Nectar London DDH was named the silver medalist! Bobby and Scott described the chaotic scene as they worked their way through the crowd onto the stage. It was a day neither of these gentlemen will ever forget!

*The beautiful color of the Web of Lies Imperial IPA*

What are your favorite three beers that you have made over the past five years?

You have to save the most challenging question for last - right!

Bobby

Batch 625 - Farmhouse Ale - Saison 5.4% ABV 25 IBUs
Hazelnut Coconut Imperial Stout - barrel aged 13.0% ABV
Southern Hopisphere - Hazy IPA - 7.5% ABV 62 IBUs

Scott

Batch 625 - Farmhouse Ale - Saison 5.4% ABV 25 IBUs
Fairy Nectar London Project - Tropical - Hazy IPA 6.2% ABV
Out of Service - Sour IPA collaboration with Servaes Brewing Company

*I think everyone who tries Kros Strain Brewing’s beer, loves it*

Five years with over 1,600 batches brewed! Kros Strain Brewing, so happy that you opened a brewery in Nebraska! I know Scott and Bobby have plans for the next five years, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Watch for social media posts in June about the 5-year anniversary events. I am sure you won’t want to miss them.

Cheers, Kros Strain Brewing, for five years, and I am sure plenty more to come!

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Fremont - The Long Wait is Finally Over

March 7, 2022

*On the corner of 349 N Main St in Fremont, Nebraska you will find Five.0.Five Brewing Company*

Most of us are willing to wait for the good things in life, but 105 years seems to be pretty excessive! Thank goodness Five.0.Five Brewing Company has opened in Fremont, Nebraska. It is interesting to take a trip back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The brewing industry in Nebraska was booming! Then one major event that would quickly end this era would be Prohibition.

In the 1870s, it appears that there were a few small breweries in Fremont, including Magenan & Co. Brewery. Then in 1891, Fremont Brewing Company would open in the area of 900 East Factory St. Fremont Brewing along with other larger breweries in Omaha. These breweries were known for their massive production.

In the early 1900s, Fremont Brewing Company produced 30,000 barrels of beer per year. So how much beer would that be? A barrel is roughly 31 gallons of beer which translates to 930,000 gallons or 7,440,000 pints! I wonder who was drinking all of that beer? They must have had an extensive distribution network.

In 1917, congress would create the 18th Amendment known as Prohibition. Most breweries tried to pivot to producing soda to survive this period that lasted until 1934. Fremont Brewing Company would be renamed Fremont Beverage Company before finally closing its doors.

For craft beer enthusiasts in the Seattle area, just a friendly reminder that Nebraska had the original Fremont Brewing Company!

Fast-forward to 2022, and a new craft beer era has started thanks to Five.0.Five Brewing Company.

*Look at the color in this beautiful Pale Ale!*

The old saying, “patience is a virtue,” describes Shawn Morrow. Shawn started his craft beer career at Empyrean Brewing Co. in Lincoln, NE, in 1998. His starting position would be a cellar person doing tasks such as cleaning taps and kegging beer. This type of work is a common starting point, and it enticed Shawn to learn as much as he could to move up in the brewery.

Shawn got lots of good advice from Rich Chapin, head brewer at Empyrean Brewing, on what it would take to become a brewer, including where to go to school. Shawn would get his formal training from the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago and the Master Brewers Association in partnership with the University of Madison, Wisconsin.

Nothing is better than actually brewing to learn more about the process. Shawn reminisced about one of the first things he got to make at Empyrean Brewing: a Mead. It was an unforgettable experience!

*The 10-barrel Alpha brewing setup at Five.0.Five Brewing Company*

As time went on, Shawn became very interested in the idea of owning his own brewery. Plans were in motion for a brewery in the Haymarket District of Lincoln when the Great Recession of 2008 hit. The ability for new small businesses to get financing dried up, thus forcing Shawn to put his plans on hold.

After that, some life changes came about, and Shawn left professional brewing to work at Lincoln Industries as an Operations Manager in the chemical division. He still enjoyed homebrewing, and his recipe list kept growing. While working there, he met Tim Gesell. They hit it off and started to do some homebrewing together.

The years were flying by, and Shawn had reached his 10th anniversary at Lincoln Industries. In 2018, Tim would share some of the beer that Shawn and he brewed with Ryan Durant. Ryan is the owner of the 505 Building in Fremont. Ryan and Tim thought it would be awesome to open a brewery in the building and wanted Shawn to join in on the venture.

There were several conversations throughout 2018, and each time Shawn would decline, telling Tim and Ryan it wasn’t the right time. Then towards the end of 2018, after a long talk with Lori about how much he wanted to do this, Shawn was able to say, “I’m in!”

*The taproom design came from Lori Morrow who is at the end of the bar*

The plans began in March 2019, and later that year in November, the Fremont City Council gave their approval and also provided a grant. There was a lot to do to get the 505 Building ready.

Time started to pass by, and the logistics of the 505 Building ended up not working out. One day, Tim told Shawn to check out a building on 349 N Main. Shawn took a look but thought it would be too small for their initial design ideas. After doing some additional measuring, it turned out that the space would work. With the building secured, 2021 would be another test of patience and will for Shawn!

I am always fascinated to find out what was in the space before the brewery and what good surprises arose in the renovation. Before Five.0.Five Brewing Company occupied the building, it was a Diamon Vogel paint store.

The paint store had previously covered up the round window shown in the picture. The window looks great in the brick wall and allows a nice amount of natural light to come through. The next major renovation step for the taproom was to remove the drop ceilings to allow for a more open look.

Each of these steps enhanced the atmosphere, but one more big item was the floor. The gorgeous wood floor was buried under two layers of subfloor and tile. With some work and patching from wood in other areas of the building, the taproom floor turned out great!

*The lights in on the taproom walls add to the warmth of the space*

As we all know, the pandemic has caused immense pain in trying to get materials. The original design plans Lori came up with had to be modified several times because tables, bar stools, etc., were out of stock and had no firm date when they might become available.

I love how the taproom turned out! The industrial look of the black lights on the walls and black pipe for the tables seems very fitting. The darker woodwork gives you a British pub feel. An excellent space for conversation or maybe doing some writing in one of those cozy booths!

The other cool thing about the taproom is the historical pictures of the Fremont area donated from the local library. Each one has a remarkable story that Shawn so graciously told. The cool logo created by Beth Greenquist is visible throughout the taproom on the coasters and available merchandise such as shirts and hoodies.

Everything was set for the grand opening on January 13, 2022. Oh, did I forget something? Yes, of course, what about the beer? Shawn told us that the central theme for the brewery is to brew the styles as they were originally created. If it is a Lager, it will be a traditional German Lager. If it is a Pale Ale, it will be a traditional English Pale Ale.

*The hard to find Black and Tan. Watch Lori pour this was a true art!*

Shawn said one of the best things about Fremont for brewing turned out to be the water. The water profile works out great the what they are brewing. The goal is to have six flagship beers available all of the time and two rotating beers. They also have guest craft beer, cider, and local spirits.

While at the brewery, I had the following two beers.

Pathfinder Pale Ale - This English-style Pale Ale has a malty backbone with herbal and spicy notes. There is a medium hop bitterness balancing it out nicely. The ABV comes in at 5% and 35 IBUs.
Lakeside Lager - This German-style Lager is very smooth with those bready and malty notes. A nice easy drinking beer that comes in at 5% ABV and 15 IBUs.

I really wanted to try the Black and Tan, but I have saved that for another trip back to Five.0.Five Brewing Company. The Black and Tan is made with their Strong Ale and Stout. Lori makes it look easy to pour one, but there is definitely an art to make the beautiful layers and to get that creamy head on top!

*The menu at Five.0.Five Brewing Company. I like the fun names of the beers!*

One thing I found very intriguing was that with the extensive recipes Shawn has, he decided to create new ones for the brewery. That has to take a lot of extra work, but it must feel great brewing new beers for the brewery! Shawn described that right before the opening; he hadn’t thought about the names and had to come up with them quickly.

Take the Bit Thick Strong Ale, for example. One of the old English meanings is a little unfair, and that could describe just how good this Ale is when comparing it to other Ales. Rugger Bugger Stout is another fun name. Imagine that guy sitting in the pub who loves sports, especially rugby being somewhat loud talking about his team while kicking back a couple of Stouts.

*Isn’t great to see a keg with Fremont, NE on it again!*

What a great visit! Lori and Shawn are amazing folks that have created a community space for people to enjoy. Their hard work and patience shows in how the brewery turned out. It has been exciting to see the brewery being open. I know the couple, and Tim Gesell also have plans to use the capacity of their 10-barrel system to distribute beer soon.

Get out and explore Fremont to see for yourself all of the great things happening along North Main street. I highly recommend getting to know the beers at Five.0.Five Brewing Company. They have a four-beer flight option that is perfect for getting acquainted with their wonderful brews!

Cheers!

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The Journey To Starting A Brewery - The Inception

December 27, 2021

*Randy Fredericks, Jr. and Jeff Gude are the founders of Heavy Brewing*

Over the past four years, I have had the opportunity to tell the stories of many Nebraska breweries on how they came to be. Every one of them has been fascinating to me to know the amount of work that goes into starting a brewery. The one thing I have never done is to follow the startup of a brewery in each of the key phases of the inception, buildout, and opening.

