Sioux City's Jackson Street Brewing's roots started when the founders met at KTIV-TV

Paula Reece
·6 min read
Jackson Street Brewing is located at 607 5th Street in Sioux City.
Jackson Street Brewing is located at 607 5th Street in Sioux City.

Note to readers: This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Tia Heidebrecht's name.

Dave Winslow and Tia Heidebrecht, a married couple and owners of Jackson Street Brewing, met when he was a meteorologist and she was a photographer and reporter at KTIV in Sioux City.

“We enjoyed telling stories in Sioux City and Siouxland during our time in television,” said Heidebrecht. “So we still tell stories in a different way through our beer labels and friends we've made along the way.”

The journey to brewery owners began about nine years ago when Winslow started making wine from ingredients they could find around Sioux City or grow at home.

“He quickly started making cider and eventually all-grain beer,” said Heidebrecht. “We also used to make homemade liqueurs by infusing local fruit and spices into alcohol.”

Determined to start a brewery in Sioux City and after enduring two failed partnership attempts, the couple decided to make a go of it themselves.

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The taproom at Jackson Street Brewing is in a 100-year-old building in downtown Sioux City, which has housed many businesses over the century.
The taproom at Jackson Street Brewing is in a 100-year-old building in downtown Sioux City, which has housed many businesses over the century.

“We formed a corporation in February of 2015 along with having our first child, named Jackson, and we opened the doors in downtown Sioux City in July of 2015, just in time for RAGBRAI kicking off in Sioux City. We had a lot of community support. We launched a successful Kickstarter campaign and competed and won a couple of local grants. We were the first brewery in Sioux City since the early 2000s,” said Heidebrecht.

Jackson Street brews most types of beer, but they always have their Keelin’ It Exploration IPA on tap.

“This beer is named after the keelboat Lewis & Clark traveled on through Siouxland and it plays off the fact that this beer is an exploration of a variety of hops to make different combinations of IPA,” said Heidebrecht.

Another of their flagship beers is the Stone Park IPA, “an ode to our favorite local state park where we enjoy runs together and hikes with our kids,” she said.

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Because each has a strong German heritage, the couple also began making Heidel-Brau, the reinvention of a classic German pilsner that was originally brewed by Sioux City Brewing Company over a half century ago. They also make a Hell’s Half Acre series – “a barrel-aged stout with various adjuncts, brewed one small batch at a time to resemble a historic time in Sioux City,” said Heidebrecht.

Dave Winslow and Tia Heidebrecht, a married couple and owners of Jackson Street Brewing, met when he was a meteorologist and she was a photographer and reporter at KTIV in Sioux City.
Dave Winslow and Tia Heidebrecht, a married couple and owners of Jackson Street Brewing, met when he was a meteorologist and she was a photographer and reporter at KTIV in Sioux City.

Sours are popular menu items as well.

“Almost all of our beer names have a historical place, memory or special meaning. It might be the ingredients we grow at our orchard or we pick with friends around town,” she said.

The taproom is in a 100-year-old building in downtown Sioux City, which has housed many businesses over the century.

“Vintage would be a great description,” said Heidebrecht, “with some grit and character.”

This past summer the couple completed a renovation of a neighboring space that is 110 years old to expand the brewery and taproom. They describe it as a “speakeasy feel,” with gold painted original tin ceiling and exposed brick.

“During our many trips to Menards, we met an employee who owns a sawmill near Sioux City,” said Winslow. “He helped cut some enormous 100-year-old live edge slabs that we have incorporated into our tabletops and bar top.” This addition also enabled them to double their patio space, which is also dog friendly.

Jackson Street Brewing in Sioux City brews most types of beer, but they always have their Keelin’ It Exploration IPA on tap.
Jackson Street Brewing in Sioux City brews most types of beer, but they always have their Keelin’ It Exploration IPA on tap.

“We started out on a shoestring budget but have poured our hearts and souls into our small but mighty family-owned business,” said Heidebrecht. “Operating with a dedicated and hardworking staff, our Midwestern values have brought a beer community together in what has been a light domestic beer town. Our tasting room offers 19 taps with something for everyone. We have grown to love traditional and true to style beers, while still experimenting with fun and whimsical creations to keep people coming back for more. The expansion into our neighboring space has sparked a whole new renovation of our entire tasting room to honor a classic vintage style and ambiance that takes you back in time.”

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Address: 607 5th Street, Sioux City

Phone: (712) 574-8403

Website: jacksonstreet.beer

Distance from Downtown Des Moines: 193 miles

Hours: 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 3-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Food: They recently started carrying Roberto’s Pizza, but patrons are welcome to bring their own food, too. On Sundays, their “Sunday Brunch” features a pairing of their Big Beers with Roberto’s Breakfast Pizza and local donuts from Jitters. “We have built a strong community of beer lovers who gather every Sunday for what they call ‘Beer Therapy.’ Some are retired teachers, some young teachers, laborers and engineers, basically people from all walks of life but are brought together with their love of beer,” said Heidebrecht.

The atmosphere at Jackson Street Brewing is welcoming and accommodating to families. They serve Millstream Root Beer on tap for kids or “kids at heart.”
The atmosphere at Jackson Street Brewing is welcoming and accommodating to families. They serve Millstream Root Beer on tap for kids or “kids at heart.”

Kids: The atmosphere at Jackson Street Brewing is welcoming and accommodating to families. They serve Millstream Root Beer on tap for kids or “kids at heart.”

Events: Visit on February 19 for Bockfest, from 11 a.m.-10 p.m, marking the eventual transition from winter to spring with traditional German Bock beers. They will also offer a special glass with a goat printed on it plus a fill of traditional Bockfest beer for $12. Learn more about it at facebook.com/events/316979543653089.

Rent-out Space: In July 2021, the couple opened 609 Space, an intimate space for parties of around 30 that can be rented out for parties or other events. “It's really fun when it's warm enough because we can open the two 10-foot-tall garage doors and it has a much different feel,” said Heidebrecht. “We have six taps in this space and friends reserve the space for $50 and they receive a private beertender and the space. It's only $200 plus gratuity for two hours. Friends can bring in their own food. Crockpots are popular. And, in the future, we hope to offer a few other items too. We are always looking ahead.”

Jackson Street Brewing is located at 607 5th Street in Sioux City.
Jackson Street Brewing is located at 607 5th Street in Sioux City.

While You’re There: “We always recommend checking out The Diving Elk (bar and restaurant), The Warrior Hotel, where there is a bowling alley in the basement, taking a hike at Stone Park or at least checking out the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center which is in Stone Park,” said the couple. They also recommend the Sioux City Public Museum, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, the many sights on Historic 4th Street and the other breweries in town, Marto Brewing Company and Brioux City Brewery.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jackson Street Brewing in Sioux City offers German-style beer, food