Iowa's original craft brewery, pouring about 20 rotating taps by the Amana millstream since 1985, with free live music on many Saturday nights.
Stops within about 40 miles of Millstream Brewing Co.. Collect a Lavender Passport stamp at each one.
Millstream Brewing Co. calls itself Iowa's original craft brewery. It got its start in 1985 with a small batch of German pilsner in the Amana Colonies, and it now brews close to 8,000 barrels a year of beer and soda. The taproom sits beside the Amana millstream, and its patio makes an easy place to slow down after walking the village shops.
About 20 beers rotate on tap, and new ones are released most weeks. The regular lineup includes Schild Brau Amber, Back Road oatmeal stout, Oom Pah Pah German pilsner and Farmer's Tan, a blood orange wheat ale, and a Märzen-style Oktoberfest arrives each fall. Millstream also bottles its own sodas, from root beer and cream soda to ginger beer and blueberry lemonade, so drivers and kids in the group have something to order too.
Live music is a big part of the place. The October 2026 calendar lists shows from 6 to 9 pm on Saturdays, with at least one billed as free, plus a Fall Friday Lobster Day with lobster rolls on October 23. The brewery does not describe a full kitchen, and food trucks appear only on some event listings, so check the events page before you plan a meal here. A holiday advent box of beers goes on sale each fall.
Calyx Creek, a lavender farm with free-to-visit fields, a shop and a café west of Iowa City, is about 20 minutes east of Amana. A summer day can start among the lavender and end with a flight on the patio and a walk through the colonies.
Calyx Creek · about 20 minutes away
Calyx Creek near Oxford is about 20 minutes east, so its lavender fields and café pair well with an afternoon at the brewery.
The brewery says it started in 1985 and describes itself as Iowa's original craft brewery.
Yes. Millstream makes its own sodas, including root beer, sugar-free root beer, black cherry, orange cream, grape and ginger beer.
Recent Saturday shows on the brewery's calendar, such as the October 17, 2026 performance, were listed as free.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Iowa City & the Amana Colonies, Iowa
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
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