This past summer, I met Jeff Gude and Randy Fredericks, Jr. at an event where they were pouring samples of their beer. The two of them had this enthusiastic energy that everyone loved! With every pour of one of their brews or craft seltzers, the crowd grew even more curious about the guys with the monkey logo!

I had remembered seeing the logo on a post on Facebook but didn’t know anything about them. I introduced myself to Jeff, and he knew about my blog site. Jeff and Randy were very busy that day, but we briefly chatted about meeting sometime soon. I was very excited to learn more about where they were at in getting the brewery started. It seemed that they were pretty far along in their journey, judging by how good their beer was!

*One of the many great IPAs from Heavy Brewing*

Jeff and Randy told me that they were in the inception phase of the brewery. I told them that it would be fun to do a series of blogs showing what it takes to go from concept to opening the brewery. They liked the idea and since then we have had several conversations. So let’s talk about how the idea of Heavy Brewing came to be!

The Aha Moment

Jeff and Randy have been friends for over twenty years. They have had many common interests over the years, but one day at Brix would add an everlasting one! It was all about an IPA from Deschutes Brewery called Chasin’ Freshies. This fresh-hopped IPA caught their attention of what craft beer was all about.

During the same time, Randy was traveling for work to Chicago regularly. It was in Chicago that he started to enjoy Hazy IPAs. Each trip, Randy would bring back several beers to the point that the cost of the beer was noticeable, especially to his wife. Randy and Jeff discussed the possibility of learning how to brew beer. Brewing was the type of challenge that would be fun in the learning process and the possibility of producing something you could enjoy!

The early days of homebrewing were about IPAs. The guys were having a blast learning how to create the hazy IPAs! With each batch, it was dialing in the recipes and enjoying the outcome. It is one thing to enjoy your beer, but what would others think of it? Sometimes it is hard to have close friends give you that honest opinion you are looking for, so the guys decided that they should enter some homebrewing contests to get an honest opinion about their beer. There was a competition in Minnesota that caught their eye, and they were excited to register. There was one big problem that held them back, Covid. It was a terrible time for a pandemic to hit, but what could you do.

A shift in plans would take place to solicit feedback on their beer still. Jeff and Randy came out with the concept of doing Brewouts. A Brewout is an event where you can share some samples of your beer. It is a perfect opportunity to get feedback from people in the community. Randy built this excellent cabinet for the events that started with six taps but it would grow a bit over time. The very first Brewout was very IPA-focused. The people at the event enjoyed them but wanted a wider variety of beer. This was great feedback to take forward to additional events.

Each event continued the positive momentum forward of new crowds enjoying the beer. The thought of launching a brewery was not just a dream, it was becoming a reality with all the support! By the fourth and last Brewout at Spikers in Gretna, it was clear to the people who attended, Heavy Brewing is ready to launch! I was at the event and got to hear firsthand all the comments on the wide selection of craft beer. There was a Peanut Butter Stout, Pumpkin Ale, Oktoberfest, Cream Ale, Witbier, West Coast IPA, NE IPA, and a tasty Prickly Pear Seltzer.

Was there an exact Aha Moment? If I were to take a guess, it was the first beer poured at the first Brewout!

*The Heavy Brewing logo wear is definitely eye catching!*

The Name

One of the most daunting tasks has to be coming up with a name that no one else has. The name reflects your brand, so it also has to have a deep meaning to yourself and those you serve.

Heavy Brewing expresses the early beers that they guys had brewed. The first few batches seemed to be low on the ABV (alcohol by volume) side. The beers were coming in at around 3 to 4%, so they kept adding more grain to the point they had 19 pounds in one 5-gallon batch.

The ABV came up some, but not to what they expected. The odd part was that they felt the effects of drinking it after only having small amounts of the beer. What could be the reason behind this?

Beer geek speak time! When measuring the gravity of the beer, there is the original and final gravity. There are two standard tools: a refractometer and a hydrometer. For the original gravity, you can use a refractometer. The refractometer works well since there is no alcohol yet. Holding the wort (unfermented liquid) up to light gives a pretty accurate reading. For fermented wort, the alcohol alters the refractive index of the beer since light cannot come through as well. There is a specific calculation needed to come up with the true gravity.

The guys said they were initially using the refractometer for both original and final readings. However, for the last measurement, they weren’t applying the calculation. Thus the ABV was much higher than he thought it was. The original beers were coming in between 9 to 13%. They all were heavier in alcohol than expected which provided the appropriate name of Heavy Brewing.

The Logo

Regarding the monkey head, one of the first beers that Randy and Jeff brewed was called Monkey Munch. It is another name for that sweet treat called puppy chow. The guys had a few friends over to try some of their beer. During the sampling, with a chalkboard in hand, it was time for Jeff to have fun drawing images for each beer. A few creative chalk renditions closely represent the logo that came to be. Jeff and Randy liked it, and it went well with Heavy Brewing, so Heavy the Monkey was born!

The Business Plan

Over the past couple of years, Jeff and Randy have spent a tremendous amount of time on the business plan. This is a new venture for them trying to establish their first business. Together, they have incredible ideas for the beer and seltzers and a vision of what the brewery could be. One thing that was missing though was the knowledge of how to launch a new business. Jeff’s father-in-law has owned multiple companies and would be very instrumental in helping to get the business plan put together.

Creating your business plan can be a daunting task. Do I want to serve beer just from my taproom or distribute it also? Do I want to serve food? If so, what will I need for a kitchen? Then there is the financing aspect. Can I find funding on my own? Should I consider angel investors? What opportunities are out there for small business loans? Researching all of the options and understanding the pros and cons of each of them can be overwhelming.

One of the most important if not the most critical parts of the plan to be successful is finding a good location. Jeff and Randy spent a great deal of time researching the Omaha area and mapping out the current breweries. The desired location ideally would be an area that needed a social gathering place. In addition to that, the population required to support a brewery would be essential, and a nice bonus would be an area that was growing.

The search took some time, but the home for Heavy Brewing would be Gretna, Nebraska. Gretna was the right location that would fit their vision of a family-friendly space that could provide the community with a social gathering place.

The next challenge would be finding a building that could support their vision of an open floor plan. A courtyard with room for families to enjoy games during a beautiful day is essential for the outdoor space. Last but not least, would be having enough parking at the brewery.

The Craft Beer Community

There are so many factors that come into play when launching a brewery. What is the right equipment setup? What are the best places for buying malt, hops, etc.? One thing about the Nebraska craft beer community is the openness to help others out.

Jeff and Randy appreciate all the mentorships from the local breweries including:

Site-1 Brewing
Kros Strain Brewing
Jukes Ale Works
Vis Major

The time that they got to spend with the other breweries was priceless in the help it has provided!

Taking down this sign will be memorable day!

The stage is now set! The building for the brewery has been secured. How exciting it must be to take that For Rent sign down knowing you are the new tenants!

Stay tuned to follow along with how the buildout phase transforms this current building in Gretna, Nebraska into a brewery! Time will go by fast, and I know we are all looking forward to the summer of 2022 when Heavy Brewing opens!

Cheers!

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Joe's Storyteller Stout - A Tradition in the Making

November 10, 2021

*Dave Link and Matt Huntley are the masterminds behind this year’s Joe’s Storyteller Stout. Photo credit - Mind’s Eye VT*

It was 2020 and the first version of Joe’s Storyteller Stout was released in March as the pandemic hit. Pint Nine Brewing and I had high hopes for a fun release event that unfortunately couldn’t happen. The turnout for those to grab a bomber from the brewery was unbelievable though! I remember the comments and pictures on social media by people that went and got theirs. I will never forget Pint Nine Brewing for providing me with one of those life experiences you never thought you would have!

James Watson, brewer and co-owner from Pint Nine Brewing, told me that he thought it would be a great idea to create a new rendition of the Joe’s Storyteller Stout each year at another brewery. I couldn’t agree more! The only question I had was who might be willing to do this?

*A local collaboration with exquisite coffee vendors in Omaha! Photo credit - Site-1 Brewing*

I remember attending the soft opening for Site-1 Brewing in December of 2020. I had a great time visiting with Dave Link talking about the brewery. I was excited for Dave and Matt since this was an excellent location, and they had an incredible vision for what they wanted to do.

After a few visits to the brewery, I remember conversing with Dave about doing a collaboration beer. It wouldn’t be until later in the summer that the plan would come together!

It is fun but yet a daunting task to think about what to do with the second version. I was trying to think about the various styles of Stouts that I have had, including ones with coffee in them. The one that came to mind right away was a Milk Stout. I couldn’t recall having a Coffee Milk Stout. Could this be a good choice?

*Check out all of the various malts and grains going into this Stout!*

Matt and Dave thought it would be a fun style of beer to do, considering they hadn’t done a Milk Stout yet at the brewery. There was planning to do on the recipe and what coffees to have in the beer.

I wanted to keep part of the coffee profile from the first version, and I am a huge fan of Clout Coffee! This bourbon barrel-aged coffee is so smooth and flavorful that I couldn’t leave it out.

Right in the neighborhood of Site-1 Brewing was another coffee shop that was roasting some of the world’s finest single-origin coffees. Bad Seed Coffee & Supply at 24th and Harney had a fantastic variety of coffee. Matthew Olsen, one of the owners and roaster extraordinaire, picked out a wide variety of coffees to try for the beer!

Dave, Matt, and I met with Matthew on a Monday lunch hour to sample some potential candidates of coffee from around the globe. Every sample had such unique qualities and flavor, which made it a difficult choice! In the end, there was a Sumatra coffee that had these incredible dark chocolate notes that seemed perfect with a Milk Stout body!

