The Craft Beverage Scene Is Heating Up This Summer in Central Iowa

by Alyssa L. Ochs

Lots of people head to central Iowa in the summertime to take advantage of the lovely weather, great bike trails and endless fun for family vacations. Here in central Iowa, some of the best ways to spend a summer day include exploring the acres of wetlands and forests at Grimes Farm, hiking the Marshalltown-area trails and fishing at the Green Castle Recreation Area.

Meanwhile, a lot of craft beverage-related activity picks up during the summer months, which is good to know if you enjoy a locally made glass of beer, wine or spirits. Des Moines is the local hot spot for craft beverage happenings, making it an excellent home base for exploring the broader central Iowa region as you treat and refresh yourself along the way.

Summertime for Craft Beverage Businesses

During the summer season, local wineries are busy with a variety of tasks in central Iowa. These jobs include shoot thinning, tucking and leaf pulling.

On the distillery side of things, this is the time of the year when distillery employees may get a break because it is difficult to control fermentation in the hot summer months with high humidity levels. Therefore, this is a time when your favorite distilleries may be catching up with maintenance, repairs and equipment upgrades. Breweries in central Iowa are a prominent part of the local festival scene in the summer, so expect to see many familiar craft breweries setting up tents for musical concerts, art fairs and community gatherings.

Beverage Trails in Central Iowa

Overwhelmed with options and not sure where to begin with a craft beverage-inspired vacation in central Iowa? Base your trip around one of these craft beverage trails to guide your journey:

• Backroads Wine Trail

• Heart of Iowa Wine Trail

• Des Moines Metro Beer Trail

• Iowa Beer Passport

• Iowa Distillery Pass

• Pub Pass Des Moines

Featured Central Iowa Craft Producers

Summerset Winery: Just minutes south of Des Moines, creates Iowa wine from central Iowa grapes and offers tours, tastings and event spaces.

Firetrucker Brewery: An art-inspired brewery you can visit Tuesdays through Sundays in Ankeny. There are food trucks on site in the summer on Fridays and Saturdays.

• Greene

• Boone

• Story

• Marshall

• Tama

• Guthrie

• Dallas

• Polk

• Jasper

• Adair

• Madison

• Warren

• Marion

• Mahaska

• Poweshiek

The Hall: A unique, modern and spacious food and beverage hall located in Des Moines. It has over 50 beers and wines on tap, plus gourmet food and live music on the weekends.

Central Iowa Destinations & Information

Matchstick Marvels: Located in Gladbrook, Iowa exhibits the work of Iowa artist Patrick Acton, who glued more than 8.6 million wooden matchsticks to create scale models and incredible sculptures. It has been featured in various magazines and TV shows.

Catch Des Moines: Planning a trip to Des Moines can feel overwhelming because there is so much to see and do. Start your planning research on this helpful website.

www.catchdesmoines.com www.visitpella.com

Pella Convention & Visitor’s Bureau: Learn about Pella’s Dutch heritage and find maps and guides to the area on the local visitor bureau website.

Summer Events & Festivals in Central Iowa

There’s a lot to look forward to in the summer in central Iowa, craft beverage-related and otherwise. Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up soon!

• Iowa Craft Brew Festival: In Des Moines, Iowa held on June 3, 2023 at Water Works Park, Lauridsen Amphitheater. This event includes