Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor breweries 2018
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Their beer was/is good but the food and service is what caused the demise of the pilot pub. Went there 5 different times and outside of the beer being cold and tasty, everything else was sub par
I had a taste of something from Reunion Brewery on tap in CR. It was just after I tasted the Kona Golden Ale. Kona won my taste buds at that time. Will have to try it again in a better setting as the Kona was a completely different taste and obviously clashed with the sample from Reunion (wish I remembered what it was from Reunion).
Must agree with others about the Backpocket Pilot Pub: If you like Backpocket beers, you would have enjoyed their beers at the 'Pilot Pub'. But the food, the service, etc was terrible. They also seemed to have issues with employees getting off work and camping out at the bar. Also a few other interpersonal relationship issues that should never happen in any business. All a symptom of a satellite location being run by inexperienced, unprofessional people. It was a very good decision by Backpocket to pull their operations in CR and concentrate on Coralville.
I stopped by Clockhouse Brewing earlier this week.
A terribly small bar, but the general seating area (tables and chairs) was more than adequate.
I was hungry for a burger, and since the connected business Black Sheep, serves Clockhouse beer, I assumed that there would at least be a burger on the menu in the brewery. Not the case. However they do have a small menu of appetizers. Because of my hunger, I only tried one of their beers, it was their Belgian Golden Ale (I forget what they call it, but all their beer names have something to do with confusing the word Clock with something that sounds similar and usually has to do with a male appendage...so I find that tendancy to be a little distateful, though I suppose some would call it humorous). The Belgian golden was a good color, had a nice white head. The alcohol % by vol was low for a Belgian Golden (I think it was within 0.5% one side or the other of 5%). The taste was good, and not overpowering: A competent representation of the style. I would have liked for its profile to be slightly enriched with more malt and just a little more bittering. All in all, quite drinkable.
Looking at the glasses that others had, I believe there are more interesting beers to be tried there, so I will be back. The belgian was $5 for a tulip/snifter glass (probably 10+ oz). Some were $6.
The place was clean. Sitting at the bar, you have a clear view of the brewing vessels behind the bar (in this old heavy timber and brick building, with exposed wood floor joists above, I once again wonder about the sanity of the Cedar Rapids building department and how they allow this brewing workspace to be un-separated from the Assembly space. There must be one hell of a water deluge curtain separating these spaces, right? ). Visually, the place has less old world heavy timber and brick charm than its neighbor Black Sheep, but it still is quite nice. Believe the only handicap access is from the south side of the building and down a hall that separates Black Sheep from its kitchen. Not sure if BlackSheep and Clock House share bathrooms. Main entrance to Clock House is not through a door directly off the street, but via the industrial metal stairs attached close to what used to be the loading docks on the east side of the building (next to a multistory parking lot). Thinking about those stairs now, something was odd about them: I will have to go back to investigate, but I believe that there were no solid risers(?). (And now I'm wondering about the 4" sphere rule). Anyhow, the main entrance did not look like the main entrance. Still, a nice sidestreet sort of feel to this side of the building.
A terribly small bar, but the general seating area (tables and chairs) was more than adequate.
I was hungry for a burger, and since the connected business Black Sheep, serves Clockhouse beer, I assumed that there would at least be a burger on the menu in the brewery. Not the case. However they do have a small menu of appetizers. Because of my hunger, I only tried one of their beers, it was their Belgian Golden Ale (I forget what they call it, but all their beer names have something to do with confusing the word Clock with something that sounds similar and usually has to do with a male appendage...so I find that tendancy to be a little distateful, though I suppose some would call it humorous). The Belgian golden was a good color, had a nice white head. The alcohol % by vol was low for a Belgian Golden (I think it was within 0.5% one side or the other of 5%). The taste was good, and not overpowering: A competent representation of the style. I would have liked for its profile to be slightly enriched with more malt and just a little more bittering. All in all, quite drinkable.
Looking at the glasses that others had, I believe there are more interesting beers to be tried there, so I will be back. The belgian was $5 for a tulip/snifter glass (probably 10+ oz). Some were $6.