I left super energized about the coffee, or was it that I was highly caffeinated? Either way, things were coming together!

*Matthew from Bad Seed Coffee pouring in some of the Chocolate Malt*

I always enjoy learning more about the brewing process, so the brew day was unforgettable! Matt and Dave allowed Matthew and I to take part in dumping some of the grain into the Mash Tun. Not only were there so many varieties of malted barley and oats going into this beer, but the over 300 lbs. of grain was also impressive!

So what makes a Stout a Milk Stout? It is the lactose, aka milk sugar, that adds to the creamy body of the Stout. It also provides just a touch of sweetness which will remind you of an espresso latte after adding the coffee.

*Look at the beautiful stout coming to life!*

There are bursts of activity during a brew day that have you reaching for the camera! The fun part is seeing the brewers methodically going through the process such as checking for gravity to make sure the beer ends up in the attended ABV range.

Matt and Dave graciously answered every question and provided tremendous insight on how they came up with the recipe. I have to tell you, brewing is part artistry and chemistry. All of the ingredients and other factors that go into making a beer are astonishing!

*Beer releases are great to catch up with your great friends! Photo Credit: Minds Eve VT*

Well, it was time for this Stout to ferment! I think it is always so hard to wait to see how the final product turns out. I got the message from Dave, and he asked me if I wanted to come to the brewery and see how it turned out!

The anticipation was overwhelming. The Stout got poured into the glass, and immediately I got the rush of coffee aroma. The head was thick and creamy looking, so that I couldn’t wait for the first taste!

The chocolate notes wrapped into the coffee with a touch of sweetness. The secondary notes are brown spices, bourbon, and vanilla. An incredibly flavorful Stout that came in at 5.8% ABV!

*I love how the design of the label came together!*

The draught release night occurred on Thursday, November 4th. This just happened to be International Stout Day which made the release even more special! It had been such a long time since I had been at an event with friends and craft beer enthusiasts.

Matt greeted us with a smile, and there were so many people at the taproom already having Joe’s Storyteller Stout when I arrived. It was fun to see coworkers and friends from the local area coming out to try the beer. This truly is a night I will never forget!

Site-1 Brewing, thank you so much for this collaboration! This has been a wonderful experience you have given me. I am counting down the days for the release of the 4-packs from your brewery.

Cheers!

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Where Passion and Culture Intersect

September 4, 2021

It is amazing what can happen when passion and a great culture come together. For Ben Stalder, Benson Brewery has become that place! This is a great story about finding your way and understanding what truly makes you happy both professionally and personally. I am excited to tell it, so grab a beer and let’s enjoy it together!

*Ben and his son - photo courtesy of Ben*

I am always fascinated by that aha moment that makes someone interested in brewing beer. For Ben, it was back in college in 2006. He was part of the Nebraska Wesleyan choir that made a trip to Europe. The trip took him to Austria, Hungary, and Germany. The presence of breweries and the historical significance of the area got Ben interested in the idea of brewing beer.

Music was a big part of the creative side of Ben, but his science background would soon be very beneficial for his future! It was around 2007 when Ben decided it was time to try brewing his own batch of beer. The timing was everything as Ben wanted to make sure his first beer would be ready for his 21st birthday!

To Ben’s mom, he knew just how important it was to do this when he was legal to drink. You raised a fine son!

The first beer that Ben would brew was a Nut Brown Ale. A classic fall style that many of us will forget about but it is incredible! Thinking back to that time, Ben said he remembered Nebraska Brewing Company’s version of this beer and how great it was.

Homebrewing would be a hobby for Ben for about 4 years until he would get his first job as a professional brewer!

*At Benson Brewery, there is always a beer for everybody’s preference!*

Landing your first professional brewing gig must be exciting! I can’t imagine all the things you get to learn in terms of brewing and the brewery industry. In a competitive market, it can be a little bit stressful growing your brand especially if you are distributing your beer.

Ben learned so much during this period of his career, but something seemed to be missing. The creative side of him kept tugging at his arm telling him it might be time to move on. This is a struggle many of us go through. We like what we are doing, but there is this calling to go try something different. It is never an easy decision, but Ben would move on and find an opportunity to be the head brewer at a brewpub that was focused on serving the in-house customers and not distributing. Benson Brewery would become Ben’s new home!

Meet Tapper - the new face and brand of Benson Brewery

When Ben arrived at Benson Brewery in January of 2019, the priority was to get an idea of the current beer list. There had been a list of staple beers around for some time. This was an opportunity to see what could be done with the recipes to enhance them. A couple of the beers like the No Carrot All -Berliner Weisse stayed the same.

Ben said the owner’s Bill and Joe Carmichael were very supportive of giving him creative control of the recipes and styles of beer to brew. This was an amazing, energizing feeling to oversee a whole line-up of brews! Ben said that he has a tremendous amount of passion when it comes to finding out what people like to drink and providing something for everyone. I would say with 16 taps available and the variety of styles at Benson Brewery that this is a job well done!

It was refreshing to hear also that I am not the only person who still writes in a book for interviews and ideas about stories. Ben said that he has a book, and the cover has Always Learning on it. He keeps with him at all times as names of beers or ideas for recipes pop into his thoughts; they can be captured.

The Three Different Series of Craft Beer at Benson Brewery

I love the creativity behind having the three different series of the Main Stays, Limited Edition, and Test Series. It is great when you know that you have options for many new beers and also that go-to one will be available. Here is my take on a few that I sampled during the visit.

No Carrot All - 4.3% ABV. This Berliner Weisse is tart, not sour. The higher level of carbonation combined with the tartness makes it very refreshing! Often served with fruited syrups; instead, Ben created B Passionate by adding passionate fruit to the Berliner Weisse.
College Water - 4.3% ABV. A Cream Ale that is easy drinking with a touch of sweetness from the corn it is brewed with. This one is a gateway beer for those who are just making their way into the world of craft beer!
Millions of Peaches - 4.3% ABV. A peach ale that’s name is inspired by the song Peaches by The Presidents of the United States. This ale is fairly sweet, and the peach notes are very nice. This one would pair well with almost anything on the food menu!
Luz D’Vida - 4.9% ABV. This is a solid Mexican Lager that has a smooth body and is very flavorful. The name in English translates to Light of Life. Ben named this beer reflecting upon the love for his son.
Intergalactic Monastery - 5.8% ABV. This is a unique Belgian IPA. The slight spiciness of a Saison style and a classic hop bitterness make a great combination!

*The 16 oz. Tapper Tin is a great option for taking beer home.*

2019 was a good year for Benson Brewery. Ben said they did around 240 barrels of beer, which translates to 59,520 pints, which is impressive for a brewpub!

As we all know, 2020 was a very challenging year with Covid. Everyone scrambled to provide carryout options. The Tapper Tin 16 oz. cans would be the way to sell some beer until people could come back to enjoy the food and beer at the brewery.

Other changes were occurring in Ben’s life, and he would enroll in nursing school. Ben seems like the type of person that cares very much about helping others. I can see him being very happy in the medical profession also.

I asked Ben what his future holds. He told me that his creative side still wants to be brewing beer but as a part-time job. Getting his nursing career going and spending time with his son is very important to him.

Ben said that the owners completely understood, and Fernando Gonzalez was recently hired on to help brew. Both brewers enjoy music and playing guitar. They seem to be a great team and continue to come up with exciting new beers!

Life is short and finding opportunities where a great culture allows you to be personally fulfilled is precious! I know Ben values this as much as I do. It has been great to meet him and to visit Benson Brewery!

I would highly recommend stopping by to check out the beer and also the wonderful food menu.

Cheers!

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The Best Coast Isn't East or West - It's Corn!

August 26, 2021

Growing up living in Nebraska, I remember every football Saturday. The one thing that stands out most was the fight song, “There Is No Place Like Nebraska.” That song would put goose pimples on my arms. The excitement of seeing the Huskers play was something I will always cherish from my childhood.

As an adult, I have never lived anywhere except Nebraska. Travels have taken me around our country, and I have visited great cities. It is always fun to see other places, but I was always glad to go home. There are so many awesome people in Nebraska and the brewery scene is incredible! I like craft beer from everywhere I go, but as the saying goes, home is where the heart is and mine remains firmly in the heartland of America.

The logo with the windmill and palm tree is very creative!

The two founders of Corn Coast Brewing Company, Will Walter and Dan Walkemeyer also have a love for the heartland. These two gentlemen first met while going to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. It was the Naval ROTC program that brought the two together.

In 2010, Dan and Will would graduate leaving Lincoln. At the time, both were interested in craft beer, and the idea of having a brewery was a dream. In the meantime, each would leave the state to serve in the military. Will would head to the West Coast as an enlisted Marine. Dan would head to the Gulf Coast for a couple of years then to the East Coast for the Navy. Thank you both for your service!

Will had enjoyed home brewing back even before the two had met. Starting with a Cream Ale kit, he was intrigued with the creative side of brewing. Over the years, while in the military, Will would continue to grow his home brewing to the point where the equipment and supplies would take over his garage and spare bedroom!

Will loved creating recipes to brew. One of the most influential books he talked about is called Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels. It was all about learning the classic styles in great detail that fascinated him.

*Will and Dan are right at home with their ABE brewing system*

Dan told me about his homebrewing started and how Will got him to try an IPA for the first beer. Nothing like diving straight into the deep end! Though if you can make a solid IPA early on in your homebrewing adventures, I can see how you could get hooked on making beer.

