New brewery coming to Valley Junction - West Des Moines

brianhos

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I don't get it, why not just open it up as a bar instead of a tap room?
 

Clonefan94

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I don't get it, why not just open it up as a bar instead of a tap room?

Not sure about Iowa laws, but usually, if you are solely a brewery, not a brewpub, and open an actual bar, you have to go through a distributor to then bring your beer back into your bar to serve. Tap rooms, serving your own beer are allowed under the law to just sell directly to the public. But, you can't serve other products, only what you brew.
 

alarson

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Not sure about Iowa laws, but usually, if you are solely a brewery, not a brewpub, and open an actual bar, you have to go through a distributor to then bring your beer back into your bar to serve. Tap rooms, serving your own beer are allowed under the law to just sell directly to the public. But, you can't serve other products, only what you brew.

A lot of dumb law if you ask me though. Any bar should be able to brew their own beer and sell it on the premises.
 

brianhos

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A lot of dumb law if you ask me though. Any bar should be able to brew their own beer and sell it on the premises.

Yeah, that should get changed. I love firetrucker in Ankeny, but they are losing out on not being able to have food or drinks other than beer. I stop there every weekend in the summer, but only have 1 beer and then usually ride to a diff bar where we can get food. I would just stay if these dumb laws would be changed.
 

jumbopackage

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Not sure about Iowa laws, but usually, if you are solely a brewery, not a brewpub, and open an actual bar, you have to go through a distributor to then bring your beer back into your bar to serve. Tap rooms, serving your own beer are allowed under the law to just sell directly to the public. But, you can't serve other products, only what you brew.

That's not true in Iowa. Native breweries in Iowa are actually licensed the same as distributors. They are allowed to have a single retail license which can sell any and all beer (including beer from other breweries, and cider/wine under 6.25% ABV) at retail directly to consumers in any/all containers without having to go through a distributor. Brewpubs (which are a different license type) can sell beer they produce on site, but cannot distribute outside of the taproom (including growlers) without selling to a distributor.

Yeah, that should get changed. I love firetrucker in Ankeny, but they are losing out on not being able to have food or drinks other than beer. I stop there every weekend in the summer, but only have 1 beer and then usually ride to a diff bar where we can get food. I would just stay if these dumb laws would be changed.

Nothing stops Firecracker from doing food. They just can't have liquor or wine, as they are native brewery.
 

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