Type: Brewery
Produces: Beer
Location: Coralville, IA
Miles from Coop: 1
I always knew I wanted a job that was more than a job,”
Backpocket Brewery owner Jake Simmons says.
“My background is in the sciences and I was getting a PhD in microbiology.”
He switched to working in labs in the private sector, and,
“It was interesting… but I couldn’t get excited about it.”
Jake made the big jump: dropped that lab job and set off with his mid-twenties still in hand to find something that’d make his mind bubble in the morning.
“Instead of data for the sake of data,” as he saw it, he wanted: “To create something tangible I could share – something people could enjoy, and I could enjoy.”
Enter: the brewery business.
“At that point, some microbreweries had opened up, but not like today,” Jake alludes to our current fun upswing in local craft breweries. He got into home brewing, and then professional brewing, and just kept moving:
“Ultimately I was the brewer at a brewpub in Northeast Iowa, Old Man River.”
Wanting to go into production bottling, that business grew into the one we know today as our own Backpocket Brewing in Coralville, Iowa.
“The dominant narrative in the craft beer world is the extreme,” Jake notes, hitting peak strong hops, at the moment.
In Backpocket’s beers,
“We, more than most microbreweries, strive for balance. While we have fun with it too,”
theirstandby favorites aren’t something that “blows out your taste buds. We have a lot of German beers: the Germans have a long history of creating go-to beers you’d keep in your back pocket (if it would fit) – in the abstract idea of a back pocket. We set out to make full flavored, sessional beers; go-to beers.”
Their Wooden Nickel, “A peated bock, which is a very unique hybrid style. If you go to Chicago, you won’t find it. It has a distinctive flavor – earthy, smoky flavors.”
Backpocket's ingredients are influenced by the German beer purity law, Reinheitsgebot (literally “purity law" or “purity order”):
“We adhere to the general idea that you don’t throw additives in just for the sake of extending shelf life or speeding up the brewing process – we don’t do that.”
Be sure to check out these others great local producers!
Their Heluka® breed and method of farming focuses on keeping their hogs stress-free: raising them with compassion, plenty of access to spacious bedded areas and sunshine, vegetarian feed, and no antibiotics or hormones.
Le Mars, Iowa
With a passion for great coffee and sustainability, Stephen Dunham developed a line of coffees with a clean flavor and footprint.
Iowa City, IA
When Christian Bejarano and Marta Hamity moved to Iowa from Argentina, they had trouble finding their favorite food: the empanada. They got cooking and quickly earned a cult following.
Coralville, IA
Switch to their butter and you’ll never go back: Hansen’s butter, cream, and long-lasting non-homogenized milks are known for their flavor.
Hudson, IA
Joanna's tonic syrups are handcrafted in small batches, and made with natural ingredients to create the perfect additions to both cocktails and mocktails.
Iowa City, IA
When the pandemic had everyday life restricted, Kate Vigmostad began envisioning an ice cream brand to spark joy and humor while keeping a small carbon footprint with local ingredients.
Fairfield, IA
“They have that old-fashioned flavor, the way turkeys used to taste. I think you’ll agree there isn’t a more tasty bird around!”
Owatonna, MN
Grown sustainably on a 4th generation family farm, this certified non-GMO rice is naturally 53% higher in protein than conventional rice with a low glycemic index.
McClure, IL
