Prost to the Amana Colonies and Iowa Craft Beer!

June 26, 2024

*My good friend Paul with two slow pour Pilsners!*

2024 is year number three, doing a summer beercation with our good friends Kristi and Paul. Both families have some German heritage, so we thought the perfect place this year would be the Amana Colonies in Iowa! The Amana Colonies are seven townships on 26,000 acres in east-central Iowa, where German settlers made their way to in 1856 after a stay near Buffalo, New York. The colonies led a communal life until 1932. Today's community remains a vibrant town with shops, restaurants, wineries, and a brewery. Throughout the year, there are many German celebrations, including Oktoberfest!

Lua Brewing in Des Moines sits in a neighborhood outside the downtown area. As you pull into the parking lot, you see a beautiful patio and garage doors that open up into the taproom. We stopped here on the way to the Amana Colonies for lunch and beer. The brewery has a great lunch menu that we all enjoyed. Kristi was ready to try a sour, Paul the Pilsner, and me a hazy IPA. The best part is they have a great selection of to-go beers!

*Behind the scenes, Mrs. Joe helping Paul get ready for the picture!*

Here are the beers we tried:

Gil’s Pils—This slow-poured Bavarian Pilsner spends three months fermenting and lagering before being tapped. It has light, bready notes in a crisp and clean body. German malts and Hallertau Mittelfruh hops are used in this traditional Pilsner, which has a 5% ABV.

Say Yes - is a fruited sour with blackberry, boysenberry, and blue raspberry. Its thick, fruit-filled body is mildly tart and comes in at 7% ABV. Kristi enjoyed this one and brought some back!

Sun for Miles - is a hazy IPA with a nice soft body. Peach, pineapple, and passion fruit notes greet you with a mild hop finish at 6.6% ABV. This was my to-go choice!

El Bait Shop in Des Moines was close to Lua Brewing, and many friends told me it was a place I had to visit! With 250+ beers on tap, picking one was a tough decision! I wanted to go with a local selection and had the Neon Hazy IPA from Barn Town Brewing on the west side of Des Moines. There is much to take in with all the beer decor on the walls. There are lots of to-go options from the tap and also already in cans. I got three IPAs from Pulpit Rock Brewing Co., including What a Cutie, Easy Lover, and Catosphere—I'm looking forward to trying these soon!

We Made it to the Amana Colonies and the Millstream Brau Haus!

Amana’s Bierhalle and restaurant was a fun place we visited multiple times during our stay. It was a perfect place to be after a long day of shopping! The food was great, and the friendly staff treated us like family. As a matter of fact, as I was leaving, one of the charming waitresses wished us a wonderful life.

Millstream Brewing Co. German beer, Reuben sandwich, and German fries were the highlight of my visits to the Brau Haus. Here are a couple of the beers that stood out.

Nordic Pilsner— is super smooth with a light touch of sweetness. It is well balanced, with a finish of Saaz hops, and comes in at 4.5% ABV.
Schild Brau Amber - is a malty and slightly sweet Vienna Lager. It is super smooth and has caramel notes. This long-time flagship was one of our favorites and very sessionable at 4.9% ABV.
Rock Bock - is one of Millstream Brewing's stronger lagers. Paul and I gravitate towards Bocks, and this one has caramel and pecan notes and is 6.9% ABV.

Day Three Was a Visit to Iowa City

I was excited to visit Big Grove Brewery and Field Day Brewing on this Saturday!

Big Grove Brewery has become one of my top breweries in Iowa after they started distributing in Nebraska. Early next year, they will also have a taproom in Omaha! The taproom in Iowa City is vast, with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Sitting at the bar was fun, and discovering how the Eddy series of IPAs was named was priceless! I found that it is because of white water rafting and the swirling pool after a large boulder in the water.

Here is a rundown of the flight of IPAs I had.

Raptoraid - is a light White IPA coming in at 6% ABV and a dry finish.
Tank Zero: Number One - is a NEIPA that has a light body with pear and melon notes coming in at 6% ABV. This was my favorite one of the flight!
Carrera 4.0 - is a DIPA with citrus and stone fruit. Citra Cryo, Idaho 7, and Comet hops - 7.8% ABV.
Starla - is a hazy DIPA with tropical pineapple and mango notes and a dank finish. It has an 8% ABV.

Paul and I got an excellent recommendation to check out Field Day Brewing Co. in North Liberty outside Iowa City. Initially, we thought this was a small and upcoming brewery. Yes, they have been in business for less than one year, but it is an incredible establishment! Jonah, who was so helpful in describing the beers and brewery, told us they specialize in German and Czech Lagers. I love that and the fact they cover other styles like IPAs.

*The traditional Czech Mliko pour is a dessert pour typically at the end of the night!*

Let’s get into the fantastic flight I had!

Keller - is a Kellerbier with German malt and hops. It is crisp and clean with a slightly hoppy finish. It is light at 5.2% ABV.
Helles - is a Helles Lager with bready notes, a light sweetness, and less of a hop finish. It uses all German malt and hops in this easy-drinking lager, which has a 5% ABV.
Moon Landing - is a double hazy IPA with an 8% ABV. It has a soft body with many tropical fruit notes and a mild hop finish.
Barrel Apparel - is a Baltic Porter that is rich with dark fruit, oak, and bourbon notes. It is an excellent beer, coming in at 10.2% ABV.

The experience of the day was having a Mliko pour of the dark lager. This mostly creamy head and just a splash of beer is a Czech tradition as a nightcap. The foam from a Lager increases the sweetness, like having a dessert.

The Last Stop as we Returned to Omaha - Barn Town Brewing!

Sunday’s drive home included a stop for brunch and beer at Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines.

This is my second time going to Barn Town Brewing, and I knew the food and beer would be excellent! I had the perfect combination of a breakfast skillet with scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, and country gravy that paired well with Groovy Ruby! Groovy Ruby is a hazy grapefruit IPA that somehow is tart and sweet at the same time. Kristi was interested in having a flight of sours to see which ones she wanted to bring back. Raspberry Lemonade was her favorite!

What a fun trip! We enjoyed our visit to Iowa immensely. Some of the best moments were learning new words that I didn’t makeup and using them correctly. Hiking in the Amana forest or nature trails as they are referred to. We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company, including a GIF challenge. I may have won! Lastly, watching a huge tree limb fly from the window in the Airbnb we stayed in outside of Oxford, Iowa.

We met many friendly people along the way, adding to our incredible experience in the Amana Colonies. I always say you can have a good conversation over a pint, and we did!

I highly recommend checking out all of the places in this blog. Until next time. Prost!

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The Beauty of Colorado's Mountains and Breweries

June 25, 2023

*A view of Pike’s Peak for Garden of the Gods*

It is easy to get awestruck when being at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, looking up at the mountains. Nature’s beauty up close and personal that takes your breath away! You quickly realize why so many people want to live here. Luckily, Mrs. Java-Stout and I have some great friends, Wendy and Mark, who kindly offered us to come out and visit. The best part is that they would show us some of the breweries around Colorado Springs!

Our drive down I-25 to Colorado Springs had us going by Wellington, Colorado. Wendy had told me that she enjoyed Soul Squared Brewing Co., so we took a break driving and stopped in. The atmosphere is inviting, with so many seating options. I always like to sit at the bar if there is space. Soul Squared Brewing Co. is known for being a farm-built brewery using ingredients they have produced and also using other local ingredients. A great example is the rose-colored beer in the flight, a beet Saison.

From the flight I had, my favorite was the hazy IPA called Rocky Mountain Haze. I liked the citrus and fruit notes that finished with the earthy hop notes. Great body to this one, and very refreshing at 6.5% ABV. As I enjoyed the flight, I wish we hadn’t had lunch as people were bringing in some delicious-looking food from the Leave it to Cleaver food truck in the back of the brewery.

I grabbed some crowlers, and it was back on the road to get to Colorado Springs.

Friday evening, we arrived at my first Colorado Springs brewery - FH Beerworks! As you walk up from the parking lot, there is the Neat Whiskey House on the left, then an awesome patio before arriving at the taproom.

FH Beerworks has a great craft beer selection, so I got a flight. This flight was all IPA styles, including a Cold IPA. All very different in flavor and dankness. I can’t remember the name of this IPA, but the notes were distinctly honeydew melon. An enjoyable spot to start the night!

