History Behind The Quad Cities Favorite Craft Beers and Breweries

The first brewery opened in Rock Island, Ill., in 1847 called Littig and Co., followed quickly by two others.  Those three breweries merged in 1893 to become The Rock Island Brewing Co.  The City Brewery was the first to open in Davenport, Iowa, in 1850.  Four more followed, and then in 1894 a merger created The Davenport Malting Company.  Prohibition passes in Iowa in 1916 and the State goes dry virtually overnight.  Prohibition passes in Rock Island in 1918.  After Prohibition ends in 1933, several breweries try to start up again.  What follows is a nearly forty-year drought of local craft breweries until Front Street Brewery opens permanently in 1992 and more microbreweries follow.

There are four local home brew clubs in the Quad Cities if you're interested in learning more about DIY:

• MUGZ, or The Mississippi Unquenchable Grail Zymurgists, is the biggest and oldest club in the area
• REFS or Rivers Edge Fermentation Society, created a few years back by several MUGZ members who wanted a bit more of an advanced meeting
• Powder Keggers is for women only to learn/discuss about making beer, wine, and meads
• If you want to go big, Crawford makes craft brewing equipment that is functional and aesthetically pleasing for microbreweries.  Made in the USA, Crawford’s engineers work with local contractors and will help visualize and implement the desired look and design.