Reviews
Reviews and Past Featured Photo Galleries
Parkville Microbrew Festival Returns to April
Parkville Microbrew Fest Celebrates in October
Unspoken Water Brewing Throws a Launch Party
Dinner and a movie is passé. Classic cars and beer is the new perfect date and you’ll get just that at Unspoken Water Brewing. The small batch brewery doesn’t have permanent hours yet, but when they do, it’ll be a great place to take a date, visit alone, or bring a group of friends. Tucked away in the corner of the huge auto club/show room, The Fuel House, you’ll be able to drink their award-winning beers while checking out a 1965 Shelby Cobra, a 1965 Dodge Coronet 500, and a herd of Ford Mustangs.
Unspoken Water Brewing and The Fuel House hosted a Launch Party to showcase the brewery’s beer. They had six beers on tap, including an Imperial Coffee Stout and a Dry Hopped Belgian Sour, and most were gone by the end of the night. There were two live bands, another bar open for mixed drinks, a coffee shop, and some games. They’ll have a few more events like this in the future before setting permanent hours.
Unspoken Water Brewing will be located inside The Fuel House Auto Club/Show Room at 611 W 2nd St, Bonner Springs, KS 66012.
Check out the photos below and be sure to follow them on social media for updates and events.
For past Featured Photo Galleries and Reviews click here.
If you have an event, program, new beer place, or anything beer related and want some free publicity, email me at beer@kansascitybeer.com. Depending on what it is, I’ll take pictures you can use, write an article, create a featured photo gallery, and/or promote on our social media.
Wind Shift Brewing Opens in Blue Springs, May 2019 – Beers brewed on a 1-bbl system make for more accurate flavors and an abundance of creativity. Drinking those beers in a cozy, intimate taproom makes for great conversation and a sense of community.
You can tell from the details the Wind Shift Brewing taproom was built with love, passion, and with localness in mind. Owners Tony & Lynn DiPlacito created an environment that includes products from local vendors and craftsmanship from local businesses, mostly people from the Kansas City beer community. One of the coolest parts of the brewery is in the bathroom (weird, I know), where the concrete sinks have Wind Shift’s W logo as the drain, crafted by Brian Smith with Averio Designs (and also a homebrewer with Headbangers Brew).
The taproom can accommodate fewer than seventy-five people at a time, but they are currently adding a patio that will increase the limit significantly. The brewery, that opened at the end of May, had seven of their brews on tap with a few guest taps and other options for non-beer drinkers. The beers were true-to-style and included a New England IPA, Coconut Coffee Porter, and Farmhouse Sour.
There were also food options including chips, pretzel bites with dip, and a brewery-made charcuterie plate made with small bites from Local Pig. An option for the pups, too, KC Brew Dawgs Biscuit Company uses spent grains to create treats for sale at this brewery and other local places.
They were featured on a Juice Box Boyz Podcast in April, talking about the vision and what you can expect from the brewery.
Wind Shift Brewing is open Thursday: 5pm-9pm, Fridays & Saturdays: 12pm-10pm, and Sundays: 12pm-5pm. They are located at 3421 NW Jefferson St, Suite B, Blue Springs, Missouri 64015.
Follow Wind Shift Brewing‘s social media and check out the pictures below:
2019 Parkville Microbrew Fest, April 2019 – The good news: no rain and no mud and then the bad news: so very windy! Even the slight change in location for this year’s Parkville Microbrew Fest couldn’t save the day from the weather. The day started off fairly warm, but very windy especially on the west side of the event. The temperature took a dip about two hours in and those wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts were regretting the decision, but unlimited beer samples will cheer up nearly everyone.
The color of this year’s event seemed to be magenta/purple as several breweries brewed up some interesting beers that resulting in the color. Boulevard Brewing had a collaboration with TerraVox that used Norton grapes. BKS Artisan Ales had a hydromel made with Waldo Honey, elderberry, black currant, and Madagascar vanilla bean. Not Lost Brewing had a black currant sour. KC Bier Meisters had a purple berliner weiss that had glitter in it. A few other non-magenta/purple beers but worth mentioning: Brickway Brewery‘s 17% ABV Epic Blackout Stout, Crane Brewing‘s dark stout Thanatos, and Cinder Block‘s Cinderveza.