Next, we were off to the Peaks N Pines Brewing Company taproom nearby. A friendly and cozy place to enjoy a couple of pints! I had the Need for Speed Red (Amber) Ale and the Blizzard Pilsner. Both were excellent, and the Pilsner stood out with its crispness and slightly dry finish. I had to get a crowler of this one! Mark enjoys beer that has some spicy heat and chose the Chili Blonde. A fantastic blonde ale with jalapeno, anaheim, and serrano peppers to spice up your night!

I got to talk with some people who worked at the brewery that night and learned more about it. As we were getting ready to leave, I met Teresa Vieira, one of the owners—a charming lady who had just returned from representing the brewery at an event that night.

It was time to call it a night. Tomorrow morning would be hiking at Garden of the Gods, then some more brewery exploration!

It had to be a sign that there was a brewery on Garden of the Gods Rd. The perfect stop after a morning hike. Red*Leg Brewing Company is an experience, not just a brewery. It was a Saturday around noon when we arrived, and the place was full of patrons enjoying the brewery, permanent food vendors with lots of choices, and an expansive green space with a stage for live music!

I know if I lived in Colorado Springs, I would frequent this brewery often! The beer I had was the Prospector's Pick Kolsch, perfect from the creamy foam head to the crisp, clean body. The breadiness and slight saltiness are what I love about a great Kolsch. I saw they had six packs to go, and I had to grab one.

On to the next stop after lunch …

You know that feeling as you walk through the door that a given brewery is a local favorite and a place to meet up with others that feel the same way. That is precisely what Red Swing Brewhouse is!

A very friendly beertender went over the current selections, and I wanted to try so many of them, but the Mexican Lager grabbed my attention. This style is one of my favorites, especially during the summer. I loved all of the flavor and how smooth this beer was. I was slightly surprised that it was 6.5% ABV because it was so crushable! We tried almost all of the menu at our table, and I was excited to bring back the Scottish Ale. I will enjoy sharing this with one of my closest friends in Omaha!

Our next destination would be Manitou Springs for some shopping and our last brewery of the day. The area was inviting, with many excellent shops and an arcade where we would spend a decent amount of time playing vintage video games and pinball!

We arrived at Manitou Brewing Company to a line out the door! I knew this place was going to be good. A table opened up, and I would have a fantastic beer flight within no time. I enjoyed each of the beers, but I have to say the Sun Mountain Belgian Single was the one that stood out to me. Citrus and especially grapefruit notes blended well with what I can imagine was a Saison yeast. This was the one I had to bring home! I am looking forward to what my friends think of it.

There are no words I can use to express my gratitude for Wendy and Mark's hospitality on this fantastic weekend. We only scratched the surface of the breweries in the Colorado Springs area. It was so much fun, and I will never forget that weekend.

Cheers!

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Westward Bound

June 19, 2023

As a child, I always wanted to go to Chimney Rock near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. This significant landmark helped people as they made their way along the Oregon Trail. I can’t imagine all of the struggles they encountered on their journey. Seeing this as an adult was very special, and sharing the journey to Scottsbluff with friends Paul and Kristi was very fun! The other thing that made Chimney Rock memorable was Mrs. Java-Stout saw her first rattlesnake the size of the width of the sidewalk.

We left Omaha around 8:30 am, and our first destination was Johnson Lake, south of Lexington. Canyon Lakes Brewing Company opened in June of 2019. The brewery is a welcomed addition to the area with its incredible food, like the Smash burger, and a great selection of craft beer to go along with the food. I had a flight of refreshing beer that day with lunch, as this was our first stop.

Tiki Torch is a unique fruited wheat ale with passion fruit, orange, and guava notes. This 5.2% ABV beer finishes with some spicy heat that I enjoy! Before leaving, it was great to see the brewery had cans of their beer so that I could bring some home. A nice selection went into the cooler then we were back on the road: next stop, North Platte.

This was my second time returning to Pals Brewing Company. The location is fantastic on the outskirts of town, with plenty of space for outdoor events, games, and music. As we visited with one of the brewers, he told us about the past couple of weekends being very busy with a bull riding event and a wedding.

This lovely hazy IPA is the Azacc-Yeah brewed with cryo Azacca, and HOC-586 hops that bring out stone fruit and citrus notes. A trace of mild hop bitterness finishes this 7.2% ABV IPA. It was a nice treat that afternoon, and I am looking forward to the four crowlers I brought back. The crowler cans have a screw top to enjoy a small pour without having to drink the complete crowler, which is awesome!

It is always difficult to leave Pals Brewing Company! I still need to stay some time at their McNeil House Bed & Brew. A decent drive is still ahead of us to make it to Scottsbluff, so back on the road!

We made it to Flyover Brewing Company around 6 pm on a Friday, and the place was hopping! Open since 2018, this is one Nebraska brewery I have not visited. Trying many small pours of Flyover's wide selection was a fun time!

My favorite beer from them is still the Hellcat Helles. This light lager is flavorful and comes in at 4.8% ABV. Other favorites from our group that night were the Damn Yankees NEIPA, Lime Gose, and Sour Saison. Such a great atmosphere in the taproom that I wish the brewery were closer to Omaha, but at least I could bring some crowlers back!

We would say goodbye to our friends Paul and Kristi the next day and continue to Colorado Springs. I will be writing about the breweries there in another blog. On our way back to Omaha, one more must-stop in Holdrege!

It was a Sunday afternoon, and we made it to Lost Way Brewery around 3 pm. I didn't see Jessica Kraus (one of the owners with her husband Mark and Jason & Kimberly Hines) in the taproom initially, but we got to visit, which was great! Lost Way has a special place in my heart because I was at the soft opening in 2017 and met the two couples. Time flies, and it is always great to catch up!

On this day, I enjoyed the Sad Strawberry Blueberry Gose (5.7% ABV) with its tartness and saltiness, which was delightful. The Easy Wind west coast IPA at 6.2% ABV was a perfect choice to end the trip and bring home! Mrs. Java-Stout was happy to get a crowler of their grape soda.

They say Nebraska is the most borrowing drive across I-80. I tell people you must get off the interstate to enjoy the beauty and excellent breweries! If you take my advice, you will no longer consider it a boring drive but an adventure.

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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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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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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The Best Little Town In The State

September 14, 2020

As you enter Fairfield, Nebraska you are greeted with a sign that reads “The Best Little Town in the State.” I have to say we are blessed with many wonderful small towns throughout the state. It is amazing to learn about the history of them!

Fairfield in its early days was a railroad town. It is fascinating that Union Pacific had a hand in the final name. The original settlement was named White Elm. Then in 1872, Union Pacific renamed it to Frankfort to keep the names alphabetized between Alexandria and Hastings. There was one little problem with this name, there already was a Frankfort, Nebraska in Knox county. The person that happened to survey the town was named George Washington Fairfield and his last name was chosen to represent the community.

Fairfield was a young, vibrant town in the late 1800’s with a college, passenger train station, and even an opera house. The Columbian Opera House was built in 1894 and resided in the second floor of a building on the busiest street in town. The lower floor was occupied by Palmer & Loomis Grocery and Dry Goods. The name of the opera house mostly likely was based on the 400th year anniversary of Columbus discovering America.

*Chandelier with some of the original ceiling tiles from the opera house*

As years past, Fairfield like many towns had residents move away. Today Fairfield now has less than 400 people living there. One of those residents is Lynn Nejezchleb.

Lynn grew up around Fairfield and in 1982 moved to Washington, D.C to be an economist at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Lynn spent 20 years working for the FDIC and was the Assistant to the Vice Chairman by the end of his career.

During his time in Washington, D.C., Lynn started homebrewing as a hobby. He said that the city had some great places to get ingredients and it was fun to make different styles of beer.

*Beautiful prime rib dinner at the opera house! Photo credit - Fairfield Opera House Brewery and Grill Facebook*

It was in 2002 when Lynn retired and decided to make his way back to Nebraska. He arrived in Fairfield with ambitions of starting a brewpub. The old opera house building had been many things including a hardware store, John Deere dealership, the Branding Iron, and the Good Times Lounge. The building had been vacant for a few years and was the one for Lynn, so he purchased it!

Lynn wanted to bring back some of the original look and feel to the opera house which required a full renovation of the downstairs. A couple of the main items that were done included removing the drop ceilings to open back up to a 14 foot ceiling and to restore the front of the building including the windows closer to its original magnificent state.

