The lasting appeal of breweries might need no explanation, and yet it’s worth noting that their endurance can be attributed to numerous factors: social, creative, healthful (to a degree) and, of course, tastiness (in all of its wide varieties). These factors exist whether we research the early days of monks brewing or visit breweries across the globe.
Since 2014, when Jubeck New World Brewing opened its doors, Dubuque has seen an increase in breweries to meet the tastes and inclinations of residents and tourists alike. These yeast- and hops-happy businesses each have their own bent on what styles to brew to meet those needs, and so a range of styles and atmospheres are available.
And these days, those regional breweries that have hit the right notes, are successful businesses. And yet nearly each one started out rooted in a homebrewing hobby; from a strong interest more than for a purely business notion, though it’s beneficial when the two intersect.
Jubeck New World Brewing
In 2014, Jay Jubeck opened Jubeck New World Brewing, following his passion for homebrewing. Jubeck felt that Dubuque needed a craft brew place for socializing and enjoying good beer — and where he could develop recipes with the help of co-owner Dan Caraway. They started raising money through Kickstarter and attracted early supporting members, and then the business “grew organically,” he said. What started out then as a small brewery has expanded to include the former Aragon Tap.
“The scope of the business grew,” Jubeck said. “We added more seating capacity, the same brewing system but more fermenting tanks and a few tap accounts at Brazen, the Q (casino) and Convivium.”
And as many breweries discover, offering food is a must.
“It took a while to get the kitchen fully done,” Jubeck said. “We didn’t set out to be a restaurant since it wasn’t the reason we got into this. But we had to have some food. It’s been a challenge figuring it out and getting the right rhythm, as with staffing. I’m cooking pizzas when no one else is available.”
Despite some challenges, Jubeck New World Brewing continues to meet the expectations of its patrons.
“We’ve settled into a pretty good group of offerings,” Jubeck said. “We want to stay fresh, so have a variety of beer experiences, whether Czech-style sidepulls or British-style beer casks.”
Beyond the beer, too, there is a je ne sais quoi quality to the brewery, Jubeck emphasized.
“Something about our brand is unique,” he said. “It’s a community supported model that keeps it going and has made it a place that feels like a community. There’s no TV, we play vinyl — (these decisions) are part of our core vibe/values that we set out to create.”
In an effort to “stay fresh,” the brewery is always trying to “do better,” and it seems to accomplish that almost effortlessly since it stays so close to its stated community-focused values.
Looking to the near future, Jubeck New World Brewing will increase its canning efforts and make use of its increased capacity with its new fermenting tank. To steal aviation terminology (a nod to Jubeck’s primary profession as a pilot), the brewery has taken off in recent years and is maintaining its altitude.
Be on the lookout for: Jubeck-a-Palooza, annual block party (July 19); German-style brews for September and October; and holiday and St. Patrick’s Day sing-alongs. Also, each year for International Women’s Day, Andra Fifield brews up an option to celebrate women in brewing.
7 Hills Brewing Co.
On the heels of Jubeck, 7 Hills Brewing Co. opened its brewery and event center in August 2017 with the like-minded notion of offering a community-focused “German bier hall” and restaurant.
Jeremy Hall, front of house director, said that Keith and Abby Gutierrez set out to offer an “upscale brewpub menu” even though it took some time to figure out costs. The beer, Hall said, was more of a “no-brainer.”
During the major lull of COVID-19, 7 Hills offered “free growler fills to those in the medical field” to acknowledge their tough work, according to Hall, and the owners and managers didn’t get paychecks until they could open up again at limited capacity.
Before long, 7 Hills was going full throttle. The brewery figured out its food costs by 2021, and in the same year, opened a restaurant and golf course in Platteville. Then, in 2022, it added another location in Dyersville. The brewery also opened a new ballroom in Dubuque.
“We’ve been lucky,” Hall said. “We’re stronger than ever.”
Naturally, it’s more than just luck. The brewery built a strong customer base that Hall said is largely from “awesome service that keeps people coming back,” not to mention good beer and food, and the unique bier hall table set up. A full bar doesn’t hurt, either.
Additionally, 7 Hills started distributing canned beers and Delta 9 sodas. It also pursues collaborative efforts with breweries like Potosi Brewing Co. in Wisconsin.
“We’re just trying to keep it going,” Hall said.
Ultimately, 7 Hills’ foundation is offering a diverse menu and making a variety of beer styles using their 15-barrel system, which includes six 30-barrel fermenters. Beyond the beer, the brewery’s event centers and golf course adds layers of social engagement and offerings to meet those popular needs.
