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Iowa Beer

Ten Wasp Brewing Company Grand Opening in Sumner, Iowa

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SUMNER, Iowa— Ten Wasp Brewing Company announces its grand opening weekend is scheduled for February 17 and 18, in a historic building on Main Street Sumner, Iowa. This will be Sumner’s first brewery. The brewery will be community-focused, and will serve a variety of beers, root beer, seltzers and small plates. The brewery will also host weekly and monthly events from running clubs to live music to craft classes.

The Grand Opening will kick off Saturday, February 17 at 12pm with six beers of varying styles. The first pour will come from a former owner of the building. From 12-8pm, there will be a photographer, live music, brew tours and local food. Sunday, February 18, the brewery will open again at noon with ceremonial pours from five former building owners, along with a local Girl Scout Troop selling cookies and brewery tours. Beers, non-alcoholic options & food will be served until 6pm.

Ten Wasp Brewery owners have spent almost nine months renovating 112 W 1st Street, Suite B, from tearing down the mezzanine, uncovering original brick and hardwood floors, to rebuilding and adding bathrooms, up cycling bowling alley lanes into a bar top, and building a kitchen. The brewery will carry up to 16 house-made beers, along with local wine and cider, and other in-house non-alcoholic options.

The brewery has created a charitable initiative, Sumner Community Causes. Starting March 2024, one local organization will benefit from brewery tour admissions and a register round-up program. Ten Wasp is hoping to donate close to $5,000 to local causes in 2024.

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Badger State & Toppling Goliath Create Cross-Boarder Collab Beer With “Tundra Conundrum”

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GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – Wisconsin-based Badger State Brewing and Iowa-based Toppling Goliath Brewing have teamed up for a limited release beer dubbed “Tundra Conundrum”; a Hazy IPA brewed with HBC 1019 experimental hops. This beer was release in 4-packs of 16oz cans and distributed through the major markets of Wisconsin. The beer blends a light malt base with heavy juice-forward fruit hop components that HBC 1019 lends. The beer celebrates the border that Wisconsin and Iowa share, as well as embodies the hardworking attitude the Midwest is known for.

Tundra Conundrum is a delicate yet potent Hazy IPA. Something both breweries hope to embody more of within their hoppy beer portfolios as the style continues to evolve and change. The beer can be found in the Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Madison areas wherever Toppling Goliath and Badger State beers are sold, however it is limited in quantity.

About Badger State Brewing

Badger State was the first ever brewery to open in the Lambeau Field “Stadium District”, back in early 2013. Following in the footsteps of many breweries that started out as a home brew operations such as New Glarus, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, and many more – we grew into a destination brewery, Tap Room, Beer Garden, and industrial Event Hall nestled right in the heart of Green Bay, WI.

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Confluence Brewing Company Announces New Core Beer

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DES MOINES, Iowa— Confluence Brewing Company, known for their two gold medals at World Beer Cup this year, is excited to announce a new core beer. Yard Yacht, a Session Hazy IPA, is making waves starting Friday August 18th, and with its low ABV of 4.5%, you can crush these any time of the year. Confluence Brewing hasn’t had a new year-round core beer in five years, resulting in a much-anticipated arrival of something new to their core lineup. The brewery focused on a series of test batches the past year and a half and found the perfect blend, thus creating Yard Yacht.

This beer is brewed for the Tuesdays, the workdays, the hum-drum doldrums of a midweek evening. Yard Yachting is about escaping the mundane and seizing on the opportunity to make every day a little special. With the power of your imagination, and the help of some likeminded adventurers, a pedestrian after work hang can easily transform into a tropical vacation. Born from that spirit, Yard Yacht is the perfect beer for your weeknight getaway. Bursting with big bright flavors of citrus, berries and exotic fruits, but with an ABV low enough that you can enjoy a few without compromising tomorrow, it’s the perfect companion for whatever adventures you can dream up. Stop waiting for the weekend and set sail tonight for a break from the ordinary!

Yard Yacht is available on draft and 4-packs. Where good things come together.

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Big Grove Celebrates RAGBRAI 50th Anniversary with Statewide “Gold Can Giveaway”

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IOWA CITY, Iowa— Big Grove Brewery, the official brewery of RAGBRAI and the maker of Iowa’s top-selling hazy IPA Easy Eddy, is commemorating the 50th and golden anniversary of the oldest, largest, and longest multi-day bicycle ride in the world, by releasing specialty packs and golden cans of Easy Eddy throughout the state. These gold cans, if found by a lucky fan, can win them a golden jersey to wear on the great bicycle ride across Iowa.

