Cedar Rapids Beer Nuts Homebrew Festival Benz Beverage Depot | Cedar Rapids, IA

On Saturday afternoon, we ventured out into the gorgeous fall weather to the second annual Cedar Rapids Beer Nuts Homebrew Festival. After all the European beers we sampled at BrewNost the night before, we were excited to put them in contrast to some Iowa homebrews.

The first festival of its kind in Iowa, there was no commercial beer served. Homebrews only! Greg and I have had an interest in homebrews for a while now, but haven't had the opportunity to taste any. So this was a treat!

BrewNost | Cedar Rapids, IA

I don't usually kiss and tell, but thanks to smooching das boot and the 90 likes that followed... I won a ticket to BrewNost at the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library! (A big, big thank you and cheers to all those who gave my photo a like on Facebook.)

Of course, I needed a date and didn't dare leave Greg out of the beer-drinking festivities. So we made sure to buy him a ticket. When we arrived at the museum on Friday evening, the Czech and Slovak Museum was all aglow with red and orange lights.

Pool & 100+ Imports at Fat Wally's | Cedar Rapids, IA

Since my move to Cedar Rapids, Greg and I have struggled to find a pool hall... or even just a bar with a pool table. Sundays in Ames were often spent at the good ol' Corner Pocket, sipping on Olde Main Dinkey Wheat, and shooting several games of pool. And, well... we've missed it!

Some digging around on the internet lead me to finding Fat Wally's. Located at 429 2nd Ave SE, I'd walked past the door several times on a few trips to and from White Star Alehouse. I hadn't known what awaited me and Greg down those stairs and into the basement drinking establishment.

White Star Alehouse, Round 2 Two Hearted Ale & Dead Guy Ale

To commence our four-day 4th of July weekends, Greg and I hit up a local drinking and dining establishment in downtown Cedar Rapids. White Star Alehouse has an excellent beer menu with dozens of beers on tap and twice as many in bottles. I love the historic building, vintage accents, and relaxing atmosphere. It's definitely a gem where you can try a variety of brews, devour delicious food, chat with your friendly and funny server, and easily while away a couple hours. I wish the above photo did the bar justice. It was very casual, elegant, and cool.

As mentioned in the Round 1 of this beer review post, we chowed down on a delicious appetizer of chicken avocado egg rolls. Avocado, chicken, red onion, and sun-dried tomatoes fried up in a crisp egg-roll wrapper and dipped in either fresh cilantro salsa or sour cream and chives. It makes my mouth water just to describe them and see that photograph. Want. More. Right. Now.

White Star Alehouse, Round 1 Red's Rye PA & Dark Side Vanilla Porter

Jess and I decided to take a little trip over to White Star Alehouse in Cedar Rapids. They have 100 different beers to try and have some pretty good food, too. Their chicken avocado egg rolls are amazing! If you are ever in town, you should hit them up just for the egg rolls. Of course, hit them up for the beer as well. One thing could have made the experience better. The people behind us ordered calamari. It was some stanky stuff, too! Not just stinky. Stanky. It made smelling the beer a somewhat difficult task for me. Jess fared alright.