Lynn spent the next 3 years preparing to open as just a restaurant at first, the brewery would come later. In 2006, the doors of the Fairfield Opera House Bar & Grill opened for the community to enjoy home cooked meals in this wonderful building.

*The brewing system at the Fairfield Opera House*

People from the local towns around came to enjoy a great meal. Lynn said the prime rib has been a favorite of many and so has the chicken fried steak special on Thursday nights. Many of the nice cuts of meat are sourced locally in Fairfield.

Business was good, but Lynn still wanted to introduce some of his favorite beers he had brewed over the years. In order to get brewing, some additional space was needed. The building adjacent to the brewery was acquired and in 2014, the Fairfield Opera House Brewery and Grill was established. Not only would the space provide room for the brewery, but some additional event space also.

The brewery has a staple of beers it keeps on tap. A nice selection from a lighter Kolsch to a smooth Stout. I asked Lynn what his favorite type of beer to brew was. He told me that IPAs are because of the flavor possibilities from the hops used in IPAs.

It has been a tough year with Covid-19. I always worry about how smaller places can survive. Lynn said the spring was rough not being able to have the small events like wedding rehearsal dinners and some of the local agriculture business dinners.

The weekends as of late have been rather good with people travelling just a little bit further out to visit Fairfield for a nice meal and a pint. Lynn said one recent Saturday, he served over 200 meals!

*The Liberty Farm Pale Ale with its beautiful copper color*

My stop in Fairfield was early in the day, but I was lucky enough to get a crowler to bring home. I brought back the Liberty Farm Pale Ale. This pale ale has a beautiful copper color. The body is crisp and malty. The flavor has citrus and some floral notes in this 6.8% ale. A very nice beer indeed!

It was about time to pack things up and I had one last question for Lynn. What does success look like for him? A smile appeared on Lynn’s face as he said, “A great day for me is when someone comes in and tells me how much they enjoyed my food or beer. Recently a family from Lincoln was in. It was on a Saturday evening of a long day. They thanked me for a wonderful meal and that means the world to me.”

Fairfield is located in South Central Nebraska and a trip you must make! Bring family or friends and an appetite for some incredible food and craft beer.

Cheers!

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Leave Your Mark

July 8, 2020

As I was driving up the highway to get to Norfolk, Nebraska to visit Divots Brewery, the name brought back memories of a golf outing. I might just be the worst golfer in the state but was on a trip to Tucson and signed up to golf at the most beautiful golf course I had ever been on. The course was a desert course with super soft fairways. I tended to hit behind the ball and let’s just say I left my mark on the 18-hole course, but not in a good way!

When arriving at Divots, the property seemed like its own community. The Divots Conference Center and the Norfolk Lodge & Suites is a great place for weddings and other events. The lodging and The Sandbar & Grill restaurant provide additional reasons for a nice stay. There have been concerts with names like ZZ Top, Foreigner, and Alabama over the years. Just an incredible entertainment space!

With all the amenities that could be found at Divots, one was missing - craft beer. It was 2014 and craft beer’s popularity was on the rise in Nebraska and around the nation. Divots Brewery was starting to brew small batches of craft beer to be served at the Sandbar & Grill. The brewing space was designed to start this venture to see how folks from around the Norfolk area would like craft beer. It was a work in progress waiting to see what the future might bring.

Divots Brewery in the past few years has started to really make its mark in the Nebraska craft beer scene. This is due to bringing on Jeremy Kirby as the brewmaster. As we sat down for a visit, I was excited to learn about Jeremy’s background and how he got into brewing!

Jeremy grew up in Battle Creek, Nebraska which is about 12 miles west of Norfolk. In the late 1990’s, he was living in California in a smaller community northwest of Los Angeles called Somis. It was there that Jeremy got interested in winemaking. One day Jeremy visited the Home Beer Wine and Cheesemaking Shop. He got what he needed to make his first batch of wine and when he was finished making it, realized it would be a year to see how it would turn out.

*A Mexican Lager on a warm sunny day on the patio at Divots Brewery is so refreshing!*

The good news was that Jeremy also noticed all the great homebrewing kits at the shop. Since most beer can be made in less than a month, why not give it a try. I think we all thank Jeremy for doing that!

Traveling soon started to revolve around finding new breweries and trying different styles of beer. Jeremy would get married and the honeymoon was in Munich. German traditional style beers and history of brewing would make anyone want to learn more about making craft beer.

It wouldn’t be long and Jeremy would be headed back to Germany, but this time to the VLB in Berlin to learn more about brewing. The course was a five-month master brewers program. The class consisted of about 30 students from around the world in which many came from breweries to get their training. Jeremy said it was an intense course with lots of focus on the science side of brewing.

*Great selection of different styles of beer always on tap!*

After school, Jeremy came back to the states and ended up in Durango, Colorado for a couple of years as an assistant brewer at Carver Brewing Company. From there in was onto Gottberg Brew Pub in Columbus, Nebraska.

Jeremy arrived at the Gottberg Brew Pub in 2009 and was there until 2012. Nebraska at that time was just starting to see the beginning of the growth spurt for craft beer breweries. Jeremy said that some of the beers and things they were trying to do were just a little ahead of their time. An opportunity came up in Virginia and it was off to the east coast!

Sunken City Brewing Company in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia would be Jeremy’s home from 2012 to 2016. During his stay at Sunken City, breweries in Virginia would expand from 50 to 250. That is crazy growth! Jeremy became well known in the area and appeared on a list of the Top Twenty Upcoming Brewmasters for the state of Virginia. A great experience seeing the expansion and how competitive it was to get your beer distributed out into the community.

In the meantime, Nebraska also had experienced a significant increase from about 10 breweries to near 40. Things were changing for Divots Brewery as the main chef and brewer had departed. It was time to find someone who had a vision for growth!

It just happened there was a long-time connection between Jeremy and the owner of Divots. If you can think about someone as a child that you could completely trust, who would that be? A teacher, coach, or maybe even a school nurse. Yes, way back when Donna Herrick was Jeremy’s school nurse. Now the owner of Divots for about 14 years, she would offer Jeremy the opportunity to come back to Nebraska.

It was 2016 and Jeremy had many ideas for the brewery. The most important thing was to get to know what the local patrons liked in terms of the beer that was being brewed at Divots Brewery and to introduce new flavor profiles. Jeremy said, “I like to approach beer like food. Each new experience is a way to help the palate expand.”

The first year started out a little rough, but there were many changes going on. The brewing system was increased from a 15-gallon to a 7-barrel system and still in the same brew space. Getting everything in place and to fit was challenging but the system was up, and new brews were being created. The once 10 tap handles in the Sandbar & Grill would expand to 24. This provided more choices to the growing bar as it opened additional patio space.

The beginning of 2019 became a milestone for Divots Brewery. They would now start to distribute their craft beers outside of Norfolk. By the end of the year, they were looking to expand taproom and brewing space into downtown Norfolk.

This was a huge step and finding the right area would be key. Lots of plans that carried forward into 2020. Then COVID-19 would hit, and plans would have to be put on hold. The dynamics during the virus would change the way to serve the community. Crowler sales in February were around 25 and would explode in April to 550 as the only option to get beer was takeout during the shutdown of businesses due to Corornavirus.

But even though the world was on pause, Divots Brewery and Jeremy were still thinking about the future and how to grow. The unfortunate demise of one Nebraska brewery meant that an incredible brewing system would be up for sale. Divots Brewery will be the new home for this system and expanding their operations is the plan for the fall of 2020. Additional ideas are in the works for smaller seasonal and specialty beer batches.

So many great things happening at Divots Brewery, but I bet by now you are wondering how are their beers? Here is a sample of what I tried during my visit and what I brought home.

Crushable Kolsch ABV 5.2% IBU 21
A very approachable beer. Has a nice maltiness to it and has a great soft mouthfeel!
Cold Pressed Mocha Stout ABV 5.86% IBU 31
The Colombian coffee and cocoa nibs provide rich flavors to this Oatmeal Stout. The creamy body of this stout also adds to the experience!
Red Zone Copper Lager ABV 4.9% IBU 15
The amber color draws you in as the forward bready notes grab your attention. The finish to me was unique. My best description is spicy yet there was more going on!
Misguided Angel - Apricot Belgian Tripel ABV 9.5% IBU 30
I was overwhelmed by the balance of the apricot flavor and the slight spiciness of this beer. So enjoyable and one amazing Tripel!