Follow Parkville Microbrew Fest on social media and check out the pictures below:
2019 Spring Fling Beer Festival at iWerx, April 2019 – Oreo cookies, glitter, pink and purple and more creatively made beers were present at this year’s Spring Fling Beer Festival at iWerx in North Kansas City. The festival proceeds will go to North Kansas City High School scholarships and this year they sold the most tickets and raised the most money in its 3 year history.
The festival welcomes homebrewers of all levels as well as some homebrewers who have gone pro such as Callsign Brewing, 3 Trails Brewing, Transport Brewery, Grains & Taps, and the soon-to-be-open Rochester Brewing and Roasting Co.
Witness Brew Works took first place for the People’s Choice. They had a good variety to try including a Blood Orange Julius IPA, Mojito Ale, and White Stout. Unspoken Water Brewing took first place for Brewer’s Choice. They brought their Oreo Imperial Stout and a Dry Hopped Pale Ale with mango juice. Both of the homebreweries are looking for locations to open their breweries so in future Spring Fling Festivals, look for them in the Gone Pro Row.
Some more creative beers to mention are Juice Box Boyz’s Rule #1 (Don’t die) mango and hibiscus and Royal Reign IPA with pea flower that had pink and purple color respectively, Attorney at Drunk had a glitter beer, Tiki Huna had a beer tail made with Plantation 3 Star Rum, and KC Hop Talk had a beer made with Lucky Charms.
Blarney Brew Off, March 2019 – With the break of a few festival glasses and the customary cheers that follow, the 2019 Beer Festival Season is official underway for the Kansas City area. Blarney Brew Off presented by Grains & Taps was on Saturday, March 23, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Homebrewers from the area presented themselves and their beers to festival goers and other homebrewers. Two awards were presented at the after party at Grains & Taps: Brewers’ Choice and People’s Choice. Only the top score for the Brewers’ Choice received an award and that went to Juice Box Boyz. The top three scores for the People’s Choice received awards and those went to Flyover Brewing, I Love Brewing Company, and Wild Plains.
A few of my personal favorites of the day were Hip Hops Brews (thanks for being my “home base” during the event), Unspoken Water Brewing Co, Lake Side Brewing, and Wiz Brewing.
Something not seen often enough at a beer festival is non-alcoholic drinks. Sometimes you just want a coffee or tea to balance out. This event had a dry hopped peach black tea called Eyedea from Meagan Lynne Early from Juice Box Boyz and cold brew coffee from Cuento Coffee. Cuento Coffee sells their coffee and their cold brews on their website: www.everycoffeeisastory.com or at local retailers such as Colonial Club, Crane Brewing, and The Belfry.
If you liked what you had or are interested in learning more about some of the listed homebrewers and businesses, their social media pages are linked below the pictures. There were 40 homebrewers total, so only a few are linked below.
Flyover Brewing
I Love Brewing Company
Wild Plains
Hip Hops Brews
Lake Side Brewing
Red Crow Brewing Company Reopens in Olathe, Kansas, March 2019 – Red Crow Brewing Company reopened on Friday, March 22, in Olathe, Kansas, so see the photos below so you know what to expect.
The brewery originally opened in Spring Hill, Kansas, in 2015, but now calls Olathe its home. The new location was once a Goodyear so the brewery has several huge garage doors that allow for a lot of sun and openness during nice weather.
They’re starting things slowly, so no growlers will be available for a few weeks and they’ll have several guest taps along with their own brewery beers. For their first weekend, they’ll have three of their beers on tap: Isabelle, a Belgian Blonde; Donna, an American Wheat; and Louise, an IPA. Eventually, they’ll have at least seven of their own beers on tap at all times.
Follow Red Crow Brewing on social media for updates or visit their website: www.redcrowbrew.com.
Not Lost Brewing Opens in Ottawa, Kansas, March 2019 – Not Lost Brewing opened on Saturday, March 16, in Ottawa, Kansas, so see the photos below so you know what to expect.
