Micro and local breweries are booming everywhere and Iowa is no different. In fact, there are so many of them that we’ve visited and love. So, I thought it was necessary to create the Ultimate Guide to the Best Iowa Breweries! We threw in a couple cideries too because we love them too! (They are listed alphabetically for organization!)
7 Hills Brewing Company – Dubuque
Dubuque is one of our favorite spots in Iowa to spend time at and 7 Hills Brewing Company just adds to that. This industrial brewery is located in the historical portion of town and I love the openness of it’s tap room! They also offer unique brews like a combination beer/margarita/Moscow mule! Plus, you need to order the hand-cut fries, which are fried to perfection. Add a unique burger and you have an entire dinner! The staff is fantastic and they even offer outside seating during the warmer months in Iowa!
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Barn Town Brewing – West Des Moines
If you’re looking for the brewery with the largest and most creative brews, then look no further than Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines. They have more traditional brews like IPA’s, Pilsners, Ales, and Shandy’s, but they also are brewing up a wide variety of unique sours like Caramel Apple, Fluffaberry, Rainbow Sherbet, and Strawberry Shortcake. Add in delicious and unique foods like the Hungry Hungry Hipster salad and their boozy ice cream sandwiches and you’re bound to enjoy a visit! I’ll also mention that they offer several gluten-free desserts, which is a HUGE win for me!
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Bremer Brewing Company – Waverly
Waverly is one of my most favorite towns in Iowa to spend time in, but I’m partial since that’s where I attended college. Newer to the scene of breweries is the Bremer Brewing Company located close to the downtown district of Waverly and situated directly across from the Cedar River. They typically offer about 15 different brews including sours, IPA’s, ales, and stouts. They also offer eats like flatbreads, pretzel bites, wings, brisket sandwich, and nachos. The beer cheese is DELICIOUS! They are open year round, but offer outdoor seating during beautiful Iowa days and that means bonus points in my book!
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Convergence CiderWorks – Decorah
I love a good hard cider as much as I love a good beer and Convergence CiderWorks in Decorah offers several good ciders. The thing I loved most about their ciders was that they weren’t too sweet, but just sweet enough! They are also partnering with other local businesses to use products like honey and lavender in their ciders! Throw in a renovated old building and you have a great combo!
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Fishback & Stephenson Cider House – Fairfield
Located near Fairfield, you’ll find the expansive and beautiful grounds that are home to Fishback & Stephenson Cider House. They’ve constructed a beautiful barn-style building with a view of a pond, they are serving up unique and delicious snacks and meals and top it off with mouthwatering ciders. They aren’t only brewing their ciders with apples, but also with cherries, watermelon, and more! You can also order mixed drinks from their beautiful bar.
Franklin Street Brewing – Manchester
Have you ever visited a location that surprised you so much you couldn’t believe it?! Well, I’ll be the first person to admit that Franklin Street Brewing in Manchester is that for us. We stopped by expecting to just knock one more brewery off our map, but ended up enjoying one of favorite brews of all time, Blueberry Monster Cookie Sour. (Keep in mind, this is usually just a limited edition brew, so make sure to follow their Facebook page to catch it.). They offer several other sours, shandy’s, cream ale, pilsners, IPA’s, and stouts. The atmosphere is cozy and incredibly laid back, so you’ll enjoy your visit and feel comfortable to hang out for awhile.
Limestone Brewers – Osage
Osage, population 3,600, is home to one of my very favorite breweries. Limestone Brewers, located in an old car garage, not only features a plethora of well-done beer, they have delicious pizzas (including a GF crust), and axe throwing! They often feature live local music on the weekends, have game nights, and more! It’s a great place to gather with some friends and spend several hours hanging out!
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River Hops Brewing – Fort Dodge
If you’re not careful, you might miss River Hops Brewing while driving in downtown Fort Dodge. This welcoming brewery not only frequently offers live music in the summer on their patio, but they have various board games available for patrons to grab and enjoy while they sip their beers. Of course, they have delicious beers to match all the other goodness they have going on which you can enjoy by the glass, take home cans or a growler, or try a flight!