The afternoon ended with a fine dinner at the Sandbar & Grill. It capped off a great visit! My trip to Divots Brewery was long overdue and I know I am looking forward to going back.

I highly recommend when you are in Norfolk to stop in and enjoy the great craft beers. Better yet spend the night and enjoy the beautiful patio space. Nothing like having so many amenities in the same place!

Cheers!

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Saving a Keepsake That Now Has a Bright Future

June 17, 2020

*The beautiful colors of the Ales, Ciders, and Lagers at Stone Hollow Brewing Company*

It is at the end of its life or is it a treasure waiting for the right people? Imagine having a flashlight at hand combing through one of the most monumental buildings in your community. You know there are possibilities to make it great again, but at the same time have the years of vacancy ruined this 1880’s structure known as the Mercantile Building?

Making your way into the basement seems almost as scary as an episode from a horror film, but you work your way forward through the dirt floors and limestone walls all around you. You find a large door and the light flickers past the handle. The door seems to be stuck. You dig some of the hardened dirt away from it. Now with that last tug it opens with the screeching noise and the intenseness of bats flying out of what appears to be an old cooler. It is at that very moment you know you are all in!

About 4 years ago, Todd and Soni Hydo saw life in the Mercantile Building that no one else had seen in years. They had a plan for turning this once saloon and then grocery store into an entertainment place in Beatrice, Nebraska. One of the foremost thoughts in this renovation was that with Beatrice being over 12,000 people, it needed to have a brewery. The brewery would be a major attraction in the city and would bring people to visit the planned shops and also a speakeasy in the basement that would be named the Mechanical Room.

*Bryon Belding head brewer at Stone Hollow Brewing*

I got to spend a couple of hours with Bryon Belding to learn how Stone Hollow Brewing Company came to be. Bryon told me about how he met the Hydos and discussed the opportunities that a brewer could have in Beatrice. Beatrice is where Bryon grew up, so he had many ties to the community even though he was now living in Lincoln.

Bryon had been a homebrewer for over 10 years. His passion for the craft started as a fun hobby. After co-founding a homebrew club called the “Brew Man Group”, Bryon became interested in doing some competitions. The competitions started out as local ones but soon he would compete in regional and national homebrewing contests.

I asked Bryon about some of his greatest memories of the homebrewing competitions. One of his fondest memories was regularly serving his beer at Beer Quest competitions held at Lazlos in Lincoln, Nebraska. Another was recognition for a Peach Rhubarb Saison. Wow, I would really like to try that one!

The most important thing though was all of the friendships gained in homebrewing that exist still today with other professional brewers like Brian Hoesing from Catalyst Brewing and Tim Thomssen from Boiler Brewing Company.

I bet you thought I left you hanging about the meeting Bryon had with Todd and Soni Hydo. Well needless to say it went very well, and Bryon was excited to see how the craft beer scene would be in Beatrice. Knowing this was more than a single person gig to keep up on 7.5-barrel brewing system, Bryon reached out to two other fellow homebrewers to round out the team. Jim Anciaux and Clint Bruhn joined the brewing crew.

*Beautiful since towards the front of the taproom*

The name of the brewery feels so natural now, but it took a bit of time to come up with the name. Bryon told me that the name Stone Hollow came about while they were exploring the building as described earlier. The term hollow refers to the hollowed-out limestone cave that the basement reminded everyone of.

It was early 2018 and the building was coming along nicely when all the work was about getting the brewery up and running. It took time to turn the dirt floor into a cement one with drains. The limestone walls needed some work then it was time to get the brewing equipment installed.

*The brewing station is in the lower level and visible from the taproom*

So much work yet so much excitement growing towards the opening date in March of 2019. What would the community support in terms of craft beer styles? Bryon did lots of research up front in the local bars and stores to see if there was a craft beer presence and if so, what styles were available. The research ended up showing that there was little to no craft beer, so it was time to go over the plan for introducing craft beer to Beatrice.

In the meantime, many hours were spent turning the Mercantile Building into an indoor entertainment center. This was huge because it would allow people to be able to purchase beers at the taproom and enjoy while shopping or making their way into the speakeasy.

Everything was moving extremely fast and the taproom continued to come together. The most important theme was to find items in the building and around the local area to re-purpose into the taproom. Tables were built by the brewers that came from the wood of crates that had belonged to Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad line that once had a presence in Beatrice. Old signs found in various parts of the building were recovered, restored, and hung throughout the brewery. The metalwork that houses the taps was another great find at a local scrap yard.

*One of the very cool old sign that is now part of the brewery*

I can only imagine how anxious and nerve wracking it had to be when opening the brewery! Bryon had a great background from homebrewing and being a nationally ranked craft beer judge through the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). This program prepares you to get intimate with so many beer styles!

With the recipes he had and what Jim and Clint brought, this collaborative team set out to put 15 tap handles of flavorful beers and ciders that would tantalize the community. It would a great opportunity to release a new beer every 1 to 2 weeks and see what the reaction would be!

Opening was a success! The community was very intrigued by the beers and ciders. Bryon told me over the last year, they have had so many different styles of beers from light to dark, hoppy to sour, and there has been great response to all.

One that gained huge popularity in its initial release was Sweet Dreamsicle. This orange and vanilla blonde ale was a perfect summer treat and maybe just a little bit nostalgic for those of us who remember having creamsicles when we were young.

Stone Hollow has lots of creative beers and ingredients that go into those beers including rhubarb. Bryon tells me that he has been a huge fan way back when starting to homebrew to use rhubarb to add tartness to a beer. In the past couple of years this has become popular and you will see in sours, goses, and other types of ales.

*A great view of the brewery from the taproom above*

Here is a quick rundown of the beers and cider that I enjoyed on this visit.

Honey, I Drank the Kolsch is a nice light, soft bodied Kolsch with a bit of sweetness from the honey but also some saltiness that you typically get from a Kolsch. Excellent!
ABV - 5.3% 23 IBU
Blarney Stone Red is dry with a medium body. Notes of caramel and nuts. Very Nice!
ABV - 4.4% 26 IBU
Valhalla Baltic Porter is a full-bodied Porter with vanilla and chocolate notes. A nice warmer and outstanding Porter!
ABV - 8.2% 25 IBU
Really Vanilli makes you want to break out in song, “Girl you know it’s true.” Oops channeling my inner Milli Vanilli. Marshmallow aroma and flavor in a light wheat beer. How did they do it - Tahitian vanilla beans.
ABV - 4.6% 22 IBU
Back in Blackberry cider has great fruit flavor and a nice level of sweetness upfront. The finish is semi-dry. What a wonderful cider!
ABV - 5.7% N/A IBU

What a great trip to Stone Hollow Brewing! I am excited to go back with friends for a day trip or maybe weekend. This brewery has so many choices that flights are recommended. I like the fact I can enjoy the taproom while my wife can explore the shops.

Kudos to the vision and restoration of this building! I highly suggest making a visit very soon. You will not be disappointed. Tell all your friends, this might just be the best entertainment building in all of Nebraska!

Cheers!

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Feeling The Rhythm

February 19, 2020

When you think about rhythm, what pops into your mind first? I think about a musician that practices over and over to really feel what the song should sound like. I also think about a pitcher who gets into that grove and everything he throws seems to paint the edges of the plate.

Well what about a brewer? I have found one that has hit his rhythm and has hit it big time! Sam Riggins, head brewer and co-owner with his wife Michelle of Cosmic Eye Brewing in Lincoln, Nebraska have captivated my attention from the very first beer of theirs that I ever had!

Ratebeer.com recently named Cosmic Eye - Best New Brewer in Nebraska. They also receive a Grand Champion in the American Black Ale category in the winter edition of the United States Beer Tasting Championship for their Arrow of Time Black IPA. So many great things going on at Cosmic Eye that I had to see how things are going as they start their second year!

*Cosmic Eye has a nice brewing space built for today and the future*

We sat down and I had to know what got Sam interested in craft beer. Sam explained that his earliest memories growing up in Fairbury, Nebraska was that when his father had beer in the house that it was always really good beer. Sam remembers his dad’s friends talking about being in the military in Germany and all of the amazing craft beer there. They often would say that they wished they could get that type of beer here in the states.