The brewery is owned and operated by married couple Dusty and Mel Gentry. They’ve been homebrewing for several years and have attended several local beer festivals. Their beers range from the very creative (Blackberry Milkshake IPA, Kiwi Sour) to something more traditional (Kölsch, IPA). They brew on both a 1-barrel system and a 2-barrel system to keep their beers fresh and to be able to experiment more. They also offer a wide variety of cocktails, wine, a few guest taps, and non-alcoholic drinks. There are currently no To-Go options for their beers, but they plan on offering cans soon.
Ottawa is a bit of a trip for Kansas City metro residents, but it’s a charming city, especially Main Street where Not Lost Brewing is located. There are several things to do in Ottawa including pick-your-own farms, a few wineries just outside of town, and the World’s Oldest Operating Cinema, so it’s easy to make a day trip out of your visit.
Follow Not Lost Brewing on social media for updates or visit their website: www.notlostbrewing.com.
KC Beer Tour Goes Back in Time with KC Royal Pub Show, March 2019 – KC Beer Tour welcomed actors from the KC Renaissance Festival’s KC Royal Pub Show to take us back in time as the tour bus traveled from Taps on Main to Callsign Brewing.
Virginia Tunt and Whitley Reginald Wickshorn, Third Lord Duckhorn entertained the crowd with rude and offensive jokes, traditional drinking songs, and bawdy limericks on the way to and from the Northtown brewery. Once at Callsign, everyone received three pours of some of the brewery’s staple beers. More jokes and conversations were had for about an hour at the brewery before it was time to return to Taps on Main and back into 2019.
There will be another Raucous Revelry Tour on Saturday, March 9, and more dates will likely be added. See the photos below.
KC Beer Tour has several different outing opportunities on top of their regular tours of breweries. In addition to the newly added Raucous Revelry, they have a stand up comedy tour, a monthly KC Beer Club, out-of-the area trips to places like Weston and Omaha, and a Kayak and Craft Beer Tour during the summer. Visit their website at www.KCBeerTour.com and follow them on social media to keep updated.
3 Trails Brewing Now Open in Independence, Missouri, February 2019 – 3 Trails Brewing’s Grand Opening Weekend began on Thursday, February 21, 2019. The brewery, located in a building that was built in the 1860s, has a great variety of beers including a Dragonfruit Sour, a Hazy IPA, an Imperial Stout, and an American Lager (think Budweiser). The building it’s in was renovated but still kept some historic aspects such as original flooring (expect for the restroom area where the floors are heated). They have fun features including a display of Harry S. Truman’s bar in the entryway (on loan from the local museum), arcade games, and beautiful bartops and counter made by L & K Hardwoods.
They also offer wine and cocktails if you’re not a beer person and food can be ordered from local businesses.
3 Trails Brewing is located at 111 N Main Street, Independence, Missouri 64050. Visit their website at www.3trailsbrewing.com and follow them on social media to keep updated.
Beagle Brew Day at Callsign Brewing & Brew Lab, January 2019 – Kansas City’s Gypsy Brewer, Rodney Beagle, was at Callsign Brewing on Thursday, January 17, to brew up a Truffle Berry Stout. Brewing began at noon and really got going around 4pm, with brewing assistants Adam Schwarzel and owners of Callsign, Steve and Chandra Sirois helping with the brew. A crowd gathered as early as 1pm, to watch the brewing process and chat about the beer community. The event was open to the public and there were representatives from Red Crow Brewing, Hip Hops Hooray Beer Festival, and Granite City Brewery. The beer will be ready just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Callsign Brewing is located at 1447 Gentry St, North Kansas City, Missouri 64116. Visit their website at www.callsignbrewing.com and their social media pages below.
Rodney Beagle’s next Beagle Brew Day was on January 18, at Brew Lab in Overland Park. Beagle partnered with Brew Lab Head Brewer, Bart Campbell, to create a Caramel Latte Stout. The stout was made with caramel from Bizz & Weezy Confections and latte flavor from Encore Coffee Company. By using these local companies and local brewers, this beer will be 4 times local, #ShopLocal.
Brew Lab is located at 7925 Marty St, Overland Park, Kansas 66204. Visit their website at www.brewlabkc.com and their social media pages below.