Over the years while the two were in the military, they would meet back in Lincoln especially during the holidays. It was on one of those holidays that they joked about the fact it was nice to come back from both coasts to enjoy the corn coast. What a great story on how the brewery name came into existence!

Will finished his military career in 2017, and Dan was still enlisted. Every time the two got together, it was full-on brew time! They started to discuss launching a brewery in Lincoln. Their goal was to create lighter session Lagers, Ales, and IPAs that people would gravitate towards. The model would be a taproom one with distribution not being as high on their priority list.

The vision for the brewery was set! Now it was about finding a location and timing the launch of the brewery. Dan would be finishing his active duty in the fall of 2020, so it seemed 2021 was a reasonable goal.

Location is always such an important part when starting a brewery. The search can take a long time to find a good setup. In 2020, Will worked hard vetting many locations and working with Dan on finalizing the best one for them. The search turned up an excellent area around 14th and Yankee Hill, a growing area of the town.

*The fermenters are active producing the next beers to be on tap*

The 3,900 square foot space was perfect for a taproom and brewery. Finding the right brewing system would be no small task, but it is always great to have a local company like ABE Beverage Equipment to help design, install, and support your brewing system.

The 5-barrel system is nicely sized for rotating beers and seeing how the community likes the different styles you brew. Dan and Will did a great job with the brewery space! Lots of hard work, and after a couple of soft openings, the brewery officially opened on July 31st of this year, 2021!

*The wonderful flight I got to partake in during my visit*

The grand opening had 8 beers on tap. That is one hell of a way to get things started! On my visit, here are some of the beers that I tried.

Lincoln Yacht Club - This Lager is so smooth with those bready notes. There is a slight saltiness which I really like. Completely crushable at 4.7% ABV.
Shifting Sands - A Blonde Ale deep golden in color with subtle fruit notes and a spicy finish from the Cascade hops. Truly enjoyable and sessionable at 5.2% ABV.
Imaginationland - An NEIPA with a nice soft body. Stone fruit and citrus notes upfront. The finish is piney and dank. A very delightful IPA coming in at 6.7% ABV.
Coastal Fog - This hazy IPA is fruit-forward with citrus and peach notes. A very light hop bitterness finish. The hop profile of Citra, Simcoe, Sultana, and Trident hops is excellent in this 7.2% ABV IPA.
1st Stout & 10 - This dry Stout is roasty with nice chocolate notes. A lower ABV of 6% should allow you to have a sip for each Husker first down!

So happy to see Corn Coast Brewing as part of the Nebraska craft beer community. Dan and Will are working hard brewing and serving you their awesome beer!

Take time to visit them soon! You will then understand why the best coast is Corn Coast!

Cheers!

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Nebraska Beercation 2021

July 11, 2021

*T & T Rustic Loft is an Airbnb in Belden, Nebraska - Photo credit Kristi*

The first week in June, I had planned to make a trip to Hartington, Nebraska, to visit Big Hair Brewhaus on opening day. My wife and I decided to ask our close friends Kristi and Paul if they would like to join us. They were interested since they never been on a beercation. Kristi also wanted to see if we could find a winery in the area to go to, which was a great idea!

I thought about staying the night in Norfolk. It turned out for whatever reason on June 4th that there was very little availability in Norfolk for hotel rooms. I had never stayed in an Airbnb before - ok yes I admit to being an Airbnb virgin before this trip. T & T Rustic Loft came up on the search. It was perfect in that it was between Hartington and Wayne, Nebraska. We would be visiting Johnnie Byrd Brewing on the second day of the trip.

The loft was a great place to stay. The upstairs had a nice bar with a pool table and darts. There was a tv area with a great view out to the south. An adorable bedroom was also on this floor.

The downstairs consisted of a bathroom and kitchen that was perfect for morning coffee and making any meal. The owner’s Steve and Deb Thies were so nice! We got to talk to Steve for a while and get to know him. We found out it is a small world as I know his first cousin, Brad.

On the way to Hartington, we had some challenges getting to our destination. I started to become just a little bit worried. Then I realized the best part about traveling with friends is that you have multiple people who can help you navigate when your GPS is leaving out the highways you need to travel on!

Paul was prepared with a hand-drawn map. He knows Northeast Nebraska very well, so I was sure we would make it to our destination. But just to be on the safe side, Kristi had her phone ready to make sure we would arrive in Hartington on time!

We arrived early on Friday in Hartington and thought it would be best to have lunch before going to the brewery. We were fortunate that The Globe Chophouse had a soft opening that day and it was right across the street from Big Hair Brewhaus.

The food was excellent! Paul and I had burgers, and the wives had salads. I walked around the building and found out that the building was Globe Clothing in the early 1900s. There is more to this story, but I think I will save it for just a little bit!

Next stop - Big Hair Brewhaus!

*The three inaugural beers on opening day*

It isn’t often that I get to go to a brewery on opening day! This was such a treat and I got to share it with my wife and friends. Brett and Reed gave us a tour and told us interesting stories about the background of the brewery and Cedar county.

While discussing finding a location for the brewery, Brett told us about Dr. Ben and Dr. Erin Schroeder, who are veterinarians in Hartington. They had a passion for ensuring that the hotel, Surge car dealership building, and Globe Clothing building got restored!

Big Hair Brewhaus would make the Surge building their home. Globe Chophouse made Globe Clothing their home. The hotel renovation would complete and re-open. It is such a great story, but there was more!

Drs. Ben and Erin also have a tv show called Heartland Docs DVM, which is on NatGeo Wild! On that Friday evening at T & T Rustic, we watched a few episodes and everyone loved it!

*The Outlaw Series was fun to sample and to hear about all of the stories*

The next stop of the day would be about 7 miles north of Hartington to the Nissen Family Vineyard. Kristi was very excited and so was I because I had never actually done a wine tasting.

The afternoon was hot, close to 100 degrees outside, so it was nice to step into the winery to cool off and try various wines!

It was fantastic to see all of the grapes growing as we drove up the lane. We would soon find out that the grapes were originally planted in 2003, and wine production began in 2006. There was a lot of research that went into finding grapes that would endure the hot Nebraska summers and the frigid winters. The winery would have four main types of grapes they would grow to produce up to 13 different types of wine, ranging from sweet whites to those excellent dry red wines.

I enjoyed everyone’s reaction to each wine that we sampled, especially my wife’s! There were several on the sweeter side that she enjoyed, while I was more intrigued by the drier reds. I think Kristi enjoyed most of them, which made it a difficult choice as to what to bring back to Omaha!

During the tasting, we had a great time listening to the stories about the outlaws such as Jesse James and Doc Middleton that frequented the area in the 1880s. I had never heard of the Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway, so I listened intently to every story!

I enjoyed this visit very much! I would recommend making it to both the brewery and winery when traveling to Hartington!

We called it an afternoon and headed back to Belden to T and T Rustic. After we unpacked, it was time to decide what to do for dinner. Since Paul knew the area so well, we asked him to pick something he had enjoyed before. He recommended Jerry’s Hilltop Cafe in Randolph.

The cafe was bustling, but we did get a table right away. Our waitress was fantastic! We had such a great time talking about the local area and our adventures. After a good meal, it was time to head back and call it a night. We would have a big day in Wayne on Saturday!

*Any day on the patio at Johnnie Byrd is a Top 10 day for me*

Some days are so perfect, and this Saturday was one of them! There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The patio at Johnnie Byrd Brewing Company had hops growing on it. I am a big fan of hops on a patio - wink, wink, hint, hint, Mrs. Joe.

We arrived shortly after the taproom opened and were greeted by Greg Ptacek who is the head brewer and owner. Greg is one of those people you could listen to for hours! Getting to hear about how the brewery got started and the plans for the future was uplifting!

*Life is too short, share it with good friends*

After lunch, we started making our way back to Omaha. During the drive, I thought about how much fun this trip had been. Getting to enjoy experiences with close friends has to be one of the best things in life!

I highly recommend this beercation trip. The one thing I would add to it is visiting Divots Brewery in Norfolk. Jeremy Kirby, who is the head brewer, is a great guy and brews incredible beer!

I am looking forward to seeing where next year’s beercation takes us!

Cheers!

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Iowa Beercation 2021

July 5, 2021

This year my oldest son asked me what I would like to do for my birthday. I have always wanted to go to Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. in Decorah, Iowa! Without hesitation, Paul said, “let’s do it.” A pleasant drive from Omaha, Nebraska so we decided to find a few breweries on this trip, including Pulpit Rock Brewing Company also in Decorah and Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines.

*King Sue Double IPA has been a longtime favorite of mine*

We left Omaha early on a Friday morning. I have not in traveled Northern Iowa, so we decided to leave the interstate and make our way on state highways. The fun part about doing this is discovering all the small towns along the way. My favorite town name was Spillville.

Before the trip, I had contacted Toppling Goliath via messenger on Facebook. I told them how we would be heading to the brewery on June 1st and if at all possible, it would be great to get a tour. I got an immediate, friendly response, and we kept in touch even on the day we traveled. I wasn’t expecting that, but I was so excited!

*Payton told us all about the history and everything going on at the brewery*

We made it to the brewery and I was immediately blown away by how big it is. This would be the largest brewery I had ever visited! After being greeted, we were seated and started to look over the extensive menu to put together a couple of flights.