Sam went on to say that the real moment was when he was in college at Kansas University in Lawrence. One night he went out for dinner at a local brewpub. Sitting down for a meal, there was a surprising large selection of craft beers. Free State Brewing Company was the place. Sam said he became intrigued with fact you were able to see the beer being brewed right there. The experience that night raised a tremendous amount of curiosity of wanting to know more about brewing!

*Lots of artwork within the spacious taproom at Cosmic Eye Brewing*

Sam made his way back to Nebraska and the first brewery that he went to was Jones Street Brewing in downtown Omaha that opened in 1992 and closed in 1996. I remember going there also. Great atmosphere and a decent selection of beers. The more exposure Sam got to craft beer the more it ignited the fire to start homebrewing.

Most homebrewers will start with something simple like a Pilsner or Pale Ale, not Sam. “So, what was your first beer you brewed", I asked. Sam smiled and responded, “A Black Saison with French Saison yeast and malted grains not a malted extract.” Wow that is diving into the deep end of the pool and wandering how well you can swim!

Sam went on to say, “I knew from the beginning I wanted to really understand all of the ingredients at their most natural form. For me, grains were the way to go not that extracts don’t make good beer.”

*Get Lost was the original idea for the name of the brewery*

Homebrewing turned into meeting people and making connections in the Nebraska brewing community. Sam met Tyson Arp and Paul Kavulak from Nebraska Brewing Company and within a short period of time became an Assistant Brewer for NBC. Sam spent four years from 2010 to 2014 taking in everything about brewing. The more he brewed, the more he realized that he wanted to have his own brewery. He enjoyed his time at Nebraska Brewing but with children, the commute from Lincoln had become a challenge and it was time to move on.

*Cosmic Eye Brewing sign as you enter the taproom*

Finding the right location, getting your liquor license, and coming up with a recognizable name were items that Sam had been working on. The original name was Get Lost. Some nice twists for this name like “Get Lost in one of our brews or Get Lost in a great conversation in our taproom”. Unfortunately, there was a brewery with a beer by that name and attempts to work something out with the owner never came into fruition.

As you can imagine, not having a name can drive you wild! Then one day listening to the radio, the song Steambreather from Mastodon was playing and the lyric, “Climbing inside the cosmic eye”. Sam immediately called Michelle and said I got the name - Cosmic Eye.

It’s the eye in the logo that grabs my attention

Branding is always an interesting venture once you have a name then the most important thing is an eye-catching logo. I remember seeing my first Cosmic Eye beer at the local grocery store. The logo grabbed my attention and so did the name of the beers.

I couldn’t believe how fast Cosmic Eye started distributing beer in their first year! Here is just a short list of my favorites:

The Beauty of Forgetting - American IPA
Everything Has Eyes - New England style IPA
Unlock the Time Dragon - American IPA
Straight for the Sun - Session IPA
Your Friend, Death - Imperial Stout

*The taproom has many great individualized spaces for a beer and conversation*

The flavors in the Cosmic Eye beers always come through so distinctly. I asked Sam as to what his secret is. Sam told me, “It is all about keeping things simple. As an example, focus on a couple of malts and hops to let them really shine in the beer. When you start to get too many things going in one beer, you can’t enjoy the difference that one type of ingredient has over another.” That makes complete sense to me as I think about the beers I have had from Cosmic Eye!

We chatted about other influences that Sam has had along the way in developing his line of craft beer. Sam discussed how having mentors have been so important. Geoff Deman, head brewer at Free State Brewing Company has been a great mentor along the way as well as others. Sam talked about how he got to brew with Geoff about 3 or 4 years ago. Geoff asked Sam to bring one of his favorite recipes to brew. The recipe was a version of Straight for the Sun. They brewed it on the original brew house equipment. I could tell by the look in Sam’s eyes that this had to have been an incredible experience!

Sam also explained how the German and English beer cultures have had an impact on his approach to brewing. Sam told me that he likes to keep a great selection of lower ABV beers so that you can enjoy more than just one. This culture also extends to some of the ingredients and styles of beer that Sam brews including a Schwarzbier (German Black Lager) by the name of Gaze of the Basilisk.

Collaborations with other breweries is another thing that Sam loves to do. A couple of the recent collaborations have been with Scratchtown Brewing Company out of Ord, Nebraska and Infusion Brewing Company from Omaha.

Another really cool thing Sam does is he takes his enjoyment of music and craft beer and does collaborations with bands. A recent collaboration with Magic Circle will be on center stage at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer festival in Philadelphia this April.

*Sam and Michelle are just the opposite of rude, but ask them to tell you the story behind the shirts - photo credit Cosmic Eye Brewing*

So, the last question of the day was, “Sam what will 2020 bring for Cosmic Eye?” Sam responded by saying that he is looking forward to doing more Belgian and French Farmhouse ales. Also, I would like to continue with some smaller experimental batches now that we have a larger pilot system. I always look forward to doing more collaborations too.”

There is such a warm happy feeling when you are at the Cosmic Eye Brewing taproom. The smiles on people’s faces and conversations going on. It was fun to see the enjoyment Cosmic Eye creates in every pint!'

Make sure you when you are Lincoln, Nebraska that Cosmic Eye Brewing is on the top of your list to visit. Always look for the Eye, you won’t regret it.

Cheers!

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A Creative Place

November 3, 2019

I like to think there is a creative side in most of us. For Ben and Katy Biehl, their creativity speaks through the passion they have in their hobbies. The couple decided when building their house south of Syracuse, Nebraska to create a place that they could each enjoy doing would they love to do. For Ben ever since 2013, he has always enjoyed home brewing so he could now have a brew house. Katy has the love of art in her blood that shows up in the wonderful paintings and pieces she creates. The hobby building became a place to get away from everything and enjoy the serenity while making that next blank canvas come to life.

Talking with Ben, he described growing up in Hastings, Nebraska. After high school, Ben attended college at Nebraska Wesleyan in Lincoln. At this time, not even a thought of becoming a brewer had crossed his mind.

It was in medical school at Creighton University in Omaha where Ben started to try some craft beers at the Crescent Moon. This was a great place to discover local beers like Hopaluia from Spilker Ales in Cortland, Nebraska. Also, many other craft beers including Samuel Adams, New Belgium Brewing, and many styles of German beers gained Ben’s interest. You could say Ben found his Beertopia!

*Ben made a couple of trips to Ireland taking in the craft beer culture*

During those medical school years is also when Ben met Katy. I wonder just how long it took for each to discover the others creative passion?

Ben went onto describe making a couple of trips to Ireland. Guinness Brewing and Dingle Brewing Company were the ones that stood out. It was the Lager at Dingle that Ben was fond of. But in his heart, the dry Stout from Guinness is what intrigued him. No wonder his first home brewing kit was a Stout!

Ben continued home brewing with the extract kits but soon found himself wanting to learn more about the malt grains and milling the grains himself. So, Ben searched out a great local place to learn more this.

Patriot Homebrew Supply in Elkhorn, NE is not only a great place to get supplies, but owner Matt Misfeldt is a great resource to learn about any topic concerning homebrewing. Ben took in all the information Matt shared and said goodbye extracts and started milling his own grains!

*The fermenters know as the Four Horsemen - now Ben just needs to get the names on each one*

I had to ask Ben how he grew his knowledge of brewing. He said reading lots of books and brewing went a long way. One of the most valuable things was getting to do a Brew Day with the brewers from Infusion Brewing in Omaha, Nebraska. That day was very beneficial to learn more on brewing techniques and to see the process at a larger scale.

Ben continued to brew and grow his recipe book out. Katy also helped Ben with collaborating on the recipes. Different styles ranging from Blonde Ales to Wheats to Porters. Oh, and even some Gose beers! Brewing was a great hobby to come home to after a long day’s work as a family medicine doctor.

So, what was the turning point from going from just having some beer at home for family and friends to distributing beer? Ben said it was Katy’s cousin Ben Lorenzen who is a Creative Director at Champions Run golf course in Omaha. The golf course wanted to be able to have their own special craft beer made just for them. One of the challenges for Champions Run was having as finding a brewery that had the time to collaborate and that could fit them into their brewing schedule. Ben was open to the collaborating and introduced them to his orange Witbier (wheat beer) that they loved! Three little words “We’ll take it!” sent the wheels in motion to move from homebrewing to commercial brewing!

