The event will feature more than 25 Iowa breweries and 100+ craft beers, along with a host of regional and national micro-brews. Craft beer lovers will enjoy unlimited beer samplings, live music, food, and a wide variety of special brews exclusive to the Iowa Craft Brew Festival.

After a sell-out inaugural event last year, the festival has been moved to the Locust St. Bridge from its previous location at 10^th and Walnut, to have more space and accommodate additional people.

“The second annual Iowa Craft Brew Festival marks a significant shift in the Iowa beer industry,” says Dave Coy, Iowa Brewers Guild president and head brewer at Raccoon River Brewing Co. “More breweries are launching in Iowa, companies are distributing Iowa beer throughout the Midwest, brewers are winning national awards, and many Iowans are choosing to drink local. The Iowa Craft Brew Festival is an opportunity for craft beer lovers to experience all that Iowa breweries have to offer, as well as mix in some favorite regional and national micro-brews. We’re looking forward to another great year.”

Advance VIP ($25) and general admission ($20) tickets are on sale now at http://midwestix.com. VIP pass holders get exclusive early access into the festival to beat the crowds from 1:00-2:00pm. There are a limited number of VIP passes available and will not be sold day of. General admission ticket holders can enter the festival grounds at 2:00pm. Designated driver tickets are available for $5.

Iowa Craft Brew Festival
Saturday, June 16
VIP 1:00-2:00pm, General Public 2:00-5:00pm
Locust St. Bridge, between 2^nd Ave. and E. 1^st St., downtown Des Moines, Entrance on west side of bridge next to YMCA
Takes place rain or shine
Live music acts TBA
VIP (advance only, limited quantity) – $25
Advance General Admission – $20
Day of – $30
Designated Driver – $5

Advance tickets are available for purchase at http://midwestix.com. If the event does not sell out in advance, day of tickets will be available for sale with cash or credit card.

Sample craft brews by more than 20 Iowa breweries and 80+ beers, along with a host of regional and national microbrews, live music, and food. Attendees will enjoy unlimited beer samplings along 10th Street between Walnut and Mulberry from 3-7pm. Advance tickets are available via Midwestix for $15 and day of tickets will sell for $20. The event will feature performances by Jefferson County Green Band and Seedlings. Guests can look forward to a wide variety of creative brews, including a number of collaborative beers aged in Templeton Rye barrels.

As the Iowa Craft Brew Festival winds down, guests are encouraged to stay for the official after party, Suds in the Street, hosted by Raccoon River Brewing Company. Favorite local bands The Workshy and Brother Trucker will entertain guests from 7:30-11pm. Daytime attendees receive free admission with their wristband. Tickets to the after party are also available at the gate for $5/guest. Concession stands featuring craft beer and grilled favorites will be provided.

Both events will take place rain or shine. If inclement weather occurs, the Iowa Craft Brew Festival will move to the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Fort Des Moines. The Suds in the Street after party will move into Raccoon River Brewing Company.

The Iowa Craft Beer Festival is organized by the Iowa Brewers Guild, a non-profit with the purpose to showcase and improve the quality of beer brewed in Iowa, foster communication between the state’s brewers, advocate for the promotion of the local brewing community, and lobby for progressive changes in Iowa laws to benefit the craft brewing industry in the state.

Iowa Craft Brew Festival and Suds in the Street
Saturday, May 21
3-7pm Tasting
7:30-11pm After Party
10th Street between Walnut and Mulberry, downtown Des Moines
Tasting and After Party Tickets: $15 advance via Midwestix or $20 at the door
After Party Only Tickets: $5 at the door only
Spread the word! Invite your friends to the official Facebook event.

Live Music
3:00-4:15pm – Seedlings
4:45-7:00pm – Jefferson County Green Band
8:00pm-9:15pm – The Workshy
9:45pm-11:00pm – Brother Trucker

Thanks to everyone that submitted photos of themsevles enjoying an Iowa beer. Check out all the photos submitted on our Facebook page.

The winner of the Iowa Beer Package gets:
- Six-pack of beer from Millstream
- Six-pack of beer, two growlers, and a t-shirt from Olde Main
- “Year of beer” (one growler/month for a year) and four pint glasses from Raccoon River
- Two t-shirts from Worth Brewing

The Iowa Brewers Guild was formed a little more than two years ago with one general goal in mind – to showcase and improve craft beer made in Iowa (you can see the actual mission statement here). In these two years, we have made some great progress in bringing the state’s brewers together and pooling our resources and skills to accomplish this goal. We have shared brewing tips, offered ingredients in trade when fellow brewers have needed them, sent beer representing the entire state’s breweries to festivals, and at the end of this week will offer our first simultaneous event with every brewery in the state offering an open house and brewery tours to celebrate American Craft Beer Week. Behind the scenes, the Iowa Brewers Guild is making great strides in helping bring better, locally made, beer to you – the beer drinking public.

With the launch of www.iowabeer.org we now accomplish another important goal – inviting the public to help us with our goal. While we will be continually updating and improving the website’s information, we also have a goal of making www.iowabeer.org one of the most socially interactive beer websites on the web. We have embraced Twitter, Facebook, and the forums found right here on our website to give each of you a voice in recognizing and developing world class beer in Iowa.

Once again, welcome to the official launch of the Iowa Brewers Guild website. Please search around, find information about your favorite local breweries and beers, check out our calendar of events, and most importantly let us know how we can make this a one-stop location for everything about Iowa Beer.

Celebrating American Craft Beer Week, I raise a toast to you and to Iowa Beer. Prost!

- Dave Coy, President Iowa Brewers Guild