Des Moines and Columbus - Beer (and other) Culture?

Been discussing with my girlfriend what might be happening when I finish up school. One of the big issues is he work. She's a programmer for a large insurance company with corporate headquarters in Des Moines, IA, and Columbus, OH. She works remotely with a team based in Des Moines, and she's getting pressure to move there. She's been with the company for over 10 years, and if she's reached the limit of how high she can advance while working remotely.

Des Moines strikes me as a place where I'm not going to have many opportunities for good brewing work. Even if I did... I'm not sure it's even a town I'd want to move to.

Columbus seems like it might be a more interesting place to live, and probably have better opportunities for brewing. It's not as ideal for her with the company, but probably a lot better than relocating somewhere on the West Coast (where I would prefer to stay).

My best option for brewing in either of those places would probably be to start my own brewery, but I really don't know much about the beer culture if what I have in mind would go over well. I'd probably do a lot better in Oregon or Northern Cali, and I know the beer market better and have more connections.

Anyone live in or near these areas who can tell me what things are like there? Interesting places to be, or completely boring? In particular, what are the markets for craft beers like? Are there opportunities with expanding breweries?

I live about two hours away from DM. There's a surprising amount of decent beer around here. If her team is in Des Moines, I'd go there.

Columbus has a couple good breweries.

Columbus Brewing Company - distributed around Ohio, good basic offerings.

Barleys brewpub - Not distributed outside of the couple brewpubs, lots of good beers.

There are quite a few bars in the Short North that have a large selection of Craft/micro brews on tap. There are also 2 beerfests each year.

I would say there definitely is room for a new brewery, especially if you bottle and distribute the beer. There have been a couple distilleries started up in the past few years but no new breweries.

I would recommend Columbus (even though I am probably moving the opposite direction when I finish school next year).

As far as other culture...there is autocross and rallycross, as well as Mid-Ohio less than an hour north for track days and club racing.

Columbus seems a lot more interesting. More motorsports, dancing (also important to me), and beer. Better location if I get big enough to expand distribution, water quality looks a little better for brewing too.

Talked to my girlfriend a little bit ago, and she said Columbus does not offer her any advantages for her job, since she'd still be remote from her team in Des Moines. Grr... I was really thinking that could have been a good balance between what we both want.

Hiya - your post hit my Google Alerts so I wanted to chime in. I run a site called DrinkUpColumbus.com, which is why the Columbus breweries keyword hit my alerts. Anyway, just a note - Columbus does have a few breweries opening this year, and some of them are actively hiring brewers. Oval Brewing and Zauber Brewing at least that I know of are actively looking for a brewer. Hope that helps your decision.

Incidentally, if you DO more here and start your own brewery, I can help you make the connections you need :)

Also, to address your actual questions, the craft beer culture is huge here, and you'd have a lot of opportunity for success. Plus Columbus is a pretty kickass city in general.

Salanis wrote: she said Columbus does not offer her any advantages for her job, since she'd still be remote from her team in Des Moines. Grr... I was really thinking that could have been a good balance between what we both want.

Looks like I'll be seeing you in the (real) Midwest!

Theoretically, you may be able to get closer to farmer suppliers in Iowa....

(and I'll disagree about Columbus being kickass, maybe a kick in the ass, sure... ... Go Blue)

I was coming back to write some nice words about Columbus but it looks like that is not really an option so i will just keep it short. Columbus is not bad.

I'm hoping for an opportunity soon from a company in Des Moines, and I would like it a lot. However, I'm currently living in Normal, Il and love the big-small town Midwest stuff. I somehow think that you would not be as thrilled with it.

That being said, from the few times I've been to Des Moines, there are a lot of good things about it. It seems to have a lot of highly educated folks, it seems pretty diverse for a town in the middle of the midwest, has a really good college (Drake) and is just 20 minutes from major university (Iowa State). Low cost of living, lots of minor league sports, no bad traffic... Of course, half the reason that I'm considering it is that my brother still has 3-4 years left at Iowa State just up the road.

Oh, one other option would be starting a brewery in Ames (Iowa State), 20 minutes away. Keep it near campus with good specials at least 2 times a week and you'd be gold.

There is new brewery near us (at home in Chicago Suburbs) that has a pretty cool setup--there is no food there, but they encourage you bringing your own from local take out places. They have the to-go menus to a bunch of places right there. It is an awesome setup since most of the area brew-pubs have relatively lousy food.

