dsm Dish - October 10, 2025

When Joe Hayhoe’s wife persuaded him to make a TikTok account for his basement speakeasy, the Blind Pig Basement Pub, he never imagined it would attract more than 80,000 followers, plus another 74,000 on Instagram. Hayhoe is a whiskey fan, and he and his father designed and built the basement pub in Urbandale to display his collection and entertain friends.

Now, his social media status has granted him access to whiskey industry experts and exclusive distillery tours in Kentucky’s bourbon country, which he visits three or four times a year. He shares it all with his followers on his accounts @TheBlindPigBasementPub.

So in the run-up to the Des Moines Whiskey Festival on Oct. 25 at the Horizon Events Center, we asked him for a few whiskey tips.

What’s what
The term “whiskey” (sometimes spelled “whisky”) is a broad category of amber-colored spirits distilled from grain and usually aged in wooden barrels. The family tree includes bourbon, rye, Scotch, Irish, Canadian and Japanese offerings, to name a few.

Hayhoe recommends beginning any whiskey education with bourbon. To be classified as a bourbon, the spirit must contain a minimum of 51% corn in its recipe, or “mash bill.” What makes up the remaining 49% can significantly change the character of a spirit. Common ingredients include rye, which gives the whiskey a woody or spicy quality, and wheat, which can make it mellow and sweet.

Proof in the pudding
With whiskey (and any other spirits), always consider the proof, or amount of alcohol content. Hayhoe advises starting with a bourbon that is lower than 100 proof, such as Old Forester 1910, to determine what flavors you like from the mash bill. Higher proofs can be harder to swallow — literally, if the high alcohol content makes it burn on the way down — and make it harder for beginners to taste flavor nuances. “They aren’t for everybody, so don’t blow your palate out right away,” he said.

Shop smart
Pay attention to where and how the spirit was produced. “If you are going to spend $50 to $100 on a bottle, you want to know what you're getting,” Hayhoe said. “Don’t buy a bottle because of the label. I find that if the bottle is too fancy or gimmicky, then the product is often subpar.”

One way to guarantee a base level of quality is to look for the “bottled in bond” moniker. This means the whiskey adheres to federal guidelines that ensure the product originated from a single distillery, was produced in a single season, was aged for a minimum of four years in a bonded warehouse, and was bottled at 100 proof.

Sip smarter
Tasting whiskey neat, without ice or mixers, allows you to experience the pure aroma and flavor profiles. However, Hayhoe suggests adding just a few drops of water to your glass. “In any whiskey, a few drops of water can make a drastic change in the tasting profile. It often brightens up the flavors and mutes the alcohol burn,” he said. “Typically, I’m doing that with higher proof spirits. If it’s still too hot, add some ice.”

Hayhoe is continually learning about whiskey and following industry trends. Outside of his own research, he learns from other connoisseurs, including David Thomas Tao (@DavidThomasTao), Frank Dobbins (@BourbYourEnthusiasm), Sarah Jeltema (@WhiskeyNomad) and Tyler Zoller (@LouisvilleBourbonBuzz). He also scans Reddit groups such as r/WhiskeyTribe.

Here are a few of Hayhoe's favorites:

Under $50: Russell’s 10-year, Four Roses Small Batch and Elijah Craig Small Batch.
Under $100: Four Roses Small Batch Select, EH Taylor Single Barrel and Cedar Ridge Double Barrel.
Over $100: Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series, George T Stagg Antique Collection and King of Kentucky.

Contributing writer Chris Diebel is a public affairs consultant and founding partner of Bubba - Southern Comforts.

When the weather turns cold, what's your go-to comfort food?

"Drumroll, please ... everything pumpkin. Well, everything kabocha squash, a sweet and earthy winter squash also known as the Japanese pumpkin. It has a fluffy texture, and the skin is edible and doesn't change the taste of any dish. I cube it and roast it with avocado oil and salt, or throw it into red curry with bok choy and tofu. It's always a hit."

— Lily Allen-Duenas, marketing specialist for Ramco and founder of Wild Yoga Tribe

Quick Bites

Go nuts: Self-described “nut nut” Erik Francois leads a workshop on how to identify, harvest, process and enjoy acorns, walnuts and hickory nuts during a workshop on Oct. 24 at the Mickle Center.

Dutch treat: Dutch Bros., the popular Arizona-based coffee chain, plans to open its first shop in Iowa on Southeast 14th Street, according to the Des Moines Register.

Double Dutch treat: Dutchman’s Store, a popular destination for bulk foods, cookware, hardware, sewing supplies and just about everything else under the sun, recently relocated from downtown Cantril to a new building on the edge of town. The Mennonite family who owns the southeast Iowa business now sells its popcorn and coconut oil online via Amazon and generated $2 million over the last two years, according to Amazon.

