Go Rural & Drink Local with a Summer Trip to Southwest Iowa

The weather is lovely, event schedules are packed and everyone is in the mood to travel. It’s summer in southwest Iowa, and there are many things to look forward to this season. Craft beverage businesses are busy with visitors looking to sample the latest creations from brewers, distillers and winemakers. There are fun, small-town festivals taking place every week and great outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the region.

Southwest Iowa is a particularly family-friendly destination for a summer vacation. There are pools and splash pads to cool off, museums for rainy

by Alyssa L. Ochs

days and special events like parades, fairs and livestock shows too. If you haven’t explored what southwest Iowa has to offer yet, summer is the perfect time for a road trip!

Summertime for Southwest Craft Beverage Businesses

When you visit craft beverage establishments in southwest Iowa, you can learn a lot about how your favorite drinks are made. For example, vineyard workers are busy with cluster thinning and shoot positioning tasks before veraison, which is when the grapes start to ripen. Vineyard employees you meet may also tell you how at veraison, hedging, skirting and lateral shoot removal are priorities.

The breweries and distilleries in the region are participating in local festivals and adjusting their offerings for the season. Around this time of year, you’ll typically see lighter beers, such as lagers and saisons, as well as floral and refreshing cocktails taking center stage at Iowa’s distilleries.

Local Beverage Businesses in Southwest Iowa

Compared to other parts of Iowa, the southwestern region does not have as large of a local craft beverage presence. However, this just means there are opportunities for growth and openings for new brewers, distillers and winemakers to move in and spark

• Monroe

• Appanoose

• Lucas

• Wayne

• Clarke

• Decatur

• Union

• Ringgold

• Adams

• Taylor

• Fremont

• Page

• Montgomery

• Mills

• Cass

• Pottawattamie

• Audubon

• Shelby

• Harrison the local economy. While traveling in southwest Iowa, you can participate in the Iowa Beer Passport, Iowa Craft

We’re a small brewery with small town hospitality! Award winning beers, 20 taps, inviting taproom & Beautiful rural patio setting. Only 20 Minutes from Downtown Omaha!

Beer Passport and Iowa Distillery Pass programs to get more involved in the scene and support Iowa businesses. We also recommend checking out the following local producers when you are in this part of the state.

Southwest Iowa Craft Beverage Producers

Keg Creek Brewing Company: Located in Glenwood, it is as authentic of a craft brewery as you’ll find. Started by homebrewers that decided to try and make beer they enjoyed, it wasn’t long before they discovered that other beer drinkers liked their products as much as they did.

Hot Air Brewing: Located in Creston, the brewery features both “high falutin” and “low falutin” beers brewed in-house, whether you like your beer light, dark, hoppy, sour, fruity, or spicy, Hot Air Brewing offers something every beer lover will enjoy. They also offer hard cider and house-made Italian sodas.

Bodega Victoriana Winery & Wedding

Barn: A southwest Iowa wine destination in Glenwood, Iowa. The wines here are made with grapes grown in the Loess Hills. It is the largest winery in western Iowa and a beautiful event venue. In addition to wine, you can also enjoy tapas and flatbread pizzas at Bodega Victoriana.

Lonely Oak Distillery: Is a small-batch craft spirits distillery that uses grains grown on a local farm in western Iowa. It is located in Earling, Iowa and produces bourbon whiskey and vodka, including several flavored vodka options.

Summer Events and Festivals in Southwest Iowa

• Iowa Wine Month (statewide): Nearly 100 wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms are participating in Iowa Wine Month this June. It’s a great way to kick off the summer season with a visit to a historic winery, shop at tasting room gift shops, listen to live concerts and savor award-winning wines.

• Big County Bash: Just before Independence Day, you can attend this country music festival on July 2-3, 2023 in St. Charles, Iowa. There are fireworks on Friday and Saturday nights, plus onsite camping for an added experience.

• Hinterland Music Festival: From August 4-6, 2023, you can attend this music festival at the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater in St. Charles, Iowa. An exciting three-day line-up and camping options are also available at the festival.

• Guthries’s River Ruckus: This year marks the 15th annual Guthrie’s River Ruckus, which takes place July 27-29, 2023 in Guthrie Center, Iowa. It’s a country music festival worth checking out at the Guthrie County Fairgrounds. Electric and dry camping options are available, but plan to spend a total of nine nights (July 21-30) here to secure a site.

Southwest Iowa Attractions for Summer Fun

Summer is a perfect time to get active and explore everything that southwest Iowa has to offer, and fortunately, there are lots of trails, parks and lakes to check out. Here are some of the most popular options to choose from.

Camping: Top picks for camping in southwest Iowa include Dammann Campground in Shenandoah, Prairie Rose State Park and the Wilson Island State Recreation Area.

Hiking: Grab your hiking boots and backpack because there are some excellent places to get in touch with nature in this region with little more than your own two feet. You can also get in a good hike at...

Waubonsie State Park: One of the best scenic overlooks in Iowa’s southern portion of the Loess Hills can be found at Waubonsie State Park, located in between Sidney and Hamburg. The hiking trails around Waubonsie can be a bit challenging, especially if you’re hiking with younger kids.

West Oak Forest: There are hilltop prairie remnants and a forest to explore along 3 miles of hiking trails. It’s not super well marked, but it’s also not a super big park to worry much about getting lost in.

It is a notable forest that’s home to several threatened and endangered species including the Yucca Moth, Western Spadefoot Toad, Ottoe Skipper, Northern Grasshopper Mouse and others.

Lakes: When you’re craving a bit more water in your life, head to a southwest Iowa lake to do some boating and fishing. Viking Lake, Lake Icaria and Greenfield Lake are options in the area.

Other Attractions: When looking for family fun, a great place to go is the Pirate Cove Water Park in Council Bluffs. You can also visit Omaha, Nebraska, just across the state border, to spend a day at Fun Plex Waterpark & Rides.

Experience Southwest Iowa

One of the best things about taking a trip to southwest Iowa is that you won’t be overwhelmed by an oversaturated craft beverage market. Come out to support our Southwest producers, for more southwest Iowa trip ideas and inspiration visit our website...

www.trails-tales.net

(Continued from Page 3) These destinations have an abundance of attractions that travelers of all ages can enjoy:

• Sioux City

• Dubuque

• Burlington

• Des Moines

• Cedar Rapids

• Iowa City

• Pella

Family-Friendly Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries in Iowa

One of the latest and greatest trends in the craft beverage industry lately is the move towards family-friendly and inclusive environments that are community gathering spaces just as much as local watering holes. However, some beverage businesses don’t allow kids at all or at least aren’t very welcoming to little travelers or family pets.

We’ve rounded up a list of breweries,