As cyclists ride across Iowa, they are seeing craft breweries driving small-town tourism
There are hundreds of breweries represented on the jerseys of the thousands of cyclists on RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across Iowa
RIPPEY, Iowa — On a long stretch of road just outside the small Iowa town of Rippey, where thousands of cyclists were passing through during a 100-plus mile day on the world's longest and oldest recreational ride, five men and two women rode single-file down the left side, each wearing a jersey worth remembering.
If you're a beer connoisseur.
There was one from Toppling Goliath with images from its flagship Pseudo Sue pale ale. Another from Exile Brewing Company, based in the state capital of Des Moines. And another from Big Grove Brewery.
Hundreds of other breweries also can be seen on the backs of the estimated 50,000 riders taking part in RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across Iowa. And together, the small- and medium-sized breweries are a testament to not just how rapidly the craft beer industry has expanded but to its fast-growing importance in rural America.
“The state is littered with great breweries. Fantastic breweries,” says Clark Lewey, who along with his wife, Barbara, founded Toppling Goliath in the northeast Iowa town of Decorah in 2009, then watched it become a darling of the craft beer market.
On the BeerAdvocate website, a resource and ranking spot for millions of consumers each month, Toppling Goliath's Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout is rated No. 1 in the world. Its counterpart imperial stout, Vanilla Bean Assassin, is ranked No. 2, while another offering called Mornin' Delight is ranked in the top 10.
Heady stuff for a still-young brewery in a town of roughly 7,500 nestled well away from the nearest urban area.
“I think what works well,” Lewey said, “is when people visit a
Read more on abcnews.go.com
