Recent beers at Firetrucker and 515.

The latest release from Firetrucker Brewery, the Under Lager Search & Rescue IPL is a dry hopped lager that starts off with a grapefruit bitterness that finishes bright like a pilsner. And I love the lacing left behind by the foam. Beer pairing cheese plates from The Cheese Shop of Des Moines are the best thing to show up at Firetrucker that doesn't come in a pint glass. The selection includes notable Iowa cheeses Milton Creamery's Prairie Breeze Cheddar and Frisian Farms Aged Gouda, along with a monger pick, a Hawes Wensleydale in this instance. Complimentary crackers come with the cheeses, but I much prefer the buttery bite-sized pretzels that Firetrucker offers for snacking.

A quick flight at 515 Brewing Company, from left: the Weiner Bever, a rye wheat; the OooooJ IPA, an American pale wheat; the black wheat IPA Thang; and the chai stout Belly Dancer, a collaboration with Iowa Brewers' Union home brew competition winner Paul Kay. Favorites on this visit were the OooooJ IPA, dry hopped with Citra hops for a remarkable citrus flavor, and the Belly Dancer, an eye opening spice brew. Both were exceptional.