The Horseman’s Revenge is brewed with 30 lbs of pumpkin per batch giving very subtle pumpkin undertones, complimented by prominent cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger notes both in the nose and on the tongue. As one patron put it, “This is pumpkin pie in a glass!”

Stop by the restaurant and brewpub for a pint or take home a growler.

Don’t forget to reserve your spot soon for the Harvest Beer Dinner on Nov. 12, you’ll enjoy the Horseman’s Revenge paired with a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert!

Currently we have the following on tap:
- Dinkey Wheat, Belgian Style Wheat Ale
- Long Face, Amber Ale
- Off KILTer, Scottish Ale
- Clone, Pale Ale
- Sodbuster, Stout Ale
- Gryphonbraü, American Lager
- Red Monkey, Root Beer
- Dark Helmet, Schwarzbier (brewpub exclusive)
- Der Festen, Oktoberfest (seasonal)
Read all about our brews.

The Downtown Ames 4th Annual Halloween Pub Crawl is this Friday starting at 7pm. Still need a costume? Check out the Top 10 Halloween Costumes for Olde Main Lovers.

Be sure to pick up your free Pub Crawl Card at Olde Main ~ London Underground ~ Whiskey River ~ Corner Pocket ~ DG’s Tap House ~ Sportsman’s Lounge and Deano’s. Get your card stamped at each location for a chance to win $300 in bar tabs.

1) Off KILTer Scottish Girl
She’s sassy, loves beer and is Puff’s future ex-wife. Grab some plaid and make it happen.

2) Red Monkey
In honor of the many monkey’s that are slain to make our root beer red, be the Red Monkey this Halloween. Fur, tail, and something to swing on are required. (legal note: no monkey’s are harmed in the making of our red monkey root beer, pure deliciousness only)

3) Beer Keg
Construct a keg around your body and create a tapper for your head. Just don’t spit beer out of your mouth. People will get mad at you.

4) Bottle of Olde Main beer
This one is for the very crafty, but we’ve seen it done. You may be able to find a bottle costume from your local costume shop. Just draw on your favorite Olde Main beer logo and your set.

5) Duffman
Ok, this one isn’t Olde Main related. But who doesn’t love Duffman from the Simpsons? Maybe you can come up with your own Olde Main man. If so, send us pictures.

6) German Beer Girl
Take pointers from our Der Festen Oktoberfest girl. She makes a great German beer girl.

7) Long Face Horse
A horse walks into a bar and the bartender says why the long face. You love our Long Face Amber Ale, so go as the Long Face Horse.

8) Beer Monk/Trappist
Grab a robe and put a beer mug around your waist. Then be sure to drink some of our belgian style wheat ale – Dinkey Wheat.

9) Olde Main Pub Regular
You have decided to not dress up this year. When people come up to you on Halloween and give you a bad time, just say you dressed up as an Olde Main Pub Regular.

10) Group Beer Costume
If you have four people if your group, become the four main ingredients in beer: water, malt, hops, and yeast.

We will host a Harvest Beer Dinner on Thursday, November 12 at the restaurant and brewpub at 316 Main Street in Ames.

Four courses will be served, each paired with a different Olde Main beer. Brewery tours and a social hour will begin at 6pm, with the dinner service starting at 7pm. Olde Main brewers will be on hand to discuss the food and beer pairings.

A limited number of tickets are available for $40/person (includes tax and gratuity) and can be purchased now at the restaurant and brewpub or by calling 515-232-0553. To hold a spot in the dinner you must pay the full $40 or a $20 deposit.

