Brrrfest 2013

Brrrfest 2013
Brrrfest 2013

Last Saturday, a few friends and I went to Brrrfest 2013.  Once again, like many of the recent beer events, this one featured a “Brewmaster” session, with advanced entry.  If you read my post about what to look for at beer events, here’s what I saw at Brrrfest:

It was a very fast entry to the event.  As soon as we walked into the building, ID’s were checked, then we dropped off our tickets and picked up the event tasting glass and program, then went to stand in line.  As soon as the doors opened, all 400 Brewmasters got into the event within 5 minutes, which was great.  There was a ton of room for the first hour, and my friends and I could go explore the different brewers and reconvene to discuss the highlights.  The glass was a commemorative one, but I do wish it was a globe or tulip style, instead of the kolsch-style glass.

The Sparely Populated Brewmaster Session
The Sparely Populated Brewmaster Session

Although the written program didn’t highlight any special beers, the vendors at the event had a large selection of beers.  I was a bit disappointed several of the bigger names in brewing weren’t at the event (Samuel Adams, Founder’s, and Stone Brewing to name a few), but the Iowa breweries, including several new breweries, represented very well.  In my opinion, two of the best breweries at the event were Peace Tree (in Knoxville, Iowa) and Van Houzen, a new brewery in Newton, Iowa.  Peace Tree had three different ice beers, made from three different flagship beers (Rye Porter, Belgian Blonde, and Hop Wrangler).  They were very good, and unique to the event.  Van Houzen had several of their beers on tap, and when I went to try the one in the program, Symphony Imperial Double Chocolate Stout, I noticed the rest of the lineup: a Double IPA, Belgian Tripel, and Robust Belgian White Beer, all 8% ABV and higher.  Talk about some heavyweights!  I had a chance to try them all, and they were great.

The Crowd at Brrfest
The Crowd at Brrfest

After the event, I asked my friend Macy her thoughts.  She said, “The greatest benefit of attending an event like Brrrfest is that you have the opportunity to meet new breweries that you weren’t aware of before the event, yet still get to rub elbows with the brewers from some of your favorite breweries. The mix of exploration and celebration of expertly brewed beer makes for an event that is too good to miss! I’ll definitely be attending again next year.”

Based on this year, I will too, Macy!  Did you attend Brrrfest?  What was your favorite beer?

Iowa City Brewfest 2012 is Saturday

Welcome to Brewfest!
Welcome to Brewfest!

Just a reminder that the 2012 Iowa City Northside Octoberfest / Brewfest is this weekend, with the Brewfest on Saturday.

It looks to be an exciting year, since the number of Iowa breweries has grown in the last year, as well as a few new out-of-state breweries (Schlafly, Founders, Tallgrass Brewing, and Green Flash to name a few), not to mention the new Backpocket Brewery in Coralville.

The most recent addition to Iowa’s shelves is Stone Brewing out of Escondido, California.

Hope to see you there!

Founders Brewing Co. Porter

Founders Brewing Co. Porter
Founders Brewing Co. Porter

Ever since SF 2088 was passed in Iowa, I have been anxiously awaiting Iowa brewers to begin producing beer above 6.25% ABV, as well as companies to begin distributing their higher-alcohol selections in Iowa.  No company fits the latter situation better than Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

One such beer that is not yet available in Iowa (so I get it in Illinois) is Founders Brewing Co.’s Porter.

It is a very dark, chocolaty robust porter with higher body and sweetness.  It poured as dark as night, and had a nice, thick, dark head.  It was very smooth, and tasted like caramel and chocolate.  Because it is at 6.5%, it is has not yet been distributed in Iowa, but I would drive an hour to buy this beer, it’s that good.  Just like the label says, it’s “Dark, Rich, and Sexy”.

So, let’s see if we can send Founders a message that we want their beer in Iowa, now that SF 2088 passed.  I say cheers to Founders Porter!

History of Beer in Iowa

In 1919, congress passed the 18th constitutional amendment, making the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption illegal.  This dark time in American history was called prohibition.  During this time, the illegal production and distribution of alcohol became rampant, because the government had no means to enforce the act. In 1933, the ratification of the 21st amendment repealed the 18th amendment, allowing alcohol to become legal again.

After prohibition, control of alcohol laws was granted to the states.  This is when Iowa law 123.3 was written, along with many others like it.

The main issue with this law is the definition of beer: “Beer” means any liquid capable of being used for beverage purposes made by the fermentation of an infusion in potable water of barley, malt, and hops, with or without unmalted grains or decorticated and degerminated grains or made by the fermentation of or by distillation of the fermented products of fruit, fruit extracts, or other agricultural products, containing more than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume but not more than five percent of alcohol by weight but not including mixed drinks or cocktails mixed on the premises. (I have emphasized the important part).

What this means to the average beer drinker is that any beer over 5% ABW (~6.2% ABV) is no longer considered beer, but is then considered a liquor.  Once it is considered a liquor, it no longer is distributed by the local distributors, and instead is distributed by the government-run Iowa Alcohol Beverages Division (IABD) in Ankeny, Iowa.  This becomes a large issue because, even though beer can be perishable, and may need to be refrigerated, because it is considered a liquor, it is not handled properly.  This is one reason several brewers, such as Founders Brewing and some Bell’s Brewery products, stay out of Iowa distribution.  This law also prohibits local breweries and brewpubs to create any beer over this percentage, making much more difficult to compete with out-of-state breweries, who can be distributed through the IABD.

In recent years, because of the growth of Craft Beer in the US, many of these laws have been changed to increase the definition of “beer” to be up to 12% to 18%, but Iowa has not changed this law.  There had been a grassroots movement several years ago to raise this limit, and liftthelimit.org was created.  This encouraged others to speak out about the law.  Because of movements like these, and the growing acceptance of craft brewing, in early 2010, SF 2091 was written, which would raise the allowable value to 12% ABW (15% ABV), and would create a separate license for higher-alcohol beers to be brewed in Iowa.  This legislation was then rolled into SF 2088, an Iowa government reorganization bill (don’t try and read the whole thing- it may may you dizzy).

So, as it stands, the reorganization bill, as amended, has passed the Iowa Senate, and has been messaged to the House, where it is close to making this archaic law become a thing of the past.  I say, good riddance!

For more information, you can read up on US prohibition and beer in the US.  There’s also a pretty neat timeline at beerhistory.com.

What do you think?  Will this be a beer renaissance for Iowa?