Dimensional Brewing Co.
A group of homebrewers and business minds came together to open Dimensional Brewing Co. in November 2018 to fill a gap in beer styles, namely with IPAs and sours, and also to include involvement from the community to raise money to return to the community.
“Grant (Wulf) and I were homebrewers and Grant and Jeff (Burds) were acquaintances,” said co-owner Joe Specht. “We were excited to brew bigger and to bring good beer to Dubuque.”
These three, along with Shane Knipper and Tom Rollin, brought together “the pieces needed to ensure they were brewing the highest quality beer.”
It was a welcome challenge for the brewers to “scale up the recipes,” which include a wide variety beyond IPAs and sours, including lagers, brown ales and more.
“We’ve built a tradition of brewing outside-the-box styles,” Specht said. “The brewers all work with each other because we each offer something different.”
Additionally, part of the Dimensional culture is to hold barrel-aged stout releases that are popular regionally and nationally. After aging stouts in bourbon barrels, for instance, they bottle the beer and host release parties when fans can line up for a limited number of bottles until they sell out.
Dimensional also works with other breweries to release collaborations (“collabs”), as they have with Jubeck New World Brewing and other breweries across the Midwest.
“Collaborating gives breweries exposure to other markets,” Specht said. “Also, two groups of brewers can get together to talk shop and to share methods and technologies. It’s pretty exciting.”
Regardless of the style brewed, the group’s favorite part of brewing and having the business is the creativity involved to “think up new flavors” (and related beer names) that customers will enjoy.
“There’s a wide variety of customers and events in the taproom,” Specht said. “And the staff offers a positive, laid back environment (for customers) to enjoy beer.”
To meet a growing customer base, Dimensional “added a bigger walk-in to accommodate an increase in production, and we’re planning to remodel the courtyard area,” Specht said.
Another thing the brewery enjoys is hosting local musicians to perform, tip nights to raise money for local nonprofit and educational groups, and other community-focused events. In this vein, the brewery also collaborates with nonprofits and small businesses to raise awareness on various issues and regional focuses, as it has with the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (“Big River C.A.A.R.E.” for teens), Friends of the Dubuque County Conservation, Field of Dreams and Sundown Mountain.
Catfish Charlie’s
While Catfish Charlie’s might have a smaller beer production facility, what it lacks in volume it makes up for in heart. Its regular options are joined by seasonal ones, each done in two-barrel (or four-keg) batches, and some of the beer — its Bushwhacker and IPA — is available on American Lady cruises.
Unlike at Dimensional and Jubeck’s, the brewmaster did not get a start with homebrewing; rather, Laird Scott needed a job and was hired to brew.
“Learning was fun,” Scott said. “I paid attention to details of the timed sequence of the sparge, boil and hop process. And I like that I’m isolated from the kitchen; that it’s not intense.”
The production and beer styles fit the vibe of the restaurant on the Mississippi, a place allowing customers to slow down and enjoy the moment, whether they drive or sail to it. Restaurant and brewery owner, Charlie Cretsinger, follows through on the locale by naming the beers with river-related names, like Sandy Bottom Brown Ale.
Customers gravitate to some favorite beer styles at Catfish Charlie’s (now in its 20th year).
“People like Bushwhacker, a new light beer,” Scott said. “And also the stout and seasonal rhubarb (options), which we use fresh rhubarb to make.”
Customers can enjoy a pint or a flight of beer, or can take their favorite home or on their boat in crowlers. The main message with this beer, though, is to slow down and “drink good beer,” as Scott said.
Catfish Charlie’s makes that easy to do.
Beyond Dubuque
Also in Dubuque, Backpocket’s taproom has beer on tap brewed in Coralville, Iowa, and offers food, entertainment and a community feel. The arcade and duckpin bowling are big draws, and these activities are an added bonus going for their beer.
Craft beer fans know that they don’t have to go far from Dubuque to enjoy more that small breweries have to offer. Both River Ridge Brewing on the Mississippi in Bellevue, Iowa, and Textile Brewing in Dyersville, Iowa, are quick drives to sample more craft beer and to compare brewery cultures.
For nearly all of the breweries, residents and visitors can look to local entertainment guides and watch Facebook pages to learn about tip nights, musical guests, trivia nights and other community-focused events.
Fortunately for Dubuque, each of these breweries has strong patronage, lively business ideas and practices and beer options that appeal to varied tastes. And none of them are showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.