It wasn’t too long when one of the managers stopped by. His name was Payton and he offered to take us on a tour.

The massive 100-barrel brewing system and 400-barrel fermenters were mind-blowing! Distribution of their fine beers occurs in 30 states and places around the world like Europe, China, Japan, and Australia. An acquaintance in Australia recently posted how thrilled they are to get Pseudo Sue and King Sue, just to name a couple.

*My flight consisted of the IPAs that were ones I hadn’t had before*

The heart of Toppling Goliath is still about their state even after the massive growth since opening in 2009. I love the fact that one of my favorite beers I had on this day was a collaboration beer with another Iowa brewery. Ferrari Backpack with done with Lua Brewing Company out of Des Moines.

Toppling Goliath also has a large staff of around 160 employees. From the time we arrived, until the time we left, the team was amazing! Gillian, who does the social media for the brewery, introduced herself. It was fun getting to meet the person who was so kind to answer my questions and get us a tour!

*This is the space where all of the marvelous barrel aged stouts come from*

On this trip, I didn’t have any of the magnificent barrel-aged stouts. We were able to see the space where these stouts get to rest and take on the flavor of the various barrels. I am looking forward to having some of these on my next trip!

It was time to get a variety of 4-packs to take back home and share with friends as we left. I had such a great time!

Now we would find our way to the other brewery in Decorah - Pulpit Rock Brewing Company.

*Beautiful patio space with a great mission sign*

Prior to coming to Pulpit Rock Brewing, a gentleman who grew up in northeast Iowa told me a little bit about the Norwegian family background of the founder. He went on to say that the brewery has a great variety of craft beer.

The brewery was established in 2015. One of the founding beliefs of Pulpit Rock Brewing was to keep a constant rotation of diversity of styles of beer. I really like this in a brewery!

As we parked the car, the first thing that we noticed was the very lovely patio. The patio provides a relaxing, chilled atmosphere. It was the perfect evening to be there with it being around 80 degrees out.

*Pour-Over Porter infused with Tanzanian Peaberry coffee*

We walked into the taproom to select a couple of different beers to try. My son chose the Skal Til Steinen. This beer is a lager style Kviek ale made with Norwegian yeast. Nice and light at 5% ABV with tropical fruit notes. I have only had one other similar Farmhouse Ale to compare this one too. The Skal Til Steinen was delightful and also one we brought home!

My attention was quickly drawn to the Pour-Over Porter that is infused with Tanzanian Peaberry coffee. For those new to Peaberry coffee beans, the difference occurs as a mutation in the coffee cherry itself. Ordinary coffee cherries produce two beans that have a flat and rounded side. Peaberry is one bean in the coffee cherry and it is more rounded since it isn’t competing for space with the other bean. I often find Peaberry coffee that I have had to have this unique sweetness quality.

This version of the Pour Over Porter was deep in flavor with an excellent soft body. The coffee flavor is present throughout and a nice touch of sweetness. An excellent porter indeed!

It was time to call it a day. It was great to see that there were 16- ounce cans available to take back. On the other hand, it was somewhat tricky to choose. Here is the list of the ones we brought back:

Skal Til Steinen - Norwegian Lager.
Koffee Kolsch - Kolsch infused with coffee from Impact coffee in Decorah and Sidecar Roasters out of Waterloo.
Little Italy - Italian Pilsner.
Dave-O - Mosiac American Pale Ale.
B.T.O (Bockman Turner Overdrive) - German Bock.

On our way back to Omaha, we stopped in at Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines. A good friend recommended this brewery, so I was excited to get to try it out!

It was a Wednesday around noon and the place was hopping! Lots of people were enjoying lunch and a beer. I was looking over the extensive menu and it is was challenging to choose four beers for a flight. My son ordered the Enamored Amber.

The decor was so cool! From the truck with taps to the wall of cans in the shape of Iowa, I was busy snapping photo after photo.

*The selection of the day at Barn Town Brewing*

My flight arrived, which was three hazy IPAs and a Mexican-styled lager. The two that stood at most were the Mexican-styled lager that was spot on! The second was the Neon Hazy. The Neon Hazy is made with Citra and Mosaic hops. An excellent hop combo in a nice hazy body!

In the meantime, a gentleman delivering food stopped by and told me to say hi to Sam at Cosmic Eye Brewing in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is such a small world when it comes to the brewing community! I happen to be wearing my Cosmic Eye shirt that day. The tall, bearded man introduced himself as Alex and told us he was one of the brewers. Alex said he was helping during the lunch hour rush but would be glad to show us the brewery after we finished our lunch.

Alex showed us the brewery, which is right next to the restaurant. You can tell they are very busy keeping up with the restaurant and also doing local distribution. One of the fun things was seeing all of the past beer labels on various walls.

Alex said they love creating specialty beers. He said one of the latest ones was a coconut pastry stout that was packaged in bombers. This decadent stout to me sounds like dessert in a glass!

Such a fun afternoon getting to meet Alex and the guys!

A whirlwind of a two-day trip getting to visit three Iowa breweries. It was a very fun trip, and I look forward to seeing others in the future.

Cheers!

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Johnnie Byrd Brewing Company is Music to My Taste Buds

June 26, 2021

On a beautiful warm, sunny June day, I made my way to Wayne, Nebraska to Johnnie Byrd Brewing Company. My wife and our good friends were excited about the visit. We parked the car and headed across the street to what was once the fire hall in Wayne. I opened the door to the taproom and looked forward to what would be a fantastic afternoon!

Every visit for me is so exciting getting to meet the people that started the brewery and to learn about their story. Greg and Kelly Ptacek are the owners of this fine establishment. Johnnie Byrd Brewing Company has been in business for over three years now. Time sure flies because I remember when a co-worker who grew up near Wayne told me about the brewery when it first opened.

We approached the bar and were greeted by Greg. I must admit that I was a little bit distracted checking out the different craft beer styles that were on the board.

We started to discuss how the brewery came into existence. Greg, who is originally from Osceola, Nebraska talked about his career in economic development. As we chatted on this Saturday, I got the distinct feeling that the creative side of him is a tremendous driving force!

Greg loved the small communities of Nebraska and wanted to come up with a business idea that would have an impact on the people. The question of what that would be didn’t last too long.

*Pure happiness is Greg with his 3 barrel brewing system*

Greg had experienced homebrewing with some friends and enjoyed the creative process. If you think about one of the main social things that bring people together, what would it be? Well, I always feel a craft beer brewery should be at the top of your list!

So, you are probably wondering why Wayne, Nebraska? You have to go back to Greg’s college years at Wayne State. It was a great time of his life, not only for education but also for meeting his wife, Kelly. A cherished experience by both and a wonderful community to raise a family in!

Greg was so engaging telling us the story as we worked toward picking out a couple of flights of beer. I wasn’t the only one in the party asking questions. I think everyone loved the story and wanted to know more!

*The white washed cement walls are perfect for the taproom vibe*

Getting back to where we left off… I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall as Greg proposed to his wife his business plan of moving the family from Neligh to Wayne to start a brewery. I am sure his excitement was hard to resist. Together they would be doing something to give back to rural Nebraska as their plans also included being a benefit corporation. For more information, check out their about page on their website.

The buildout occurred in a very short time in 2017 from June to November. Also, during this time, Greg was busy trying out different recipes.

Everything was taking shape from the taproom to the brewing area. There are two features that I really love in the taproom. The first is the items that represent how the brewery is named. The second is the pint glasses that are on display of the pint club members. These lucky folks get to partake in Tap Seven which are the test batches. I am sure all the members enjoy this very much except for the person that kicks the keg. This lucky person will have their name on the board for other members to have fun giving them grief about their deed.

*Greg’s grandfather John whose band’s name was Johnnie Byrd Orchestra*

Family history is a big part of how the brewery was named. Greg’s grandfather had a band by the name of Johnnie Byrd Orchestra. Byrd came from the fact that Ptacek means “little bird” in Czech. This is also why you see the bird in the logo which is very cool!

It was great to hear this story and to get to know Greg more! The flights were poured and I had to head out quickly to the amazing patio to grab some photos. I want to emphasize to Mrs. Joe Java-Stout how wonderful hops growing on a patio can be!

*This sweet flight box holds six beers to sample*

It is always tough coming up with the beers to choose for a flight, but I managed to do it! I asked Greg a little bit about his brewing style. He described to me that maltier beers have been a sweet spot for him. This aligns very well with the local water profile, in which Greg said he doesn’t have to change. I would say based on the beers I tried, that Greg has nailed them!

Here are just a few to share with you that the group enjoyed:

Algo Ligero Cerveza - a really flavorful Mexican style lager. Exceptionally smooth coming in at 5.64% ABV and 24 IBUs.
Rad Rabbit Dopplebock - this German lager was roasty with chocolate and caramel notes. A solid Dopplebock that comes in at 7.35% ABV and 22 IBUs.
Amber Waves of Wayne - an easy-drinking beer! The maltiness in this one stands out and it also has a hint of sweetness. The ABV is 5.51% and IBUs come in at 31.
Lender Tilt Raspberry Stout - I love a summertime stout! The level of raspberry is perfect adding a nice tartness in the chocolate notes. What is hard to believe is this stout comes in at only 4.73% ABV!
Vanilla White Girl Milk Stout - was a group favorite! Coffee and vanilla notes in an awesome milk stout! Breakfast is served! Another stout on the lower end ABV coming in at 5.25%.

