Brewery Starts with a Curious but Blurry Mind- Olde Main Brewing Co.

Brewer "Puff" Irvin

I met brewer Jeff "Puff" Irvin (pictured right) and sales manager Martin Fox late in the evening after many beers at the Iowa Craft Beer Festival, in a similar setting as what their brewery Olde Main got its start; intoxicated. Puff who got his nick name at birth, sat one night after a few beers with Ames bar owner Scott Griffen reminising of a ski trip they had taken to colorado, and all the awesome beer they had drank. Puff who was a mere bartender at the time along with Scott decided they should send Puff, a recent graduate from Iowa State's Biology department, to The University of California Davis Brew Masters program  and open a brewery right in their very own Ames Iowa.
Puff got his interest in everything alcohol while bartending at the Corner Pocket just down the street from where Olde Main now sits. He would get questions about this alcohol or that beer and to as he said "not look stupid" he learned about it all. So what else to do but head to California and open Olde Main Brewing Co. which he did in October of 2004 when they opened their doors to many thirsty beer drinkers.

Crowded Cooler of Brite Tanks

Brewing on a 15 barrel system Olde Main brews 6 year round beers and a plethora of seasonals and special beers. They started distributing in 2008 after word of Olde Main spread through the state, now the shelves are littered with Olde Main beer. But I along with my grandpa and uncle decided to go check it out for ourselves. After Puff had given my two tag-alongs a brief tour and I had taken some pictures we sat down to eat a great meal and try a few beers. My grandpa fell in love with the "Dinkey" a Belgian wheat  beer that will be one of three beers they will be bringing to the Iowa Craft Beer Tent. They will also be bringing their Sodbuster Stout and Clone Ale. So if you happen to be watching the Cyclones getting beat in Ames by the Hawkeyes (go HAWKS!!) or are just passing through stop in to Olde Main and have an awesome meal or an even better beer. But if you're like me and rarely make it to Ames then stop at the Iowa Craft Beer Tent and try one of these amazing beers. Check in later on "My Brewing Adventure"