Reinbecker beer pictured on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at The Dig Inn in downtown Reinbeck. The beer was commissioned by Trevor and Del Schellhorn in honor of the community's 150th birthday and brewed by Confluence Brewing Company in Des Moines. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

REINBECK – It’s Reinbecker time!

In tandem with America’s 250th birthday, the owners of the former Broad Street Brewing Company, Trevor and Del Schellhorn, partnered with Des Moines-based Confluence Brewing Company to brew a commemorative beer in honor of Reinbeck’s own milestone birthday.

“Reinbeck was founded in 1876. So this is its 150th anniversary. And on the 100th anniversary and Bicentennial back in 1976, there was a big to-do … Along those lines, I had someone get hold of me and say, ‘You should brew one of your old Broad Street beers for the (150th) event.’ … I took (the idea) and ran with it,” Trevor explained to the newspaper as part of a phone interview conducted ahead of the July 4 holiday.

During most of the years Broad Street Brewing was in operation in downtown Reinbeck (2011-2018), the Schellhorns brewed a flagship beer called Reinbecker and while Trevor said he thought about using that same recipe this time around, after speaking with Confluence’s president and head brewer John Martin, he decided to switch it up.

“I thought about using that original recipe,” Trevor said, “(but) as John and I talked, it became apparent to me … I kind of wanted to keep my original recipe … to myself because I thought, well, I still stroll around the idea of reopening a local brewery someday.”

Ben Robertson, left, and Trevor Schellhorn, right, pictured at The Dig Inn in Reinbeck on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The duo have been instrumental in bringing Reinbecker to the community this summer. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Working with Confluence, Trevor instead came up with a “one-off, celebratory beer in the same vein” of the original Reinbecker – a 4.5% amber lager he describes as “craft-based but also appealing to a large number of people.”

The results have been speaking for themselves all over town since Confluence delivered the final product to The Dig Inn’s doorstep – Broad Street Brewing’s former home – on Monday, June 29, with the beer quickly racking up star reviews. Case in point, last Saturday, mere moments before the grand parade kicked off down Broad Street, several folks were observed by the newspaper hurriedly leaving The Dig Inn while juggling cases of Reinbecker.

Earlier in the week on Thursday evening, the newspaper stopped by The Dig Inn and observed a similar scenario – a stream of folks dropping by to either sample the beer on tap or pick up a case for themselves.

One such individual that evening was Reinbeck native Susan Keith, visiting from her home in Virginia. Despite flooded streets and pouring rain, Keith made her way to the bar where owner Ben Robertson poured her a glass. After one sip, a huge smile spread across her face.

When asked for his own take, Robertson told the newspaper he found the commemorative beer “delish” and after sampling it later that evening, this reporter wholeheartedly agreed – it goes down very smooth but still has body and soul to it.

Susan Keith, a Reinbeck native who now lives in Virginia, smiles after taking her first sip of Reinbecker on Thursday, July 2, at the The Dig Inn in downtown Reinbeck. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“I knew I wanted to appeal to the whole town (with Reinbecker),” Trevor explained when asked about the taste. “That was a big part of why we went the way we did (with the recipe) – appeal to everyone, be all-inclusive and make sure that everyone felt like they could be proud of their community.”

During the holiday weekend, the beer was available at all bars in Reinbeck as well as at the Fireman’s Dance on July 3 and in the beer tent in Elmwood Park on July 4. The beer was also tapped in Des Moines Friday evening (July 3) at Confluence.

For those who haven’t yet had a chance to enjoy a Reinbecker, the beer should remain on tap at The Dig Inn through Thursday, July 23, when RAGBRAI passes through, Robertson said. But don’t delay – when it’s gone, it’s gone.

“Being able to provide this for the town was just something I could do,” Trevor, a Gladbrook-Reinbeck Class of 1993 alumnus who now resides in Grundy Center, further told the newspaper. “I love Reinbeck and I’m just glad that I could pitch in and do something.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER