After celebrating its second award from The Des Moines Register as one of the “Top 6 Quirkiest Places to get a Craft Beer in Central Iowa,” Alluvial Brewing became the newest hot spot in Ames for craft beer and taking in the Iowa scenery.

The brewery stands apart from the rest because of its unique setting — it is located right outside of town in Franklin Township in a building that looks like an old farmhouse situated on 80 acres of organic farmland.

Elliot Thompson, owner of Alluvial Brewing, said he used reclaimed wood from barns to give the house a rustic look. He also said he’s working on restoring the wetland on the property as well. The interior is also unique.

“I wanted to have the atmosphere feel more like a coffee shop,” Thompson said. “We have bar seating for seven, and the rest of the seating is communal.”

Thompson’s goal was to make the area “an interactive area to get and enjoy beer.”

As well as the atmosphere, Alluvial Brewing has as many as 10 craft beers on tap at a time.

Thompson said he had 28 different brews on tap in the span of seven months, which is quite the feat since it usually takes two to three weeks for a brew to ferment before it is ready for consumption. 

A day in the life of Thompson is a lot of book work. A lot of record keeping and beer reporting is required. Thompson also works in the tap room during brewery hours.

“I would be interested in going,” said Adam Gerling, senior in agricultural systems technology. “I’ve never been to a place like that before. It sounds like a cool place to go with friends and have a good time.”

For advice on beginning home brewing, Thompson said creativity is key.

“Start off having fun, experimenting and enjoying brewing,” Thompson said. “It’s a fun hobby to be involved in.”