Bent River Brewing Company - Mississippi Blonde Ale

Bent River’s easy-drinking Mississippi Blonde offers up a lightly hazy golden color, topped with a head of pure white foam. Soft pale malt aromas come forth, bolstered by a touch of wheat and a citric hop note with a little earthiness. We found the flavor followed the aroma pretty closely, with the pale malts offering a bit of sweetness with a crackery wheat note, all balanced nicely by a light dose of citric Centennial hops and robust carbonation that lifts the body and clears the palate. Blonde ales, alternately known as golden ales, are generally quite food-friendly with lighter fare, and this GABF Bronze medal winner is no different. We recommend an accompaniment of fish tacos with pepper jack cheese and a spritz of lemon. Cheers!

Starting his own microbrewery had always been a dream of Tim Koster, owner of Koski's Home Brew Fixens in the Historic District of Moline, IL. One day in 1996, homebrewer and Koski's customer Darron Morris asked Tim what it would take to start up a microbrewery. The two summoned the courage to turn their dreams into reality, and Bent River Brewing Company was born in 1997. With the help of several investors, they were able to purchase the remainder of the 1922 Italian Renaissance-style building that housed the homebrew store, and then transform it into a brewpub. The company received an award for their renovation of the building by the Moline Preservation Society. The brewpub features a full menu and plenty of beers on tap, and remains a popular watering hole for the local fans of good craft beer.

In 2012, Bent River Brewing Company added a second location in order to address their need for increased production capacity. Located in Rock Island, this new package brewery houses a new bottling line and shipping center, allowing the company to efficiently brew and distribute their beer throughout the area. The location also features a tasting room where you can sample any of Bent River's six year-round beers as well as their rotating seasonals.

For more information, visit them at www.bentriverbrewing.com, or call 309-797-2722.