ReUnion Brewery | Coralville, IA
Beer Trip: Reunion Brewery in Corallville, Iowa
Having traveled the I-35 and I-80 corridors of Iowa quite a bit, we’ve become more and more impressed with the brewery scene that this state has to offer. You will find both small 10-barrel facilities, as well as huge production plants, all with their own unique charm that makes visiting a memorable experience. ReUnion Brewery in Coralville falls right in the middle as far as size goes, and it was the perfect pit stop for an afternoon.
The Brewery
ReUnion is somewhat discreet from the road as you pull up, but you certainly can’t mistake the place as you walk towards the front door. The entire face of the building is covered with awesome, hand-drawn paintings that remind you of ‘90s cartoons. The inside space is primarily comprised of one large room with a huge 20-person bar right in the middle, as well as miscellaneous tables and booths surrounding it. Being in the construction industry, we were really impressed with the arch-shaped ceiling that gave off an underground subway vibe. This area also has some quirkiness to it, with additional artwork scattered about and a full-sized skeleton upside down in a canoe as the focal point of the room. We were told that a local artist named Jon Sims does all of the illustrations on the walls, as well as designs for their cans. The bartender even showed us the chalkboard on the wall that occasionally gets redrawn with something new as the artist’s time allows.
The Beer
Prior to visiting, we knew nothing about ReUnion, so we were blown away to see their line of 16 taps behind the bar. They had multiple IPAs and pale ales, two varying German-style brews like a Helles and a Dunkel, and several others. They constantly maintain 6 beers as flagships and then rotate out the remaining 10 as they run out. That said, we were told that some of the rotators do make a return appearance from time to time if they are popular.
Surprisingly, our favorite of the trip was the Floral Pilsner - which happens to be one of their flagship beers. Floral brews tend to be too overpowering for our liking, but this one was faint with a clean finish that was perfect on a warm afternoon. The Amber Ale is another solid choice, providing a nutty and biscuity taste that was unique compared to the other malty or caramel tastes you typically find in an amber. It’s also worth mentioning that all of their IPAs that we sampled were really good as well, with the ReUnion IPA and seasonal DDH Dr. Dank IPA rising to the top of our list.
Food, Merch, & More
While the beer is what led us to ReUnion, it appeared to be a popular food stop as well. They have an extensive menu with items like pizza, pasta, sandwiches, tacos, and salads, as well as several appetizers that they feature during happy hour. They also have a full bar, making cocktails and wine an option if beer isn’t your thing. The merchandise section is located near the front door and it featured tons of shirts, hats, coasters, and dog bandanas. They even sell their awesome tap handles, but they were a bit outside of our price range. Luckily for us, ReUnion offers almost every beer that they have on tap in 6-packs, so we made sure to trek a few back to Kansas for enjoyment later.
ReUnion definitely did not disappoint. Whether it’s their top-notch beer, the food, or you just want to see the artwork, you will want to pay this place a visit!
Cheers!
