Visiting Des Moines

Discussion in 'Midwest' started by BuzzG, Aug 20, 2016.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Page 1 of 2
  1. BuzzG

    BuzzG Crusader (455) Dec 6, 2013 Iowa

    I was planning a trip to San Diego and noticed that a person(Xul) on the Pacific forum put together an excellent visitors guide to SD. Of course Des Moines doesn't compare to SD when it comes to visitors or craft beer but I think it would be nice to provide a condensed version for those visiting our little city.

    I thought we'd just include the Des Moines proper and suburbs.

    Feel free to add or suggest edits. The information I've provided is just my opinion or info pulled directly from brewers web site.

    General Advice
    If you're planning on getting a hotel you really have two options, downtown Des Moines or anywhere else. Traffic isn't really an issue in the metro and you can get to pretty much any location in town within 20 minutes. Des Moines does have Uber and the service has always worked well for me. Des Moines has an excellent bike trail and some of the bars/tap rooms are along that route. As far as walking, besides the Court Avenue district the options are limited.

    Calendar of Events
    http://www.iowacraftbeertent.com/calendar.php -This covers all of Iowa

    Breweries/Tap Rooms
    Des Moines has seen a surge in breweries over the last few years. Smoking is not allowed. Kids are allowed. Most of these places have growler fills available. Information pulled directly from web site. Ratings are based on their beer reviews, not the location.

    *515 Brewing-http://515brewing.com/index.html 3.83
    Clive
    This brewery serves a rotating menu of house-made draft IPAs & other beers.

    *Confluence Brewing Company-http://www.confluencebrewing.com/ 3.73
    Microbrewery featuring a warehouselike tasting room pouring regular, seasonal & experimental beer.

    *Madhouse Brewing-http://madhousebeer.com/ 3.69
    Madhouse Brewing Company is microbrewery located in the Historic East Village area of Downtown Des Moines. All brewing, fermentation and packaging of the beer occurs onsite, and is then distributed

    *Firetrucker-http://www.firetrucker.com/ 3.69
    Ankeny
    Firetrucker beers are loaded with flavor and maintain a clean finish.

    *Wing Nutt Brewing-https://wingnuttbrewing.com/ 3.7
    Altoona
    Our mission at Wing Nutt Brewing is to become a locally recognized brewery that provides an outstanding variety of specialized and seasonal brews.

    *Exile Brewing-http://exilebrewing.com/ 3.66
    Inspired by the countless immigrants who have made our country what it is today, Exile Brewing Co. is a hand-crafted brewery fueled by the passion of a burn-bright lifestyle, and driven by a unique sense of gratitude for the customer, community and future of our land.

    *Twisted Vine-https://www.facebook.com/TwistedVineBrewery/ 3.56
    West Des Moines
    Twisted Vine Brewery is an unpretentious boutique brewery making the finest beers available anywhere.

    *Reclaimed Rails-http://www.reclaimedrailsbrewing.com/ 3.55
    Bondurant
    Our brewery and taproom is housed in the former legion hall that was built in 1948. This two story brick has rich community history and we will strive to continue that heritage. This truly is a brewery like no other in the state!

    *Fox Brewing-http://www.foxbrewco.com/ 3.53
    West Des Moines
    Fox Brewing is a craft brewery that proudly brews premium beers, with a focus on exciting, unique, seasonal offerings

    *Court Avenue Brewing-http://www.courtavebrew.com/ 3.51
    At Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company (CABCo), our continued commitment and passion for beer and great food ensures that each creation will be fresh, distinctive, and have a character all its own.

    *Peace Tree-http://www.peacetreebrewing.com/ 3.67
    Des Moines location opening fall 2016

    *New American Brewery-http://www.newamericanbeer.com/ 3.62
    Ankeny
    Tap room opening Fall 2016

    Bars

    Full Court Press is the king when it comes to bars in Des Moines. They own 10+ of the most popular bars in the metro. http://fullcourtpressdm.com/

    Downtown Des Moines

    *El Bait Shop (EBS)-http://elbaitshop.com/
    Constantly in the top 100 craft bars in the U.S. 170+ beers on tap

    *Iowa Tap Room-http://iowataproom.com/
    Over 100 taps of all Iowa craft beer

    *The Red Monk/Royal Mile-http://www.theredmonk.com/
    Royal Mile downstairs/Red Monk upstairs. Red monk has an unbelievable selection of Belgians.