For more Beagle Brew Days, see our Calendar page or follow us on Facebook: KansasCityBeer
Thank you to my assistant photographers for the day, Erica Williams and Roxy Chapman.
Callsign Brewing Celebrates Six Months, January 2019 – Callsign Brewing opened six months ago in North Kansas City. The brewery was built by veterans as a place for them to hang out and be honored, but is open and welcoming to everyone.
It started, as most breweries do, as a homebrewing hobby. Steve Sirois was gifted a homebrew kit by his wife, Chandra, and that hobby grew into a pretty legit basement brewery and now a full-fledged brewery. The brewery celebrates any time they can with events with live music, North Kansas City Second Saturday specials, sports watch parties, and holiday events.
Their beers include well-known styles like a pale ale, an American wheat, and a blonde ale. They also brew special beers like an upcoming Imperial Vanilla Stout, a Truffle Berry Stout for Valentine’s Day, and will have a Citrus IPA that is being released Friday, January 18, at 4pm. They’re making a weekend of this brew, including live music from The 9Ts Band on Saturday and a Chiefs Watch Party on Sunday. If you were a fan of Colony Handcrafted Ales, you’ll be happy to know their former head brewer and now a “gypsy brewer”, Rodney Beagle, often brews with Callsign.
More upcoming events include a Super Bowl Watch Party and Snake Saturday, which will have 2 new Irish Beers, a new Beertail, live music, and breakfast burritos. They’ll open at 9am before the parade.
Callsign also offers Beertails, cocktails, and wine for those who want something other than beer. Their newest Beertail is a Bloody Mary-style concoction available only on Saturdays and Sundays, perfect mid-afternoon drink for recovering from the night before. Other Beertails include a dreamsicle and a radler.
Plans for the future include installing a Crowler machine, canning 4-packs for sale in the brewery, distributing kegs, getting more merchandise for sale, and a patio on the north side of the building.
Callsign Brewing is located at 1447 Gentry St, North Kansas City, Missouri 64116. They are open Wednesdays and Thursdays 4pm-9pm, Fridays 4pm-10pm, Saturdays 12pm-10pm, and Sundays 12pm-5pm. Visit their website at www.callsignbrewing.com and their social media pages below.
Boulevard Brewing Space Camper Cosmic IPA Launch Party, December 2018 – Boulevard Brewing Company‘s newest release, Space Camper Cosmic IPA, is ready for liftoff in Kansas City starting January 7th. They had a Launch Party to celebrate the release, where they offered the beer, food, and some fun swag.
Space Camper Cosmic IPA used Ekuanot, Amarillo, Citra, El Dorado, and Galaxy hops. It’s 5.9% ABV with and IBU of 50. It’s a very drinkable beer and will be available year-round on draft and in six-packs in the Kansas City area beginning January 7th. Click here for more info from their website.
Check out all of the pictures from the launch:
Shaves and a Haircut, Over $3000 Raised, December 2018 – Since Juice Box Boyz and the Kansas City beer community raised over $3000 for Michael Wells and his family through local beer events, a few promises were kept. Alex Workman and Taylor Jones shaved off their long beards and Chris Meyers cut off his long locks. Crane Brewing played barbershop for the evening for the event.
Check out all of the pictures:
Huge Show of Support for Michael Wells, November 2018 – Two local breweries, Big Rip Brewing and Apex Aleworks, hosted events to help support Michael Wells and his family. Wells is a homebrewer, firefighter, husband, and father of three who has recently been diagnosed with cancer.
Big Rip Brewing invited people to come to their North Kansas City brewery to get a beer and snack on some appetizers from Hawg Jaw BBQ. There was a full parking lot and a full taproom. A portion of sales from the night went to Michael Wells.
Apex Aleworks had a live podcast with local beer podcasts, Juice Box Boyz, KC Social, and Boards & Bottles. Eleven Three KC organized a silent auction and raffle with prizes ranging from rare beers to brew days with local brewers. Alex Workman and Taylor Jones promised to shave their beers if the fundraising efforts reached $1,000 and $2,000, respectively, and it happened – this fundraiser raised over $2,000! You can still donate to PayPal: theboyz@juiceboxboyz.com or mikewellsdonations@gmail.com.
