Iowa Spirits Spring Summer 2019 - 18

towns might not necessarily always be in the
"Chuck became my key to learn all about the
business of selling alcohol," Holmes says. "We
culture," Munson says. "I started writing about
were finding they weren't necessarily aware of
RAGBRAI and fell in love and was all about it
all the laws and how to get licensed properly."
after that."
Holmes says RAGBRAI is such a big event
What's it like, being the literary voice of
that they have hundreds of licenses associated
RAGBRAI?
with alcohol; in 2018 RAGBRAI went through
"It's like trying to describe Mardi Gras while
several big towns, which increased the number
also having a heart for rural America, and it's
of permits.
being a little bit of a fitness writer, and then also
"Last year it was over 700 on-premises retailtrying to describe the pastoral beauty of agriculers: bars, restaurants, places like that," Holmes
tural Iowa," Munson says. "So it's a little bit a mix
says.
of all that. RAGBRAI is such a unique beast. It
Holmes said there's been an upward surge in
started out on a whim and now is this rare case
purchases of RAGBRAI-oriented five-day licenses,
where you have global tourism in towns that the
which are their shortest term of license.
entire rest of the year are completely starved
"People will get a five-day license to sell alcofor any sort of tourism or economic infusion."
hol along the RAGBRAI route, and it seems like
People who don't live in the Midwest often
those numbers are increasing," he says.
don't know what to expect when they get to
Part of that increase may be due to the boom
Iowa at the end of July.
in native breweries in the state. Over the past
"From the view of the bike seat, Iowa is not
five years, native breweries have grown from 21
flat or necessarily easy, especially if you think
in 2013 to 63 in 2018 along with 45 brewpubs.
about humidity. Or you could get a chill in the
Native distilleries and native wineries have also
middle of July," Munson says. "RAGBRAI is about
seen increases to 16 and 112, respectively.
as ideal as you can get, as long as some sufferKYLE MUNSON held Offenburger's position
ing is included in your notion of what's ideal."
as chief RAGBRAI chronicler the past eight years,
Maybe that's why alcohol is such a time-honafter John Carlson's decade of following Iowa
ored part of the ride.
Boy into history.
For the riders, the last week of July is always

18 IOWA SPIRITS

Iowa Spirits Spring Summer 2019

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