This bottle cap on the wall shows off the cool brewery logo

We finished the flights and Greg took us on a tour of the brewery. A nice setup and space that provides opportunities for him to use his creative talents!

Greg talked about some ideas for the future which add to the great experience when visiting Johnnie Byrd Brewing Company. I am excited for all that is to come at this brewery!

A wonderful day it was! I highly recommend making the trip to Wayne, Nebraska to visit Johnnie Byrd Brewing Company.

Cheers!

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Big Hair is Back and Better Than Ever!

June 14, 2021

*The sign that greets you on N Broadway Ave in Hartington, Nebraska*

I might be giving my age away a little bit, but when I think of big hair it was the bands of the 1980s. Poison, Whitesnake, and Bon Jovi to name just a few. Today in 2021, the next Big Hair revolution is not in music but in craft beer! Big Hair Brewhaus kicked off the revolution with its grand opening on June 4th in Hartington which is in northeast Nebraska.

*A delightful Pilsner by the name of Punk in the Street was my first taster*

Arriving in Hartington on the opening day, I saw another amazing Nebraska small town with cool old buildings in the downtown area. Come to find out that this downtown district is listed as a National Historic District.

The owners of Big Hair Brewhaus, Brett and Leah Wiedenfeld, loved their hometown and wanted to create something Cedar County didn’t have yet. The idea was to find a place for a brewery and bar that could also support live music and other events.

A local couple that are veterinarians in town by the name of Dr. Ben and Dr. Erin Schroder had restored three buildings in town including the hotel, the old Globe clothing building, and the Surge Building. The Surge building over the years had been a Rambler dealership and also a dairy supply.

*An original sign when the building was Surge Sales & Service*

Brett has great ties to the community being the CFO of the Bank of Hartington and a part-time farmer. Knowing many people in the area and the history, it was time to find a building!

Brett said when looking for buildings, the Surge building had the space needed for creating a taproom, event space, and outdoor patio. In October of 2020, the Wiedenfeld’s would become owners of the building! Many things to plan including the buildout and finding someone to brew the beer!

*Brett and Reed - enjoying the launch of the brewery*

Brett had a truly short list of people who could envision doing the brewing. His cousin, Reed Trenhaile who grew up in Wayne, Nebraska was at the top of the list! Reed at the time was in Brookings, South Dakota.

Reed learned the ropes of commercial brewing at Wooden Legs Brewing Company in Brookings. He started out as many brewers do being an apprentice. After a short period of time, he would get his chance to be a brewer!

*A very efficient brewing system used at the brewery*

Reed would accept the position at Big Hair Brewhaus and he and his finance Katie would move to Hartington. Reed would quickly become involved in finding the brewing system and helping with construction. As of June 4th, Reed was glad to report that he had retired from his short construction career. The team did about 95% of the construction themselves. That is a lot of work!

The search for a brewing system ended when Reed found Brewha Equipment out of Victoria, BC, Canada. The system was incredibly unique in that each vessel could be used for the entire brewing process including mashing, boiling, and fermenting. This helps tremendously when having a smaller space to brew in.

*The taproom brings back a very cool vibe from the past*

I have to say I was somewhat awestruck at the taproom! Leah did such an incredible job with the design. There was such a cool vibe with paintings, wall colors, and furniture. As you moved past the taproom, there was a big open space for 100 or so people. The setup is perfect for live music. There are televisions present for sporting events. I can see all kinds of parties taking place here!

The space was ready. Now it would be time to get started brewing for the big opening day!

You will find music themes in some of the beer names. On the opening weekend the three on tap were:

Punk In the Street - Pilsner
Amber Glow - Ale
Fields of Gold - Cream Ale

All three were easy drinking and very flavorful. There was something about Punk In the Street that caught my taste buds. I really enjoyed this Pilsner!

What an amazing visit! Brett and Reed said they were very thankful for the support of some key people including:

Jeremy Kirby - head brewer at Divots Brewery in Norfolk, Nebraska
Greg Ptacek - owner and head brewer at Johnnie Byrd Brewing Company in Wayne, Nebraska
Scott Taylor - owner of Knuckleheadz Bar in Laurel, Nebraska

I am looking forward to future trips to Big Hair Brewhaus! One word of caution, make sure you don’t stare too long at Brett’s beard. He will remind you where his eyes are at!

Cheers!

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It is More About the Outcome Than the Process

June 8, 2021

*Sign that shines from the west sun hitting it*

As you enter Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales in Omaha, Nebraska, on most days you will find a tall, bearded gentleman smiling and greeting customers. His name is Kirk Hearon. Kirk and his wife Alyssa along with Brandon and Camrin Knudsen own Bearded Brewers. The Knudsens are great friends from way back in high school.

They have created this new social community in the west side of Omaha where people are gathering to enjoy craft beer and seltzers brewed by Kirk. It is fun to see the couple as they talk with the people in the taproom about all their different offerings.

Is it An Ipa - great name and beer — *Is it An Ipa* - *great name and beer*

I was curious to learn about Kirk’s journey to owning his own brewery. We sat down and began to chat about how it all started.

Kirk told me he had been doing some homebrewing for a little over 20 years, and it all started with a Mr. Beer kit. It was in Washington state, where an Amber Ale would be the first thing he would brew. Completely fascinated in the early days about learning more about the process, Kirk would continue his adventure as he moved towards all-grain brewing.

In the early days, his career kept him moving across the western United States. In 1999, Kirk landed a job in Phoenix. One of the first things being there was to find a homebrewers store. With all the ingredients he needed, it was time to get a little more daring and aggressive with the recipes!

One of the key factors during this period was the introduction of forced carbonation. Kirk said this was a game-changer and made him even more ambitious in his brewing!

*Where the magic happen is in this brew kettle*

Kirk continued to brew on and off until over the years. In 2013, he moved to Colorado and met a gentleman by the name of Ron Gripon. Ron had this great 3-vessel stainless steel system setup in his garage. Every weekend the two would get together and brew.

There was nothing like seeing the results of what you were making. Having others enjoy your creations was a rush! Each batch fueled the fire for the next one.

Then in 2016, Kirk would create the recipe for BF IPA that would be brewed at 105 West Brewing Company in Castle Rock, Colorado. A phenomenal West Coast IPA that was a great introduction to commercial brewing and the possibilities!

This was the point where Kirk thought this is something I really want to do. I can’t imagine the excitement that you get when people enjoy a beer you create!

Lucky for us, Kirk made his way to Nebraska and made Omaha his home. After years of creating IPAs and watching everyone enjoy them, it was onto stouts! I asked him if there was a stout that was an inspiration. Kirk replied, “It has to be Surly Darkness.”

In 2017, the Jukes from Jukes Ale Works and Dan Falcone got together with Kirk and they made a barrel-aged stout. For the next few years, Kirk began building his stout’s portfolio ranging from Pastry Stouts to Russian Imperial Stouts. Recently he released a Cookies & Cream Stout that is part of his Dream Bar Series.

*A view from a large window that opens up to enjoy the patio. This golden beauty is a lovely Kolsch.*

I remember in June of 2017, I was at Boiler Brewing Company in Lincoln. I ended up sitting next to Kirk and at that time didn’t know him other than from social media. He told me that in a few years he would have a brewery in west Omaha. I will never forget that day as I drove back to Omaha thinking about where the brewery might be built!

It was around February 2020 when the planning really kicked in. Then in July it was go time! There were many things to think about when finding the right location. Having the brewery in a retail location with a good volume of traffic was at the top of the list.

Things moved quickly and by September the building permit was secured. Time to design out the taproom and brewing space!

*The patio is a very nice extension to the taproom*

So many cool things about the space! I really love the design of the large window and garage door that opens to the patio. This makes the patio feel like a natural extension to the taproom.

The Grand Opening took place on May 1st of 2021. A menu that was full of craft beer, hard seltzers, and smoothie seltzers. The smoothie ones were new to me. I had never seen them before. So much fruit that when poured reminded me of a blended cocktail like a daiquiri!

As you can see there was something for everyone and people came out that opening weekend to celebrate that!

*Brew tanks are named after family pets*

Kirk said he was thankful to so many people that helped him along the way and have made his launch successful. Some of the folks include:

Bobby Kros and Scott Strain - Kros Strain Brewing
Shane Costello - Monolithic Brewing
Kyle Jukes - Jukes Ale Works
Tim Thomssen - Boiler Brewing Company
Nate Wheat - friend
Steve Kanne - friend
Ron Gripon - friend

For Kirk, it is seeing the outcome of the brewing process which is having happy people gathering with friends in the taproom. It is gratifying when someone tells you just how much they enjoyed what you have created.

The goal is to keep making styles of craft beer that familiar yet unique. For example, take The Satchel which is a peanut butter and marshmallow Cream Ale. This beer has a great Cream Ale base that comes through with some added flavors that make it incredibly special.

I know brewers go through a tremendous amount of hard work to get their beers ready. So many details that need close attention to yield the results you want. Early mornings and late nights making sure the beer is ready for patrons.

With all that hard work, you will never see a happier person than Kirk Hearon! Since the grand opening, I have been in several times including release days. Kirk spends time talking about the new beers. You can tell the taproom is his happy place!

Get out and visit Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales to enjoy this wonderful craft experience. You will find the brewery at 18039 R Plaza #108, Omaha, NE 68135.

Cheers!

One quick sidenote since you know I love coffee … Brandon and Camrin Knudsen own Ziggi’s Coffee. The first one was built in Longmont, Colorado. Now there are many across the United States.