EDIT: Looks like it is actually 40 minutes. Real time driving reports from my brother says that it is 25-30.

cherylharrison wrote: Hiya - your post hit my Google Alerts so I wanted to chime in. I run a site called DrinkUpColumbus.com, which is why the Columbus breweries keyword hit my alerts. Anyway, just a note - Columbus does have a few breweries opening this year, and some of them are actively hiring brewers. Oval Brewing and Zauber Brewing at least that I know of are actively looking for a brewer. Hope that helps your decision. Incidentally, if you DO more here and start your own brewery, I can help you make the connections you need :)

Very intriguing. I took a look at those two breweries and they both sound quite good. Zauber seems to be very much in line with the sorts of beers I'm most interested in, drinkable German and Belgian Ales (America needs more Altbier). I might be interested in sending them a resume.

Currently, I'm in Germany attending the Certified Master Brewer course at VLB Berlin, which finishes up at the end of June. I do need to talk more to the girlfriend about this too see how well it works with her situation.

Des Moines isn't bad. There's a micro brewery downtown. Can't think of the name... Racoon River? It's tied in with a hotel and it's not too bad. Mid America raceway is near Omaha not too far away. I wouldn't mind living there at all.

Iowa > Ohio

stroker wrote: Des Moines isn't bad. There's a micro brewery downtown. Can't think of the name... Racoon River? It's tied in with a hotel and it's not too bad. Mid America raceway is near Omaha not too far away. I wouldn't mind living there at all.

I'm from California. That does not instill me with confidence. Sacramento is relatively small for beer. We have 3 breweries in the city, and another several in surrounding towns.

ST_ZX2 wrote: Iowa > Ohio

Could you elaborate?

Iowa has a great overall quality of life...quality of people; I am from a big city, Milwaukee--much like Columbus, but went to school in Iowa (Iowa City)...I loved it there. Big picture--If I could (do it all over again and) choose a place to settle down and raise a family, it would be Iowa. You're a half day car ride from Chicago (or Twin Cities, or Milwaukee) if you need a BIG city getaway.

ST_ZX2 wrote: Iowa has a great overall quality of life...quality of people; I am from a big city, Milwaukee--much like Columbus, but went to school in Iowa (Iowa City)...I loved it there. Big picture--If I could (do it all over again and) choose a place to settle down and raise a family, it would be Iowa. You're a half day car ride from Chicago (or Twin Cities, or Milwaukee) if you need a BIG city getaway.

Not looking forward to the idea of midwest winters again (I grew up in Illinoise). I think my girlfriend really doesn't have a good concept of what she'd be getting herself into. She was asking me the other day what the purpose of a snowblower is.

I'm not a BIG city person. Wouldn't want to live in SF, LA, NYC, or Chicago. I do like places like Sacramento, San Diego, or Portland. After getting a brewing job, the two biggest things I'm wondering about and need are motorsports and being able to do some social dancing (particularly tango).

Columbus is also half a day from Chicago. The winters aren't that bad.

And the best GRMers are in Ohio.

I've never been to Iowa...

Ohio isn't bad. Columbus is 2 1/2 hours to Cleveland/Cinci/ Toledo, 3 hours to Pittsburgh and Detroit.

We have a huge Budweiser facility on the north side of Columbus, and I could recommend at least half a dozen places that a micro-brewery could be started.

We have a pro Hockey Team (meh), Soccer Team (cool), Minor League Baseball (cool), and Festivals every weekend in the summer.

This winter was extremely mild, at least here in central Ohio...more rain than anything else.

But...it is a State-wide, full frontal speed trap.

JFX001 wrote: We have a pro Hockey Team

Lulz

mtn wrote:

JFX001 wrote: We have a pro Hockey Team

Lulz

Hence the (meh)....

I was born in Columbus. Lived the first 5 years of my life about an hour south of there. Columbus is a bigger city than people seem to think, for instance it is larger in population than Boston. That being said, I've never spent much time there nor do I know much about the place for having grown up within 2 hours of it. Pittsburgh was only a little farther away than was Columbus and that was where I went for 'city' things.

My take on Iowa based on limited visits and drive throughs is that it is a state that is aging. The places I went are populated by a lot of elderly folks and the young must graduate high school and move out of state to find work. Seems like a nice quiet, friendly state, and maybe an ideal place to start up a elderly care facility, but maybe outside of Ames or Des Moines I would doubt there is much call for good beer. College kids may be your best bet.

I interviewed at a company in Marshalltown, IA and it seemed like a nice place, but not too exciting.

Columbus has a few small breweries. CBC and Barley's were already mentioned. There's also Elevator, Weasel Boy (in Zanesville), Rockmill (a Belgian nano), and the couple of brand new ones (Zauber, Oval).

There's a couple chain-type places also in the form of BJ's and Gordon Biersch and the monster Anheuser brewery.

The restaurant culture here is probably key to breaking into the market. Either have a kick-ass restaurant attached to the brewery or schmooze your way into having a handle at the popular places in town.

Ah yes, I forgot about Elevator. Also a very good one.