Nebraska’s Growing Harvest – Craft Beer

Thanksgiving conjures up different visions for everyone, but for me, it’s about spending time with family in the comfort of a home, surrounded by copious amounts of both new and beloved craft beer. So when I decided I wasn’t flying home to Virginia as I normally do over the holiday, my husband and I braved the roads and drove 11 hours to Omaha, Nebraska to spend time with my twin sis, Tiffany, and her husband Nathan.

Even though this was my second journey to Omaha, I’m always surprised to find that the city has a way of feeling more familiar and welcoming than I should expect, having spent so little time there. Although much of my journey was spent seeking out craft brews and local breweries, I couldn’t help but notice the warmth of the people I met and their passion for the community, their sports teams, and of course, local Nebraska beer.

My beer adventures began in one of the oldest brewpubs in Omaha – Upstream Brewing Company. Upstream was founded in 1996 by Brian Magee and John Hickenlooper, the founder of Denver’s oldest brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Company, after which Upstream is modeled. Despite its growing success over the years, Magee has kept his promise to keep the brewpub locally focused, even in its naming conventions (“upstream” is derived from the Native American meaning of Omaha, “against the current”). The original location (one of two, also in Omaha) is housed in a 100-year-old, renovated firehouse located in the happening historic district appropriately named Old Market, an eclectic/cool mix of fur stores, art galleries, and good restaurants. House beers are made on-site in a sizable brewing room located toward the back of the restaurant.

Finding my seat at the bar, I noticed they offered a 2-oz flight of all their brews currently on tap – 12 total – so I decided to go all in and get the full perspective of what they brew. Upon setting up all the glasses, the bartender immediately jumped into a full-fledged history and explanation of all the brews I was sampling. I was absolutely blown away by the knowledgeable bar staff at Upstream – they politely and deftly fielded every silly question I threw their way, despite the growing crowds at the bar.

The beer was equally impressive. I found my first stand-out before I even took a sip – the lovely fruit nose on the Raspberry Lager disclosed its refreshing effervescence arising from pureed Oregon raspberries. I could easily imagine drinking this light-bodied beer in the Dallas heat, but I knew there had to be heartier brews among the collection to combat the chilly Nebraska winters. The selection didn’t disappoint – one of my favorites was a cask-conditioned version of the Rye So Serious Stout, enlivened with a spicy shot of sriracha-roasted pecans. Their Ebenezer Winter Warmer, brewed with cocoa nibs from Ghana, displayed balanced spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg with a caramel malt backbone. I was almost starting to believe that Omaha winters wouldn’t be so bad with beers like this readily available.