Green for greens: With $370,000 from the USDA, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship awarded a dozen grants to boost production of specialty crops like strawberries, grapes and lenga lenga, a leafy green that African immigrants raise with help from Lutheran Services in Iowa’s Global Greens program.

In related news, the department recently released the results of a statewide horticulture survey that indicates that Iowa’s production of specialty crops is on the rise. There were 1,400 specialty crop farms in 1989, dropping to 938 in 2000 and then bouncing up to 1,680 in 2023.

Pie passport: Beth “The Pie Lady” Howard, who produced the recent documentary “Pieowa,” just released a spin-off Pie Passport. It includes all of the pie shops featured in the film, plus a bunch more that she can personally vouch for.

Events

Tonight: Winefest’s Pork & Pinot event, presented by the Iowa Pork Producers at Middlebrook Farm in Cumming, features porky morsels prepared by local chefs and paired with various pinots.

Saturday and Sunday: Madison County’s Covered Bridge Festival offers fall treats around the Winterset square.

Tuesday: The Bourbon Bash at the Iowa Taproom offers a chance to bid on several rare bottles in a silent auction, plus a raffle for a 20-year-old bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve from the Sazerac Co. in Kentucky. Proceeds benefit Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit that rehabs homes for veterans, seniors, people with disabilities and others in need.

Oct. 17: Harvest Dinner at the Pella Opera House offers a cozy fall menu created by Canary Culinary Creations, plus live music.

Oct. 19-25: World Food Prize Week spotlights local and global efforts to fight food insecurity. This year’s winner of the prize that many consider “the Nobel Prize of food and agriculture” is the Brazilian biologist Mariangela Hungria, who will be honored during a ceremony on Oct. 23 at the Capitol.

Oct. 22: A Napa-themed dinner at the Cheese Bar offers five courses paired with bottles from the winery of the Clif family (who also make the energy bars). Call 515-277-7828 for reservations.

Nov. 1: Day of the Dead Celebration: Tacos & Tequila serves up a buffet from Cloverleaf Kitchen at the Pella Opera House. Attendees get a margarita included with their ticket, and additional tequila tastings for purchase. Menu highlights include street corn dip, BBQ pork, shredded chicken and cinnamon tortilla chips with caramel and chocolate sauce.

Time warp: Highland Underground brings '70s vibes to Klein building

By Michael Crumb
Business Record Senior Staff Writer

A 1970s-inspired cocktail lounge is set to open Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the lower level of the former Klein Department Store in Highland Park.

The Highland Underground is the concept of the Orvis Horatio Group, the folks behind Dough Co. Pizza, the Des Moines Biergarten, and the biergarten's Oktoberfest.

"We knew what’s going on in Highland Park and the resurgence that’s been happening here, and we wanted to bring a project here," said Sam Hoyle, one of the group's owners.

When you enter the 120-year-old building's front doors, the bar is at the bottom of a wide staircase leading to the lower level. A mannequin dressed in a vintage outfit greets you as you enter the lounge.

"The idea is as you descend down the stairs, you're walking back into time where the neighborhood was thriving like it is today again," Hoyle said. "It's kind of that nod to the past, but also very much bringing it to the present day."

Upon entering, you might just feel like you’ve entered a time warp to the 1970s. From the furniture to the tables and the decor, everything screams 1970s. There’s even a turntable at the end of the bar with 1970s albums that customers can select to be played over the bar’s sound system, or they can bring in their own. The bar's playlist? Music from the '70s, of course.

Dressed mannequins are scattered throughout the bar — and yes, you can buy the clothes. Along one wall are what appear to be shop windows with dressed mannequins on display.

The furniture and decorations were sourced by Olio Oddities, Funky Finds and the Orvis Horatio Group owners scouring online marketplaces from across the Midwest. The 1970s clothing was provided by Divine Times Vintage, another business in Highland Park. Slingshot Architecture did the interior design work, while K. Johnson Construction built the space in the Klein building’s lower level.

"We wanted a neighborhood hangout, but also a destination for people across the metro," he said. "So we decided to build this narrative and story around bringing it back to the neighborhood’s heyday, and bring it back to the building’s history with a '70s-themed cocktail bar."

The only food menu items are cheese and chocolate fondue with a variety of items for dipping. Even the glassware used for the cocktails is vintage. Menus are designed to replicate old department store catalogs.

In each booth is a wall phone that is hardwired to a phone in another booth. "If you pick it up, it will call a different phone," Hoyle said. "The idea is to have serendipitous interaction and community-building. I want to encourage people to put their mobile phones away and have that interaction with other customers." Customers can also use the phones to call the bar.

Hoyle said he hopes Highland Underground will appeal to the nostalgia of those who grew up in the 1970s and remember shopping or working at Klein Department Store. But he also hopes to draw in the younger crowd who are shopping and eating at Highland Park’s other shops.

"Traffic’s really strong in this neighborhood, so we’re hoping we can lead the way to encourage more evening traffic," he said. "We hope to complement what others in the neighborhood are doing."