Iowa Rumors?

Just in case people in the Iowa City area haven't gotten their fix yet..... Found this at the Mormon Trek Blvd. Hartig Drugstore:

 

Surprised no one has mentioned Black Note yet. It is coming to Iowa in 4-packs in super small quantities. Good luck on the hunt.

 

Maybe Black Note is what DollcraftTrav was alluding to???

 

They have Founder's Imperial Stout and Bell's Expedition Stout in stock at Beer Crazy in Urbandale as of last night. I also scored some Millstream Old Smokehouse, which is killer.

 

Nope, not one of my brands

 

Dang! Any new hints?

 

Saw that John's Grocery was getting a couple of cases. Hopefully I can find some!

 

Hmm. Maybe I'm just coming at the wrong times. I've been keeping my eye out for interesting things (including FIS) and haven't seen any special releases there in a while.

 

I stopped in at the new Urbandale Hy-Vee last Friday and their selection was sorta meh for special release stuff. They did have Green Flash Trippel though, which I haven't seen many places. Picked up a bomber.

Also, a lesser known store that gets solid beers in the Des Moines area is Wine Styles (both the Johnston and Jordan Creek stores).

 

I didn't know that about Wine Styles. Good tip. I was at a lunch meeting with the owner today and asked him about his beer selection and told him that it came up here. He was excited to be mentioned and said that they are making beer a bigger priority. I think he said they stock something like 120 bottles (I'm assuming he meant 120 unique bottles) and now have 3 draft beers. I assume he meant his Jordan Creek store. I'm sure they would love the feedback (and patronage) from (self proclaimed!!!) "experts" like us on what the craft beer community would like to see and buy. I'm looking forward to checking the store out.

 

Yeah...it's the Jordan Creek (or really...West Glen) location that has the bigger, much better beer selection. I forget the guys name (short, bald, super nice dude), but he always remembers me when I walk in and gets excited to show me what new beers he has in (even if I go months without stepping foot in his shop). And yes...he usually has a few seasonals on tap and his bottle selection is growing. He just expanded his store by about double the size a few months ago and last time I stopped in, he said he was trying to expand his beer selection too. I'd say about 120 unique bottles sounds about right. He carried Jolly Pumpkin before I saw it anywhere else in the DSM area. Like I said in another thread too...he gets imports that I've not seen anywhere else (crazy, small Belgian farmhouse breweries and Hitachino from Japan, etc.). Prices are a bit higher there, but I think I got Hopslam for $18 a sixer there last year. Love his store and hope to see him get some more beers in, as I would love to give him my money even if it is a 25 minute drive from Ankeny where I live. He is a great guy and runs a great store!

 

That is awesome. I am totally stopping by tonight after work. Would LOVE to have an actual bottle shop here in DSM.

 

It's been about a month or so since I've been into Wine Styles, so you'll have to post in here if there is anything out there that is awesome.

I agree about a legit bottle shop in DSM. Until then, I guess we'll have to settle with Beer Crazy, which I can't complain about I guess. Places like Wine Styles, with a smaller but sometimes different selection, are nice too.

 

I've actually sort of planned out the perfect bottle shop that I would open if I ever got the start-up capital. I'm thinking an East Village location, maybe. Rotating taps, every beer I could get my hands on from distributors. Of course, it's all moot since I have no money lol.

Wine Styles was interesting. They had mostly imports. I sort of saw it as beer being chosen by wine people, which is probably what it is. I picked up a Jolly Pumpkin bomber, but their selection didn't really make me want to rush right back, to be honest.

Beer Crazy is a weird beast. Ever since they started focusing more on homebrewing stuff and cheese making, I feel like their beer selection has gone downhill. They still tweet/facebook when something rare comes in, but they never seem to have any new year-round or seasonal offerings when I come in. I dunno. Also, I always feel like if I'm not shopping for homebrewing supplies, their staff couldn't care less that I'm even in there.

 

Wine Styles definitely focuses more on the imports, which I think is awesome. Like I said, they get imports there I haven't ever found anywhere else in Iowa (especially rare Belgians). It's nice in that regard, but I agree, they do focus more on that than US craft breweries.

The staff there always asks if I need help and they offer suggestions when asked, but I do feel they are more attentive to people there to get brewing supplies. I can't blame them though...that is where they know they'll make their money and get repeat business. They offer supplies that people can't readily get elsewhere in DSM.

 

Fair enough on the Wine Styles.

I'm not really trying to bag on Beer Crazy. I appreciate what they do. Just more and more I feel like they care less and less about the people buying beer. I haven't even been greeted the last couple times I've been in there. But they definitely seem like the go-to spot for homebrewing supplies.

 

Heard a rumor today that we aren't getting Hopslam until next Friday...at least in the corridor area. Can anybody confirm?

 

Hopslam will be available at three locations on tap this Friday. The first place tapping is Parlor City in Cedar Rapids, at 8:00am. Red's in North Liberty is tapping at 10:28am... I believe they open at 10:30am. The other place is the Sanctuary Pub.

Cases/6-packs will not be hitting until the end of the month.

This was told to me directly from someone who distributes for them.

 

That's lame that the bottled stuff is hitting so late. It says on the Bell's website that it's supposed to be shipped this week...maybe it takes a couple of weeks to ship and distribute?

But anyways, thanks for the reply, I'll probably head down to Parlor City in the morning!