Big Grove Brewery and Taproom, Iowa City IA

18 June 2023

This was a lucky find and a wonderful Fathers’ Day treat to give myself on this trip!

Even in mid-afternoon, they were doing a booming business and yet there was plenty of space inside including at the bar, where I decided to hang out (in a very comfortable bar seat, by the way). From the outside, you can’t see much:

But once you get past the outdoor entrance, there’s a lot there and a lot that isn’t even visible in these photos such as the children’s playground at the back beyond all the umbrellas. What a great idea that is!

No surprise, but I started off with a flight and the colors were just great:

From left to right:

Satisfied Fool (5% Vienna Lager) – And so I was! They say this is a version of their Iowa City Lager pilsner, but I don’t care – it’s very tasty.

Arms Race (6% American Pale Ale) – There’s a lot of malt flavor in this one, but also a punch from the Citra hops. As they say, it blurs the line between a pale ale and an IPA. It was “this close” to being the crowler I’d take with me for the evening.

Easy Eddy (6% NEIPA) – This is their top-selling IPA and it’s easy (pun intended) to see why – it’s very flavorful yet well balanced.

Oaken (7.3% Baltic Porter) – I don’t always like baltic porters, but I had a good feeling about this one today and it did not disappoint. In cold weather, this could possibly be my new best friend (sorry, Ron).

I almost ordered a burger with salad but at the last second opted for the Korean Brisket Melt as I’m not likely to find anything like that anywhere else. It’s roasted brisket, swiss cheese, kimchi, and “Korean aioli” with just the right amount of spiciness. This side salad was HUGE but was just what I needed to balance the other foods on this trip so far.

I closed with a pair of 7 ounce pours and I’d like to say right up front that these are the same size as the flight glasses! So yes, that flight was absolutely on the generous side. Of course, this is a university town …

These are:

Brewers Not Bakers (6.5% Saison) – In their words, “Farmhouse Ale. Fruity, funky, light-bodied, and crisp. The way beer was intended.” And so it was – extremely refreshing and unique without being too unique to remain enjoyable. This one became the crowler to take for the evening.

Rye Rustic (6.3% Saison) – I don’t always like beers made with rye, but decided to give this one a try and I’m glad I did because it was really good.

In the end, I had decided to take a crowler of their Grapefruit IPA, which I hadn’t tried, but it had kicked so I took the Brewers Not Bakers instead.

Big Grove has a great thing going here and they have three locations in Iowa to enjoy. Visit if you can!