As cyclists ride across Iowa, they are seeing craft breweries driving small-town tourism

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

RIPPEY, Iowa (AP) — There are hundreds of breweries represented on the jerseys of the thousands of cyclists on RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across Iowa. They are a testament not just to the rapidly expanding craft beer industry but its place in rural America. Most small towns have at least one local brewery these days, and the most successful become destinations, driving tourism to towns that otherwise might rarely get any visitors. One good example is Decorah, tucked in the northeast corner of Iowa, where Toppling Goliath was ranked No. 1 at the US Open Beer Championship and produces the top two beers on BeerAdvocate, for which connoisseurs are willing to pay some big bucks.