Des Moines Recommendations?

You pretty much nailed it. I would also check out the Prairie Trail Hy Vee in Ankeny. Blake does a great job there. I'll be at El Bait on Monday night for my weekly bottle share.

 

TG making their usual deliveries tomorrow with fresh Sue bombers, may be of interest to you.

515's great, too, but won't be open after today during your trip.

ZB definitely worth hitting up for their great draft selection as of late (Stillwater Gose Gone Wild, La Folie, Goose Island BCBW, Tilquin Gueuze, and Off Color Apex Predator all on last I was there)

 

Don't forget to stop by 515 brewing in Clive! They are making some great beers as well.

 

Absolutely agreed, but they are only open Thursday-Sunday and the OP is going to be in town Monday-Wednesday it sounds like. Unfortunate!

 

It's been a few years but I really enjoyed Court Ave Brewery. Is that what it's called? Also, Des Moines has a Rock Bottom. Sure it's a chain, but each location has it's own recipes. I've been to more than a few RBs across the country and liked them all.

 

Our Rock Bottom here is great. Eric has the best sour beer program in the state, too. Plus he's been a mentor to many brewers in the region.

 

Yeah, our Rock Bottom makes some fantastic beers. Court Ave has a new brewer now. The stuff I tried of his at the ICBF was pretty tasty.

 

This is great news! I am glad things have improved in Iowa.

 

I can't think of many stand-alone metros Des Moines' size that have better beer scenes. Madison would be a contender, but El Bait Shop is nearly unmatched in my experience. The only place I've been that's better would be Falling Rock in Denver.

I chuckle whenever people in Rochester talk down about Des Moines and it's cultural offerings. Talk about clueless.

 

I dream about Zombie Burger. All the time. Too bad I only get to Des Moines once a year. Sounds like I'll have to swing by El Bait Shop next time I'm down.

 

El Bait Shop is pretty much heaven for any beer lover. 150+ American craft beers on tap. Good food, and the menu from the adjoining High Life Lounge is also available. Knowledgeable/friendly staff. Tough to beat.

 

Just got back from a 4 day weekend in Des Moines. Attended the Cityview Brewfest and am happy to report a very healthy beer scene in the city. Of course we visited El Bait Shop. Really enjoyed Court Ave Brewery - the food was outstanding as well as the beer. Stopped in the Royal Mile for a drink - a nice change of pace if you're in the mood for something European. Made a purchase at the Hy-Vee Fleur to take home in luggage. Had a fantastic meal at Fong's Pizza. Also ate at Tacopacalypse, Skips, HoQ and watched a movie at Fleur Cinema (which has one local brew on tap). Skipped Zombie Burger since my son and his girlfriend both work there and they wanted to avoid the place when not working. ACn't wait toi go back next year (after the snow melts).

 

Make sure to try 515 and Confluence (both breweries) next time around.

I miss the Cityview Brewfest. Lots of good memories of staggering around Principal Park.

 

Hey Des Moines BAers. I'll be driving to Des Moines and staying from Thursday to Sunday (stopping in Ames as well at some point) and am wondering if there are any events going on? I'm tagging along with my wife's work so I'll have quite a bit of free time. We will be going to el bait and ZB As well as I may hit a couple breweries. Thanks for any info! I can bring some (not tons) MN stuff down for an IP trade/mule if someone is interested.

 

Left Hand rollout is the following week but I think we finally have a beer event free weekend coming up for a change in Des Moines. Doesn't mean local breweries won't still be pouring some awesome beers or potentially some new ones. I think El Bait's selection lately has been pretty great. Unfortunate that some recent batches of Sue and Zeelander have been off but there's lots of great stuff that's worth drinking out there.

 

I'll post his here rather than start a new thread...

I'll be in DSM in a few weeks, I've been eyeing the el baitshop taplist. Many of the breweries/beers I obviously recognize, many however that I don't. What are the local recommendations for breweries/beers that I should sample while in town? Appreciate any and all recommendations.

 

If you're in town Wednesday or beyond, 515 brewery is a must.