Exile Brewing Co. | Des Moines, IA
Beer Trip: Exile Brewing Co. in Des Moines, Iowa
Just on the outskirts of downtown Des Moines sits Exile Brewing Co. With its old brick building, solid beer, and fun atmosphere, it is certainly worth checking out if you’re in the area.
Front entrance
Mural in the entryway
Large truck and tank views!
The Brewery
Exile lies within an awesome old brick building that used to be a soap factory! Most of the indoor area seems more like a restaurant than a typical brewery and it possesses a vibe somewhere between rustic and modern. There are many tables and booths spread about, as well as a good sized bar featuring several TVs. The ceilings at Exile featured unique paper lanterns over the seating area and antiqued wood over the bar to match the original hardwood floors found throughout.
Large dining area with fun paper lantern ceilings
Views of the main bar
While the weather wasn’t cooperative for us, they also have a large outdoor patio that opens up to a separate tasting area via an overhead door. There were plenty of picnic tables, as well as a multitude of umbrellas for shade scattered about.
Very large patio area just waiting for some warmer weather!
The Beer
Walking in we weren’t familiar with Exile at all, but it sure seemed like they were one of the larger facilities in town with their distribution options. They had roughly 15 different beers on tap, including multiple IPAs, a couple of wheats, a pilsner, lager, and a brown ale. We quickly discovered that almost all of these are locally available in 6-packs and some are served at nearby bars and restaurants.
To make the most of the experience, we each elected for a flight. The taste seemed to be hit-or-miss for our flavor profile, but they had several good options. A couple of their sours really stood out, one being the Beatnik Sour. This was surprisingly dry with a nice, tart finish making it very refreshing and perfect for a warm summer day. The other sour worth noting is their Cherry Lime Bohemian, which tasted exactly like a cherry limeade. Their Forage was another good selection - this is a brown ale with a great nutty taste to go with a bit of a roast and caramel.
Food, Merch, & More
While we came for the beer, it was clear that many people come to Exile for the food as well since it is a full restaurant. Their menu included burgers, salads, and sandwiches, as well as an assortment of BBQ items and even fish ‘n chips. In addition to beer, they have a separate line of ready-to-drink cocktails that seemed to be quite popular. If you happen to be visiting on a Saturday, Exile has brewery tours for only $10 to walk you through their entire facility.
Fun Des Moines mural on the side of their building!
The merchandise section was very robust and could be found just inside the front door. They have literal pallets of their flagship beers stacked up to take home, along with an entire wall of various items including shirts, hoodies, hats, glassware, signage, and coolers.
Exile certainly seemed like one of Des Moines’s top breweries with its great location, cool venue, solid beer, and full food menu. We hope to come back and hopefully experience the great patio space next time!
Cheers!
