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If you like Now or Later Restaurant you'll feel at home with...
Raccoon River Brewing Co., 210 10th St.
What they’re brewing: Raccoon River’s Oktoberfest lager is one of the quickest- selling seasonal beers at the brewery. It’s a German, malty lager that’s very easy to drink, brewer David Coy said. Coy uses imported German hops, malts and yeast to make the beer, which ferments at a colder temperature than other beers and takes a bit longer to brew. “It’s a dark amber beer that has a nice balance of malty bitterness,” he said.
Drink it with: Anything with roasted meat, such as the Yankee Style Pot Roast. Anything German or sausage, which is generally a richer dish, would pair great as well.
Info: 362-5222; raccoonbrew.com
Granite City Food & Brewery, 12801 University Ave., Clive
What they’re brewing: Okotberfest and a Double IPA. Brewer Brentt York brewed four batches of Okotoberfest last year (that’s 1,600 gallons), which lasted from mid-September until late November. They won’t be brewing as much this year, despite it being one of the restaurant’s most popular beers. The Double IPA is also a favorite, with strong citrus notes and a pine aroma. It gets its name because it uses double the amount of hops typically brewed from a regular IPA, which is a mix of Cascade and Summit hops.
Drink it with: Drink the Double IPA or the Oktoberfest with the spicy shrimp tacos, which will balance the powerful taste of the IPA’s hops and the full- bodied flavor of the Oktoberfest.
Info: 224-1300; gcfb.net
Rock Bottom , 5408 University Ave., West Des Moines
What they’re brewing: “Rocktoberfest,” which is a traditional and malty brew, will give you your Oktoberfest fix. Also, the pumpkin ale made its second appearance after debuting last year, and is made with pumpkin pie spices, pumpkin and cinnamon.
Drink it with: There is a whole menu dedicated to the Rocktoberfest brew, but the staff suggests pairing the beer with the Traditional German Sausage platter, which is a trio of German sausages served with mashed potatoes, braised red cabbage and beer mustard.
Info: 267-8900; rockbottom .com/des-moines
Court Avenue Brewing Company, 309 Court Ave.
What they’re brewing: Oktoberfest was just tapped about a week ago. The malty, semi-sweet, light amber German lager is a customer favorite. Coming up, brewer Kevin Hall is getting ready to tap a dark pumpkin ale, which uses darker malts for a darker color and more roasted flavors. Look for it in mid-November.
Drink it with: Hall suggests trying the Oktoberfest with the Parmesan-encrusted cod, which he said would be a nice balance because of the light flavor of the fish and the caramel flavors of the beer.
Info: 282-2739; courtavebrew.com
