Upstream Brewing Company | Omaha, NE
Beer Trip: Upstream Brewing Company in Omaha, Nebraska
Located in the heart of the Old Market district in downtown Omaha lies Upstream Brewing Company. Whether you’re visiting for work like we were, or you find yourself hitting the town for an evening, Upstream makes a great spot for meeting colleagues and friends alike.
Upstream is located in a beautiful Old Market building
One of the outdoor seating areas
The Brewery
Another large outdoor, fenced-in area
Upstream’s curb appeal is hard to beat! As you approach, you’ll find this joint in a gorgeous, 2-story brick building right on a corner lot. Its spacious patio features many tables, but on this strangely chilly summer evening, most people were found indoors. Once inside, this giant space is sectioned into a large bar area seating nearly 40, a dining area overlooking the brewing equipment, an upstairs bar, an upstairs pool lounge, and an upstairs rooftop - talk about options!
Views of the large rectangular bar
The large dining area looking into the brewing space
We had already had dinner, so opted for bar seating at the large, copper-topped bar where views of the beer menu were front and center. Plenty of TVs line the area with many watching sports, but Upstream had some very unique entertainment too - an onsite magician performing card and magic tricks was there mingling amongst the tables! He apparently comes to do this every Tuesday and Thursday during the week.
Equipment views
Smaller bar upstairs
Beer menu view from the main bar
Upstairs pool hall
The Beer
During our time here they featured 5 flagship brews, as well as 8 rotating seasonals. We opted for a flight of 4 to maximize our quick visit. We were impressed by the unique nature of these brews, as our flight included the Space Monkey Biermosa, a Fugue State Fruited Belgian Witbier, the HWY 75 Rye IPA, and the Afterglow White Stout. Morgan’s favorite was the Fugue State, a fruity twist on a classic wit. The Afterglow was also awesome - rich, full of coffee flavor, and incredibly smooth from the nitro-style pour. We didn’t try any ourselves, but Upstream is also known for its small-batch cask ales and some aged beers. During our trip, they featured one aged in bourbon barrels and another in tequila!
Our beer flight! Peep the smooth, creamy head on the nitro brew on the far right.
Food, Merch, & More
We didn’t enjoy a meal here, but it appeared we were in the minority on that - most patrons were having something for dinner, and it appeared that Upstream has a vast food menu including appetizers, thin crust pizzas, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and even hand-cut steaks. If beer isn’t your forte, Upstream has a full bar including wine and cocktails.
Crowlers and desserts to-go
Check out the playing cards on the ceiling courtesy of the onsite magician
T-shirt options
The merchandise area here is fairly small, but they offer a few t-shirts and some classic logoed stickers. You can also take home a crowler of a beer of your choice. The most unique item available for purchase though wasn’t merch at all, but instead a house-made loaf of bread that utilizes the brewery’s leftover spent grain! We had never seen anything like this before in our travels.
Omaha is a fun town to visit, and Upstream is a fun spot to match - we definitely recommend this to anyone visiting, especially if you have a large group or want to enjoy a great patio spot in the Old Market.
Cheers!
Loaves of bread for sale!
