The craft brewery industry in the Des Moines area just keeps growing. Now 20 breweries call the region home.
In 1996, Court Avenue Brewing Co. opened its doors and remains the oldest in the metro area. Confluence and Exile celebrate a decade in business in 2022, and others such as 515 Brewing and Fox Brewing have stuck around. Just in the past two years, newcomers such as Lua, Kinship and 1717 opened to expand the craft brewery footprint in central Iowa.
The region’s not done with breweries quite yet. The newest trend brings established breweries such as Toppling Goliath, Big Grove, SingleSpeed and Backpocket to the area with taprooms opening in the next year.
Here's a guide to the Des Moines-area producers making their mark on the local beer scene, pulling pints and filling growlers for those ready to move past domestic liter lagers. Bonus: We included the bike trails nearest them.