Drink Local : A Look Inside Iowa’s Emerging Craft Beer Scene

Let’s face it. Iowa isn’t known for much. We are often overlooked and seen as just a state to flyover. However, so many people are missing out on what Iowa can actually offer. One of those things is beer.

Iowans not only drink beer, but we also make beer. Really good beer. From local favorites, to brands that are rapidly growing nationwide, to globally-renowned beers - Iowa really has it all. At Doll Distributing we are proud to “drive over” the so-called “flyover” state to distribute some of these amazing local beers across our great state. So let’s highlight a few Iowa breweries that have been killing the game recently.

We’ve got to start with a legend.

Here are just a few of their accolades. On Beer Advocate, their barrel-aged beer, Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout, has been the highest rated beer by consumers in the world for 11 years! According to the US Open Beer Championship (yes, that’s a thing) they are currently the #7 brewery in the nation, and in 2021, 2023 they were ranked as the #1 brewery by multiple outlets. Their flagship IPA, Pseudo Sue, has won countless awards and has been distributed across 30 states. Before all the awards and accolades, this brewery started in the home of Clark and Barbara Lewey in Decorah, Iowa and went on to become Toppling Goliath Brewing Company.

We want you to experience these award-winning pours so here are some of TG’s most popular beers. Pseudo Sue is TG’s best seller and their flagship beer. This pale ale flavor contains grapefruit, citrus, mango, and evergreen. With a 5.8% ABV, this beer is perfect for those who want a hop flavor without the beer being too strong. King Sue is another favorite, especially for those who prefer a stronger beer. This beer has a 8.2% ABV and explodes with mango, orange, pineapple, and grapefruit flavors. For a more aromatic and a hazy IPA experience, try a Hazy Day Sue. This hazy IPA is a tropical and citrusy pop off flavors with a 6.5% ABV.

This brewery is one of the hottest and fastest growing breweries in Iowa.

Hailing from Solon, Iowa in 2013 Big Grove has had a similar mission for its entire existence. Make great beer, combine that with great food, and to be involved in the community. These three goals have led to its rapid growth and success. That along with the iconic IPA that skyrocketed into popularity. The famous Easy Eddy.

With all of these factors working together Big Grove has expanded into Des Moines, Omaha, Cedar Rapids, and Prairie Village (KS). Their first expansion however, was to Iowa City. This move was perfect. Their emphasis on beer, food, and community translated to the Iowa City culture very well. Big Grove quickly became an important part of Iowa City. This connection then led them to become the official craft beer of Iowa City’s hometown team, the Iowa Hawkeyes. This even led to the creation of Tigerhawk Beer, with a portion of the proceeds going to the University of Iowa.

But back to Easy Eddy. Since being introduced in 2017, this beer has made up more than 50% of Big Grove’s sales and was really the first IPA to find a steady place on shelves. The success of their flagship beer and their focus in beer, food, and community has led them to lead the state in craft beer shares.

Aside from the Easy Eddy, there are many fantastic beers that Big Grove has to offer. The Citrus Surfer is another one of the brewery’s most popular beers. This smooth, refreshing, and easy-going beer is full of citrusy flavor and sits at 4.8% ABV. A beer that combines their interest in great beer and giving back to the community is their oatmeal stout, Wade Wisely. The proceeds of this rich, malty and coffee flavored stout go straight to improving the quality of midwest trout streams

This one is real local for us here in Des Moines.

Exile Brewing began in downtown Des Moines and really sprung Iowa on to the craft beer scene. Founded and operated by the Tursi family (owners of Latin King), Exile has enjoyed years of being very involved in the community and creating great beers. One of their main focuses was brewing fantastic lagers, and they set up a unique facility to do just that. This hard work has paid off, as their lagers have won the gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

Exile really values being a part of the community because they believe that their patrons are family. They’ve built their brewpub on hospitality and have been intentional in extending a philanthropic arm into the community. They’ve raised money for nonprofits, like Friends of Des Moines Parks, Draft Team Des Moines, and many others. They have also given their time to nonprofits like Adopt a Highway and DMARC. They do all of this while honoring the Tursi family’s patriarch, Joseph, who was labeled an “exile” when he first immigrated to America many years ago. This is how the brewery got its name.

What really cemented Exile as a Des Moines staple, was their success with their gold lager, Ruthie. This caramel-like, smooth, refreshing drink became so popular that it eventually earned the title of the official craft beer of Iowa’s crown jewel: the Iowa State Fair. This beer’s success has also led them to expand their distribution across some of the neighboring states of Iowa. Mexican beer is also quite popular in Iowa so Exile took note of this and created their very own Mexican Lager, Maria, which has also enjoyed a lot of success.

The last two breweries that we want to highlight are actually brewed in the same facility, but both have their own unique brews and stories. Singlespeed Brewery began in Cedar Falls and Backpocket Brewing began in Coralville, but now both of their facilities are in the same building in Waterloo, Iowa.

Backpocket Brewing has taprooms all across the state and have created some fantastic beers.

Their dark lager, Slingshot, features a smooth, malty, and bready taste. Their more hop-forward option, Bubba, is a juicy hazy IPA with tropical notes. Backpocket recently became the official craft beer sponsor of the Iowa State Cyclones and have made cardinal-and-gold themed beer. Their most popular one of this variety is the blonde ale, Cyclone Gold.

Singlespeed Brewery and founder David Morgan started off small, and then kept looking to take healthy risks.

From experimenting in restaurants, to beginning to brew beer in his garage, to a small facility in Cedar Falls, then to starting taprooms in Waterloo and Des Moines, then to moving to a state-of-the-art facility in Waterloo, Iowa. It’s safe to say Morgan’s risks have paid off as Singlespeed Brewery has enjoyed a lot of success in the craft beer industry in Iowa. Singlespeed is known for their quality beer and their always experimental-nature. Tip the Cow is one of their most popular beers. This milk stout is creamy and rich with a great taste of coffee (courtesy of local coffee shop Sidecar Coffee). Sometimes life needs a Victory Dance and this American ale might make you do just that. Citrusy, tropical, with notes of peach, grapefruit, and apricot.

As mentioned before, we’ve already covered two of the state’s universities (Big Grove = Hawkeyes, Backpocket = Cyclones), but Singlespeed has made a beer for the real powerhouse of the state. The University of Northern Iowa Panthers. The Prowl is a crisp golden ale whose proceeds go to support student athletes at the university.

All of these breweries add their own unique touch and flavor to the ever-growing Iowa craft beer scene.

While they all are different, they do share some common traits. For one, they all make fantastic beer. Beer now enjoyed nationwide! Secondly, they care about their community and Iowa as a whole. From sponsoring the collegiate programs, donating towards local nonprofits, and being a part of community events, these breweries enhance the communities they are in and make Iowa even better. That’s why we are proud to distribute these fantastic beers across this great state and the states nearby!