So the good news is that although most breweries in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas have not been taken out by the "2020 CoronaVirus/Derecho/whatever else" pandemic, the bad news is that there have been some casualties.
1. Quarterbarrel. from what I've heard, is only open to scheduled parites. No off the street business, and they have no ability to can or bottle beer. Quite alright if you already relied on the beer produced elsewhere to float the business. (I'm sorry, but their beer is really marginal, and their food is worse).
2. Third Base Brewery: Arguably the damage caused by the derecho storm to their building was as much caused by the absentee landlord's neglect than the fees paid by Third Base to the building's owner. Yet here they are 10 weeks in to a shutdown caused by the building being so damaged by the storm that they cannot reopen. I hope they can do it though. Hopefully with much of the same staff as before (the only real reason besides the sometimes great specialty variations they brew, to go to Third Base.
3. Millstream (Amana- aka, Iowa's Oldest Brewery) has been purchased. The former owners (aka "Management team") are out of the picture. The former brewer and most of the support staff are still employed (at least as of this writing). Prospects are that the brewery will expand its offerings to items which are more readily accepted by the general public. Some items will even be canned (and not bottled). Excess brewing capacity (not a lot) will be devoted to contract brewing. Schild Brau along with most of their 'normal' lines will continue untouched. My personal prospects with respect to Millstream are that A) Schild Brau will acquire and maintain that intoxicating taste that I once could readily taste from the keg (but never from the bottle). B) That most of the recepies of their various lines will be revitalized to their previous tastes.
1. Quarterbarrel. from what I've heard, is only open to scheduled parites. No off the street business, and they have no ability to can or bottle beer. Quite alright if you already relied on the beer produced elsewhere to float the business. (I'm sorry, but their beer is really marginal, and their food is worse).
2. Third Base Brewery: Arguably the damage caused by the derecho storm to their building was as much caused by the absentee landlord's neglect than the fees paid by Third Base to the building's owner. Yet here they are 10 weeks in to a shutdown caused by the building being so damaged by the storm that they cannot reopen. I hope they can do it though. Hopefully with much of the same staff as before (the only real reason besides the sometimes great specialty variations they brew, to go to Third Base.
3. Millstream (Amana- aka, Iowa's Oldest Brewery) has been purchased. The former owners (aka "Management team") are out of the picture. The former brewer and most of the support staff are still employed (at least as of this writing). Prospects are that the brewery will expand its offerings to items which are more readily accepted by the general public. Some items will even be canned (and not bottled). Excess brewing capacity (not a lot) will be devoted to contract brewing. Schild Brau along with most of their 'normal' lines will continue untouched. My personal prospects with respect to Millstream are that A) Schild Brau will acquire and maintain that intoxicating taste that I once could readily taste from the keg (but never from the bottle). B) That most of the recepies of their various lines will be revitalized to their previous tastes.