Course 1
Sodbuster Stout & Wild Mushroom Napoleon – Caramelized Crimini, oyster and shitaki mushrooms in puff pastry with a Sodbuster Stout demi glace.
Served with Sodbuster, Stout Ale

Course 2
Spinach Salad – Baby spinach with mandarin oranges, walnuts and red onions, topped with warm bacon vinaigrette.
Served with Dinkey Wheat, Belgian Style Wheat Ale

Course 3

Pepper Crusted Angus Tenderloin – 8-oz. Certified Angus Beef shoulder tenderloin crusted with cracked pepper then grilled to perfection.  Served with warm potato salad and sautéed fresh green beans and baby carrots.
Served with Long Face, Amber Ale

Course 4
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Served with Horseman’s Revenge, Pumpkin Ale

Enjoy a quick and delicious lunch buffet every Wednesday from 11am – 1pm for $8.95. Join us tomorrow for the Chicken Fajita Buffet which includes fajita chicken with sauteed peppers and onions, flour tortillas, Spanish rice, steamed corn with cilantro and onion, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and Chicken Tortilla soup.

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, or our Web site for each weeks’ new buffet special.

Another brewhouse creation exclusively for the restaurant and brewpub is now on tap. The Dark Helmet is a delicious schwarzbier (black beer) that treats the drinker to an ultra-smooth, velvety lager that features chocolate and coffee notes.  Finishing very clean, this easy-drinking, moderately hopped black beer lends itself to session consumption… in other words, go ahead – have another.

Opening Day October 4, 2004

A handshake over a beer paired with a good opportunity and a willingness to take a risk led to the opening of Olde Main Brewing Co. & Restaurant. And now five years later, the beer keeps on flowing. We couldn’t do it without you, so join us to celebrate at the 5-Year Anniversary Party on Thursday, October 8 from 5pm-8pm at the restaurant and brewpub. We’ll have free appetizers, prizes and giveaways, $5 pitchers, $5 growler refills, $5 off a $25 purchase, and firkin tapping at 6pm.

Since the doors opened on October 4, 2004, the upswing hasn’t slowed down. Beer production has doubled every year, sponsorships with notable Central Iowa events like 80/35 and the Principal Charity Classic have garnered significant attention, Wednesday’s dollar pint nights continue to pack the restaurant, catering business has been booming, and the popular lunch and dinner specials bring in locals and tourists everyday.

In 2003, Ames bar owner Scott Griffen and Iowa State biology graduate Jeff “Puff” Irvin had many discussions about opening a brewpub in Ames. Craft beer sales were on the rise and there wasn’t a brewery in Ames. But, being first on the scene is always a risk. So after many discussions, the dream came into focus when Griffen and Irvin made an agreement over beers and a handshake. Irvin headed to the master brewer’s program at the University of California at Davis and Griffen built a brewpub in an old bicycle shop on Main Street in downtown Ames.

Just over a year ago, we took the upswing even further by becoming the only brewery in Central Iowa to bottle their beers. Now, we distribute four brands in bottles and 13 brands in draft to more than half the state and the beer is available in 350 plus locations.

Looking ahead, we don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. Nearly at production capacity, Griffen is currently making plans to build an offsite brewing facility to keep up with demand. With craft beer sales on the rise, regional breweries like Boulevard and Goose Island have become tourist destinations. With the success we have experienced in just five years the goal to become a regional brewery is in closer grasps.

Again, we couldn’t have done it without you! So, please join us on the 8th. Cheers!

Let’s reminiscence with some photos from the construction five years ago…

At Olde Main we love food just as much as we love beer. And that means we take lunch seriously and want to reward others that feel the same way. Stop in for lunch and get a punch for lunch card. Purchase nine delicious lunch entrees and receive the tenth FREE! Once your card is filled out, get entered to win 10 free lunches on us.

Every lunch we offer a unique special in addition to our regular menu. Check our website every Monday for the new daily specials. This week enjoy:

Wednesday, October 1st: Philly Cheesesteak – Shaved prime rib with sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms in an asiago cheese sauce on a toasted hoagie. Served with your choice of our house-made soup of the day, salad or fries.

Thursday, October 2nd: Chicken Picatta – Lightly breaded chicken breast, baked and topped with a lemon-caper cream sauce. Served with wild rice pilaf and freshly steamed vegetables.

Friday, October 3rd: Dijon & Pecan Crusted Salmon – Farm fresh salmon fillet coated with Dijon and pecans, then baked and served with wild rice pilaf and freshly steamed vegetables.

See the full lunch menu.

It really is Fall now! Which means it’s time for our Oktoberfest. Enjoy it on tap at the restaurant and pub and look for it at your local bar.

The translation of “Der Festen” from German into English is “The Festen”. Our Oktoberfest is has a distinct dark deep copper color. The complex malty flavors are balanced with a mild hop flavor.  Our version finishes clean and crisp.  Enjoy this Autumn classic!

Curious about our other beers. Check them all out here.

It’s time for another tapping of the firkin at the restaurant and brewpub for our Union Members. Join us Thursday, September 24 at 6pm for a dry hopped version of our Clone Pale Ale using locally grown hops.

A firkin is an old style wooden mini-keg with nine imperial gallons (10.8 US gallons) of delicousity. To tap the firkin we pick one lucky member of the crowd to hammer in the old fashioned tap through a special wooden seal. The firkins are always filled with a one-of-a-kind beer concocted by Olde Main’s brewers. Once it is gone it is lost forever, which could be a few hours or even less.

Firkins are free for Union Members only, so become a member today! Get all the details here.

Take 150 gallons of the Sodbuster Stout and let the good distillers of the southeast add their subtle nuances during barrel aging. The Sodbuster has been aged a year in a used bourbon American white oak cask. The aging adds subtle wood, vanilla, and bourbon flavors that blend well with the roast flavors found in our stout. Sip and enjoy! But, hurry because there is a very limited amount and it will go fast!

What’s currently on tap at the restaurant and pub:
- Dinkey Wheat, Belgian Style Wheat Ale
- Long Face, Amber Ale
- Off KILTer, Scottish Ale
- Clone, Pale Ale
- Sodbuster, Stout Ale
- Gryphonbraü, American Lager
- Red Monkey, Root Beer
- Bourbon Aged Sodbuster (brewpub exclusive)
- Yub Nub, Vanilla Lager (brewpub exclusive)
- Coming soon: Der Festen, Oktoberfest (seasonal)

The Olde Main Summer Concert Series concludes with Public Property this Friday.

Join us in the outdoor beer garden behind the restaurant and brewpub at 7pm with Public Property taking the stage at 8:30pm and the party continues through midnight.

Beer, cocktails, wine, and the full food menu are available outside. Lawn chairs are allowed.

Cover is $7 at the door or $5 for Olde Main Union Members.

Ever curious about the people who brew Olde Main’s beers? We sat down with Big John (assistant brewer) and Austin (brewery cellerman) for the fun game we call Q&A.

“Big John” Rundall – Assistant Brewer

1. When did you join the Olde Main family?
I have been here for five long years.

2. What’s the best thing about working at Olde Main?
It is a great family atmosphere and we are all supportive of each other.

3. What’s your favorite beer?
Any beer that I win is my favorite.

4. What’s the best beer name out there?
The Arrogant Bastard Ale by Stone Brewing Co. is my favorite beer name because it speaks to me.

5. What do you like to do outside brewing Olde Main beer? Any hobbies?
My hobbies are guitars and motorcycles.  I used to play in the band Big Rubber Duck.

6. What’s your favorite band?
Willie Revillame and his music are a tribute to my Filipino heritage.  Song- igiling giling.

7. Where is your hometown?
I’m from Climbing Hill, Iowa.  It is a small town with only a post office and a few houses. Its elevation is 1,135 ft.

8. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would go back to the Philippines. I had a great time when I was there last, and it would give me a chance to find out more about my cultural heritage.

Austin – Brewery Cellerman

1. When did you join the Olde Main family?
I started working in the brewhouse during the summer of 2008.

2. What’s the best thing about working at Olde Main?
My favorite thing is when the brewhouse girls come help us out. It’s a nice change of scenery from hanging out with the guys all week.

