Lua Brewing | Des Moines, IA
Beer Trip: Lua Brewing in Des Moines, Iowa
Just outside of downtown Des Moines sits Lua Brewing. While there are plenty of things to do in the immediate area, this place was absolutely packed on a sunny Saturday afternoon. After we got to experience all that Lua had to offer, it was easy to see why it was the destination of choice for many.
Exterior view walking up from the street
Views of the brewing facility on your way to the restroom
The Brewery
Walking up to Lua, you absolutely cannot miss their dog-friendly outdoor patio area that juts out into the parking lot. They have plenty of tables and chairs spread about, complete with umbrellas for those warm afternoons. Large glass overhead doors open up into their indoor space, which also has tons of seating mostly broken up to suit smaller sized groups.
Spacious outdoor patio for a nice day
Lua was packed to the brim on a Saturday afternoon
This place has a very contemporary feel to it with cool green bar stools, chandeliers for lighting, and beautiful hand-painted murals strategically placed around the space (even in the bathroom!). The bar has seating for close to 15 people and features numerous TVs, making it the perfect place to catch a game.
Swanky green barstools
Fun chandeliers and hop mural
The ladies’ restroom mural
The Beer
In typical Des Moines fashion, this brewery had plenty of beer options with 15+ on tap. the draft list included 6 IPAs, as well as multiples of sours, stouts, and Hefeweizens. One thing that was unique about their beer menu was the amount of collaboration brews they offered. Not only were they partnering with other local breweries, but one beer included a team effort with Ames, IA based Windmill Coffee Roasters.
As far as flavor and quality of the beer, this is where Lua really stands out as it was our favorite beer experience of our entire Des Moines trip. Their team does a fantastic job with integrating unique fruits and hops into each and every pour, regardless of the beer style. One of our recommendations would be their Sanctuary, which is an oatmeal stout with a great coconut flavor mixed in. The Stay was the other brew that really stood out - this was one of the best sours we had tried in a long time and included a great profile of pineapple and mango with a faint sourness.
Food, Merch, & More
In addition to being a brewery, Lua is also a full restaurant serving a wide variety of options including burgers, sandwiches, salmon, mussels, caviar, and even tofu - it was, by far, one of the most unique menus we’ve ever seen. We sampled the buffalo cauliflower as an appetizer during our visit.
If beer isn’t your thing, they also have a full bar menu as well. Their merchandise offerings are just as robust as their beer and features hats, stockings, flannel shirts, t-shirts, glassware, and frisbees. Of course they also have to-go beer, which we made sure to take advantage of for the trip home.