    *Other good selections downtown
    • Fongs-Known for their pizza
    • Hessen Haus-German
    • High Life Lounge-Same building as EBS
    • Buzzard Billys-Only bar close to Wells Fargo Arena
    • 300 Craft and rooftop
    • Mullets
    • Up Down-Old school video games

    West Suburbs

    *Keg Stand

    *Global Brew Taphouse

    Bottle Shops
    Hy-Vee E., 1005 Hickman Rd, Waukee, IA 50263
    Hy-Vee 410 N Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA 50023
    Hy-Vee 8701 Douglas Ave, Urbandale, IA 50322
    Hy-Vee 4815 Maple Dr, Pleasant Hill, IA 50327
    Hy-Vee 4605 Fleur Dr, Des Moines, IA 50321
    Beer Crazy 3908 NW Urbandale Dr, Urbandale, IA 50322 (limited cold beer)
    Wine Styles 5515 Mills Civic Pkwy #120, West Des Moines, IA 50266 (limited cold beer)
     
    #1 BuzzG, Aug 20, 2016
    Lucho-19, Ish1 and dlphnfn like this.
  2. BottleCaps80

    BottleCaps80 Initiate (0) Jan 12, 2013 Iowa

    #2 BottleCaps80, Aug 21, 2016
    NickTheGreat, Lucho-19 and BuzzG like this.
  3. dugbrandon

    dugbrandon Initiate (0) Dec 24, 2010 Iowa

    El Bait Shop has 222 craft beer taps, Iowa Taproom has 122.
     
    #3 dugbrandon, Aug 22, 2016
  4. codyhaskell

    codyhaskell Initiate (0) Aug 27, 2009 Texas

    This is great, @BuzzG, and the timing is excellent for me. I am returning to DSM tomorrow after having visited for the first time in March and I'm looking forward to the trip. I plan to visit 515, Court Avenue, and Exile (I hit Confluence when I was there last, and Fox, et al are not open during my trip), as well as El Bait Shop and The Iowa Taproom for food & pints.

    I plan to stop by one or more of the following stores to stock up on TG, Surly, etc. and would like this thread's input on how best to prioritize. I have time for multiple stops, so things like selection, price, & delivery schedules can play into your suggestions.

    Hy-Vee Urbandale
    Hy-Vee Windsor Heights
    Hy-Vee Pleasant Hill
    Hy-Vee Fleur Dr
    Beer Crazy
    The Cheese Shop
    Ingersoll Wine & Spirits

    And, if necessary:
    Hy-Vee Ankeny Blvd
    Hy-Vee Prairie Trail

    I appreciate the time you've already put into this and look forward to your suggestions.
     
    #4 codyhaskell, Aug 29, 2016
  5. BottleCaps80

    BottleCaps80 Initiate (0) Jan 12, 2013 Iowa

    If you have time for multiple stops, you're best bet would be to take the time to drive up to the Prarire Trial HyVee in Ankeny. Single best selection in the DSM metro if you ask me.
     
    #5 BottleCaps80, Aug 29, 2016
  6. codyhaskell

    codyhaskell Initiate (0) Aug 27, 2009 Texas

    Ha, you must have a keyboard shortcut for this because I just read you saying the same thing on another Visiting Des Moines thread. Thanks for your input! Would it benefit me to stop in both the Ankeny Hy-Vees or would Prairie Trail get the job done?
     
    #6 codyhaskell, Aug 29, 2016
    BottleCaps80 likes this.
  7. BottleCaps80

    BottleCaps80 Initiate (0) Jan 12, 2013 Iowa

    While there, yes, it's very worth a stop to the North Ankeny Blvd location too, as they'll a lot of times have stuff that may sell out quickly at the Prairie Trail location.
     
    #7 BottleCaps80, Aug 29, 2016
  8. codyhaskell

    codyhaskell Initiate (0) Aug 27, 2009 Texas

    Well, I guess I'll add Firetrucker to the list, as well! Twist my arm.
     