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Sandhills, Craft Beer, & Comradery

May 30, 2021

*Ron is pointing out to our Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen crew that Bootleg Brewers is over those hills*

Charlie Yin had a vision to create a Nebraska-focused craft beer bar and restaurant with the most taps of beer brewed from around the state. His passion and support for Nebraska breweries has come alive in the Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen brand that he established in 2015. Currently, there are three locations including Millard, Gretna, and Omaha at Village Pointe.

*Kinkaider Brewery in Broken Bow, Nebraska*

Charlie has spent time traveling across the state getting to know the brewers and their beer. It is important to know the product you will be selling and the people behind its creation.

Kinkaider Brewing was one of those breweries, and he participated in the collaboration and creation of Snozzberry, a fruit, sour beer. You need to hear this intruiging story directly from Charlie or Dan Hodges, head brewer at Kinkaider.

Over the years, Charlie has had events such as “Meet the Brewer.” These events give patrons a chance to learn more about breweries such as Bootleg Brewers, Lazy Horse Brewery, and many others.

I remember attending many of them. Yes, I was the crazy guy with my notebook taking notes. Such fun events not only meeting the brewers but getting to meet more of the staff members from the Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen.

*Charlie planning the day ahead with Dustin and Courtney*

It is easy to see that staff is valued tremendously and a primary component to the Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen’s success. Charlie planned a day so that some of his key people could get to see a couple of breweries, meet the owners, and get to know more about their beer.

On this day, it would be a flight from Millard to the sandhills to visit Kinkaider Brewing in Broken Bow and Bootleg Brewers in Taylor, Nebraska. A fun day where I got the opportunity to capture the events and see what impressions the team members of Sarah, Amanda, Courtney, and Dustin would have of the breweries.

*Landing in Broken Bow, Amanda is excited to take in this experience*

After a nice flight over the sandhills, the first stop would be in Broken Bow. The team headed to find lunch at a local cafe. City Cafe would be the destination. Located in the original downtown area of Broken Bow, the cafe was packed with people having a late breakfast or early lunch.

Everyone enjoyed their meals and loved the atmosphere of the townspeople gathering for a meal. It was fun to see others who are in the restaurant industry enjoy receiving great service as much as giving it. The team thanked our waitress, and we were off to Kinkaider Brewery!

*Dan Hodges, head brewer and co-owner takes the team on a brewery tour*

There is something special about getting to know people who create the beer that you serve people. The crew got to meet with Dan Hodges, the head brewer. He was kind enough to give a brewery tour. Dan described each step of the process and what it takes to create all those wonderful Kinkaider beers.

The group had lots of questions during the tour that covered not only the brewing aspect of the business but also packaging and distribution. The team remarked how awesome it was to see what goes into each of the beers. That experience will help them each day to describe Kinkaider’s beer better to customers and to tell patrons about the wonderful people from Kinkaider Brewing!

*The back patio at Bootleg Brewers was enjoyed by the team who took in the great view of the hills, trees, and beautiful blue sky*

From Broken Bow onward with a quick flight to Burwell. In Burwell, Dodie Worm would provide us with a ride to the ranch outside of Taylor, Nebraska where she and her husband built Bootleg Brewers. One of the most scenic drives of all Nebraska is leaving the highway and driving to the brewery!

Ron and Dodie are all about hospitality as the group would soon find out. Ron had spent a long day working on the ranch but quickly jumped behind the bar and began to pour samples as he told everyone about how he got into brewing.

Ron explained how he uses the orange zest to make the Naked Orange Stinger ale and the rest of the orange then goes into a summertime shandy. The team was amazed at all the different styles and looked forward to serving all of them at the Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen.

For the last adventure of the day, the team went out on four-wheelers to get an awesome tour of the whole ranch!

*The best part about a job is getting to meet great people and having fun doing it*

A great time had by all! It shows you just how much fun you can have meeting and working with people in Nebraska. One thing you will always find at the Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen is an incredible staff. It would be a pleasure to get the opportunity to work with Courtney, Amanda, Sarah, Dustin, and Charlie!

Looking for a fun job? You must check out Local Beer, Patio and Kitchen. Joe will be waiting for you to tell him all about the exeptional beers on the menu!

Cheers!

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Brewery Patios are the Best!

May 2, 2021

There is always something special about being able to have a craft beer on a beautiful patio. It could just be me, but I think it makes the beer taste even better! Now that the pandemic is slowing down and things are opening back up, here are a few patios that I recommend visiting.

Canyon Lakes Brewing Company

Johnson Lake, Nebraska is one of the best lake communities in the state if not the overall best! Michael and Jessica Blevin have created not only a top-notch brewery but an incredible restaurant too! I remember visiting on July 5th, 2019. It was shortly after the noon hour and the place was hopping! Everybody was having a great time and let me tell you those umbrellas provide the perfect shade on a hot, Nebraska day!

Upstream Brewing Company

One of my favorite things to do in the Old Market in Omaha, Nebraska, is to find a place with good food and craft beer. Upstream Brewing Company is the perfect place to enjoy both! The patio is always is full of beautiful flowers. Being on the east side of the building, it is an outstanding place to enjoy some shade on those warm summer days. I always like watching all the happy people passing by. Always a pleasure getting to spend some time at Upstream Brewing!

*Scratchtown Brewing Company in Ord, Nebraska has the bluest skies ever*

The Scratchtown logo on the brewery building

Scratchtown Brewing Company

This picture doesn’t do justice to what you will experience at Scratchtown Brewing Company in Ord, Nebraska! The historic downtown area to the south and the east, the beautiful green space around the county courthouse.

On a sunny day in Ord, the skies must be some of the bluest I have ever experienced. The patio space is ideal for enjoying those summertime favorite blonde ales, pilsners, and IPAs.

There are many days that I wish I could be in Ord for the incredible weather and Scrathtown brews!

New grain bin outdoor additional patio space not shown

Lazy Horse Brewing & Winery

For me, the most relaxing patio in the state is at Lazy Horse in Ohiowa, Nebraska. The view from the patio is of their gorgeous ranch with flowing grass pastures. Also, there are some grapevines that accent just how beautiful the Nebraska countryside can be!

Jim and Julie Stutzman have created an amazing destination for craft beer and wine enthusiasts. While you are there, you will also want to have one of their excellent wood oven pizzas!

Bearded Brewer

Bearded Brewer in West Omaha has a great patio that feels like a natural extension of the taproom! The garage door and huge window that opens provides a great fresh air experience throughout. Kirk Hearon, owner and head brewer, is brewing some great beers and seltzers. I know many people are going to frequent this patio!

It is a perfect time of the year to get out and enjoy these wonderful breweries and their incredible patios!

Cheers!

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Nothing Less Than Monumental

March 10, 2021

When you are an entrepreneur, you love every bit of turning a vision into reality. What makes it even better is to have a friend or two that share that same passion. For Derek Richards and Todd Hartung, their next venture would be a craft beer brewery.

No strangers to the restaurant business are both Derek and Todd. I met both of these fine gentlemen over the years at Cunningham’s Pub and Grill. It was always a great place for craft beer, food, and fun events. I have fond memories of some ugly Christmas sweater events!

It was about four years ago the two started talking about doing their own thing. If only they knew of a good local brewer. You can imagine it is so difficult thinking of all your brewing acquaintances. It is even harder when the person you are looking for is there right there in front of you.

It would have been fun to be there when Derek and Todd saw Shane Costello in Cunningham’s enjoying some wings like he normally does. Then to hear the priceless conversation with the word homebrew would have been like bells going off.

Needless to say, Shane was excited to have the conversation to be their brewer and was ready to take his homebrewing skills to the next level! Shane had been homebrewing for almost ten years and had experience working at the Upstream Brewing restaurant. He gained an appreciation for what it takes to brew at scale, seeing it done by Dallas Archer. Shane's creative side was ready to explore more and see what beer styles would stand out to him!

I asked Shane about a couple of the first craft beers that he homebrewed. Shane told me the first was a Pale Ale like the Capital Pale Ale from Upstream. The second was this English Brown Ale that today is their Fiesty Walrus Brown Ale. A very nice brown ale with chocolate notes and a great story. The beer is named for a close friend Daniel Stewart. I always love hearing the story about this beer from Daniel!

A great trip that forever influenced Shane was an east coast trip to breweries such as Trillium Brewing Company, Tree House Brewing Company, and Other Half Brewing. At that time, Hazy IPAs were making a big splash. The style had this incredible body and fruit flavors from the hops. The challenge of learning everything about this type of beer became a great focus for Shane.

After roughly 50 trial batches with so many different hops and fine-tuning the recipes, Shane had a great feel for brewing these New England style IPAs. He was ready to introduce them once the brewery would open.

*A really unique stacked setup of fermenters and brite tanks*

The planning was moving forward. Derek and Todd were focused on finding the right location. They knew in their minds that their business model would be based on the taproom and not on distribution. Finding a place in Omaha where they could be that local craft brewery while also having a nice food menu was their top priority!

After a period of time searching, the guys found a great place around 120th and Fort Street in Northwest Omaha. Several nice neighborhoods in the area to support them. The building had the space they were looking for in terms of indoor setting. The outdoor patio was a bonus that has such a great view of a pond and lighted fountains. I can’t imagine after seeing this property of thinking about anywhere else to have this brewery!

