Cinder Block – Kansas City Beer

October 16, 2018

Halloween Events for 2018

Let the pumpkin beer flow, it’s Halloween season!

Here’s a list of pumpkin carving/decorating, costume parties, Halloween parties, and more for beer-related Halloween events.

Tuesday, October 16

11am – Yearly Pumpkin Party at Barley’s Kitchen + Tap, 11924 West 119th St, Overland Park, KS 66213 – Tapping all of their pumpkin beers at once. Beers from Schlafly, Avery Brewing Company, Dogfish Head, and Epic Brewing Company.

Thursday, October 18

6pm – Shocktober Hop Quiz Trivia with Screenland Armour at Boulevard Tours & Rec Center, 2534 Madison Ave, Kansas City, MO 64108 – Rounds of Halloween and horror trivia and two beers of your choice for $10.

Friday, October 19

8pm – Spooky Ride! at Velo Garage and Tap House, 1403 Swift, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – Costume party and beer specials at Velo Garage and Tap House and then bike on up to Screenland Armour for a showing of Halloween. Best costume wins a free beer and a free movie pass. Tickets for the movie are $10.

Saturday, October 20

11am – Oktoberfest Barrel Roll Parade at Dubious Claims Brewery, 451 S Thompson Ave, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024 – If you’re not quite ready for Halloween and still in Oktoberfest mode, partake in the tradition of a Barrel Roll Parade. Starting at Dubious Claims Brewery and ending at Atlas Saloon & Brewery, the event is open to anyone 21 and over.
2pm – Boo ‘n Brew at Town Center Plaza, 5000 W 119th St, Leawood, KS 66209 – Eat, drink, and be scary! Houlihan’s will have a VIP Beer Garden and there will be yard games, a DJ, an adult costume contest, and a carved pumpkin contest. The whole area will be open to all ages.
7pm – Brew at the Zoo and Wine Too at Kansas City Zoo, 6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, MO 64132 – Animals are a popular Halloween costume, so get some inspiration by drinking with the animals at the zoo. This beer and wine festival has been around a few years and always sell out. $40 for FOTZ members, $50 for non-FOTZ members.

Sunday, October 21

3pm – Howl-o-Ween at KC Bier Co, 310 W 79th, Kansas City, MO 64114 – Dog costume contest with prizes, photographer, fun activities, and fundraising for Wayside Waifs. $5 donation at the door gets you a raffle ticket and a doggie bag with goodies.

Tuesday, October 23

5:45pm – Here for the BOOs, Painting, and Trivia at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 101 E 13th St, Kansas City, MO 64105 – A $30 ticket includes a flight of four-5 oz beers, painting instruction, and horror movie trivia.
6pm – Pumpkins and Pints with Kansas City Girls Pint Out at Flying Horse Taproom, 600 E 63rd St, Kansas City, MO 64110 – Wear a costume and receive a free gift. Magic brews will be on tap.

Wednesday, October 24

6pm – Annual Pumpkin Carving Party at Green Room Burgers & Beer, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite D, Kansas City, MO 64111 – Sponsored by Schlafly, they’ll have fun prizes, giveaways, pumpkin beer, and pumpkin carving. The event is free but let them know you’ll be there so they can get the right amount of pumpkins.

Thursday, October 25

4pm – 3rd Annual Halloween Party at Crane Brewing, 6515 Railroad St, Raytown, MO 64133 – A creepy, crawly Crane Halloween party with more details to come.
5pm – Dog-gone Halloween Partay! at Cinder Block Brewery, 110 E 18th Ave, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – Dog costume contest, all-you-can-eat chilli and cinnamon rolls ($10), Halloween movies, and Beer Paws will be onsite.
5pm – Literacy KC Spelling Bee & Kids Costume Preview with COOP Ale Works at Bier Station, 120 E Gregory, Kansas City, MO 64114 – Test your spelling skills and drink some COOP Ale Works beer to benefit Literacy KC. Kids will get a spelling bee round, too. Kids will also be able to test out their costumes and trick-or-treat skills for some candy.
6:30pm – Halloween Beer Dinner at Smokin’ Guns BBQ & Catering, 1218 Swift, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – Halloween beers paired with frightening dishes, wear your best costume for a chance to win prizes. $30 single ticket, $50 for couples.

