Big Grove Brewery Taproom (795 S 48th St - Steel Castings Bldg)

[OmaHahaHusker]

A friend of mine in Iowa shared a Facebook post from a brewery that seems to be hinting at an Omaha location.

[Flyer14]

Great find! Love Big Grove in Des Moines, they embraced the bike culture with their location in Des Moines, hopefully come up with something similar here.

[skinzfan23]

They have rapidly expanded throughout eastern Iowa but aren’t there quite a few breweries already here?

[Coyote]

[Coyote]

Big Grove Brewery

And then there’s distribution: The team recently signed a deal with Stern Beverage, out of Illinois, to get their products up and down the Mississippi River. They’re also expanding into Omaha, Nebraska.

[nebugeater]

They have rapidly expanded throughout eastern Iowa but aren’t there quite a few breweries already here?

Big Grove Brewery

And then there’s distribution: The team recently signed a deal with Stern Beverage, out of Illinois, to get their products up and down the Mississippi River. They’re also expanding into Omaha, Nebraska.

Does a presence in Nebraska make it easier to set up distribution in Nebraska?

[FishFighter92]

https://biggrove.com/pages/omaha-taproom

[djc311]

https://biggrove.com/pages/omaha-taproom

Wow, now that will be cool.

[skinzfan23]

I was wondering where they would go, thought maybe somewhere downtown since that is where they recently built in Cedar Rapids, IA.

[Jins123]

https://biggrove.com/pages/omaha-taproom

So inside the new med center facility or its separate own building next to the new med center facility?

[almighty_tuna]

Inside the former ball bearing factory on the west side of Saddlecreek

[OmaHahaHusker]

The owner of big grove also owns a craft beer restaurant called 30hop which is rumored to be going into the heartwood preserve area.

[Coyote]

[BIGO88]

Found a new rendering of the new Big Grove opening in 2025.

[Louie]

Pretty cool looking spot.

[FishFighter92]

Found a new rendering of the new Big Grove opening in 2025.

Wow, almost exactly like the brewery. I guess if it aint broke, don't fix

[nativeomahan]

It looks nice. I don’t drink all that much beer but I really appreciate places like this being added to the local dining and entertainment scene.

[Brad]

Sign is up:

1.

20250518881A8198.jpg

2.

20250518881A8202.jpg

[WorldStreet]

They seem to have a wide variety of IPA's and lower alcohol fruity beers. I'm looking forward to checking it out later this summer.

[Brad]

Photo Update:

1.

881A1758.jpg

2.

881A1756.jpg

3.

881A1754.jpg

4.

881A1753.jpg

5.

881A1752.jpg

[Flyer14]

Looks great, nice photos Brad! I’ve been to the Big Grove in Des Moines and it had a good atmosphere and beer, really looking forward to this one.

[swgiust]

Opening date?

[Brad]

Looks great, nice photos Brad!

Thanks!

Opening date?

Website still says summer 2025. They are still working but the inside looked fairly complete. Big Grove Coffee next to it is already open.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Looks great, nice photos Brad!

Thanks!

Opening date?

Website still says summer 2025. They are still working but the inside looked fairly complete. Big Grove Coffee next to it is already open.

Good looking pics Brad. Yet another place I need to check out…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Brad]

Very Strange... Big Grove's Liquor License was denied by the State Liquor Control Commission. Short Story is Nebraska is counting all the beer they brew in Iowa and they are too big. However what they are going to brew in Omaha will be much smaller.

Starts about 3:20 in to the video:

[Louie]

For as loose as the liquor laws in this state are, the distribution laws are archaic.

[GrowUpFrances]

So if you're Big Grove or Boulevard or New Belgium or any other medium or large-scale brewery with a track record of success and you want to invest in Omaha, you will get denied simply because you're too successful an out-of-state manufacturer? How does that make any sense or encourage job creation?

[nebport5]

The intention of these laws is about partly about leveling the playing field and protecting micro producers instead of a company like Anheuser monopolizing the market by eschewing the three tier system. While Big Grove may not be a real threat to local micro producers, law makers drew a line at production volume and B.G. by virtue of out of state ownership(and production) exceeds it.

[Brad]

The intention of these laws is about partly about leveling the playing field and protecting micro producers instead of a company like Anheuser monopolizing the market by eschewing the three tier system. While Big Grove may not be a real threat to local micro producers, law makers drew a line at production volume and B.G. by virtue of out of state ownership(and production) exceeds it.

So how has Granite City gotten away with it for so many years? They have 30 locations in 13 states and the HQ is in Minnesota...

[Flyer14]

How can no one have spoke up before this? How did they allow it to get this far before denying them?

[omaha79]

so, is this dead?

[skinzfan23]

so, is this dead?

