Lincoln, Nebraska is growing. This fall, the new Pinnacle Bank Arena – a place that will hold concerts, conventions, and sporting events including the Husker women’s and men’s basketball teams – opened in the downtown district called the Haymarket. When Pinnacle was in the planning process, a new district was created within the Haymarket, called the Railyard. This new district has brought a refreshing variety of restaurants and bars to Lincoln – both chains and originals.

One of the new, original restaurants that recently opened in the Railyard is called Jack & June, and it’s a wonderful throwback classic named for the parents of the owner and executive chef, Kevin Shinn. Not only does Jack & June serve up simple, made-from-scratch – and tasty – food, but many of their featured items are also locally grown or produced to highlight the wonderful aspects of calling Nebraska home. To continue the local flare featured at Jack & June, Shinn reached out to Zipline Brewing Company in Lincoln to create a house beer for the restaurant.

Initially, the guys at Zipline were hesitant to work with Shinn – well, really anyone for that matter – on a custom beer, citing concerns over tank space in their brewhouse as well as wanting to maintain control over the beers that they choose to brew. However, according to Marcus Powers, brewer and co-owner of Zipline, “Kevin [Shinn] helped taste our early test batches before we started, and he has a truly amazing culinary vision that was tempting to partner with.” The guys at Zipline also appreciated Shinn’s “idea of offering high quality beer and cuisine derived from local ingredients.” Knowing and appreciating the quality of Shinn’s work and his assistance during Zipline’s infancy led them to embark on creating a custom brew.

After multiple conversations about menus and pairing ideas, recipe changes, five test batches, tastings, and a minor Centennial hop crisis, the final product was an oatmeal pale ale called Jack’s Pale Ale. According to Mike Boden, a brewer at Zipline, the inspiration to create an oatmeal pale ale came from a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, where he was able to sample that style of beer. “Since we were already making an Oatmeal Porter, and it is relatively uncommon to see oats used in a lighter beer, we thought it would be fun to introduce this style to Nebraska.” They are also using organically grown oats from The Grain Place, located in Marquette, Nebraska. The locally sourced oats, along with the locally brewed beer, fit seamlessly with the mission of Jack & June.

Currently, you can only enjoy Jack’s Pale Ale at a few locations: Zipline Brewing Company, Jack & June, and bread & cup (Kevin Shinn’s first restaurant opened in Lincoln). If you are in the Lincoln area and checking out the new developments downtown, Jack & June is a must-stop.