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Coalition
2705 SE Ankeny St., Suite C, 894-8080, coalitionbrewing.com. 5-9 pm Friday, 2-9 pm Saturday, 2-6 pm Sunday.
[TAP THIS INSTEAD] Last May, Coalition's lease ran out on
its taproom. Though I mourn the loss of that chummy space—it's now Tap
That, a bar I refuse to visit based on the name—the good news is that
the 10-barrel brewing operation continues going strong across Ankeny.
Three days a week, Coalition welcomes tipplers into its production
facility, where drinkers set on an assortment of wooden stools and
chairs, taster trays resting on upright barrels that double as tables
next to gleaming steel vats. Also still going strong? The old-school
hip-hop soundtrack: De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan. Seven
of the eight taps dispense seasonals and reliable standards, including
the supremely well-balanced Two Dogs IPA and the toasty Bumps Bitter
ESB, while the last handle is devoted to test batches and beers made in
collaboration with homebrewers. A recent honey wheat underwhelmed, but
was apparently much improved from the first batch. Far better was the
Night Cap, a coffee IPA that gets floral brightness from Ethiopian
Yirgacheffe beans and a citrusy jolt from Citra and Cascade hops.
DRINK THIS: In fall and winter winter, the Night Cap coffee IPA. Come spring or summer, the delightfully citrusy Space Fruit.
WWeek 2015