Month: September 2014

September 26, 2014

Oktoberfiesta at Boulevard

Boulevard Pumpkin Ale

A week from today, Boulevard will be hosting a fiesta! A celebration of beer, food, music, and arts will begin at 5pm on Friday, October 3rd, and will feature many fun activities. Complimentary samples of their latest test beer, a sour ale with pumpkin spices, will be the highlight of the event with other fun things such as making Día de los Muertos crafts with Mattie Rhodes Art Center, Chorizowursts to eat, free Freakers with the purchase of two year-round Smokestack 750ml bottles, and more. The event will be at Boulevard’s Tasting Room located at 2501 Southwest Boulevard.

Back in July, I went on a tour (not my first) of Boulevard and asked the guide if he knew when Boulevard would be making a pumpkin beer. He didn’t have an answer and up until yesterday I thought it may never happen. To my surprise, and happiness, they put it on tap a week ago in the Tasting Room. I went by today to try some. It has a strong pumpkin aroma, but it’s not overpowering and the spicy/sour combination is well-balanced. They brew their pumpkin ale with a wort made of Pale Malt, Munich Malt, and Amber Malt that is brewhouse soured with house lactobacillus culture. Following acidification, the wort is boiled and spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Fermentation is carried out by their house Belgian yeast strain.

If you are unable to make it to Oktoberfiesta, make sure to stop by their Tasting Room to try some.

September 23, 2014

Oktoberfest in Kansas City

Oktoberfest, where we pretend we’re German so we can drink more beer! Oktoberfest was first celebrated in 1810, as a festival to honor the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities on the fields in front of the city gates. The fields were named Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow). The events were held October 12 through October 17, ending with horse races in the presence of the Royal Family. The decision to repeat the horse races in the following year gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest. The horse races are no longer held, but Oktoberfest is still celebrated on the Theresienwiese.

The festival was eventually prolonged and moved ahead to September to allow for better weather conditions. The Oktoberfest in Munich has attracted between 5 and 7 million visitors each year during the last decade. Oktoberfest beer is a Märzenbier brewed by Munich breweries for the festival. What do you call someone who has too many Märzenbiers and is passed out on the grounds? Bierleichen, which means “beer corpses” in German.

Oktoberfest runs from September 20 through October 5 this year. Here are some local events celebrating Oktoberfest.

Parktoberfest – Parktoberfest is going to pack all their fun into one day, Saturday, Oct. 4. They’ll have a 5k race that morning at 8 a.m. followed by some awesome contest, such as October Skies Rocket Launch and Parkville Ninja Warrior Contest. In the afternoon enjoy some live music from School of Rock and Whiskey Bender’s Country Guitar Jam. There will be plenty of beer and some good food, particularly pizza, where Parkville is celebrating 20 years of Stone Canyon Pizza in Downtown Parkville.

KC Bier Co Oktoberfest – This festival will be a blend of music, German food, events and of course, fresh German bier. The tapping of the first Festbier from a wooden keg imported from Munich will occur at 12:00 noon on Saturday. KC Bier Co will serve Bratwurst and Hendl (chicken) roasted in a wood-fired oven along with imported Bavarian pretzels and other traditional Oktoberfest fare. On both days there will be events, including Masskrugstemmen, a stein holding competition, and best Lederhosen and Dirndl contests. Everyone is encouraged to get out their best German apparel and wear it with pride for a chance to win prizes each day.

Lee’s Summit Oktoberfest – String-up your pretzel neckless and head on over to downtown Lee’s Summit for their OktoberFest on Sept. 26 and 27. They offer a carnival with rides, live music, Beirgarten, free children activities, contest, arts, crafts, German meals and dancers. They have some great contest regarding beer such as Home Brew Beer Competition and People’s Choice Home Brew Tasting Event, be sure to sign up and have some “spab” — fun — which is the only German word you’ll need to know.

Grünauer Oktoberfest – Grünauer’s 5th annual Oktoberfest is set for Friday September 26th and Saturday September 27th, 2014! Featuring live music, food, and of course, plenty of beer.

BoOktoberfest – Join the new Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library for BoOktoberfest, a novel beer tasting experience featuring several KC-area breweries at the Central Library, located downtown. Visit with local brewers (Crane, Cinder Block, Rock & Run, KC Bier Co) and try their featured beers, meet and mingle with fellow lit-lovers, learn what sort of resources and services your Kansas City Public Library has to offer, and find out more about this new group dedicated to building the next generation of Library supporters and advocates

Oktoberfest at Renaissance Festival – Knackwurst eating competition, root beer chug, and a keg toss. Come celebrate Oktoberfest at the Renaissance Festival October 11-12

Hermann Oktoberfest – Hermann celebrates its German heritage with four weekends of German music, dancing and food, all set against a backdrop of glorious fall color.

Beer Kitchen – Try a variety of Oktoberfest beers that will be on tap.

Bridger’s Bottle Shop – On September 24 Bridger’s will host an Oktoberfest beer release party. Guests will receive a commemorative glass. In addition, Bridger’s will be offering German inspired fare for the event.

Firefly Lounge – On September 27 Firefly will host the Oktoberfest Aftermath Blowout to round out the week of festivities. This event will feature DJ Ataxic and traditional German beers and cocktails will be served.

The Foundry – On September 24 and September 27 the Foundry will be serving a flight of 4 different Oktoberfest/German style beers. Try German inspired menu items all week long.

Gambal’s Social Club – Meet your friends at Gambal’s and sample Oktoberfest beers and German liquors all week long.