Friday, October 26

6pm – Haunted Halloween Beer & Boos Bash at Martin City Event Space, 13440 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO 64145 – All you can eat pizza and wings, new beer releases, costume prizes, giveaways, and more. Beer releases include Martin City Brewing Company Shunned House IPA, Alchemy Coffee Stout, Righteous Candor IPA, and Fallback Brown.
7pm – Halloween Bash at Callsign Brewing, 1447 Gentry St, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – Special pint and growler pricing, special snacks, costume contest, and live music. They’ll also be collecting new or gently used blanket and cold weather items for donation.

Saturday, October 27

10am – Halloweenie at East Forty Brewing, 1201 W Main St, Blue Springs, MO 64015 – The inaugural event begins with Main Street Trick or Treating at 10am and East Forty will open at 11am serving burgers, dogs, house-made chili, and all their standard offerings. There will be games for the whole family, costume contest, a downtown scavenger hunt, and weiner dog races.
11am – Night of the Thirsty Dead at Rock & Run Brewery and Pub, 110 E Kansas St, Liberty, MO 64068 – Time to get spooky. Enjoy new brews, costumes, and a pumpkin contest.
11am – Brews ‘n Boos at Flying Horse Taproom, 600 E 63rd St, Kansas City, MO 64110 – They will be releasing their collaboration beers with Free State Brewing, Barrel Aged Baltic Porter aged in Templeton barrels and Ironman Imperial Stout aged in Templeton barrels. They will also have a pumpkin carving/decoration contest so come in costume to help set the mood!
11am – Pumpkin Decorating for Kids at Chicken N Pickle, 1761 Burlington, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – Good Natured Family Farms will be at Chicken N Pickle with a bunch of pumpkins to decorate.
11am – Prairie Moon Pumpkin Run at Prairie Moon Waldorf School, 1853 E 1600 Rd, Lawrence, KS 66044 – A 5K run for $15 that includes a t-shirt and pumpkin and ends at Lawrence Beer Company. Celebrate with food, drinks, and activities.
11am – Halloween Bike Rodeo at Bier Station, 120 E Gregory Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64114 – Dress yourself and your bike up in your best costume and enjoy activities like Red Solo Cup Handoff, Track Stand Contest, and other feats of bike skill. Great prizes including a chance to win a bike. Proceeds benefit BikeWalkKC.
5pm – Crossroads Pub Crawl in the Crossroads District – Locations include Border Brewing, Double Shift Brewing, Lifted Spirits, International Tap House, Mission Taco Joint, and Grinders. Spooky drink specials, candy, and an after party at Grinders with a costume contest.
7pm – 6th Annual Ripper Halloween Party at Big Rip Brewing, 216 E 9th Ave, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – All drinks included for only $35. Enjoy a DJ, drinking games, prizes, and a costume contest at this horror-themed brewery.
7:30pm – Halloween Party at Chicken N Pickle, 1761 Burlington, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – Hang out on their rooftop where they’ll have a DJ, Halloween special cocktail, and a costume party.
8pm – Naughty and Nice Costume Party at Smoke Brewing Company, 209 SE Main, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 – Food and drink specials with live music and $100 cash prize for best costume.

Sunday, October 28

12pm – Fall Family Festival at KC Bier Co, 310 W 79th, Kansas City, MO 64114 – Activities including pumpkin painting, yard games, candy prizes, and a costume contest. Proceeds benefit Noah’s Bandage Project and the BMA Foundation.

Wednesday, October 31

4pm – People are Strange at Strange Days Brewing, 316 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64106 – Wear your best costume for beer specials and a costume contest.
7pm – Halloween Scary Movie-thon at KC Bier Co, 310 W 79th, Kansas City, MO 64114 – Two classic scary films, $3 Rot Lagers, and Bierhalle food specials.
8pm – All Hallows Eve with Freight Train Rabbit Killer at Stockyards Brewing, 1600 Genessee St, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64102 – Live music with Freight Train Rabbit Killer.

Thursday, November 01

4pm – Day of the Dead at Grain to Glass, 1611 Swift Ave, North Kansas City, MO 64116 – Wear your best Grateful Dead apparel and enjoy some tribute music. They’ll have beer specials and prize for best shirt.

