Beer aficionados loyal to Iowa’s craft brewers

AMANA - Coping with a tough economy calls for a GOOD beer.

“A craft beer is recession-proof,” Teresa Albert of Homestead said Sunday afternoon as she staffed the gate at the fifth annual Festival of Iowa Beers on the Millstream Brewing Company's grounds in Amana.

Through 3 p.m., the festival had drawn about 1,000 people, who paid $15 to sample about 60 Iowa brews. Proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Albert, Millstream's co-owner, said business is strong at her brewery and Iowa's 15 or so other craft brewers, defined as those producing 15,000 or fewer 31-gallon barrels a year. Millstream, Iowa's first and oldest (founded 1985) craft brewer, is on track to produce 2,400 barrels this year.

“They're looking for some kind of experience that's not just the ordinary, and craft beer is there,” Albert said of Millstream's customers.

“They're willing to spend a little extra because they're not drinking as much, and they want to have a quality product,” said Peter Ausenhus, 50, co-owner and brewmaster of the Worth Brewing Co. in Northwood, in Worth County near the Minnesota line.

Ausenhus, who launched Worth Brewing with wife Margaret Bishop two and a half years ago, said business fell off a bit a year ago, “but this summer has been better than last summer.”

“We're always looking for a good local beer, and this is all about good local beer,” said John Vorheis, 64, of Batavia, Ill., as he sipped a selection from Lost Duck Brewing in Fort Madison.

“People are still staying with the craft beers,” said Timothy Benson, 48, Lost Duck's brewmaster and co-owner.

“We're getting more into it,” said Kevin Adams, 58, of Monticello, as he sampled an ale from Hub City Brewing of Stanley. “It's been fun, sampling the different beers. Everything's got a little different flavor.”

Ausenhus said he overcame a little initial skepticism to establish his brewpub in a town of 2,000.

“They're a little more cautious, because they're not used to the quality and selection,” he said. “But once they've sampled, we feel we've taken people away from the factory breweries.”