Twisted Vine Brewery to Relaunch in Des Moines Market District
Twisted Vine Brewery now has a slated opening date at its new location in Des Moines’ Market District and is gearing up to pour what it touts on its website as “surprisingly good beer.”
Property developer and owner Tim Rypma said the brewery is set to debut in the historic three-story building at 112 SE Fourth St. on June 1.
The company’s partners plan to begin brewing testing next month.
Special beers will mark the opening of Twisted Vine in the Market District
Open since 2016, Twisted Vine recently closed its original location at 3320 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines in January at the end of its lease. It housed a 30-foot bar and over 30 craft and guest beer taps.
A full opening day drinks menu at the new location hasn’t been made, but Steven Becker, founder and one of Twisted Vine’s managing partners, said likely contenders will include favorites like Twisted Blonde, Old Crusty’s Scottish Ale and a version of an Indian pale ale.
They are also planning a series of special Vine Street beers, named after the company and the street one block north of its new location.
After:20 photos: Twisted Vine Brewery
The brewery’s imposing new home on Fourth Street was built in 1874. Its facade is accentuated by a distinctive brick. It also has a higher ceiling at the back of the building, which allowed the team to bring in their grain silos and brewing vats from West Des Moines.
Originally occupied by central oil plantthe building’s most recent tenant was The Garden, Des Moines’ oldest LGBTQ-friendly dance club. The garden moved a few blocks to 525 E. Grand Ave. when its original building was sold for renovation as part of the larger Market District development, south of the East Village.
Twisted Vine Brewery will occupy the entire 7,500 square foot ground floor space, with two commercial occupants on the second floor and four apartments planned for the third floor.
The brasserie will offer a large main bar estimated at 24 taps. There will also be a second bar serving the 5,000 square foot patio. Becker said it will “essentially (will) be the same bar we had in West Des Moines” as they are installing pieces of the concrete slab that served as the bar top in its original location.
When looking to relocate the business, Becker and his partners knew downtown was a “good location,” but they had to consider the strength of the soils before choosing a site. They found it in the historic structure, he said.
“Even a concrete floor isn’t certain it’ll work because there’s so much weight on some of these equipment legs and they’re full of liquid, like beer or water,” said Becker said.
A future with food trucks, comedy and live music
Once open, Twisted Vine will have room for food trucks as well as live entertainment on the outdoor patio.
Twisted Vine also plans to serve pizza and small bites reheated using simple ovens. No kitchen is part of the immediate plans and guests can bring their own food.
Becker expects the brewery to be open seven days a week. No hours are set in stone, but the partners are eyeing 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to midnight Friday through Sunday.
Twisted Vine’s journey began in 2011, when passionate home brewers and original partners Brian Sabus, Steve Breman and Becker installed a 20-foot by 20-foot facility inside Madison County Winery in St. Charles. Five years later, the operation has expanded to the 7,200 square foot West Des Moines bar, large enough to seat over 200 people.
Even with the pressure of an impending opening day, Becker said he was excited for the future.
“We are really happy to be in this historic building. And we look forward to the next chapter of its existence,” he said.
Twisted Vine will be part of a series of breweries in downtown Des Moines
Rypma, the promoter, has been active in the East Village since 2005. He is a partner in a redevelop 39 acres in the Market Districtand Twisted Vine Brewery is “the first vertical development” in this part.
Other plans call for a 150-unit apartment complex, hotel, and 8-acre park along the Des Moines River. It is expected to cost at least $750 million to redevelop the area which is largely filled with industrial buildings and warehouses.
Twisted Vine will be about a block south of Peace Tree Brewing Co., which opened in 2016, and its neighbor, 1717 Brewing, which opened in 2018.
Its opening will come as two breweries are under construction in the Sherman Hill neighborhood, just northwest of the city center. The first Des Moines location of Eastern Iowa-based Big Grove Brewery is being built in the former Crescent Chevrolet building on Ingersoll Ave.
Another brewery, whose name has not yet been publicly announced, will occupy a former parking lot and rental office next to Concord Apartments at 732 18th St.
Plus, Decorah’s Toppling Goliath brew revealed in September it was looking for a location in Des Moines.
Richard Lane is the real estate reporter for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at [email protected].
