New to town and not sure where a great place to grab a pint is? Perhaps you’re just new to craft beer in general, or maybe you (like me) are a craft beer and brewery enthusiast, always seeking something exciting to drink or do. No matter your interests, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite Des Moines area breweries. June was Iowa Craft Beer Month so we did our research and here are the results- including some of my personal favorite beers on tap and don’t miss events, so you can craft your perfect pursuit of hoppiness.
Written by Rhiley Binns, Des Moines Girl Contributor
Featured Image: Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash
Try a new beer every week: Confluence Brewing Company
- 1235 Thomas Beck Rd., Des Moines, IA 50315
- Open Monday-Wednesday 4 p.m.-10 p.m., Thursday noon-10 p.m., Friday noon-11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Celebrating its 10 year anniversary in 2022, there’s a reason why Confluence Brewing Company remains at the top of the Des Moines brewery game. Located just south of Grey’s Lake and adjacent to the Bill Riley Trail, there’s plenty of parking options for bikes and cars alike to access their spacious taproom and patio. Confluence’s “Beer a Week” campaign brings craft beer enthusiasts back for weekly new releases, like February’s annual and absolutely stacked Stout Month lineup. Twice-a-month trivia and bingo nights, live music every Thursday from 7-9:30 PM, regular food truck appearances, and other special events like Firkin Fest, Cabin Fever Day, and St. Paddy’s Day keep the novelty coming.
Try on tap: Des Moines IPA (IPA); Old Chungus (seasonal, bourbon barrel aged Scottish-style wee heavy ale with heather that took gold in May at the 2023 World Beer Cup); Hop 2 O (non-alcoholic hop water made in collaboration with the Iowa Wolves)
Don’t miss event: Confluence’s ChewBOCKa Fest, held in January or February each year to celebrate the release of their bock beer, ChewBOCKa, is sure to warm your heart during the cold months. Activities, entertainment, and live music are spread throughout the brewery and special outdoor beer garden. Of course, there’s a Chewbacca call contest. Don’t forget to “rock your bock”: staff safely dunk a red hot poker into your bock beer, which caramelizes the residual sugars for a sweeter treat.
Satisfy a craving: Lua Brewing
- 1525 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
- Open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Kitchen closes one hour before the taproom.
Cheekily referred to as Sherman Hill’s Oldest Brewery (it opened in 2019), Lua is a people pleaser’s dream for a night out. Their beer selection stays on top of current trends, with crisp pilsners, thicc (yes, thicc) stouts, punchy sours, and IPAs with resumé-like hop billings. For the less beer-driven, their kitchen may be the real winner. Chef James Arbaugh has you covered for elegantly elevated apps, like reserve caviar and Mexican chips and dip, stacked avocado toast, and their craveable Smush burger (vegetarian or not– several omnivorous friends swear the Impossible Smush Burger is the best choice). In the warmer seasons, the taproom’s east wall of glass-paneled garage doors opens to a welcoming patio and Des Moines skyline view. There’s a reason the crowd here encompasses millennials, Gen X, some Gen Z, and, okay, a few generally cool boomers: there’s truly something here for everyone.
Try on tap: Frail (English dark mild); Bodysong (Keller pilsner); Charisma Vacuum (seasonal, hazy IPA)
Don’t miss events: During the pandemic, I became low-key obsessed with pro wrestling (AEW– I’m an anxious millennial cowgirl). So I’m thrilled have snagged from VIP tickets for Lua’s July 15th inaugural FINEST Fest to crush lagers, eat delicious barbecue from chefs at Lua and Lachele’s, see who wins the Mullet Competition sponsored by Loyal Sons, and of course chant “FIGHT FOREVER!” at live pro wrestlers from F1RST Wrestling.
If this doesn’t sound like it’s exactly your speed, Lua’s Oktoberfest is my absolute favorite Oktoberfest in Des Moines. I also live for their annual anniversary week, one-day-only Lua Bell menu, which features the Crispy Wrap Superior and a truly obscene fruited sour beer Baja Blast riff.
Catch a movie: Flix Brewhouse
- 3800 Merle Hay Rd., Des Moines, IA 50310
- Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m.-2 a.m.
At this point, you’ve likely been to an Alamo Drafthouse-esque theater, where you can order food and drinks from your seat, while enjoying guaranteed silence during the film of your choice. What sets Flix Brewhouse apart is, well, the brewhouse! Brewers Jack Wilson and Lucas Greta locally craft their own inventive and quality lineup beyond Flix’s solid set of “core” beers. While special release beers are limited and change frequently, there’s almost always a dank new IPA on tap, as well as seasonally appropriate styles. Once you grab your beer, you can kick your feet up to view your film of choice thanks to a theater refresh in late 2022 that brought in new leather recliners. Check their website to see showtimes, as well as their monthly slate of “Flix Picks”: throwback films like Mean Girls, Shrek, the Twilight series, and more, played for one night only.
