Cellar Peanut Pub opening Newton location

Citizens of Newton will soon have a craft beer pub to call their own. The Cellar Peanut Pub has announced it will be opening a Newton location at DMACC Legacy Plaza in the former Maytag facility in the coming months.

“It has been a long time coming,” Newton Area Chamber of Commerce Director Amanda Price said. “It has been a team effort amongst many entities, with DMACC ultimately pulling the strings and getting someone into the place that is probably most appropriate for having a cool taproom.”

The taproom owners were not available for an interview by presstime Tuesday, but according to the pub’s Facebook page, the taproom will have BINGO and Beer, trivia, beer school, live music, Firkin Fridays, art and will be situated as a welcoming place where all of those 21 and older can gather and network.

“We can’t wait to share all of this with you, Newton,” the post said.

The Cellar Peanut Pub was started by craft beef enthusiast Marty Duffy V in 2002. It moved to a neighborhood pub in Oskaloosa in 2012 and three years later added its downtown Pella location in 2015.

Currently, the pubs have 50 craft beers on draft and employ “some of the most knowledgeable Pubtenders” at the Oskaloosa and Pella locations. According to its website, The Cellar Peanut Pub prides itself on not only the selection of beer but also beer education. Each pubtender is a Certified Beer Server through the Cicerone Program and are able to share their knowledge after the drafts being served.

“It is something we’ve all felt Newton didn’t have and were wondering why all of the surrounding communities had one and we didn’t,” Price said. “It’s something that has been important to the community we have ... I think that is going to be very welcomed by the community.”

In the past five years, the pub has received several awards including the 2013 and 2014 Food Network & New York Wine & Food Festival Bloody Mary winner, the 2014 Top 25 Beer Bars by Craftbeer.com and 2016 & 2018 Best Beer Bar In Iowa by Craftbeer.com.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com