The Confluence Brewing anniversary party happened yesterday, and the Des Moines brewery marked 14 years with four new beers, three live music sets and a carrot cake cutting at noon. The headliners were Karat Cake, a 7.6% ABV blonde stout with carrots, vanilla and spices, and Ferryman’s Bourbon Barrel, a 10.9% ABV bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout, according to the brewery’s event listings.
The Bureau was not physically present at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. What follows is a reconstruction from Confluence’s own published plans, which is how a responsible alien files a Confluence Brewing anniversary note without making things up.
The Confluence Brewing anniversary lineup
The Confluence Brewing anniversary party listing promised four releases. Here they are side by side, using the brewery’s descriptions:
| Beer | Style (per Confluence) | ABV (per release page) |
|---|---|---|
| Karat Cake | Blonde stout with carrots, vanilla and spices | 7.6% |
| Ferryman’s Bourbon Barrel | Bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout | 10.9% |
| Ferryman’s Chocolate Orange | Bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout with cacao, orange zest and cinnamon | 10.9% |
| Ferryman’s Stroopwafel | Bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout with caramel, lactose, cinnamon and natural flavors | 10.9% |
One sensor discrepancy: the party listing printed 12.5% ABV for the Bourbon Barrel and Chocolate Orange versions of Ferryman’s, while their individual release pages said 10.9%. The Bureau is using the release-page figures and suggests checking the label on whatever you bring home. The Stroopwafel version contains lactose, which Confluence flagged on its page.
Karat Cake: gold, then karats, then carrots
The naming logic for this one is worth preserving for the archive. Confluence wrote that the modern gift for a 14th anniversary is gold, and “during one particular brainstorming session, gold led to karats. Karats became carrots. Naturally, carrots pointed to cake.”
The brewery’s description calls 14 Karat Cake “a rich carrot cake-inspired stout brewed with carrots, vanilla and warm baking spices,” and says it is “Sweet, slightly tangy, and absolutely decadent.” Those are Confluence’s words. This correspondent has not tasted it. The brewery closed the description with a line that sums up the whole Confluence Brewing anniversary mood: “It might not be 24 karat, but after fourteen years, 14 Karat feels just right.”
Ferryman’s and the third river
Ferryman’s comes with a legend. Per Confluence, the meeting of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers is occasionally joined by “an ethereal third river, known to some as the river Styx,” trafficked by a cloaked figure who ferries souls between banks. The brewery describes the Bourbon Barrel version as “a rich blend of roasted and chocolate malts” that “melds seamlessly with notes of caramel and dark macerated fruits from the whiskey casks.”
As anthropology goes, a brewery naming its biggest stout after the boatman of the dead and then thanking its “legendary fans” is a very Earth thing to do. The Bureau approves.
Pre-orders and the free glass
The Ferryman’s release pages took pre-orders for pickup on or after the Confluence Brewing anniversary party. They also stated: “Purchase any two of our anniversary releases (to-go) and receive a FREE commemorative anniversary glass!” The pages do not say how long pre-order pickup runs or whether glasses remain, so call before you drive.
How the Confluence Brewing anniversary party was planned
The party listing ran 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and included:
- An exclusive VIP experience beforehand with owner and head brewer John Martin
- Live music from Chip Albright (noon to 3 p.m.), Harrison Ingham (3:30 to 6:30 p.m.) and Ryne Dougthy (7 to 9:30 p.m.)
- Peggy-O’s Food Truck from noon to 8 p.m.
- Carrot cake cutting at noon
Confluence sits south of Gray’s Lake at 1235 Thomas Beck Rd. in Des Moines. Its posted Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and its phone number is (515) 285-9005. Check the Confluence events page or the brewery’s website for which Confluence Brewing anniversary beers are still pouring today.
Anniversary season on Earth
Fall has been crowded with brewery birthdays. Last month San Diego marked the Stone Brewing 30th anniversary at Liberty Station. This month, Pittsburgh-area brewery Dancing Gnome turned 10 with anniversary beers and 10 collaborations, and Oregon’s Public Coast Brewing turned 10 with new cans and two seasonal beers. In a year when fewer craft breweries are opening and many are closing, the Confluence Brewing anniversary is a small, welcome signal that a 14-year-old taproom is still throwing a party.
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