I’ll Take One of Each
by Rebecca Peters
This week I did a local craft brewery tour and visited Okoboji Brewing Company and West O to taste their local brews and enjoy the unique vibe each brewery has to offer. The Iowa Great Lakes Area brews delicious beer! Both breweries offer something for everyone’s taste, and West O even has a variety of hard seltzer’s they craft locally! You can enjoy a beer in their taproom or get a growler to-go.
My brewery tour started at Okoboji Brewing Company is Spirit Lake. The brewery offers a number of local and regional brews. They also serve local wines and root beer! I tried a beer flight with 4 different beers. I tried Okoboji Brewing Company Early Riser Coffee Porter, Rosey Irish Red Ale, Shot in the Dark, and the Iowa Strangler Cider from Fairfield, IA. All four were uniquely delicious, and it’s tough to decide which was my favorite. The brewery offers a wide variety of games to entertain you while you visit, and you are welcome to bring in food. Papa Murphy’s Pizza is next door, and Okoboji Brewing Company will bake the pizza for you in the brewery!
My second stop was West O in West Okoboji. West O serves a large variety of their own beer that is brewed right here in West Okoboji. They also have a couple of ciders and wines from Iowa businesses. I also ordered a beer flight at West O to sample four of their beers. I tried the French Toast Coco Stout, Shandy, Smoked Red, and Pilsner. All were delicious! They were unveiling a new Grapefruit Soak’d Pale Ale when I visited. While I didn’t sample it, a number of customers gave it a thumbs up! West O also allows you to bring in your own food to enjoy while you’re drinking their beer in the tasting room. I paired my beer flight with a JJBLT from Jimmy Johns!
Hear more about this adventure in the Vacation Okoboji podcast!
I hope you are inspired to try both Okoboji Brewing Company and West O right in the Iowa Great Lakes Area. Plan your own Okoboji adventure and sample some local beer! Learn more about local breweries and other fun adventures in the Iowa Great Lakes area at www.VacationOkoboji.com.