Breweries in Iowa
Based on the breweries in the brewery.fyi register and their own websites, read September 2026.
Iowa's breweries are spread across roughly a hundred cities and towns. Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque lead, yet together they hold only about a sixth of them. Small Decorah shows up among the top ten, next to Iowa City, Davenport and Waterloo.
Nearly every place listed is a brewery. Where size is known, brewpubs make up more than a third, so a lot of stops pair beer with a kitchen. A few beer stores, a beer hall and a beer garden round out the list.
In downtown Des Moines, Exile Brewing Company brews lagers, sours and IPAs, and its gold lager Ruthie also comes in a non-alcoholic version. Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company sits in the historic Saddlery Building, decorated with antiques from old Iowa breweries. Toppling Goliath Brewing Co in Decorah is one of the most reviewed breweries in the state.
Most reviewed in Iowa
4.6 (1,778 on Google)
Exile Brewing Company
Des Moines, IA
4.7 (1,614 on Google)
Lua Brewing
Des Moines, IA
4.3 (1,556 on Google)
Granite City Food & Brewery
Cedar Rapids, IA
4.5 (1,551 on Google)
7 Hills Brewing Company
Dubuque, IA
Granite City Food & Brewery
Davenport, IA
4.5 (1,482 on Google)
Barn Town Brewing
West Des Moines, IA
Planning a brewery trip in Iowa
Des Moines makes the easiest base, since more breweries cluster there than anywhere else. Cedar Rapids and Dubuque come next, and Iowa City and Davenport each have a group of their own.
Many of the rest sit in smaller towns, so plan each stop before you drive. Every brewery page on brewery.fyi has hours, a map and what to know before you go.