There are still upcoming events to help support. Check out our Michael Wells page for details.
Limitless Brewing Opens in Lenexa, November 2018 – Limitless Brewing is the latest to open its taproom to serve up some brews. They’ve been very active in the Lenexa community and had a big turnout on their opening day to prove it. When we showed up 5 minutes after opening, there was already a line out the door. They had three beers to serve, a Biere de Garde, an English Session Ale, and a Hazy Pale Ale. They plan on having more on tap regularly and want to start distributing.
Callsign Brewing Winter Clothing Drive & Hand Out, November 2018 – It was a rewarding day with Callsign Brewing on Veteran’s Day. For about a month, they collected winter clothing, blankets, personal care items, and other helpful items to hand out to the homeless in Kansas City. Nine volunteers, including Callsign Brewing owners Steve and Chandra Sirois, sorted through the items collected and visited some areas in KC known to be homeless areas.
Callsign Brewing plans on doing events like this a few times a year. They’ll be planning for a summer collection in a few months.
Here are a few resources for helping the homeless if you want to help:
Sometimes all the murder mystery podcasts can be a little too much, so take a break and listen to Juice Box Boyz. They interview local beer celebrities, brewers, homebrewers, and others associated with the beer community here in Kansas City. We hung out with them while they recorded at The Rino in North Kansas City, as they talked with brewers from Colony, Callsign Brewing, and Crane Brewing. This episode will be available soon, but they have past episodes you should check out with New Axiom, The Big Rip Brewing Company, and City Barrel. The podcast is available on Apple iTunes and Google Play.
Hip Hops Hooray, August 2018 – It’s a newer festival, but the organizers are a huge part of the beer community so they make it with beer lovers in mind. Homebrewers and commercial brewers share their beers with festival goers who also have access to danceable music, delicious food, photo ops, and opportunities to hang out with cool beer people. Hip Hops Hooray takes place each August at The DeLeon Event and Chapel and tickets typically go on sale in April.
Be sure to follow them on social media and check out the pictures below.
Big Rip Get Ripped Brewfest, June 2018 – Cooler weather and clouds overhead made for a lovely beer fest. Plus, the brewery itself was open for BBQ from Hawg Jaw and free beer so even when the sun did come out, there was a place to cool down.
The Big Rip Brewing Company hosts their Get Ripped Brewfest every year to celebrate their anniversary. In its 5th year, it included wiener dog races, unlimited samples of mostly local breweries, a full-sized beer glass, and donations and portion of the proceeds went to Miles of Smiles.
Follow them on social media and check out the pictures below from this year. Click here to see pictures from this year and previous years.
KC Beer Tour, April 2018 – Ready for adventure or just want to make some new friends who love beer just as much as you do? KC Beer Tour offers you both! From out-of-town trips to a local breweries tour to kayaking (yes, kayaking!), KC Beer Tour wants you to have fun!
I was invited to tag along on a monthly KC Beer Club outing to two local breweries. See the pictures below. The breweries change each month, but this month it was Torn Label and Strange Days Brewing Company. I’ll explain the KC Beer Club later, so let’s first talk about KC Beer Tour.
KC Beer Tour began about three years ago and offers transportation to local breweries, wineries, and/or distilleries, as well as trips out-of-town. At each place, you will get to learn some history of the business and try some of the libations offered. The bus is also available for private tours (birthday parties, bachelor(ette) parties, etc.).
They also just started including kayaking trips on the Missouri River that will run about once a month through the season. It’s meant to be a relaxing ride, as the current runs about 2.5 mph. You will be picked up from Berkley Riverfront Park and drop your kayak at Kaw Point. After the ride, the bus will take you to two breweries to try some beers and talk about your experience! The kayak, equipment, transportation, and beer are including in the $75 cost.
Now, to talk about the KC Beer Club. The club began a few months ago when a member of the Beer Tasting KC page, who had just moved to town, asked if there was a monthly club meeting. Matt & Nicole McKinnie of KC Beer Tour decided it would be a good opportunity to provide a monthly membership called KC Beer Club. In the club, you get once a month trips to one or two breweries, a pint or flight at each location, discounts on events, invitation-only events, a shirt ($5), and the chance to mingle with fellow beer enthusiast. The cost is $25 each month you participate.
