iowa’s original Brew pub

ESTD. 1992

brewing is back in the quad cities

Having been in continuous operation since 1992, founded by brewer and engineer, Steve Zuidema, and co-operated with his wife, Jenni Ash. The brewery’s humble beginnings started with a 7-barrel brewhouse in the basement of the current Pub & Eatery location, located on River Drive in downtown Davenport.  The 100+ year old building is nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River, in downtown Davenport, Iowa, in what was known from the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s as the “Bucktown” neighborhood.  In those days, River Drive was known as Front Street, and the Bucktown neighborhood itself was known for its plethora of drinking establishments and houses of ill repute.  This reputation gained Davenport its title of “Wickedest City in America”, back in those days. When Front Street opened it’s doors, there were no other breweries operating in the area and only one other brewery in the state of Iowa. Unknowingly at the time, this move would shape the brewing industry in the Quad Cities decades later.

a short opening

In 1993, just months after opening Front Street Brewery, the “Great Flood of the Mississippi River” engulfed most of downtown Davenport, and completely submerged the original basement-level brewery, along with the entire brew pub.  Before succumbing to the disastrous record setting flood waters, friends and loyal customers worked around the clock sandbagging and pumping water, in a futile effort to save Front Street.  Out of this tragedy, one of Front Street’s flagship beers, Raging River IPA, was born.

scaling up

After many years of establishing itself as a go-to spot in the Quad Cities for craft beer and homemade food, the brewing operations were relocated to their current location in The Freight House in 2012, just four blocks west of the brew pub, on River Drive.  The brewery itself was also upgraded to something on more of a commercial scale, and included a 15-barrel brewhouse and five 30-barrel fermentation vessels.  This move allowed the restaurant to expand seating and kitchen space, while allowing a taproom to open inside the new brewery.  The new brewhouse was designed by Steve himself, and custom built by Crawford Company, under Steve’s direction. Today, the Brewing Division of Crawford Company is a formidable player in the brewing equipment space, and our brew house is the grandfather of their brewing equipment line.

new era

In 2016, Front Street Brewery, Inc. was acquired by the current ownership group, who launched the brewery into full scale distribution, while maintaining the quaint atmosphere and great pub food long time customers have come to expect.  Releasing our most popular beers into the market was a game-changer and signaled the growth of FSB.

historic flood

History would repeat itself in April of 2019. Davenport experienced its worst flood in history, which ultimately engulfed the current Pub & Eatery location after a temporary flood barrier failed just 50 yards from the front door.  Everything in the building was completely destroyed. The basement and about 18” of the main floor remained under water for nearly two weeks.  After nearly six months of clean up and reconstruction, the Pub & Eatery was reopened to the public, with modern upgrades and a fresh new look.

present day

We continue to look for opportunities to share our products with the Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin markets through our distribution partners. You can find our 4-packs at grocers and any stores that sell beer. And it’s hard to find a bar or restaurant that doesn’t have Cherry Bomb Blonde on tap. Locally, our Taproom and Pub & Eatery both continue to be top destinations for handcrafted beer and creative food.

The Quad Cities currently is home to 13 breweries in the larger metro area, all starting right here on old Front Street.