*Distributing requires more kegs that what you would think*

So many things to do… Well top priority was to get a name. Ben said this came together one day while at the zoo with his son Rocco. They were looking at the penguins and the one particular species was named Rockhopper. With his son being named Rocco it seemed right to take Roc instead of Rock and add on the Hopper. Roc Hopper - what a cool name!

Next was coming up with a logo. Ben reached out to a friend of his and the came up with an image that looked like Ben but added the touch of a having a hop beard. Things were moving along, and papers had to be filed for the brewery. Roc Hopper would soon be the first licensed brewery in Otoe county of Nebraska since prohibition!

What a crazy couple of years from going from new house with a hobby building to having that building be a brewery. One thing that is unique about Roc Hopper is that they are a brewery without a taproom at this time. They are dedicated to distributing beer to the local area to such places as the Happy Raven, 1867, Pour, and Jake’s Cigars & Spirits in Lincoln. In Omaha, they are at Champions Run golf course, the Local Beer Patio and Kitchen, Casual Pint, Crescent Moon, Blatt Beer & Table, and others.

*Cool tap handles for the Roc Hopper beers*

Oh, I bet you are wondering about the beer itself? Here is my take on the few I have tried so far.

Coconut Blonde
ABV - 4.8% IBU - 14
I really like coconut, so when I raised the glass and got the coconut aroma, I was excited for the first taste. I could definitely taste the coconut and it melted into the very soft, malty blonde ale. Very enjoyable!
Witbier
ABV - 5.0% IBU - 14
The orange Witbier is made with Clementine oranges giving it a nice citrus flavor. Coriander is adding giving some tart, lemon notes. A very smooth and sessionable beer!
Black IPA
ABV - 6.2% IBU - 28
I am always intrigued by a Black IPA. The hop aroma quickly tells you it is an IPA, but your eyes are telling you this can’t be true! What I enjoyed about this beer is the citrus notes that were wrapped in a wonderful roastiness that stayed throughout the beer!
Cherry Gose
ABV - 5.0% IBU - 9
Tart cherry flavor is true throughout this Gose. For me this is nice and tart not sour. The saltiness with the cherry is a great combination! I love the cherry wood tap handle. Also, what is cool about this one, is the cherries come from the farm that Katy grew up on which is close to Ben and Katy’s current house.

It was such a great time getting to visit with Ben and find out more about Roc Hopper Brewing Company. It is great to see that since May of this year, that over 40 barrels of beer have made it out to local area bars and restaurants. I know Ben would even like to get more of his beer out in his hometown of Syracuse and other towns in Otoe county.

I can see a future for Ben and Katy enjoying art shows of Katy’s paintings and Roc Hopper beer being served to a packed house where people are completely enjoying themselves discussing the incredible pieces and wonderful beers they are drinking. Glasses are raised for toasts throughout the evening and as people leave, they look forward to the next showing.

You can follow Roc Hopper Brewing Company on Facebook to keep up with where you can find their beer being served. You might also want to get yourself one of their cool hats or t-shirts!

I look forward myself to seeking out their great brews and wish Roc Hopper many years of success.

Cheers!

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Take Me Home, Country Roads

August 11, 2019

*Greg and Mandy Luettel are the owners of Hwy 14 Brewing Co.*

What a wonderful visit to Hwy 14 Brewing Co. in Albion, Nebraska! The whole next week, John Denver’s song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” stuck in my head. The lyrics of:

I hear her voice, in the morning hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And driving down the road I get a feeling
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday …

For Greg and Mandy Luettel, this has been the feeling for several years. The two grew up in Albion enjoying all of the things you come to love about a small community. Friends and family, high school, Greg’s family farm, and driving “The Circuit”. Both love the history of the area and the stories they have come to know over the years. For instance, did you know that Albion was named over a game of Euchre? Two men played for the rights to name it Manchester and another two gentlemen played to name it Albion. More things should be solved over a card game don’t you think?

Having a brewery in their hometown is no longer a dream, but a reality. Let’s find out some more about how Hwy 14 Brewing came into existence!

*Beautiful metal ceiling tiles accent the warmth of the taproom*

Greg and Mandy left Albion to go to college. Greg worked on his biology degree and Mandy on her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling. After college, Greg worked in a lab using his degree and eventually found his way into doing sales. That would seem to be a pretty difficult transition, but when talking with Greg, I could see him in both roles. Mandy was growing her career building partnerships as an account representative at a technology firm. The couple had made Omaha their new home, but Hwy 14 was calling out to them.

In the meantime, Greg had picked up home brewing and loved creating different styles of beer. Greg began sharing the beer with friends and family who enjoyed what he was brewing. The first step towards seeking a larger audience was to take the beer to a festival. In 2017, the Luettels took some of their beer to the Bash in the Burg in Petersburg, Nebraska in 2017. The response was extremely positive and ignited the desire even more to take their brewing to the next level!

So many tough decisions would have to made by the Luettels in order to have their own brewery. There was no doubt though on having it in Albion. As we talked, Mandy said that she knew it was something that they had to try. Greg’s passion for brewing and their desire to have a place where people in the community could gather was the driving force in this endeavor.

The plan started to unfold, but it wasn’t an easy path to getting the brewery open. The first major decision was that Greg would go part-time at his current job in order to focus on the build out of the brewery. Mandy and Greg along with some of their family worked around the clock from April to October of 2018 getting the brewery ready. Mandy was making lots of trips back and forth to Albion and continues to travel weekly to Omaha for her job.

*The beautiful brick wall that had been hidden for years behind drywall*

The prior business of the building where Hwy 14 Brewing was going in was a florist shop. Greg and Mandy said there were a few advantages to that like the cooler space. The florist shop though had hidden many of the charms of this early 1900’s building. I can imagine it was somewhat like a treasure hunt wondering what you might find as the drywall came down and the spectacular brick wall was found! The drop ceiling was removed and opened up to beautiful metal ceiling tiles.

In order to completely appreciate the process check out The Road to Hwy 14.

*The Single Barrel brewing system at Hwy 14*

Now the focus was on getting the beer ready for the opening. Another big step was that Greg was now working full-time at the brewery. Most days, Greg is brewing twice a day on the single barrel system that he has. The small batches allow Greg to have more variety and to be creative with the beers that he is making.

Greg takes great care in the malts and hops he selects for his beers. All details down to the water are fine tuned for each one. Once the beer has finished brewing, it is off to the fermentation tanks that are in the basement. The basement also houses the cold storage for finishing and kegging. A great setup indeed!

The opening in October of 2018 featured the following 6 beers:

Luettel Red - Hibiscus Wheat
Mandy Jean Vanilla Bean - Blonde Ale
ALE-B-N - Blonde Ale
Peek-A-Boo-Hill - Pale Ale
Hopscotch lane - IPA
Ace of Spades - Stout

Within the next 3 to 4 months, Hwy 14 Brewing would expand to 12 tap handles. Rotating 12 beers provides lots of choices and the ability to find out which ones will become favorites. There is always something for everyone on tap!

*Twelve tap handles that all have unique designs*

One of the fun things that Hwy 14 Brewing does is to let patrons express their creative side by drawing the beer names on the tap handles! Each time a new beer comes on tap, some lucky person gets to design that handle.

The beer names too are very creative! Mandy said the goal is to tie the names to the area or to history about the area. Take for example, The Circuit - White Session IPA which was named for the downtown area that has been the main cruising area for young adults over the years.

Another great beer name that has historical significance is the Smoyer-Wathen’s Revenge - IPA. This one is to honor two local heroes, Sheriff Lawrence Smoyer and his deputy Willam Wathen that were murdered in 1937 outside of Albion.

*Flights are a must especially with 12 beers on tap*

On this day, I was able to try the all the beers on tap. All were very good! So, here were my favorites:

The Circuit - White Session IPA ABV 4.2% IBU 61
The Circuit has lots of fruit aroma and flavor. I got apricot, citrus, and some melon out of it. A light bodied IPA that is full of flavor but lower in alcohol content. All the flavor of the 3-hop blend of Rakau, Cashmere, and Wai-iti without any hop bitterness in the finish.
The Mutt - Pale Ale ABV 6.9% IBU 46
What do you do when you have some extra hops but not enough to put them in their own beer? Well you combine them and see what happens! The Mutt has Cascade, Cashmere, Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops that blend well showcasing citrus flavor and a little hop bitterness at the end that I really love!

