Heading out the week of Oct 20 and will be staying at the embassy suites. Doing a brief search I see El Bait shop is a must. Also heard Zombie burger is good? Any other suggestions that would be in walking distance?
The Embassy Suites downtown on the river, I presume? As noted, El Bait is a must. It's made the Draft Magazine's Top 100 craft beer bars for the past 6 years in a row for a reason. Zombie Burger has good food and a very small, but solid tap lineup usually. Though their bar manager recently left, so not sure if the taps are as good as they once were? For other places worth checking out within walking distance: Up/Down - is a "barcade" and they have a about 30 craft handles, sometimes with some really good stuff flowing. Plus, if you like old school arcade games, you'll geek out. Hessen Haus - authentic German beer hall with about 30 German beers on tap on good food. Royal Mile/Red Monk - these two bars are located in the same building. Royal Mile is an English style pub with a huge selection of English ales on tap. Upstairs from this bar is the Red Monk with is a Belgian beer bar, with about 20 Belgians on tap and a ton of Belgian bottles too.
Nick covered it pretty well. No bottle shops within walking distance, but you won't want for tap choices downtown.
A friend is going near Des Moines the same time...where are the best chances to pickup TG beers? What else should he grab locally?
It is West Des Moines Hy Vee #1, otherwise known as Valley West Hy Vee (as it's located on Valley West Drive and across from Valley West Mall).
Hate to thread jack but is this the only, or the best, Hy-vee for craft beer? I am staying at the Holiday Inn on Merle Hay Rd and there seems to be much closer 'Hy-Vee's'. Worth it to taxi out to this one?
Yes, there are definitely certain HyVee's in Des Moines that are better for craft beer for others. DO NOT take a cab to the Valley West HyVee, as it has one of the worst selections of any in the metro, but for some reason, they do get TG bottles when they deliver here. Your would be best off to take a cab up to the Prairie Trail HyVee in Ankeny, which will be the closest to your hotel (8 miles away) and has arguably the best craft beer selection in town. The three best HyVee's in town for craft are: Prairie Trail HyVee in Ankeny Fleur HyVee in Des Moines Pleasant Hill HyVee in Pleasant Hill Honorable metion: HyVee on 42nd and University
Thanks! I appreciate your Advocacy! If your interested in any Tampa/Fl brews/distro give me a holler and I will hook you up while I'm out there!
If you get on Douglas (which intersects with Merle Hay by the mall) and go west for a few miles, you'll hit the Urbandale Hy-Vee. That one isn't quite tier 1 quality like Fleur, PH or Prairie Trail, but they're definitely tier 2 and still have one of the better selections in town.
I would call before you go to any location expressly for TG. The Hy-Vee that's actually on Merle Hay Rd in Johnston is not good, though it can be useful for picking up limited stuff that hits all accounts after others run out.
el Bait Shop just put on Nugget and Tsunami. Not sure how long that will last, but you might have a chance to try that when you're in town.
I always did my beer buying at 42nd and University during my time in Des Moines proper (Nov. '09-March '12). The manager of the Wine & Spirits always seemed to have good taste, and they seemed to be pretty well on top of new distribution in Des Moines.
Chris left that store, I believe he is now at Valley West, and the former manager of Valley West (who admittedly brought in TG but otherwise did not have the best selection) is now at 42nd/Uni. I am now a suburbanite so haven't been to either location in nearly a year, though.
I live basically where you're staying. The 86th and Douglas Hy-Vee is new and huge, but kinda mediocre on selection. The one on Merle Hay road north of you is even worse