If you listen to the whole segment, they (Big Grove) is going to have to go before the commission to get the interpretation changed potentially. They are basing the interpretation on the amount of barrels that they produce in IA not on the amt that they will produce at the Omaha location.

Not saying that there is much Big Grove could have done to prevent this, but crazy that they have invested $5 million and hired staff and are nearing an opening without having the license (I don't follow liquor licenses, although it sounds like this this is the normal approval procedure) The city council doesn't approve, but rather just give their recommendation.

[GrowUpFrances]

The intention of these laws is about partly about leveling the playing field and protecting micro producers instead of a company like Anheuser monopolizing the market by eschewing the three tier system. While Big Grove may not be a real threat to local micro producers, law makers drew a line at production volume and B.G. by virtue of out of state ownership(and production) exceeds it.

Be that as it may, it seems pretty close-minded to think that our local microbreweries will be put out of business because a larger brewer wants to move in. If anything, it could help the local industry. You think local Asheville breweries are hating the fact that New Belgium and Sierra Nevada came to town? No, it only further legitimizes the city as a craft beer destination. Big Grove IMO is a destination brewery unlike anything else in town. No doubt, once they open and word gets out about it, people will come in from outside of Omaha to enjoy it. And then maybe visit some other microbreweries in the area, too. Hopefully it gets figured out and they are able to open soon.

[skinzfan23]

Big Grove is a big deal in Omaha, and I'll be honest, I am not the biggest drinker, but I thought is was ok, but their food is overpriced and at least the staff that I encountered in the Cedar Rapids location were rude and weird (we were there for a high school reunion for my wife and long after everyone was gone, one of the waitresses chased us down on the whole other section of the development and asked if someone was going to pay for a meal at a table near where we were sitting 2 hrs prior. I just stood there bc at first I thought she was going to ask me to pay. I felt bad for her, but unfortunately that wasn't my problem and nothing I could help her with.

[omaha79]

The intention of these laws is about partly about leveling the playing field and protecting micro producers instead of a company like Anheuser monopolizing the market by eschewing the three tier system. While Big Grove may not be a real threat to local micro producers, law makers drew a line at production volume and B.G. by virtue of out of state ownership(and production) exceeds it.

Be that as it may, it seems pretty close-minded to think that our local microbreweries will be put out of business because a larger brewer wants to move in. If anything, it could help the local industry. You think local Asheville breweries are hating the fact that New Belgium and Sierra Nevada came to town? No, it only further legitimizes the city as a craft beer destination. Big Grove IMO is a destination brewery unlike anything else in town. No doubt, once they open and word gets out about it, people will come in from outside of Omaha to enjoy it. And then maybe visit some other microbreweries in the area, too. Hopefully it gets figured out and they are able to open soon.

I already had one of my suburbanite friends who works near there scout out the location. He's aghast that all the parking is metered. when I told him of yesterday's development, his response was, "good. bleep them. was never going to work anyway if they were going to charge for parking down there." I'm not even sure that's their decision, but that's the kind of mentality we have in this backwoods yokel town. Wants to be big time, but is stuck in a 2 stoplight town mentality. I truly hate it here sometimes.

And no, I don't believe anything Big Grove would do would put any of the craft brewers out of business around Omaha or beyond. If anything, we are simply oversaturated with breweries now and there needs to be some natural churn with some being winners and some being losers. The product should decide who sticks around and who disappears. It shouldn't be determined by strict liquor control laws meant to punish "big fancy out of town city slickers."

But, that's Nebraska in a nutshell.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

The intention of these laws is about partly about leveling the playing field and protecting micro producers instead of a company like Anheuser monopolizing the market by eschewing the three tier system. While Big Grove may not be a real threat to local micro producers, law makers drew a line at production volume and B.G. by virtue of out of state ownership(and production) exceeds it.

Be that as it may, it seems pretty close-minded to think that our local microbreweries will be put out of business because a larger brewer wants to move in. If anything, it could help the local industry. You think local Asheville breweries are hating the fact that New Belgium and Sierra Nevada came to town? No, it only further legitimizes the city as a craft beer destination. Big Grove IMO is a destination brewery unlike anything else in town. No doubt, once they open and word gets out about it, people will come in from outside of Omaha to enjoy it. And then maybe visit some other microbreweries in the area, too. Hopefully it gets figured out and they are able to open soon.

I already had one of my suburbanite friends who works near there scout out the location. He's aghast that all the parking is metered. when I told him of yesterday's development, his response was, "good. bleep them. was never going to work anyway if they were going to charge for parking down there." I'm not even sure that's their decision, but that's the kind of mentality we have in this backwoods yokel town. Wants to be big time, but is stuck in a 2 stoplight town mentality. I truly hate it here sometimes.