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Rustic Brew – Hampton
When you first walk into Rustic Brew in downtown Hampton, you might think you’re in the wrong place! By first appearances, Rustic Brew is a coffee shop, which it is, but it’s also a microbrewery! Owners Joel & Kathy first purchased Rustic Brew as an already operating coffee shop and added the microbrews a little later. Joel is brewing all the fresh beer on premise and making unique flavors. He specializes in IPA’s, Lagers, Stouts, but they are all delicious and the laid back vibe makes it a great place to unwind on a Friday night after work!
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Textile Brewing Company – Dyersville
You’ll love the atmosphere at Textile Brewing Company as much as you like the delicious beer. The owners have renovated an old industrial building, which was a not only a gasoline engine factory, but a sewing factory for over 100 years. The subtle nods to it’s history is fantastic including tables made from old radiators and more! They offer delicious beers like Cascade, New Vienna, and Dandy Shandy, and they also feature massive Bavarian pretzels in various flavors and combinations! Beer and pretzels, that’s a winning combo, right?!
Timbukbru – Iowa Falls
If you’re looking for the most laid back, inclusive brewery with delicious brews then head to Timbukbru in Iowa Falls. They brew a variety of different brews (my favorites are their sours & raspberry wheat), offer live music, karaoke, and fantastic outdoor seating along with roof-top patio and giant yard games. They’ve got board games to enjoy with your family or friends or just enjoy chatting with the staff who is some of the nicest folks there is!
Toppling Goliath Brewing Co – Decorah
Located in an obscure spot right outside Decorah, you’ll find the massive Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. Their expansive beer menu and large food menu match the size of the building. They offer a traditional bar, tables, booths, and more so they can accommodate almost any size group. Pick 5 different brews to enjoy in a flight and taste test a few of their delicious beers! The industrial, open, and modern vibe makes it a fun place to grab a bite to eat and enjoy a drink!
Twin Span Brewing – Bettendorf
Twin Span Brewing may be one of the newer breweries to the scene, but they have it figured out! From delicious brews like their Lifey Light or sour brews (my favorite), they offer several different types of beers so everyone can find something they like (even hard seltzers). Throw in their delicious food and cool ambiance and you have a great time!
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Second State Brewing – Cedar Falls
Located in the downtown distric of Cedar Falls, you’ll find Second State Brewing. This super casual brewery features a variety of seating, small board and card games for people to play while sipping their favorite brew and great views of the plaza area of downtown! They also offer one of the very most affordable flights ($5) that I’ve ever experienced. Take our advice and enjoy the Peach Blonde.
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1st Down Brewing Co – Winterset
The newest brewery to the scene in Winterset is Winterset, but we know the owner Sam is on to something already. A beautifully renovated and historic building paired with their Blind Side, blueberry wheat, you’ll want to keep coming back over and over!
River Ridge Brewing – Bellevue
When you find a brewery built into the side of a bluff along the Mississippi River, you never want to leave….or at least we don’t! River Ridge Brewing in the small river town of Bellevue is just that. Plus, you’ll find plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, merchandise, snacks, and frequently food trucks! It’s a great place to spend many hours on an afternoon!
Timbukbru – Iowa Falls
Downtown Iowa Falls, just one block from the Iowa River, you’ll find one of regularly visited breweries, Timbukbru. They offer a fun and funky vibe inside, rooftop and patio seating during the warm months, oversized Connect 4 to play on their patio, live music, and special events. Some times they bring in food trucks, but anytime you can bring in whatever food you’d like! We’ve been known to bring tacos and pizza with us to enjoy while having a few brews! Their beer selections often feature lagers, wheats, sours, and more! And for those that don’t like beer, they offer hard spirits, and a couple ciders from Fishback & Stephenson! We promise once you visit, you’ll want to go back as often as we do!
The Best Iowa Breweries
Iowa is fill of so many great breweries and these are just a few of them! But, we are happy to share them with you because they are some of our absolutely favorite! Whether you are ready to explore one or all of them, we hope this Ultimate Guide to the Best Iowa Breweries helps you enjoy some brews!
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Katy,
It was fun watching you on Channel 13 “Hello Iowa”!! You did a GREAT job!! Dee and I have visited several sites you mentioned- Mitchell was one of our favorites!
Steve
Oh, thank you so much! It’s so much finding unique spots in Iowa!