The place was clean. Sitting at the bar, you have a clear view of the brewing vessels behind the bar (in this old heavy timber and brick building, with exposed wood floor joists above, I once again wonder about the sanity of the Cedar Rapids building department and how they allow this brewing workspace to be un-separated from the Assembly space. There must be one hell of a water deluge curtain separating these spaces, right? ). Visually, the place has less old world heavy timber and brick charm than its neighbor Black Sheep, but it still is quite nice. Believe the only handicap access is from the south side of the building and down a hall that separates Black Sheep from its kitchen. Not sure if BlackSheep and Clock House share bathrooms. Main entrance to Clock House is not through a door directly off the street, but via the industrial metal stairs attached close to what used to be the loading docks on the east side of the building (next to a multistory parking lot). Thinking about those stairs now, something was odd about them: I will have to go back to investigate, but I believe that there were no solid risers(?). (And now I'm wondering about the 4" sphere rule). Anyhow, the main entrance did not look like the main entrance. Still, a nice sidestreet sort of feel to this side of the building.
Not to hijack this post, but Tanager is an amazing organization. They provide mental health services to a ton of Crapids schools and people who can't afford private services. Considering Iowa is like 49th in mental health services, go eat some crawfish.
For realz https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...brewing-cedar-rapids-chris-flenker/865502002/
Perhaps Thewdo Suing.
Anyhow, I don't think TG has much to worry about even if some of the recipes are 'the same'. In my opinion, the mold content at Thew will make it impossible to brew anything that tastes like TG beer.
Interesting. The first three will be available year round and the fourth will be a rotator. First up is Centaurus session IPA. I think I need to plan a trip to Cedar Rapids to check out their tap room.
Some people love Lion Bridge beers, others (like me) aren't sold. Much better than some other beers brewed in CR though. If you go to CR, In my opinion, you should also plan a visit to Iowa Brewing, Clock House Brewing, and Third Base. Other options now include Quarterbarrel, Thew and...Granite City (the last not really being an option as I think ALL of their product is brewed elsewhere and made for the person who thinks he is being trendy by not drinking Busch Lite).
A disambiguation for he who apparently missed my banter with the contributor who was apparently a cousin/brother/like kindred (noted here as ThewPromoter) of the person doing the brewing at THEW:
From and earlier post
ThewPromoter: The head brewer at Thew will be a guy who once brewed beer at Toppling Goliath.
CC1091: So I suppose they will call their beer THEWDOTHEW?
So in this case, THEWDO SUING is yet another play on the Pseudo Sue name.
(Hey, don't Thew Me).
Anyhow, if their current location does not introduce mold into their beer, then something is very wrong with my taster and sniffer.
Aside from the usual beers at Third base which few who really like beer really think are special, they now have on tap:
1. Cold Snack, a pilsener at 5.9%ABV and 35 IBUs.
2. Dreaming Out Loud, a Sour at 8%ABV and 1 IBUs
3. New Gold Standard, an IPA (cloudy), at 6.8% and 34 IBUs
4. Fuzzed Out, a DIPA (very cloudy), at 8.0% and 70 IBUs.
5. Pink Drink, a sour wheat at 4.0% and 6 IBUs.
Pink drink is something that the gals who serve at 3B seem to like a lot. I hate it.
Fuzzed Out is almost a NEIPA.
New Gold Standard is cloudy like a NEIPA, but more bitter (despite it registering at 34 IBUs, I find it less sweet than the DIPA at 70 IBUs).
I haven't tried the others.
1. Cold Snack, a pilsener at 5.9%ABV and 35 IBUs.
2. Dreaming Out Loud, a Sour at 8%ABV and 1 IBUs
3. New Gold Standard, an IPA (cloudy), at 6.8% and 34 IBUs
4. Fuzzed Out, a DIPA (very cloudy), at 8.0% and 70 IBUs.
5. Pink Drink, a sour wheat at 4.0% and 6 IBUs.
Pink drink is something that the gals who serve at 3B seem to like a lot. I hate it.
Fuzzed Out is almost a NEIPA.
New Gold Standard is cloudy like a NEIPA, but more bitter (despite it registering at 34 IBUs, I find it less sweet than the DIPA at 70 IBUs).
I haven't tried the others.