    #8 codyhaskell, Aug 29, 2016
    BottleCaps80 likes this.
  9. CCBone

    CCBone Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2016 Oregon

    Is there anything specific other than TGB you are looking for? I agree that prairie trail has the best all encompassing selection in town. However, some of the smaller places are more likely to still have recent releases of more difficult to find things because they are less frequented. For example: Windsor heights hyvee still had AB barrel noir as of Friday, and that hit I think two weeks ago. They also had nugmo from TGB (still tasting great)

    I'd also stop at the cheese shop. Again, not sure what you are looking for but they usually have a good single bottle selection if you want to sample a few things-and in my opinion the best lunch/beer combo in the state. They have a good selection of off color, and aldo still had a jester king or two as of last week
     
    #9 CCBone, Aug 30, 2016
  10. codyhaskell

    codyhaskell Initiate (0) Aug 27, 2009 Texas

    TGB, Surly, Crooked Stave, Off Color, August Schell are on the short list, plus whatever local stuff you'd suggest. I plan to educate myself at The Iowa Taproom, as well.

    I read Beer Crazy has a good singles selection, as well; would you agree?
     
    #10 codyhaskell, Aug 30, 2016
  11. kanderna

    kanderna Crusader (488) Sep 8, 2009 Iowa
    Trader

    I haven't been there in a long time. Wide variety, but I don't believe they get drops of all the latest/greatest. I typically used them if I wanted to try a single of something that's only sold in 6pks.
     
    #11 kanderna, Aug 30, 2016
  12. CCBone

    CCBone Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2016 Oregon

    I have only been there once, but I was not very impressed. The other shops you listed have a much better selection, including singles (the Windsor heights hyvee has a solid singles selection as does cheese shop). The best surly selection will definitely be prairie trail. Off color and crooked stave probably cheese shop (especially for singles-cheese shop ONLY sells in singles FYI). Also, el bait shop will fill crowlers of almost anything on tap that isn't a one off keg
     
    #12 CCBone, Aug 30, 2016
  13. BrettHead

    BrettHead Initiate (0) Sep 18, 2010 Nebraska

    Do not waste your time with Beer Crazy.
     
    #13 BrettHead, Aug 31, 2016
    timhanson, VinHalen54, SaulTBauls and 1 other person like this.
  14. BottleCaps80

    BottleCaps80 Initiate (0) Jan 12, 2013 Iowa

    I tend to agree, though if you are looking for singles, it is the largest selection in town (they sell everything in singles). That being said, they also keep all of their beer warm on shelves that aren't even out of direct sunlight. Their prices are typically a skosh lower than at HyVee's though, but it's gamble on freshness.
     
    #14 BottleCaps80, Aug 31, 2016
    BrettHead likes this.
  15. BrettHead

    BrettHead Initiate (0) Sep 18, 2010 Nebraska

    Exactly, I can't support a place that gives zero f***s about the quality of what they sell
     
    #15 BrettHead, Aug 31, 2016
    timhanson and BottleCaps80 like this.
  16. Ish1

    Ish1 Initiate (0) Feb 25, 2010 Minnesota

    ^This. I stopped in while visiting Des Moines. Walked in...walked out. I got the sense they were more about home brew stuff.
     
    #16 Ish1, Aug 31, 2016
  17. codyhaskell

    codyhaskell Initiate (0) Aug 27, 2009 Texas

    Thanks for everyone's help. The Des Moines beer scene seems to be a good one. I was able to buy some good beers and visit Firetrucker, 515, and Exile, as well as have a giant, delicious chicken sandwich and good Iowa beers at The Iowa Taproom. Until next time, cheers!
     
    #17 codyhaskell, Sep 8, 2016
    Ish1, BottleCaps80, BuzzG and 2 others like this.
  18. KiddVideo

    KiddVideo Initiate (0) Jun 19, 2015 Minnesota

    Anybody know who the Miller and Bud distributors are in DM?
     
    #18 KiddVideo, Sep 20, 2016
  19. kanderna

    kanderna Crusader (488) Sep 8, 2009 Iowa
    Trader

    I believe it's Iowa Beverage Systems and Doll, respectively. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
     
    #19 kanderna, Sep 20, 2016
  20. Disc_n_Beer

    Disc_n_Beer Crusader (443) Mar 20, 2015 Iowa

    #20 Disc_n_Beer, Sep 20, 2016
Page 1 of 2
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.