Hey Folks!
How's everyone doing? I know I have been seriously slacking on the blogging, especially the Bi-Weekly Beer Blog, but I am going to try and make amends starting now.
So in the interest of full disclosure, I've only had the pleasure of drinking this beer once, but it was great. The beer is the Iowa Pale Ale from Millstream Brewing Company, which is based in Amana, Iowa. (Yeah, I know, I'm biased in favor of Wisconsin beer, but I'm trying to expand my horizons here!) Honestly, I don't even know where the heck Amana, Iowa is...but apparently, at least one resident knows how to brew pretty good beer. I can't vouch for any of Millstream's other brews, but I would love to try them. Maybe sometime in the future I'll get the chance.
OK, let's talk about the Iowa Pale Ale. (A little brewing 101: ales are created using top-fermenting yeast, whereas lagers are brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast) According to the brewery's website, the beer is a mild and balanced ale with a "citrus zing." This seems to me like a pretty decent and simple description. This pale ale is not as hoppy as some of the other pales I have had recently. It was much easier to drink as well, which can be good or bad depending on my mood. I would disagree with the "citrus zing" portion of the description. I'm not a big fan of citrusy beers in general, but I didn't notice any overly fruity taste when I was drinking the Iowa Pale Ale. The beer is 5.7% alcohol. As you can see from the picture above, the beer is a hazy, golden-orange that is making me thirsty just looking at it. Millstream suggests drinking the pale ale with "fried seafood" (yeah, we call that a fish fry in Wisconsin...get with the program Iowa) and spicy food. Since I haven't had the opportunity to eat while drinking this beer, I will hold off on analyzing these food pairings, but I can't imagine the Iowa Pale Ale not being great with a fish fry...assuming you could find a delicious, polka-filled fish fry in Iowa.
So at this point, you are probably asking one question: "Jon, where can I buy a 6 pack and share it with you?" Well, that might be a bit difficult. But with a little detective work, I found out that you can supposedly buy Millstream products at Brennan's Country Farm Market in Brookfield. Unfortunately, I can't confirm that the Iowa Pale Ale is available there, only that they claim to have Millstream beers available. I'll have to make a trip out to Brookfield sometime in the near future---otherwise I'll just have another excuse to go to Iowa.
Totally Off Topic: Christina has vaulted in the lead for the bracket challenge with Egel only one point behind. The bottom-line is if Duke beats WVU, Christina wins; if WVU beats Duke, Egel wins. The rest of us have just fallen by the way side. Christina has requested a "date night" if she wins....does anyone think I should change the rules for her? Or should she get the beer sampling just like everyone else would have? (I mean, who I am kidding, obviously, she will get what she wants, but I'd welcome other opinions just for the entertainment factor.)
Alright, that's all the blogging I have time for at this point. I hope everyone is doing well.
I reallly love this "IPA." IPA in quotes because I think Millstream is confused about whether this is a pale ale, an india pale ale, or an Iowa pale ale. but nonetheless, this is the bomb. Even more bomb is that I drank it at a restaurant called Orchard Green in Iowa City, IA dedicated to supporting local food sources. By the way, Amana, IA is about 20 miles or so NW from Iowa City--pretty local.
ReplyDeleteAlso, request for next beer post--St. Pete's IPA. yummm.
Oh and C should get a date night for sure.
I was so excited by your BWBB that I felt compelled to Wikipedia Amana, IA. Unfortunately, it is not along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi like the charming city of Dubuque. The nearest city is listed as "Middle Amana." (Gee, thanks Wikipedia). I like Alex's description better.
ReplyDeleteHere's a little more trivia:
"The Amana Colonies are a group of settlements of radical German Pietists in Iowa, USA, comprising seven villages. Calling themselves the Ebenezer Society or the Community of True Inspiration, die Gemeinde der wahren Inspiration, they first settled in New York state near Buffalo in what is now the Town of West Seneca. However, in order to live out their beliefs in more isolated surroundings they moved west to the rich soil of east-central Iowa (near present-day Iowa City) in 1855. They lived a communal life until the mid 1930s. Due to this, the Amanas are sometimes mistaken as Amish.
A striking feature of the Amana Colonies is that for eighty years they maintained an almost completely self-sufficient local economy, importing very little from the wider, industrializing U.S. economy. The Amanians were able to achieve this independence and life style by adhering to the specialized handcrafts and farming occupations which they had brought with them from Germany.
Today, Amana is a major tourist attraction known mainly for its restaurants and craft shops, including woodworking, wine and even a brewery called MILLSTREAM.
Mom: Wow, who knew that Amana was such a historical place AND a "major tourist attraction!" This definitely increases my interest in the place. A summer trip might just be on the agenda now. So in addition to good beer, they have exceptional handcrafts and woodworking ability? Sounds fantastic. Maybe sometime during May while I am unemployed.
ReplyDeleteAl: It is possible that our debate over the term "IPA" is being clouded by our preconceived notion of what constitutes an IPA. To be honest, I don't know what elements actually make a beer an IPA versus just a pale ale. Maybe we should figure that out. Either way, the Iowa Pale Ale just tastes damn good, and apparently, one pint has the ability to make at least one woman tipsy...so that's a plus I guess.
Also, Orchard Green was a really cool place, and the menu looked interesting...maybe sometime I'll have the chance to eat there.
I will oblige on the St. Pete's for an upcoming BWBB.
Lastly, Al, why am I not surprised that you are taking Christina's side on the tourney grand prize? I guess women have to stick together. I'm voting for Tess if I end up having to pay for a "real" date.
Still keeping my fingers crossed on winning a "real" date w/ Jon...
ReplyDeleteAlso, this has to be the lengthiest blog discussion ever held on Iowa
Egel, you've probably never rooted so hard for Huggy as you will on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, quite the discussion regarding Iowa, but it sure beats the hell out of Illinois....FIBs