I enjoyed my time with the club this month. It was made up of both people who have been on tours before and newcomers. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. Having a shared interest in beer and drinking that beer helps build a camaraderie. There is a Facebook group you can join to get more information and to vote on which breweries to go to each month: KC Beer Club
We should skip the shots next time!
See the pictures below and be sure to visit their website (www.kcbeertour.com) and follow them on social media for updates:
Spring Fling Beer Fest, April 2018 – Thank goodness for indoor beer events! April usually isn’t this cold, but it’s good that the 2018 Spring Fling Beer Fest was inside the iWerx building in North Kansas City.
Homebrewers and Gone Pro Brewers were serving their creations to hundreds of thirsty attendees. Two awards were given out including Brewer’s Choice and People’s Choice which were awarded to Rusty Tin Brewing and Reid’s Hoppy Ales, respectively.
All proceeds went to NKCHS Scholarship Funds. Check out the pictures below!
Grains & Taps Blarney Brew Off, March 2017 – Sometimes the weather does not cooperate, but for Grains & Taps, it was perfect for their 2017 Blarney Brew Off. Homebrewers from near and a bit far came into Lee’s Summit to share their creations. From Peanut Butter Porters to Ciders made with local honey to beer being served out of a jester’s hat, I’m always impressed with the creativity from local homebrewers.
It was a last minute visit for me. I was at the Brookside Parade, but the pictures on social media from the homebrewers had me convinced I need to check out the Brew Off. Grains & Taps was nice enough to let me sneak in to take some photos and try a few beers.
Two large tents were put up for attendees to shade themselves with dozens of homebrewers surrounding the tents, live band Gorilla Dance Club, and with your ticket you got a t-shirt, tasting glass, and a meal provided by Frankie Farelane’s/Stuey McBrew’s. I was only there for about an hour, but I got to talk with old friends (Not Lost Brewing, Scouting the Taps, KC Hop Talk) and make some new ones (Lost Art Malt House, Cock-a-Doodle Brews, Pithy & Wry).
I would like to express my gratitude to the homebrewers who not only provide beer but their time, their knowledge, and great displays. Not only for this event, but for all the events that have popped up in the past few years. I don’t feel like you guys get enough thanks, so thanks!
Velo Garage and Tap House Opening, March 2017 – North Kansas City’s newest beer place, Velo Garage and Tap House, started out mobile – as Velo Wagon. You may have seen the blue VW bus around town, at beer events, or on a First Friday, but now there’s a more permanent location to get your bike fixed and have a beer.
The Tap House has 10 beers on tap and several bottles and cans, including local beers from Boulevard and KC Bier Co. It has a very open feel to it with tall windows in the front allowing for plenty of light. There’s a free shuffleboard table, but it comes with rules as it is brand new and the owners want to keep it understandably nice for everyone. They will be hosting leagues for shuffleboard.
Snacks and coffee are also available.
It makes a great addition to the flourishing North Kansas City. See the pictures below.
Liberty Dog Days of Summer Craft Beer Crawl, August 20, 2016 – In the sea of beer fests, pub crawls, and homebrew fests, the 5th Annual Liberty Dog Days of Summer Craft Beer Crawl picked a great weekend to host. Not much else was going on Saturday, August 20, but even if there were other events, this crawl would have been at the top of my list.
21 shops in Downtown Liberty opened their doors to pour beers and introduce themselves to a new crowd. Most of the beers were local including Liberty’s own Rock & Run Brewery, but there were a few imported beers at Morning Day Cafe that ended up being the best of the bunch. Morning Day Cafe also had some homemade vodkas and tequilas they were sampling in their courtyard. Free State‘s Garden Party was my favorite local beer.
The beer was just one highlight. Walking through Historic Downtown Liberty on such a nice day and finding new places to patronize was a cool experience. A lot of the buildings have interesting stories, too. Parts of the 1991 Stephen King movie Sometimes They Come Back were filmed in Liberty. You can see the square and even the Clay County Courthouse on YouTube. Thanks to Dustin with the bring-your-own-alcohol painting studio Blanc Palette for that information. Although the film was supposed to be set in Connecticut, a Liberty Police Department flag can be seen in the film and other Liberty signs can be seen throughout the movie.