3. What’s your favorite beer?
The best beer is always free. Buy me a drink next time you see me!

4. What’s the best beer name out there?
My favorite beer name is Golden Shower by Dogfish Head, it doesn’t sound very good though!

5.  What do you like to do outside brewing Olde Main beer? Any hobbies?
I enjoy playing tennis and fishing.  If you need help with your tennis game, I can give you a lesson!

6. What’s your favorite band?
My favorite singer is George Straight.  He is King George and no one is better than him.

7. Where is your hometown?
I’m from Clarinda, Iowa.  It is the birthplace of Glen Miller.

8. If you could go anywhere, where would it be?
I would want to go to Nashville, and I would want to watch George Straight play.

The First Annual Wing Ding will be held on Saturday, August 29th from 11am-7pm in Des Moines on Market Street Downtown and el Bait Shop’s patio and parking areas. Olde Main is proud to be apart of the event. Enjoy Gryphonbrau (American Light Lager), Dinkey Wheat (Belgian Style Wheat Ale), and Clone (American Pale Ale) on el Bait Shop’s patio.

Wing Ding will feature 7 local restaurants that will prepare their signature wings for the event. Admission is $20 and includes 9 wings of your choice, an Olde Main beer or soft drink and a commemorative koozie. Additional wings and beverages can be purchased using a ticketed system.

Other activities:
· Free Live music by: Soulful Security, Truth be Told, & Brother Trucker
· Wing Eating Contest
· Group Chicken Dances, with the New Visions Dance Group
· Rubber Chicken Toss
· Raffles

Participating restaurants:
· el Bait Shop
· Gateway Market / Django
· Gerri’s
· Hooter’s
· Jethro’s
· Johnny’s
· The Chicken Coop

Proceeds benefit VSA arts of Iowa – a charity that provides artistic opportunities for people of all ages with disabilities.

Cost: $20 includes 9 wings, 1 beer or soft drink and a Wing Ding Koozie. Additional tickets are $2 each. 1 ticket = 3 wings, 2 tickets = 1 beer

Children12 and under receive free admission but would need to purchase tickets for concessions. Admission tickets are available in advance at www.elbaitshop.com or on-site August 29.

A new brewpub exclusive beer is on tap at the restaurant and brewpub. The Yub Nub Vanilla Lager features delicious vanilla flavors to tantalize your taste buds while the smooth lager satisfies your thirst. Stop in for a pint or take home a growler. Don’t forget to let us know what you think!

You can’t go wrong pairing delicious brews with food. Sometimes the best dishes are created when you throw all the rules out the window and experiment with contrasting and complimentary pairings to create a slew of unique results. We highly recommend digging in and trying some fun food and beer creations.

One experiment that went very well is the Dinkey Salmon. The botanicals that are in the Dinkey Wheat (chamomile, coriander, orange peel) pair well with the delicate flavors found in seafood. Try this recipe and let us know what you think. We find it very delicious!

Dinkey Salmon

•    3 pounds fresh salmon
•    ½ cup chopped green peppers
•    1 1/2 cup chopped pimento
•    1 cup lemon or lime juice
•    1 1/2 cups Dinkey Wheat
•    ½ cup soy sauce
•    1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
•    1 garlic clove mashed
•    2 Tablespoons grated onion

Trim salmon and remove bones. Cutting diagonally, slice salmon into thin strips 3 to 4 inches long. Spread salmon, green pepper and pimento in a thin layer in a shallow pan. Pour lemon juice and 1 cup of Dinkey Wheat over the fish so it is completely covered and all fish is below the level of the liquid. Let stand at room temperature until fish becomes a pale pink (the fish “cooks” in the acid marinade). Drain fish. Rinse with cold water. Drain again and lay pieces flat. Mix soy sauce with remaining ½ cup of Dinkey Wheat, ginger, garlic and onion. Use as dip sauce with salmon. Use pimentos and peppers as garnish.

Yield: 12 servings

Download a printable version of the Dinkey Salmon recipe.