“My favorite movie growing up was ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’,” said Matt Phippen, RAGBRAI ride director. “This being our golden anniversary we wanted to find new ways to partner with Big Grove and developed the golden can idea based on the movie. We are looking forward to seeing the excitement people have finding their golden cans in Easy Eddy 12-packs this spring.”

With 12-packs already hitting stores, Big Grove and RAGBRAI are offering 150 prizes to encourage people to get out there and enjoy the ride on July 22-29th; whose registration is still open. The first 100 consumers to find a single Easy Eddy gold can tucked inside specially marked 12-packs will win a custom edition RAGBRAI golden jersey, and the remaining 50 will receive Big Grove swag. Check shelves for Easy Eddy 12-packs featuring the RAGBRAI L logo this month.

“This is one of the coolest promotions we’ve ever done, and made better as it was a collaborative effort with RAGBRAI,” said Matt Swift, Big Grove’s CEO. “As always, Big Grove is proudly rooted in Iowa and as an iconic Iowa event, we are happy to support RAGBRAI. We can’t wait for these packs to be out in the market and we’re excited for our fans as we get closer to RAGBRAI this summer.”

Since 2019, Big Grove has been the official brewery of RAGBRAI, supporting the route with signs, high-fives, and a special beer release called Tailwind Golden Ale. “Overnight towns get their town name printed around the top of the Tailwind can,” noted Swift. “It makes it a collector’s item for the riders and Iowa towns.” Tailwind Golden Ale is releasing in early May in a custom metallic gold color to go along with the theme for the ride.

About Big Grove Brewery

Big Grove Brewery is among the top craft beer producers in Iowa and ranks in the top 3% for barrel production nationally. In 2013, the brewery got its start as a 3.5-barrel brewhouse in Solon, Iowa, and focused on freshly made craft beer and elevated pub cuisine. Four years later, the brewery opened a 28,000-square-foot production facility, serving as an anchor for the Iowa City Riverfront Crossings redevelopment project. Big Grove has received multiple craft brewing medals including a gold medal for Easy Eddy, its flagship Hazy IPA. For “Gold Can Giveaway” no purchase is necessary to participate in the sweepstakes. To enter, fans can send in a postcard labeled ‘RAGBRAI 50’ with their name and return address to Big Grove Brewery, 1225 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City, IA before 6/16/23.

About RAGBRAI

RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest, and longest recreational touring bicycle ride in the world. Started in 1973 by Des Moines Register reporters John Karras and Donald Kaul, RAGBRAI is a seven-day bicycle tour that goes from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River with stops in overnight towns along the way. In 2023, RAGBRAI celebrates its 50th ride across Iowa.

Let’s Ride!

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Big Grove Brewery, Toppling Goliath, and Lua Brewing Collaborate on Project Hop Fisch IV

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IOWA – Beer lovers, rejoice! The release of Project Hop Fisch IV is just around the corner, and it promises to be one of the most exceptional beers you’ve ever tasted. This year’s special collaboration project features three of the most innovative and respected craft breweries in Iowa: Big Grove Brewery, Toppling Goliath Brewing Co., and Lua Brewing.

Project Hop Fisch IV is a double hazy IPA featuring a combination of new and experimental hops from around the world. The beer will be available in early April for purchase on draft and in 16 oz. cans exclusively at the three brewery taprooms located in Iowa.

But Project Hop Fisch is more than just a collaboration between talented brewers. It’s a movement that supports a worthy cause: protecting Iowa’s most valuable resource, water. Each batch of Hop Fisch supports the effort to clean and protect Iowa’s waterways. And this year, all three breweries are donating to Project A.W.A.R.E, a non-profit organization dedicated to cleaning up Iowa’s waterways. So by enjoying this beer, you’re not just indulging in a delicious brew, you’re also supporting an important cause.

“Breweries rely on water quality to make beer. We need to do more whether it’s supporting water causes or employees,” said Scott Selix, Co-Founder of Lua. “We (as breweries) need to make sure to not use more water, and try to use less.”

“We’re excited to collaborate with Project A.W.A.R,E. this year and make a difference in our community by cleaning up Iowa’s waterways,” said Matt Swift, CEO at Big Grove Brewery. “We are not just producing a delicious beer, but we are also contributing to the greater good.”

Craft beer enthusiasts in Iowa and beyond, mark your calendars in July 2023 to help clean up Iowa’s rivers! This unique collaboration project brings together some of the best brewing talent in Iowa to create exceptional beer while also supporting a great cause and inviting the community to join! For more details on how to donate or get involved, check out Project A.W.A.R.E’s website, https://www.iowaprojectaware.org/.

Water is the driving force for all nature, water is also the driving force of all beer. Water quality is inherent in beer quality. You cannot have the latter without the former. So go ahead, have another one and do your part to support clean water in Iowa!

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