*The Luettel Red has beautiful color from the dried Hibiscus flowers*

Ale-B-N - Blonde Ale 5.2% - IBU 15
For me, I like a blonde ale that accentuates the malt used in the beer and packs a lot of flavor from start to finish. The Ale-B-N hit the mark for me!

Luettel Red - Hibiscus Wheat ABV 5.2% IBU 18
I have had Hibiscus Ales and Pales before, but I have never had a wheat one. The beautiful color captivates you as you take the first sip. What I really noticed in this one was a slight berry flavor that I hadn’t notice in other Hibiscus beers. A slight sweetness throughout and very easy drinking. This is a beer Nebraska fans can get behind!
Ace of Spades - Stout ABV 7.7% IBU 35
This milk stout has lot going on. The chocolate malt flavor is forward. The mouth feel is silky. The finish is very intriguing. There is some sweetness but then I get more of the roasted malt. The chocolate flavor transitions to a slightly nutty one. A rich stout that you will want to sip and enjoy!

*The event room is nice space for family and other events*

Beyond the taproom, Hwy 14 Brewing has a very nice event room. I can see many family and friend gatherings taking place in this space! Also, I am thinking as Husker football season arrives, this would be the place to be. If you can’t see Lil’ Red in person, you can enjoy Luettel Red in a glass instead!

The event room opens into a small patio area. A very nice quiet space that I envision would be incredible to enjoy a beer like an Octoberfest on a fall day! I highly recommend getting to try Hwy 14 Brewing’s Octoberfest. From an early preview, this beer is going to be excellent!

*Lawrence Luettel is Greg’s grandfather who sold Vigortone feed for years and that sign sat near his farm on Highway 14 as advertisement.*

I could keep writing for days about Hwy 14 Brewing! I encourage you to get out to Albion and experience everything this brewery and small town has to offer.

I look forward to many more visits with Greg and Mandy to see where this adventure takes them. It is still hard to believe they have been open for less than a year!

I know in the still of the day if a listen closely I can hear Hwy 14 now calling. Give a listen!

Cheers!

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A Recipe For Success

July 28, 2019

*Dallas Archer, Head Brewmaster pouring a couple of Upstream finest beers!*

If you were to sit down and try to create a recipe for what it takes to become a successful brewer, then you might want to take some notes from Dallas Archer of Upstream Brewing Company. I had the pleasure to spend a couple of hours to get to know Dallas better and see what’s brewing!

I remember the first time I met Dallas. It was during a brewery tour at the 2015 Omaha Beer Week. Dallas was an engaging speaker telling the group about all things brewing and what was going on at Upstream. I thought to myself, “How did such a young guy learn so much about brewing?” This was a story that I wanted to learn more about!

*A balanced lineup of staple and seasonal beers that provide a wide variety of choices!*

When it comes to learning an industry inside and out, there are several of ways you can go about it. For Dallas, the journey began back in 2007 as he started out as a server at Upstream. At that time, Upstream represented a way for Dallas to pay for some of his college. Little did he know that he would be there 12 years later!

*One of the beautiful bars at Upstream Brewing*

One of the things Upstream likes to do in hiring bartenders is to promote from within. It didn’t take Dallas long to become a bartender. Dallas told me one of the best parts about this job was the in-house training that was provided. An introduction to brewing that included shadowing a brewer on a brew day was a great way to learn about craft beer.

A huge smile lit up the room as Dallas told this part of the story. You could see there was a lot of passion in his journey to becoming a brewer!

I then asked Dallas, “How did you go about learning to brew beer?” Dallas replied, “I learned about the various beer styles through home brewing and going through the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), but most importantly through mentors.

*This is where the creativity comes to fruition*

Here are some of those mentors that were brewers at Upstream and where they are now:

Mike Hall - Head Brewer at Outworld Brewing in Longmont, Colorado
Joel Moore - Head Brewer at Big Storm Brewing Co in Clearwater, Florida
James Watson - Owner/brewer at Pint Nine Brewing Company in Omaha, Nebraska

*12 beers on rotation with always a great selection!*

We chatted more about the journey. I had to ask, “Dallas what was your first job inside the brewery?”

Dallas responded with, “My first job was cleaning kegs. I was doing this part-time and if was a great opportunity to get my foot in the brewery door, sort of speak.”

Dallas continued learning about brewing and it was Mike Hall that gave him his first full-time brewing job. It wasn’t long after that, when Dallas became a house brewer and then in 2012, head brewer. Wow head brewer at the age of 25, now that is impressive!

This is great! Now I have to learn more about the beers that Dallas has been brewing.

*What a beautiful pour! This is the Afterglow White Stout on nitro.*

Upstream Brewing has been a brew pub since 1996. I remember one of my first beers at Upstream and still a favorite is the Dundee Scotch Ale. So being a brew pub primarily and just a small footprint in terms of any distribution, Upstream has the ability to be very creative when it comes to the seasonal beers. Dallas said that the typically do 35 to 40 different seasonal beers a year.

“So, Dallas, what are some of the more current seasonal beers you have enjoyed making?” Dallas replied, “The Afterglow White Stout has been really fun to make. We used the We Don’t Coast Roast coffee from Hardy Coffee. Along with cacao nibs from Cultiva Coffee. Then to round out the flavor, some vanilla bean.”

I can tell you from my own experience that the coffee flavor comes through up front with the chocolate flavor. The finish from the nitrogen tap is creamy and slightly sweet. You nailed this one Dallas!

*A beautiful outdoor patio to enjoy the Old Market over dinner and/or a pint!*

“There is another beer I have to tell you about also”, said Dallas. “This one was incredibly fun to brew and was very popular. It is the Space Monkey Biermosa. The Space Monkey is a Berliner Weisse style of beer which is a tart wheat. This one has a citrus characteristic that comes from ….. “ I just couldn’t spoil the special ingredient on this one. You will need to try it yourself to see if you can figure it out!

Dallas also said that when they serve their regular Berlineer Weisse beers, it the same way you would get them in Germany. That is with a shot of flavored syrup such as raspberry or woodruff. Upstream actually makes their own syrups which adds to the experience! Dallas has a passion for creating German styles of beer such as the Berlineer Weisse and Munich Helles. Dallas remarked, “German beer styles are very technical styles that require a great attention to details to capture what the style is truly about.”

*Barrel aged beers are another great tradition of Upstream Brewing*

When visiting Upstream, you will see barrels throughout the restaurant area. Upstream does many different styles of barrel aged beers. Dallas said one of the most challenging styles to make in barrels would be sour beers. This is where science and art come together when blending the different bacteria strains to get the sour flavor you are looking for.

Another big part of Upstream are the Cask Conditioned beers that they brew. Cask Ales or Real Ales as they are called in England were the early standard of kegged beer because you didn’t need a sophisticated tap system to get the beer out, just a hand pump. Cask beers are unfiltered, and no extra carbonation is added to them. The beer is placed in the cask with yeast that is still alive to continue fermenting. Cask ales are using served at a warmer temperature and will typically have a soft, silky mouthfeel.

Dallas has helped to organize the Firkin Good Beer Festival each winter typically in February. Why is it named Firkin, you ask? Other than a cool name, a Firkin is a specific size of cask. It is a 1/4 barrel or 10.8 gallons cask.

The Firkin Good Beer Festival supports local charities. Proceeds from the event last year went to benefit the Food Bank for the Heartland and the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild. I see Dallas at many charity events representing Upstream. He is also active with the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild and is on the Nebraska Hop Growers Association Board of Directors.

*Training Wheels Hard Seltzer - a recent new addition at Upstream Brewing*

The recipe for success that Dallas has put together is one of many long, passionate hours learning a trade. The results can be seen sitting in the brewery and restaurant where the smiling faces of everyone are talking about the beer they are having.

Dallas is an advocate for helping to grow both Nebraska craft beer and the local hops industry. The story doesn’t stop with just the beer though. Dallas cares deeply about the community and local charities and is very active supporting both.

The last thing that really stood out in the interview is seeing that Dallas has a great purpose of sharing with everyone what he has learned to carry on the brewing tradition. Spending time at the brewery training other employees is something Dallas enjoys doing and I am sure they enjoy it even more!

Cheers!

