Django A Gogo Farmhouse Ale
As I was driving up the highway to get to Norfolk, Nebraska to visit Divots Brewery, the name brought back memories of a golf outing. I might just be the worst golfer in the state but was on a trip to Tucson and signed up to golf at the most beautiful golf course I had ever been on. The course was a desert course with super soft fairways. I tended to hit behind the ball and let’s just say I left my mark on the 18-hole course, but not in a good way!
When arriving at Divots, the property seemed like its own community. The Divots Conference Center and the Norfolk Lodge & Suites is a great place for weddings and other events. The lodging and The Sandbar & Grill restaurant provide additional reasons for a nice stay. There have been concerts with names like ZZ Top, Foreigner, and Alabama over the years. Just an incredible entertainment space!
With all the amenities that could be found at Divots, one was missing - craft beer. It was 2014 and craft beer’s popularity was on the rise in Nebraska and around the nation. Divots Brewery was starting to brew small batches of craft beer to be served at the Sandbar & Grill. The brewing space was designed to start this venture to see how folks from around the Norfolk area would like craft beer. It was a work in progress waiting to see what the future might bring.
Jeremy Kirby, brewmaster
Divots Brewery in the past few years has started to really make its mark in the Nebraska craft beer scene. This is due to bringing on Jeremy Kirby as the brewmaster. As we sat down for a visit, I was excited to learn about Jeremy’s background and how he got into brewing!
Jeremy grew up in Battle Creek, Nebraska which is about 12 miles west of Norfolk. In the late 1990’s, he was living in California in a smaller community northwest of Los Angeles called Somis. It was there that Jeremy got interested in winemaking. One day Jeremy visited the Home Beer Wine and Cheesemaking Shop. He got what he needed to make his first batch of wine and when he was finished making it, realized it would be a year to see how it would turn out.
A Mexican Lager on a warm sunny day on the patio at Divots Brewery is so refreshing!
The good news was that Jeremy also noticed all the great homebrewing kits at the shop. Since most beer can be made in less than a month, why not give it a try. I think we all thank Jeremy for doing that!
Traveling soon started to revolve around finding new breweries and trying different styles of beer. Jeremy would get married and the honeymoon was in Munich. German traditional style beers and history of brewing would make anyone want to learn more about making craft beer.
It wouldn’t be long and Jeremy would be headed back to Germany, but this time to the VLB in Berlin to learn more about brewing. The course was a five-month master brewers program. The class consisted of about 30 students from around the world in which many came from breweries to get their training. Jeremy said it was an intense course with lots of focus on the science side of brewing.
Great selection of different styles of beer always on tap!
After school, Jeremy came back to the states and ended up in Durango, Colorado for a couple of years as an assistant brewer at Carver Brewing Company. From there in was onto Gottberg Brew Pub in Columbus, Nebraska.
Jeremy arrived at the Gottberg Brew Pub in 2009 and was there until 2012. Nebraska at that time was just starting to see the beginning of the growth spurt for craft beer breweries. Jeremy said that some of the beers and things they were trying to do were just a little ahead of their time. An opportunity came up in Virginia and it was off to the east coast!
Sunken City Brewing Company in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia would be Jeremy’s home from 2012 to 2016. During his stay at Sunken City, breweries in Virginia would expand from 50 to 250. That is crazy growth! Jeremy became well known in the area and appeared on a list of the Top Twenty Upcoming Brewmasters for the state of Virginia. A great experience seeing the expansion and how competitive it was to get your beer distributed out into the community.
In the meantime, Nebraska also had experienced a significant increase from about 10 breweries to near 40. Things were changing for Divots Brewery as the main chef and brewer had departed. It was time to find someone who had a vision for growth!
It just happened there was a long-time connection between Jeremy and the owner of Divots. If you can think about someone as a child that you could completely trust, who would that be? A teacher, coach, or maybe even a school nurse. Yes, way back when Donna Herrick was Jeremy’s school nurse. Now the owner of Divots for about 14 years, she would offer Jeremy the opportunity to come back to Nebraska.
The current 7 barrel brewing system
It was 2016 and Jeremy had many ideas for the brewery. The most important thing was to get to know what the local patrons liked in terms of the beer that was being brewed at Divots Brewery and to introduce new flavor profiles. Jeremy said, “I like to approach beer like food. Each new experience is a way to help the palate expand.”
The first year started out a little rough, but there were many changes going on. The brewing system was increased from a 15-gallon to a 7-barrel system and still in the same brew space. Getting everything in place and to fit was challenging but the system was up, and new brews were being created. The once 10 tap handles in the Sandbar & Grill would expand to 24. This provided more choices to the growing bar as it opened additional patio space.
The beginning of 2019 became a milestone for Divots Brewery. They would now start to distribute their craft beers outside of Norfolk. By the end of the year, they were looking to expand taproom and brewing space into downtown Norfolk.
This was a huge step and finding the right area would be key. Lots of plans that carried forward into 2020. Then COVID-19 would hit, and plans would have to be put on hold. The dynamics during the virus would change the way to serve the community. Crowler sales in February were around 25 and would explode in April to 550 as the only option to get beer was takeout during the shutdown of businesses due to Corornavirus.
But even though the world was on pause, Divots Brewery and Jeremy were still thinking about the future and how to grow. The unfortunate demise of one Nebraska brewery meant that an incredible brewing system would be up for sale. Divots Brewery will be the new home for this system and expanding their operations is the plan for the fall of 2020. Additional ideas are in the works for smaller seasonal and specialty beer batches.
A colorful and flavorful flight
So many great things happening at Divots Brewery, but I bet by now you are wondering how are their beers? Here is a sample of what I tried during my visit and what I brought home.
Crushable Kolsch ABV 5.2% IBU 21
A very approachable beer. Has a nice maltiness to it and has a great soft mouthfeel!
Cold Pressed Mocha Stout ABV 5.86% IBU 31
The Colombian coffee and cocoa nibs provide rich flavors to this Oatmeal Stout. The creamy body of this stout also adds to the experience!
Red Zone Copper Lager ABV 4.9% IBU 15
The amber color draws you in as the forward bready notes grab your attention. The finish to me was unique. My best description is spicy yet there was more going on!
Misguided Angel - Apricot Belgian Tripel ABV 9.5% IBU 30
I was overwhelmed by the balance of the apricot flavor and the slight spiciness of this beer. So enjoyable and one amazing Tripel!
The afternoon ended with a fine dinner at the Sandbar & Grill. It capped off a great visit! My trip to Divots Brewery was long overdue and I know I am looking forward to going back.
I highly recommend when you are in Norfolk to stop in and enjoy the great craft beers. Better yet spend the night and enjoy the beautiful patio space. Nothing like having so many amenities in the same place!
Cheers!