Naturally, I set up a day with my sister to revisit the city that will include shopping at stores like Main Street Goods & Goodies and Wild Juniper, dining and drinking at Morning Day Cafe, and painting at Blanc Palette.
Mark your calendar for next August because this event was pretty cool! Check it out for yourself in the pictures:
Nanobrew Fest, July 30, 2016 – Nanobrew Fest was a fun time again this year. However, I did not prepare myself well enough and only remember about half of it. Eat something before and then during, especially if they give you a food ticket. Neither of which I did, so I’m glad I have pictures to remember it by.
What I do remember was it was a great time in a great location and I really hope they’ve found a permanent location or at least revisit it in a few years. I knew a lot of people both serving and attending, so a lot of my time was spent talking.
I started off with doing an interview with Not Lost Brewing on Periscope about their future plans and the beers they were pouring for Nanobrew. I then visited several tables to try beers and talk to homebrewers about said beers and if they were interested in opening a brewery. Thirsty Whale Brewing Company and Side Gig Brewing were two of my favorites because of their beers and personable pourers.
There were fun games, including bag toss from Wag-N-Bag and ladder toss, and attractions like an inflatable pub, the Velowagon, and TrailerGate.
My biggest complaint is when you have this on your FAQ page on your website:
“Can I bring my children?
Definitely NOT. This is a 21 and over event. No one under the age of 21 will be permitted entrance to the event. This includes infants. Anyone with a child will not be admitted, no exceptions.”
then why did I see at least three kids? If you allow kids, great, but when you specifically say no exceptions, it’s a bit irritating. A lot of people differ on this opinion, but I’m pretty firm in my belief that kids do not belong at a beer festival with a bunch of people who are drinking including the people who brought the kids.
But let’s leave on a positive note: great people, great beers, great location, and I’m sure the food was great, too. I hope everyone had fun and we’ll see you again next year! Onto the pictures.
Happy Birthday, Tank 7, July 07, 2016 – Happy Birthday to my gateway beer! Tank 7 wasn’t my first beer or even my first good beer, but it became my favorite on first taste. It opened my eyes to a world of good beer, good friends, and good experiences.
Tank 7 had its birthday on 07/07, at several local and nationwide bars. We debated on going to either Up-Down or Bier Station and even though we knew parking would be limited and the place would be packed, we went to Bier Station because of the beers they had on tap. We had already celebrated by drinking a Tank 7 at Boulevard Brewing‘s new Beer Hall, so we were looking to try some new beers.
It took a bit of effort and relocating to get the candles lit on the cake, but after they did, we all sang Happy Birthday. Someone tried to use a 4-pack of Tank 7 to blow the candles out by waving it across the cake to no avail, so he just blew them out himself. The cake was really good, actually. Hy-Vee made the cakes for the Kansas City bars celebrating, while other cities had different ones made.
Here are the pictures:
Also, the video:
Big Rip’s 4th of July Party, July 04, 2016 – I usually stay home on the 4th, but I wanted to check out Big Rip this year because their 4th of July party has a great reputation. Admittedly, I did leave before the fireworks, but I got the gist of the party from the few hours I was there.
Plenty of bars open for a relatively short wait, although the indoor bar could use a different line up system. It gets in the way of the indoor restrooms and event space.
The staff was friendly and seemingly excited to be there to help celebrate America’s birthday. A few outdoor games including giant Jenga, bag toss, and Jumbo Yahtzee were all set up for the enjoyment of the attendees. Somewhat surprisingly, not too many kids and only one dog that I saw as I was leaving. With that dog was a cat, and as a cat lover, was an extremely awesome sight to see! I hope they did well during the fireworks…
If you attend next year, bring your own chairs. You could also bring a cooler in, but bringing in drinks was discouraged. You’d be fine to get there around 6pm to secure a spot and quickly get a drink. Like I mentioned above, I didn’t stay for the fireworks nor the movie (The Sandlot) brought by Screenland, but I’m sure it was a blast!
