The Iowa Taproom celebrates “the growing traditions of diversity, creativity and excellence in Iowa beer”. Occupying a historic building dating to the early beginnings of the state, the Iowa Taproom opened its doors in early March of 2016 and is in the up and coming East Village district of Des Moines, Iowa.
The building was constructed in 1882 and has had many uses, including as a warehouse for Old Style Lager from 1936 to 1949. The Iowa Taproom owner is Full Court Press, a company that owns other restaurants, bars, and beer houses.
An Iowa Taproom stated goal is to “salute the famous Iowa work ethic and seek to honor our state’s heritage through reuse of historic materials in our décor, including our 1880s bar-top salvaged from a bar in Jewell”. The owners are to be commended for the great ambiance they have created.
While on a short visit to Des Moines about three weeks after the Iowa Taproom opened, my wife and I decided to check out this new business that features 120 all Iowa beers on tap and a full restaurant menu. We were greeted by a friendly staff that seated us in this full and already popular Iowa beer hot spot. With over 45 Iowa breweries to choose from, our very knowledgeable server, Rachael, gave some suggestions and three of the minimum-sized 6 ounce pours were ordered.
Craft Beer Enthusiasts Line the Iowa Taproom Bar
The first was a 515 Brewing Company Belgian-style Dubbel called Dubbel B at 6.9% ABV. It was a very enjoyable full-bodied dark beer with some flavors of spice. Malty and smooth, this is a beer I would order again.
The second selection was from Millstream Brewing Company, an award-winning brewery that has captured medals from prestigious events such as the North American Beer Awards, the Great American Beer Festival, and the World Beer Cup. “Millstream Knows Jack” is Millstream’s whiskey barrel-aged special release version of their year-round Back Road Stout, an oatmeal stout brewed with black malt, roasted barley and 5% oats. I really liked that it was not too heavy and had a smooth bourbon barrel-aged flavor. Millstream Brewing will be releasing more “Jack Daniels whiskey barrel-aged beers” over the next several months. If they are good as Millstream Knows Jack, they are definitely worth trying.
The third selection was a Madhouse Brewing Company Honey Pilsner. This good-tasting pilsner is very light in color and taste with hints of honey, which is sourced from the Ebert Honey Company (an Iowa-based bee farm).
Photograph courtesy of the Iowa Taproom
The Iowa Taproom has done a great job featuring Iowa’s diverse and excellent craft beers. In addition, they have created an atmosphere that embraces and celebrates the historic heritage of both Des Moines and Iowa. I highly recommend visiting this new and exciting craft beer hub of Des Moines.
nice article. Makes me want to go to Des Moines.