Try on tap: Nebulas (hazy IPA); Ancient Man (seasonal, American barleywine); Cab Sauvolturi (seasonal, red wine barrel aged Belgian tripel, which just brought home a bronze medal at 2023’s NABA International Beer and Cider Awards)
Don’t miss event: Flix Picks films during the holiday season are a tradition in our house (I’m a *sucker* for It’s a Wonderful Life.)
Watch the big game: Big Grove Brewery and Taproom
- 555 17th Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
- Open Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (kitchen open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.), Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight (kitchen open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.)
In summer 2022, Big Grove Brewery and Taproom opened their third location in the state in the Sherman Hill neighborhood. While the main attraction for many in the warmer seasons is their vast, tiered patio with plenty of seating and outdoor games, their taproom is also a great spot to meet up with a large group, or catch a game on one of their two large screens. Personally, I think Big Grove’s greatest asset may be their giant pretzel, which is thick, perfectly chewy, and served with your choice of beer cheese or spicy mustard. Lager, IPA, and seltzer lovers will find lots of options on tap. Their barrel-aged beers will also always impress (I still dream of 2022’s rum barrel variant of Barrel-Aged Velvet).
Try on tap: You’ve likely had Easy Eddy (hazy IPA), so get Royal Eddy if you can (seasonal, imperial IPA); Tailwind (seasonal, golden ale tribute to RAGBRAI); Summer Jam (seasonal, fruited Berliner Weisse)
Don’t miss event: Big Grove hosts monthly Brunch Babes Drag Brunch Parties that routinely sell out, featuring talented local drag queens and kings, a special brunch menu, and table options accommodating up to 8.
Get your game on: Peace Tree Brewing Company Des Moines Taproom
- 317 E Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309
- Open Monday-Thursday 2 p.m.-10 p.m., Friday noon-11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Knoxville-born Peace Tree’s East Village taproom almost always has something cool to do, including comedy shows, local artist and maker pop-ups, an ever-changing slate of food trucks, and my personal favorites: Puzzlepaloozas (competitive puzzling events) and Cribbage Tournaments hosted by local board game pop-up The Rook Room. The taproom’s tables and cozier seating indoors, patio partially shaded by hop vines in late summer, and lawn with lots of adirondack chairs make for the perfect meeting place. Pro-tip: members of the next-door Climb Iowa get a discount on Peace Tree brews by showing their membership card.
Try on tap: Blonde Fatale (Belgian-style blonde ale, my very first Iowa craft beer love); Lake Loop (seasonal, tropical pale ale); whatever iteration of their Sour Wood series is on tap (seasonal and ever-changing.)
Don’t miss event: Peace Tree’s Makers, Bakers, and Brews Holiday Market is the perfect stop for last-minute holiday gifts made by local vendors. (That said, the year Peace Tree hosted the Drinking Pants Pageant lives warmly in my memory– if the staff member who won his category dressed as the Big Lebowski’s Jesus is reading this: it was perfect, no notes.)
Also Worth Exploring:
Court Avenue Brewing Company
CABCo’s brewing team has put out some truly impressive beer and bottle releases in the last year, and their Mug Club remains a great deal for downtown craft beer enthusiasts, with discounts on your tab, monthly events, and exclusive beer options (they now run a similar Mug Club for root beer drinkers during Downtown Farmer’s Markets!) Not a big beer drinker? Try their Root Down, a surprisingly tasty mix of their housemade root beer and Jagermeister, which can either be shot or sipped.
Exile Brewing Company
South of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Exile’s sprawling brewpub space remains a good spot to grab a brew and dinner with family and friends. They’re currently the only Des Moines area brewery offering regularly scheduled brewery tours, and for the past couple of years have brought in a fun holiday pop-up bar and brunch concept, SnowGlobe DSM.
Twisted Vine Brewery
Located not far from Peace Tree, Twisted Vine is a newcomer to the East Village (it was originally located just south of Valley West Mall in West Des Moines). Its large, wood beamed taproom and spacious patio make it a great spot for gathering with a group.
Iowa has a surprisingly vibrant craft beer scene that’s hard to capture in a single article. We’re excited to bring you more brewery highlights, including a roundup of suburban craft beer options and day/weekend brewery trips. Have a spot you think we simply can’t miss? Click the link below to let us know what breweries we should put “on tap”.
Want more brewery guides?
Check out this bikes+brew simple tour of downtown Des Moines on two wheels.