Spotlight
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Lagunitas Brewing Company was founded in 1993 by Tony Magee in Lagunitas, California, and moved a year later to nearby Petaluma as it quickly grew.
Lagunitas is the fifth largest craft brewer in the country. With its million-barrel brewery now open in Chicago, Lagunitas (Native American for small ponds) now supplies its brands from this facility to all locations east of the Rockies. Iowa is state No. 44 in the brewery’s expansion, and the company rolled out two brands that are available locally on draft through October: IPA and Little Sumpin’ Extra. IPA, the flagship brand and what is believed to be the second IPA ever in the nation, is available at locations listed below. Little Sumpin’ Extra, the big sister of Little Sumpin’, is available at select locations on draft. IPA and Little Sumpin’ are expected to be available in bottles approximately Oct. 1.
IPA
IPA was Lagunitas’ first seasonal, dating back to 1995. The classic style recipe was formulated with malt and hops working together to balance it all out on your taste buds. Expect a huge hoppy character with a smooth taste. You can drink more than one without wearing yourself out, and you will want to. It is big on aroma with a hoppy-sweet finish. IPA received a score of 87 (very good) on Beer Advocate from 5,663 ratings.
Little Sumpin’ Extra Ale
Little Sumpin’ Extra Ale includes lots of wheat for a curious malt complexity, leaving it light in color but huge in flavor and satisfaction. It is an American Pale Wheat with a delightful citrus taste and a smooth, dissipating flavor. And the pin-up bottle art is fantastic, too. Little Sumpin’ Extra Ale received a score of 94 (outstanding) on Beer Advocate with 966 ratings.
Lagunitas is distributed by Iowa Beverage Systems and can be found in the metro at all Legends locations, all Buffalo Wild Wings locations, all Old Chicago locations, Up Down, Buzzard Billy’s, el Bait Shop, Mullet’s, Tonic Downtown, Fong’s Pizza, Zombie Burger, Johnny’s Hall of Fame, University Library Café, Okoboji Grill S.E. 14th Street, Saints Beaverdale, Beaver Tap, Keg Stand, The Other Place, Saint’s 50th, Saint’s Jordan Creek, Tonic West Des Moines, Wellman’s Rooftop, Sully’s Irish Pub, The Flying Moose, Mickey’s Waukee, Over Time, Bennegins Merle Hay, 1908 Draught House. A continually updated list can be found at www.iowabeveragesystems.com/todays-deal under Lagunitas.
define
ABV
ABV is short for alcohol by volume and is a worldwide standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a percentage of total volume). It is defined as the number of milliliters of pure ethanol present in 100 milliliters of solution at 20 °C. The number of milliliters of pure ethanol is the mass of the ethanol divided by its density at 20 °C, which is 0.78924 g/ml.
events
Aug. 2 – Big Hair Days, 5-9 p.m., Millstream Brewery, Amana, www.millstreambrewing.com
Aug. 6 – Left Hand launch party, The Keg Stand, West Des Moines
Aug. 6 – Spirit of Des Moines Night at Zoo Brew, Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, 5:30 p.m., www.blankparkzoo.com
Aug. 7-17 – The Iowa Craft Beer Tent at the Iowa State Fair, www.iowacraftbeertent.com
Aug. 7 – Left Hand launch party, GoodSons, Des Moines
Aug. 8 – Left Hand launch party, Big City Burgers, Des Moines
Aug. 9 – Back Road 5K Run, 7:30 a.m., Millstream Brewery, Amana, www.millstreambrewing.com
Aug. 16 – Shake, Rattle & Roll, 5-9 p.m., Millstream Brewery, Amana, www.millstreambrewing.com
Aug. 16 – Live music, Weary Angel, 7-10 p.m., Keg Creek, Glenwood, www.kegcreekbrewing.com
Aug. 17 – Learn2Kubb Class, 2-4 p.m., Millstream Brewery, Amana, www.millstreambrewing.com
Aug. 23 – BrewBQ & the Blues, 5-9 p.m., Millstream Brewery, Amana, www.millstreambrewing.com
Aug. 29 – Live music, David Boyd Blues, 7-10 p.m., Keg Creek, Glenwood, www.kegcreekbrewing.com
beer pairings
Mmmmmm….fresh beer. Cheers to Lagunitas and its commitment to flavorful, balanced and refreshing beers. As a fan of all beers, I count its IPA as a go-to in this style. Flavors are more important to me as an educator, and Lagunitas consistently supplies the terrific this-is-what-I-remember experience when I go to this beer.
As a lover of food and a cook as well as a beer enthusiast, sharing ideas to enhance your beer experience is a fun way to spend some time. Use the following ideas to expand your mind, palate and world. I say the best palate is an open mind.
Lagunitas IPA is an excellent partner with sharp cheddar cheese and fresh ruby red grapefruit. The citrusy characteristic of the hop really pops with these two foods.
Traditional authentic carrot cake with butter cream frosting is a sumptuous, luscious surprise in pairing. Beer and dessert? Yes! Complementary flavors abound with this pairing.
Tangy barbeque sauces with a lush, underlying (though not overwhelming) sweetness from molasses or brown sugar with some modest heat and definite zest will be a good partner for Lagunitas IPA. Brush the sauce on almost-cooked grilled red meats — wait until the cooking’s almost done. Doing it too soon will cook it off or scorch the sugars in the sauce.
Experiment — exbeeriment — with your beer. Welcome Lagunitas to your fridge and have fun! Cheers!
— Ginger Johnson, Women Enjoying Beer, www.womenenjoyingbeer.com