Harpo’s – Bring your friends and family to Harpo’s and enjoy their Oktoberfest menu which includes Bavarian pretzels, bratwurst, and German potato soup.

Harry’s Bar and Tables – Enjoy Oktoberfest beer and food specials all week long. Come join us for the festivities.

Joe’s Pizza Buy the Slice – Visit Joe’s for a taste of German fare and enjoy a Polish Sausage with Sauerkraut for $6, tax included.

Kelly’s Westport Inn – To celebrate Oktoberfest, Kelly’s will be discounting Bobs 47 and Sam Adam’s Oktoberfest all week long.

McCoy’s Public House – On September 23 McCoy’s will be tapping Oktoberfest beer with a release party at 4pm. Guests will receive a commemorative liter mug of beer for $9. Enjoy German food and drink specials all week long.

Westport Saloon – Throughout Oktoberfest Westport Saloon will feature KC Bier Co Helles and Dunkel, as well as Busch Beer. In addition, Westport Saloon has created a German inspired menu that will be available during Oktoberfest.

Have a safe and happy 2014 Oktoberfest! Prost!

September 22, 2014

Hey Paul Stitching Hour at Big Rip Brewing Company

Ready to tap into your creative side? The Big Rip Brewing Company will host Kristen Shuler of Hey Paul Studios for a crafty happy hour event tomorrow, September 23rd, starting at 5:30pm.

All levels of crafters are welcome at the Hey Paul Stitching Hour at Big Rip. Hand drawn patterns and fabric will be provided to all Embroidery Level ticket holders ($10), but attendees are welcome to bring their own supplies. Embroidery starter kits will be available for an additional $10 at the event if you don’t have your own supplies. Knitters are also welcome for a reduced ticket price of $7, which gets you into the event but doesn’t include the supplies and instruction. Shuler is a self-taught embroidery artist who will be available to teach attendees some basics to help get started. The inaugural event at Westport Flea Market sold out in less than a week, so this will surely be a popular event. If you miss this one, check Hey Paul’s website for more events.

This event is open to men and women 21 and older. Big Rip will be closed to the public during this event, so stitchers can take over the tasting room and patio area. Cash and cards will be accepted. Big Rip does not serve food, but Helen’s on Wheels food truck will be in the parking lot to serve crafters. Price of tickets covers venue/supply fees and does not include the cost of food and/or drinks.

Click here to get your tickets.

September 21, 2014

2014 High Plains BrewHoff Review

The inaugural High Plains BrewHoff was yesterday at Brew Lab in Old Downtown Overland Park. While it had a few hiccups, overall it was a terrific event. About 500 beer enthusiasts packed into the Brew Lab parking lot to get a sampling of the best homebrews in Kansas City. With brews like Strawberry Basil Saison, Sour Cherry Porter, and Sour Black Saison, this is one of the more unique beer events in Kansas City. Red Crow Brewing Company won Best of Show for Isabelle, a Belgian Blonde.

Some bad things about the event:

Babies. I saw at least ten babies, most of them with strollers. It was a small event space, so every person’s presence was felt. This is an adult event and organizers should not have allowed anyone under 21 to enter.
Small event space or too many people. 500 people was quite a bit to fit in the location it was held. After two hours, it did start thinning out, so it wasn’t too bad.
Line processing. My group showed up at 12:45pm and didn’t get in until 1:30pm. The end of the line didn’t get in until about 3pm. They had three stations that everyone had to go through. With so many volunteers, there easily could have been a few lines checking people in.
The glass. I bought one and so did everyone else in my group and I knew about it beforehand. A lot of people did not know about the cost of the glass until they got there. Yes, they did have little plastic cups you could have used, but with the quality of the beer that was being served, you need to use glass.

Some good things about the event:

Water stations at every booth.
Pretzels and other snacks at most of the booths.
Enough tables to stand/sit.
Rarely a line at any of the booths.
It was free.
The musician played great songs and played them well.
A great variety of quality beer.
Each booth had beer that lasted through the event even though the pours were pretty big.

Breweries in the making got to show off their selection of beers and give a short speech about their company.

Red Crow says they are looking for a location in Johnson County, but are having some trouble with laws and regulations. Currently, 30% or more of gross sales need to be derived from food sales. They hope the laws will change soon so they can concentrate on making great beer.
Double Shift Brewing expects a Spring 2015 opening in the Crossroads and are committed to making a great product and having a relaxed atmosphere in their tap room. I had Double Shift’s Summer Session IPA at the event and it is exactly that – a summer session that’s easy to drink when it’s 85° out.
Another Crossroads brewery set to open is Torn Label Brewing Company. They’re brewing system is in place to brew three year-round beers and many experimental beers. I tried their Grasping at Straws Wheat Wine, which has an ABV of 9%, but was surprisingly light. They also let me try their Tongue Lash, a sour that wasn’t brewed like a regular sour. They expect to open in a few months.
Crane Brewing Company has been making a name for themselves in the beer industry. They were pouring some of the most creative beers at the event, such as a cream ale brewed with beets and a Belgian Saison brewed with black tea. They will be opening up 18,000 square feet of beer and food space in Raytown in Spring 2015. They intend to stand out from other local breweries by bottling beers for distribution right off the bat and offering sour and wild styles beers.

All of the upcoming breweries had spectacular beers so there’s no doubt that they will all succeed. Kansas City is quickly becoming a great city to get your beer fix.

Overall, I would give this event an 8.5 out of 10 and look forward to next year!

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