Bent River Brewing Company, 512 24th Street, Rock Island, Iowa 61265 phone: #309-797-2722   website: BentRiverBrewing.com/

Experience before you go . . .

A funny thing about the Hoppin Brewery Tour is the more you do it, the more you like it! It's not like mowing your yard or shopping for shoes, although those two things can be challenging and interesting. But the HBT is different, (let's hope so)! First of all, new Breweries are opening up everywhere. In 2017 there were 7190 breweries in the USA and from what I'm reading now in 2018 we are over 8,000. That's a lot of pints! There are nearly 200 in the Chicago area alone. So we're always going someplace new......just don't know what you're going to get so it's always fun and always exciting! Second thing is the beer and the people at the brewery and not necessarily in that order. The beer is always a gas but the people, the owner down to that one customer sitting at the end of the bar, are what really makes the place rock! The stories, the personalities, the likes and dislikes, the what if's and should of's and a couple "You won't believe me if I tell ya".....it's the real fabric that holds these breweries together, makes them unique, memorable and enjoyable. And the third thing is.....not sure what the third thing is. Maybe the third thing is yet to be discovered. Wouldn't that be cool, I knew this was an adventure! All I know is being retired is a fabulous thing and hopefully Brad joins the ranks before he's 70......so many breweries and so little time!!

Okay, we arrived at Bent River Brewing, stepped out of our chariot and headed for the door.....wait, wait, need the front sign selfie! Long arm of the law (no selfie stick needed here) shot captured and filed in the HBT archives. Pop in the door, work our way through some tables and front and center we have the bar with, you got it, four empty bar stools. HBT card on the bar and up walks Helena. Quick tour presentation and BING, BANG, BOOM the Hoppin Brewery Tour strikes again for the second time in one day in Rock Island, IL.

The subject of food floods our conversation with Helena. A Bent River flight is automatically ordered and as Helena is quickly going down the food options, all I hear is "BBQ across the street". I stand up immediately and as I saw my reflection in the mirror behind the bar, I saw a possessed man on a mission. At first I didn't recognize myself. Wide eyed, blank stare and mumbling the words in a self proclaimed mantra....."BBQ across the street, BBQ across the street"! Before I realized I was crossing the street, thank God I didn't get run over. And there it was, Jim's Rib Haven....simple, celebrated BBQ joint dishing up pork & beef slabs, hot link sandwiches and peach cobbler. I wanted to order everything on the menu but ended up with a full slab, two pulled pork sandwiches and two rice Krispy Bars the size of your fist. They bagged it up for me and away I went across the street and in the front door of Bent River. "Where the heck'cha go", "we thought you were abducted by aliens".....placed the bag of goodies on the bar and all conversation stopped!! Life is Good!!

Besides fabulous BBQ being in front of us we had a Bent River Flight consisting of everything Helena had to offer and it was loud and proud I got to tell you!! The list is long but here you go.......Uncommon Stout (6.4%, 31 IBU), Mississippi Blond (3.6%, 17 IBU), Jalapeņo Pepper Ale (4.8%, 20 IBU), Mango IPA (6.8%, 70 IBU), Grungeist Smash (5.2%, 29 IBU), Brut IPA (7.5%, 35 IBU), Paddle Wheel Pale Ale (5%, 42 IBU), Mill Town Wheat (5.5%, 32 IBU), Party Guy Double IPA (86%, 93 IBU), Undercurrent IPA (6.8%, 68 IBU) and finishing up the flight we had DeSoto Lager (5.2%, 15 IBU).

Bent River started in 1993 as Koski Home Brew Fixen's Ltd in a store front in downtown Moline and in 1996 became Bent River Bar. Two years later with a tweak here and a tweak there the Bent River American Pale Ale was flowing from the beautiful Bohemian Brau Haus copper kettles. In 2009 the location was transformed into a thing of Brew Pub beauty.....complete with full bar, lunch and dinner and a big outdoor patio. The Rock Island brewery, which was where we were at has an events room and distribution center with a new fermentation system and bottling line. Bent River Brewery has it going on folks!! Estimates are today they kick out 10,000 barrels of handcrafted beer a year......oh my!!!

If you live in the Quad cities, great, if not come check this area out! And Bent River needs to be on the top of the list and of course you need to tell them Brad and Clyde sent ya.

Until next time and remember.........

Go get'cha one!!