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Come as Strangers ... Leave as Pals

July 9, 2019

*Leaving Pals Brewing is a hard thing to do*

This year’s 2-day summer beercation took us to western Nebraska to visit three breweries. They included Pals Brewing Company in North Platte, Lost Way Brewery in Holdrege, and Canyon Lakes Brewing Company in Johnson Lake. Don’t tell my wife, but yes there is such a thing as a beercation and you were just on one!

So much to talk about that I am going to break this up into a 3-part series. For the first part, there was no doubt in my mind as to what the title of the blog should be named after visiting Pals Brewing on the Friday after the Fourth of July.

My memories as a child of driving to North Platte were all about camping and fishing. We would fish for catfish in the irrigation canals around the small towns of Maxwell and Brady. Both towns are located close by North Platte. Those memories came back especially when seeing the sign for the Fort McPherson National Cemetery. As a child, it was hard to imagine all of the soldiers that were laid to rest there from the Civil War, World War 1, and World War 2. Many years later, I now truly appreciate what they did for our country.

Just beyond the cemetery was a campsite where we would stay. I remember how friendly the owners were and all the fun things we got to do. There was horseback riding, hay rack rides, swimming, and doing their oldest son’s chores. Now wait a minute … how did he make it seem like a fun thing when we were actually doing his work! The most important thing I remember is that it felt like family and was always hard to say goodbye when we had to leave.

This time heading west I didn’t have my fishing pole with me. I was in search of western Nebraska craft beer and conversation. After a nice drive, we arrived at Pals Brewing Company. The brewery is located in North Platte south of the interstate in a more rural setting that adds to the atmosphere and charm of the brewery.

The taproom has lots of space both indoors and outside to enjoy some craft beer, house crafted pizza, and on this Friday - live music. A great beer menu with plenty to choose from! I will get to that very soon.

*Meeting new friends from Southern California*

A busy afternoon in the taproom and we were seated next to a group of people who seem to be enjoying themselves over a couple of beers. Of course, I had to introduce myself. Come to find out, the folks were from Southern California visiting family in North Platte. Avid craft beer drinkers, they were blown away with all of the good beers at Pals Brewing. It was very fun to talk about what is going on with craft beer in Nebraska as compared to California. Such a fun group!

The staff at Pals Brewing were super friendly and helpful with answering questions on the beers. Casey Sturgill, who is the General Manager at Pals Brewing, stopped by to visit with us.

I told Casey that it was really fun to be visiting the taproom when it was so busy. There were many different groups enjoying a conversation and a pint. Casey said each day it is interesting to see the mix of local people and the folks that are travelling that find their way to the brewery. On this day, he said there were a lot of visitors.

Casey made his way to Nebraska after living in the south in such places as Arkansas and Alabama. After responding to a LinkedIn posting for the General Manager job and getting hired, he moved to North Platte in December of last year. Casey told us that his dream was to someday open a brewery in Alabama. Working at Pals Brewing has been a great experience. He added that one of his favorite things about Pals Brewing is meeting the people that stop in.

*Flights are the best way to get to try a few beers*

Now onto the beers! Summertime and there were 3 stouts available to have in a flight, so I had to choose them!

Irish Stout was nice and dry. So much flavor packed into this 3.7% ABV stout.
Nob’s Billeaagghh IPA has lots of citrus flavor up front. The malt in this IPA provides just a hint of caramel flavor in the middle. The finish has a nice amount of hop bitterness. This IPA is 6.8% ABV and 55 IBUs.

*At Pals you can enjoy Midnight when the sun is still out*

Midnight In the Daylight is a gem of a coffee stout! The aroma from the blend of Kona and Sumatra coffee catches your attention and builds the anticipation of the flavor of this stout. I hate to keep you hanging, but this one deserves a full review of its own in my Featured Coffee Stout section!
Bourbon Bent Imperial Stout is Midnight in the Daylight that is aged in a Four Roses Bourbon Barrel for about 5 months. Lots of bourbon flavor in this 7.9% ABV stout. I love the fact being able to have the same stout non-barrel aged and barrel aged side-by-side. The flavor differences are quite incredible!

*So many cool shirts to remember your stay at Pals Brewing Company*

Paul, Amy, Mark, and Mendy Oettinger are the owners of Pals Brewing Company. They had a vision to make this a place where friends and family could meet, enjoy a great beer, and have a good time. In the short time that I was there, I met several new people and enjoyed seeing others doing the same!

The sign is so true, “Come as Strangers Leave as Pals”.

Take the time to stop into Pals Brewing Company in North Platte, Nebraska. I guarantee you will have a great time! Now leaving might be a whole different story since it is like saying goodbye to your family.

Cheers!

This is the first part of my three part 2019 Summer Beercation. Please check out the others:

A Perfect Getaway Destination

Destine to be at Lost Way Brewery

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The Heart of Maui

June 15, 2019

*Nature’s finest - a heart window in this magnificent rock*

A summer vacation that I will never forget for so many reasons. The beautiful island of Maui captivated my heart from the time the plane landed until the day we had to say goodbye. The many blue shades of the ocean that catch your eye’s attention from the beach and also the boat we took on a fishing excursion. The hills that are filled with all of the tropical flowers and trees. I could spend weeks just hiking there!

There are so many things to do in Maui, but I can imagine you know two that were at the top of my list - coffee and craft beer!

My son Noah was on the hunt for coffee places and we found some good ones for sure. I really enjoyed our early morning walks in the search of local coffee shops. Our favorite was Bad Ass Coffee. They had awesome coffee and logo wear items!

*This beauty is the Mean Bean Coffee Stout*

The two breweries of Maui are Kohola Brewery and Maui Brewing Co.

Kohola Brewery was established in December of 2016 in Lahaina. The taproom is part of the brewery located in a warehouse. I loved the vibe as we walked up towards the building. As you enter the brewery, there were many people enjoying an afternoon beer. We headed towards the bar which has a very nice concrete top. I really dig this type of simple yet very functional bar top. Jess, who is the taproom manger greeted us and answered our questions about the beers on tap.

If you look at the glass, you will see a whale’s tail in the logo. Kohola means “humpback whale” in Hawaiian. The brewery was named after the many whales that can be seen in the local waters around the island.

*Great selection and many varieties of craft beer*

So many selections of lagers, ales, and IPAs. We ended up trying a couple of the IPAs. I really enjoyed the Lahaina Haze. Lots of citrus and tropical fruit flavor. A solid hop profile of Cascade, Mosiac, and Simcoe hops!

My favorite of the day was the Mean Bean Coffee Stout. This stout has locally grown, medium roast Red Catuai coffee. The flavor of the coffee is very rich and well balanced with the dark malts and hints of chocolate in the stout. I couldn’t stop thinking about this stout the rest of the time I was on the island!

*Always like having a flight when getting to go to a new brewery*

The largest and oldest brewery on Maui is Maui Brewing Company. Established in 2005, Maui Brewing has been a favorite on the island and the mainland. I was lucky enough for the family to agree to go to the brewery in Kihei.

The brewery is impressive with a couple of patios, taprooms, and restaurant space. What you can’t see from ground level is that the complete roof of the brewery is covered in solar panels providing the power for the brewery.

We went outside onto the smaller patio to enjoy a flight that had a West Coast styled IPA, the Pink Boot’s Society Hawaiian collaboration brew, a hazy IPA, and a coconut porter.

The first two were very light and easy drinking. The hazy IPA packed full of citrus flavor. I also really liked the dry hopped Big Swell IPA. This one comes in at 82 IBUs and packs a little bit more of a hop punch which caught my attention.

*Cool decor with the brewing grains designed into the brewery*

The Coconut HIWA Porter was my favorite and ranks up there with Oskar Blues Death By Coconut, and 5168 Brewing Hawaiian Porter . There is something about having coconut with the chocolate malt that really brings my taste buds to life!

I found it to be very interesting that it seemed there were chickens all over the place just like the rabbits we have around my neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. The chickens though seemed a lot tamer.

Some say the population explosion started after the hurricanes Iwa (1982) and Iniki (1992). The storms destroyed the chicken coops where they were being raised. As the chickens ventured out on their own, they began breeding with some of the wild, native fowl. I enjoy a rooster crowing in the morning but didn’t expected to hear it my first day on the island!

Here are just a few more pictures of beautiful island of Maui…