See pictures here:
Big Rip’s Get Ripped Beer Fest, June 04, 2016 – Big Rip‘s Get Ripped Fest is more of a party than a beer festival, so it was no surprise to see some old friends and make some new ones. This year, Big Rip celebrated their birthday with great music; great beers; and, except for about 10 minutes of rain, great weather!
It was fun trying some new beers from established local breweries and learn about upcoming breweries like Miami Creek Brewing Company and Calibration Brewery. A few favorite beers of the day were Purple Train, a Blueberry Lemon Berliner Weisse from Martin City Brewing Company and Pancho’s Hot Pepper Ale from Miami Creek Brewing Company.
There was more than beer, though. The band, Sean McNown Band, played music that made for conversational background noise and the occasional sing-along. There were a few games out such as bag toss and jumbo Jenga and plenty of places to hang out and talk with other guests. There was also a raffle for stuff like Sierra Nevada table umbrellas, growlers, growler coozies, and tickets to Shock Treatment (a new venture from the guys who brought you Screenland and Tapcade).
Since Big Rip opened in May of 2013, the Kansas City area has welcomed about ten new breweries including Torn Label, Crane Brewing, and Stockyards Brewing. Kansas City also have several upcoming breweries that will be opening within the next year including Miami Creek Brewing Company, Calibration Brewery, Not Lost Brewing, and Brewery Emperial. Since the Get Ripped Fest is local establishments only, it was a nice way to check out what Kansas City has to offer.
See pictures here:
Goose Island Migration Week, May 31, 2016 – Goose Island flocked to Kansas City the week of May 30, and they brought out the jumbo games! Human Foosball was the biggest event, attracting several hundred spectators and 8 teams ready to play some human foosball. 
The game was set up in the parking lot of Up-Down, along with jumbo jenga, some tables, and a table set up with Goose Island beers. 8 teams, with names like We Pity the Fooz and Ball Busters, played in the tournament to win the Goose Island trophy composed of a keg, soccer ball, and tap handle; painted white, black, and gold to match Goose Island colors. There were rare beers on tap including Halia and Bee Squad.
Thank you to David with Up-Down and Jack and Bill with Goose Island for hosting such an awesome event and helping KansasCityBeer.com get info and great pictures!
We were also at Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout Deconstruction class at Grain to Glass in North Kansas City. While we didn’t actually get to try that beer before the barrels (mix up at the lab) we got to try some other rare Goose Island beers such as Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout and Bourbon County Brand Regal Rye Stout.
KC On Tap, April 30, 2016 – When it’s 80° and sunny, it’s perfect weather for an outdoor beer festival! The Kansas City On Tap beer festival was Saturday, May 07, with over 150 beers from about 75 breweries. Although it’s a national festival, our city’s breweries were well-represented. Amerisports Brew Pub, Boulevard, Crane Brewing, Double Shift Brewing, KC Bier Co, Martin City Brewing, Torn Label, and newcomer Miami Creek Brewing Company were all serving their beers.
Gates opened at 1pm for VIP ticket holders and 2pm for regular ticket holders. It was a bit of a walk to the first tent, but once in the area everything was close enough together. There could have been more tables set up in the distance between the entrance and the tents, even another tent to shade attendees from the sun, but there were plenty of places to sit in the grass beneath trees.
Most of the servers were volunteers, but they were excited to be there and had taken the time to learn about the beers they were pouring. I especially liked the way Zone 3 was set up with the vendors in the middle rather than the rest of the Zones where the vendors were on the outer edges of the tent. With the latter set up, attendees were more likely to block the way for the beers.
The best beers were from Miami Creek Brewing Company. They are an upcoming brewery out of Drexel, Missouri, who are looking at opening in late 2016 to early 2017. They served up a Soured APA, a Barleywine with Cherries, a Belgian Tripel, and my favorite a Lavender Saison. The saison had just the right amount of lavender to not be overpowering, but to give it a refreshing taste. Miami Creek Brewing Company produces many of their own ingredients on their Miami Creek Farm, including hops, herbs, spices, and fruits. They will be serving their beers at Big Rip’s 3rd Anniversary Party on June 04. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, andInstagram to get updates on their progress.
I will definitely attend again next year, as long as it’s not the same weekend as the Parkville Microbrew Fest.