Millstream Brewing Company - Farmer’s Tan

This American-style wheat ale presents a pale gold color in the glass – fairly hazy, as we expect for the style – and capped by a generous head of pale foam. Millstream brews this one with blood orange, and that special addition is apparent from the first sniff. Bold blood orange citrus leads the way in the aroma, backed by subtle floral and citric hop notes, all overlaid on a very clean canvas of pale wheat. That blood orange contribution steals the show on the palate too, as bold citrus peel merges with light hop bitterness to grab our attention straight away. The supporting white wheat backbone remains clean in the flavor, offering a bit of its characteristic tangy zing to complement the hop and blood orange notes. Super crisp and refreshing, this wheat beer should pair nicely with citrus marinated chicken, fish & chips, shrimp and vegetable tempura, salads with goat cheese and a citrus dressing, fish tacos with a lime crema, or, for something on the sweeter side, a blood orange tart or galette. Cheers!

If ever there was a place long overdue for a new brewery, it was Amana, IA. Until the Millstream Brewing Company opened their doors in 1985, the area had not been graced by the presence of a brewery for over 100 years. Why it took that long to get a brewery going in Amana, we don't know. What we do know is that the Millstream Brewing Company, founded by brothers James & Dennis Roemig and Carroll F. Zuber, was the first microbrewery in the state of Iowa, and was born out of a love for the finest European ales & lagers and the will to brew great, handcrafted beers locally. Oh, another thing we know... almost 40 years after their beers hit the market, they just keep getting better!

Master brewer Chris Priebe, who trained at Chicago’s world-famous Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology, became Millstream’s head brewer in 2000 and he remains so to this day, now with over three decades of brewing experience. In 2001 the brewery was sold to new owners, Tom & Teresa Albert, who maintained the brewery’s high standards and focus on German and other European styles. Then, in 2021, the brewery was sold to Steve & Susan Charlier and their business partner Justin Cohanim, while the Alberts remain owners of the adjacent Millstream Brau Haus. The new owners seek to maintain the brewery’s core beers while expanding the lineup to include more contemporary styles. They’ve also added a canning line to adapt to the modern demand for this packaging format.

If you're ever in the area of Amana, IA, stop by Millstream's Taproom, or head over to the Brau Haus to try their excellent beers (as well as their hand-crafted root beer, ginger beer, and cream soda) in the company of some good food with a bit of German flair. For more information about the brewery, check out their web site at www.millstreambrewing.com.