Let me know if I missed any beer-related events at beer@kansascitybeer.com Have a wonderful Halloween!

February 11, 2018

Kansas City Beer Checks out St. Louis Beer

A last-minute trip to St. Louis was just what I needed to get back into the beer scene back here in Kansas City. I took a break to deal with some personal issues, but beer is my first love so I couldn’t stay away for too long.

I only had one day to explore the St. Louis beer scene with three friends, but was able to get three breweries in. Our first stop was Urban Chestnut at their midtown location. I’m not personally a big fan of German beers, but I can appreciate it. I actually did end up enjoying the ones I got in my flight, especially the Wolpertinger, a boozy, bourbon barrel-aged weizenbock. The location reminded me of Cinder Block Brewery with wood decor and plenty of fun card and board games to play.

« ‹ of 10 › »

Not too far away, our next stop was The Schlafly Taproom housed in a castle-like building. The turn-of-the-century building had a lot of character especially the brick exterior. I got a flight because I like to try a lot, and my favorite was the Blueberry Coffee Stout. The blueberry wasn’t overpowering and added a nice flavor to the coffee. The styles of beer and rich-in-history building was similar to Stockyards Brewing, although Schlafly was much bigger and had a full restaurant.

Schlafly Tap Room

« ‹ of 12 › »

Our final stop was 4 Hands Brewing. Typically, it’s a good idea to save the best for last and although I think we did, when it comes to beer drinking, the last can become the blurriest. We had drunk too much in our previous breweries so we were only able to enjoy one quick beer at 4 Hands. We didn’t even make it up to the mysterious upstairs, so we’ll have to plan another trip and make this the first stop. The bar itself was tucked away on a dead end street making it a good spot to have a work break or meet up with friends for a chill night. The wallpaper was a silvery version of their logo and they had plenty of cool souvenirs. If you like Big Rip Brewing‘s atmosphere, you’d like it here. Thanks to Heath and Rich for the hospitality!

4 Hands Brewing

« ‹ of 7 › »

This trip wasn’t a beercation and I was the only major beer nerd in the group, so I wasn’t able to get all the stops I wanted to in (Perennial Artisan Ales, Side Project, etc.), but that just leaves it open for another trip, this time focused on beer. Who wants to join?

September 4, 2017

KC Beer Fest

With an appropriate date (09/09), the 9th Annual KC Beer Fest will kickoff on Saturday beginning at 2pm for VIP and 3pm for General Admission. The festival will host more than 50 breweries pouring more than 200 craft beers including rare tappings from Bell’s Brewery, Boulevard Brewing Company, Crane Brewing, Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, Firestone Walker Bre wing Company, Martin City Brewing Company, Perennial Artisan Ales, and more.

Attendees will enjoy unlimited samples of beers from local and national breweries, lawn games, food trucks, and local artists as Flying Saucer and Power & Light District host the event that will shut down Grand Boulevard between 13th and 14th Streets. Many of the local breweries haven’t even been around since the inception of the festival including Cinder Block Brewing, Crane Brewing, and Torn Label Brewing Company, but old favorites like Boulevard Brewing Company will be pouring as well.

A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to Drink Local Think Global, a nonprofit with a mission to provide clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. There will also be raffles and giveaways from the group to raise additional funds.

VIP tickets are $65 now through Friday, September 8, $70 day of the festival. General Admission tickets are $40 now through Friday, September 8, $45 day of the festival. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit KC Beer Fest’s website at: www.kcbeerfest.com

See you there!

June 17, 2016

Passport to Kansas City Fun

A fun, new way to experience Kansas City’s drinking scene is upon us in the form of a passport! The Passport Program, which started three years ago in Denver and has branched out to 11 additional cities this year, is a program that tells you to say hello to adventure and goodbye to routine.

For $20, you get a booklet that includes 31-Two for One Drink Coupons at Kansas City area breweries, wineries, distilleries, and bars (full list below). I’ve only been to 1/3 of the places in the booklet, so it will definitely be an adventure to try some new places and hang out at some old favorites. There are still some booklets available, but Denver sold out, so get one before Kansas City sells out, too. Coupons are good now through Labor Day.