Equipment had to be ordered, and the decision was to go with a 3 1/2-barrel system. The perfect size to produce the right amount of beer to keep several tap handles supplied. After working with the architect on the space, there was a configuration that I have never seen before in stacking the equipment to make the best use of the high ceilings!

One thing that was still missing, a name. Never an easy task with so many breweries in the United States! After many ideas turned into no-gos, the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, where there are monoliths in the movie inspired Monolithic Brewing's name!

Everything was in full motion moving forward, then Covid hit. Nothing about launching a business ever included the fact there would be a pandemic going on. What to do now?

The plans were to keep moving forward. There was work to be done in the taproom and getting the brewery setup. In September of 2020, the brewing equipment arrived. The initial setup of the stacked equipment had a couple of challenges that were quickly resolved. Now it was time to start brewing!

October would be the month to have a few soft openings and it was on Halloween weekend that Monolithic Brewing officially opened its doors! A long time in the making just came to fruition. How would the newest brewery in Omaha do?

The launch had lots of rave reviews and Omaha was buzzing about the newest brewery. The beer menu had a nice selection, and it was growing. There was even a craft seltzer as an option for those patrons who enjoyed hard seltzers.

Now five months later, Shane said they just finished brewing their 44th batch of beer!

*This beauty is an Irish Red called Fool For You*

The hard work hasn’t stopped after the launch. You will see Derek, Todd, and Shane in the taproom making sure that you have the best craft beer experience possible!

These guys are busy cooking, serving, and answering any questions that you have. The rest of the staff has been awesome also! I had stopped in on their second Fish Fry Friday and it is extremely popular! Great beer choices to pair with the fish.

My experiences have been top-notch! I have enjoyed several of the beers including:

Broken Hearts - Hazy IPA
Brooklyn Baby - DIPA
Sir Bock-A-lot - Bock
Fool For You - Irish Red

Back to the name … For me, Monolithic represents a brewery that is huge in flavorful craft beers and service. The sign in northwest Omaha is like a monolith grabbing your attention to see what is inside!

I highly recommend stopping in for the beer and food. Make sure to talk with Derek, Todd, and Shane to get to know this wonderful community taproom.

If you get the chance, ask Shane about some of the names of the beers and how he came up with them. It will be like music to your ears!

Cheers!

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One Giant Leap For Beerkind!

February 4, 2021

Standing out in what used to be Automobile Row is Site-1 Brewing. A bird’s eye view courtesy of Mind’s Eye VT. — *Standing out in what used to be Automobile Row is Site-1 Brewing. A bird’s eye view courtesy of* *Mind’s Eye VT*.

There are many talented brewers across the nation that would love a chance of owning their own brewery. The difficult part is the logistics of running the business side of the brewery including finding the capital investment for it. In Omaha, Site-1 Brewing has come up with a very innovative idea to help launch the brewing careers for the right candidates.

*The beauty of a stainless steel mash tun*

The creative team behind the concept are Mike Peter, Ben Katt, and Melanie Phelan. This team came up with a great concept and found Omaha's perfect area to start up Site-1 Brewing.

Farnam Hill today was formerly known as Automobile Row, a stretch of Farnam street from 20th to 26th street that had several car dealerships in the early 1900s. The particular location, 2566 Farnam Street, was once a Chrysler dealership. The indoor showroom stretched multiple buildings on the north side of Farnam. The building’s floors attest to this by the 3-foot cement structure.

This area of Omaha currently exists in a quiet zone between the downtown Old Market area and the Blackstone District in Midtown. A great area to see a revitalization occur! There have been talks over the recent years to make this part of a streetcar project that would connect downtown to midtown. That would be a great thing for the city.

A concept that was in the making and trying to get off the ground during a pandemic seems like a very tough hill to climb. This group made it happen and opened before Christmas of 2020. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek during the soft opening and had to learn more about the first two chosen brewers!

*Matt Huntley and Dave Link are the talented head brewers at Site-1 Brewing*

The summer of 2020 was when the interviews took place. There was an extreme amount of interest in the two open head brewer positions. To get the brewery up and running by the end of the year, it would take some brewing experience to make that happen. That fact probably had some influence on these two fine brewers being chosen, but that is just my opinion.

Dave Link is no stranger to Omaha. He grew up here and even went to high school with another brewer in the state - Rodney Keim. Rodney, we need to talk… Dave let me in a few good stories!

Dave has been brewing for around 10 years. This included homebrewing and then professionally brewing at Infusion Brewing Company. Dave was in charge of the operations at the Benson location for Infusion Brewing. Before that, homebrewing was a passion that grew and expanded into being a 402 Homebrewers Club member.

I always like asking about the first beer you ever brewed, and Dave said it was a Porter that became known as Poppleton Porter for the street he lives on. Dave went on to say that he thought it was a safe choice because of the characteristic of a Porter.

There is always that aha moment when you decide something is right for you. Dave told me that it was a visit to Fort Collins taking tours of Odell Brewing and New Belgium Brewing. He looked at his wife and said, “This is something I would like to do!”

*Nothing better than a Winter Warmer on a cold winter’s day and Solar Flare is an excellent one!*

Matt Huntley grew up in a small rural town in Missouri. Matt, we should talk about small towns sometime. I grew up in Manley, Nebraska which had a population of 120 people.

Anyway, I digress… Matt was busy going to college when craft beer was introduced to him. His roommate’s father received a homebrew kit as a gift. This gift was something that needed to be regifted and Matt was one of the lucky recipients! His roommate’s dad told them he was happy they tried the beer at home instead of at parties.

The kit was a wheat beer one along the lines of Blue Moon. Matt said the experience was a great one learning that the most important part is patience for the beer to finish. That was probably my biggest mistake for my first and only beer kit!

Matt went onto say that he continued to homebrew for about 12 years. This period of time was all about learning the art of brewing from brewery visits, reading, and homebrewing competitions.

Matt’s aha moment occurred in 2019 when he realized Ag Sales was not fulfilling his passion. His wife had recently got her doctorate and agreed it was time for Matt to give professional brewing a try!

*A couple of lagers cozying up to each other This beautiful blonde Pilsner and dark and handsome Dunkel.*

Matt sent out plenty of resumes and fill out applications in the hope of landing that first brewing position. He found a shift brewer position at Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston, Texas. Pretty far from home but an opportunity worth taking!

It was March of 2020 when an article in the Omaha World-Herald appeared talking about the plans to help brewers launch their careers. Matt’s mother-in-law saw the article and thought this might be something Matt would be interested in.

The Covid pandemic was here and there was nothing about business as usual. Dave began to ponder if this was something that could take his career in a new direction. The two soon found themselves applying for a chance to be part of Site-1 Brewing. The summer months would lead to three rounds of interviews and wondering what the future might hold.

Matt was back from Houston and was looking around Omaha to spend some time on a smaller system than what he had been part of at Saint Arnold. The system at Site-1 Brewing would be a 5-barrel brewing system.

Matt ended up in Benson at Benson Brewery for a day. During this visit, the head brewer Ben from Benson Brewery went over their brewing system. Ben then took Matt over to Infusion Brewing where Dave was busy working.

Hmmm, now that is a coincidence that Matt and Dave met prior to getting hired. I wonder if either considered the possibility that each had applied at Site-1 Brewing.

*Quickly expanding tap handles to reach 18 beers on tap! There are additional handles for Nitro Cold Brew Coffee, Hard Seltzers, and Kombucha Tea. Photo credit - Mind’s Eye VT*

The two would soon find out they were the chosen ones and would wait for the brewing system to arrive. I can’t imagine getting a brewing system to put together that had hundreds of parts let alone the instructions were not in English! These guys took on the challenge and in no time were ready to start brewing!

I asked the guys what is the most fulfilling part of working at Site-1 Brewing? Both loved the creative freedom to get to brew the various styles of craft beer that they both enjoy. The fact that they are a community brewery getting to know their nearby neighbors was a great feeling.

The conversion revealed to me just how close these two brewers had become in a short period of time. I could sense their excitement. For these two brewers, success lies in having happy customers enjoying their creations!

*This rocket is ready to launch! So many cool space theme memorabilia at Site-1 Brewing. Photo credit - Mind’s Eye VT*

Site-1 Brewing covers the spectrum of styles of craft beer. On this day, I had tried the following brews:

Solar Flare - Winter Warmer. This is the best one I have had this winter! The spices were perfectly balanced. I enjoyed the nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove in this 7% ABV beer. The secret special ingredient to me was the Tahitian vanilla.
Leicht Speed - Pilsner. This is a wonderful lager that is crisp, clean with a nice level of carbonation. Immense flavor and very sessionable at 4.4% ABV, this is one you can enjoy all day long!
Black Arrow - ESB. This brew caught my attention from the really nice malty front and middle that had me thinking this wasn’t an ESB, but the finish had a decent amount of hop bitterness that brought it all together! Excellent beer at 4.8% ABV.

*Check out this huge, incredible bar! Photo credit - Mind’s Eye VT*

Last question as we were ending our visit. Matt and Dave, what excites you for the future? They replied, “The concept.” Both went on to explain that the future holds more of these community breweries where they can help bring on new brewers. The network of collaboration will continue to grow, but still give each brewer the ability to be creative at their brewery.

I love the concept! Site-1 Brewing is a wonderful addition to the Omaha and Nebraska craft beer community. Make sure to check them out very soon! Besides the great beers, they also have an amazing food menu too!

One Giant Leap for Beerkind! Cheers!

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