And no, I don't believe anything Big Grove would do would put any of the craft brewers out of business around Omaha or beyond. If anything, we are simply oversaturated with breweries now and there needs to be some natural churn with some being winners and some being losers. The product should decide who sticks around and who disappears. It shouldn't be determined by strict liquor control laws meant to punish "big fancy out of town city slickers."

But, that's Nebraska in a nutshell.

That’s suburbanites in general. The free parking entitlement is not unique to Omaha. They complain about meters here in St. Louis and did in Chicago as well.

[nebport5]

So how has Granite City gotten away with it for so many years? They have 30 locations in 13 states and the HQ is in Minnesota...

I bet it has a lot to do with "Fermentus Interruptus™”. A legal loop hole.

https://foodanddine.com/hip-hops-pardon ... erruption/

[nebport5]

The intention of these laws is about partly about leveling the playing field and protecting micro producers instead of a company like Anheuser monopolizing the market by eschewing the three tier system. While Big Grove may not be a real threat to local micro producers, law makers drew a line at production volume and B.G. by virtue of out of state ownership(and production) exceeds it.

Be that as it may, it seems pretty close-minded to think that our local microbreweries will be put out of business because a larger brewer wants to move in. If anything, it could help the local industry. You think local Asheville breweries are hating the fact that New Belgium and Sierra Nevada came to town? No, it only further legitimizes the city as a craft beer destination. Big Grove IMO is a destination brewery unlike anything else in town. No doubt, once they open and word gets out about it, people will come in from outside of Omaha to enjoy it. And then maybe visit some other microbreweries in the area, too. Hopefully it gets figured out and they are able to open soon.

As Louie mentioned above, there is some archaicness is the distribution laws. Recall the early days of Cutspike/Lucky Bucket wanting to distill and brew they had to do some work arounds and IIRC were instrumental in getting existing laws revised. Fast forward to covid and a whole new set of challenges and laws had to adapt. This was true not just here but basically all over the country.

However, Nebraska, much like many other things, has been late to the game of craft brewing, distilling, etc and isn’t proactive in changing old laws to encourage new business. Rather, it’s often an entrepreneur looking to do what so many other states are already doing but then run into dear Ol' Nebraska's clinging to the past.

[nebport5]

The intention of these laws is about partly about leveling the playing field and protecting micro producers instead of a company like Anheuser monopolizing the market by eschewing the three tier system. While Big Grove may not be a real threat to local micro producers, law makers drew a line at production volume and B.G. by virtue of out of state ownership(and production) exceeds it.

Be that as it may, it seems pretty close-minded to think that our local microbreweries will be put out of business because a larger brewer wants to move in. If anything, it could help the local industry. You think local Asheville breweries are hating the fact that New Belgium and Sierra Nevada came to town? No, it only further legitimizes the city as a craft beer destination. Big Grove IMO is a destination brewery unlike anything else in town. No doubt, once they open and word gets out about it, people will come in from outside of Omaha to enjoy it. And then maybe visit some other microbreweries in the area, too. Hopefully it gets figured out and they are able to open soon.

I already had one of my suburbanite friends who works near there scout out the location. He's aghast that all the parking is metered. when I told him of yesterday's development, his response was, "good. bleep them. was never going to work anyway if they were going to charge for parking down there." I'm not even sure that's their decision, but that's the kind of mentality we have in this backwoods yokel town. Wants to be big time, but is stuck in a 2 stoplight town mentality. I truly hate it here sometimes.

And no, I don't believe anything Big Grove would do would put any of the craft brewers out of business around Omaha or beyond. If anything, we are simply oversaturated with breweries now and there needs to be some natural churn with some being winners and some being losers. The product should decide who sticks around and who disappears. It shouldn't be determined by strict liquor control laws meant to punish "big fancy out of town city slickers."

But, that's Nebraska in a nutshell.

It’s a little more complicated than that. The three tier system goes back to post prohibition days. Certain aspects of that system are about transparency instead of say the mob running the whole operation. While, it is(as I said) partly about leveling the playing field, this system was created long before craft breweries existed. Having to go through a distributor isn’t particularly in the best interests of a micro brewer either. And generally speaking, the manufacturer, the distributor and retailer, besides obviously sales, have conflicting interests.

While I do think there is over-saturation in the craft brewing world I don’t particularly think Omaha is exemplary. Compared to other 1 million populated metros do we really have that many breweries? Even so, the market can still work out winners and losers within the current system how ever flawed and in need of revision as it may be.

[Omaha Cowboy]

This entire happenstance is an embarrassment for the State of Nebraska and metropolitan area of Omaha..

The company has already invested millions and have hired staff..only to have Lucy pull the football away right before Charlie Brown kicks it..

Bad form..

What an untimely conundrum…

Ciao..LiO…Peace