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.
September and October weekends will be stacked with great beer events, takeovers, parties, and brewery openings. With the cooler weather, you’ll be able to enjoy your beers without sweating your butt off and it’s easier for event planners to get bit more crazy with their events.
This Saturday the 12th, there are 11 different events. 11! This is the busiest weekend for beer. Starting as early as 8am and going into all hours of the day and night, locations from Parkville to Blue Springs to Independence to North Kansas City to Lee’s Summit to Kansas City – you get the idea, you will find something for you! Activities include helping clean a river, finding out winners of a competition, going on a pub crawl, or attending one of the festivals.
September 13-18 is Sour Beer Week at The Flying Saucer. Sour beers have become popular over the past few year due to the uniqueness of the style. It’s a risky form of beer brewing, so only a few local breweries have tried their hand at it. Big Rip expects to release their Tart Cherry Sweet Brown aged in a Pinot Noir barrel in the next month or so and Boulevard has had a few. Crane Brewing, opening next month, has a variety of sours they’ll be sharing.
Several Oktoberfests starting the weekend of September 18th. I can’t speak of the quality of most because I’ve only been to KC Bier Co‘s last year, but it’s all typically a good time. Big glasses of beer, German attire, and bratwursts are all common for Oktoberfests. KC Bier Co promises an even better time than last year with more carnival games, a wooden keg tapping with celebrity tapper Karli Ritter, and a few competitions.
Saturday, September 19, has fewer events than the previous Saturday, but they’re just as good. North Kansas City is holding a citywide Pint Path. If you want to ride your bike a bit more south, check out Pub N Pedal. A scavenger hunt around Kansas City beer locations where you can win prizes. The Kansas City Beer Fest is also on this day at the Power and Light District. It’s been around before the recent surge of craft beer lovers, so it should be pretty packed. The best event of the day is the High Plains Brewhoff. Mostly one-off beers made by homebrewers and celebrity brewers, this event is perfect for the person who has tried everything. Best part, the tickets are free.
A lot more Oktoberfests during the weekend of September 25th, with a few, smaller events mixed between.
Things slow down a bit in October as the weather gets cooler. A few highlights – Crane Brewing and Red Crow Brewing are rumored to be opening, CRAFT Shop, Sip, Feast at Crown Center on the 4th, there will be a beer garden at the Great Midwest Balloon Fest this year on the 23rd & 24th, Sam Adams KMF Grand Cru comes back to Kansas City the week of the 25th, and Big Rip’s Halloween Party will be on Friday the 30th.
Check our calendar for all beer events in Kansas City and be sure to follow us on social media to see pictures from events!
Summer may be winding down and kids are back to school, but that doesn’t mean the beer season has to end. Tailgating, heavy beers, even more festivals are all going to make this season great.
Boulevard announced beer releases, yesterday. Funky Pumpkin, Collaboration No. 5 – Tropical Pale Ale, Rye-on-Rye, Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry, Smokestack Series Great 8, and Deep Dive – Wet Hopped Ale are all scheduled to be released throughout the rest of the year. To see more on each beer visit their website.
In addition to Boulevard’s first pumpkin beer, most other breweries are releasing their fall seasonals. Pumpkins, Oktoberfests, and stouts are all popular fall and winter beers. Kansas City Bier Company had an enjoyable Oktoberfest event in their Bavarian bier garden and bierhalle last year and will surely hold another one this year. For more information and pictures from last year’s event click here.
And then there’s football. The Chiefs have their first preseason game tonight and kicks off their regular season September 13. Whether you’re tailgating, hosting a party, or just chilling at home, beer will surely be involved.
So grab a cold one to keep warm this fall and winter.
Summer is almost over and school is about to be back in session, so it’s time for some fall beer festivals. Grab your jackets and hats and read through to pick the ones you’ll be attending. This list is also available on the 2015 Festivals page.
Saturday, August 01
11am-6pm – City Market Free Beer Festival, City Market, Kansas City. The Pitch hosts the first City Market Beer Fest with 100 beers available for purchase. $10 for 4 beers or $20 for 10 beers.
Saturday, August 15
1pm-5pm – Zona Rosa Microbrew Fest, Zona Rosa, Kansas City. Lots of great beers and Missouri Mashers will be doing a competition as a part of the festival.
2pm-6pm – 75th Street Summer Beer Fest, 520 W 75th Street, Kansas City, MO, $35. A lot of local breweries are listed to be at the Summer Fest in 75th Street’s Alley.
Friday, August 21
6pm – Screenland Armour’s Arts and Crafts Beer Festival, 408 Armour Road, North Kansas City. Screenland Armour kicks off the event with exclusive film premiers, the best bands, artists, and even more rare beers!
1pm-4:30pm – Midwest Microfest, 800 The Midway, Salina, KS, $35 GA, $60 VIP. If you’ll be in the middle of Kansas on August 29, then this will be a good fest to attend. Over 20 breweries are set to pour their beer at the event, including Red Crow, Radius Brewing, Goose Island, and River North. There will also be live music.
Saturday, September 5
Festival of the Lost Township, Raytown, MO, $35 ($40 at the door) GA, $100 VIP. Hosted by Crane Brewing Company, this beer festival also includes meet and greets with local beer celebrities.
Saturday, September 12
2pm-6pm – Tour of Brews, 3365 SW Fascination Drive, Lee’s Summit. Formerly TKC Real Ale Fest, this beer fest will have one of a kind firkins, live music, and beer demonstrations. This event is in the middle of a fun-filled weekend in Lee’s Summit that includes a Tour of Towns on Friday, Small Biz Showcase on Saturday, and a community day with an adult scavenger hunt on Sunday.
1pm-6pm – Brewtopia, 4380 S Noland Road, Independence, MO, $30. Apex Brew and BBQ Supplies hosts their first festival. Taste a wide variety of beers from over 40 homebrewers and local breweries. Live music, food, and more.
Saturday, September 19
1pm-5pm – High Plains Brewhoff, Overland Park, free by invitation. This fun event that puts you in the judge’s seat asks you to prepare your liver. Celebrity brewers and homebrewers will be judged by you! Tickets are now available at Brew Lab.
1:30pm-6pm – KC Beer Fest, Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO, $35 GA, $60 VIP. This fest has been around for a while, so they’ve got it pretty well organized. Over 200 craft beers from around the world, rare keg tappings, live music, and food trucks will be spread across two blocks in downtown Kansas City.
5pm-10pm – Village West Wine Fest & Beer, 9400 State Avenue, Kansas City, KS, $75 GA, $150 VIP. That’s a hefty price tag, but this fest at Schlitterbahn will showcase over 200 wines and 100 beers from around the world, food from over 30 of KC’s finest restaurants, fireworks at 9pm, and dancing from 9pm until midnight. Limited to 2,000 attendees.
Saturday, October 17
12pm-7pm – KC Brew Fest Fall Edition, Union Station, 30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO, $40. Split between two sessions (12pm-3pm & 4pm-7pm), this fest will include tastings from over 50 breweries.
6pm-9pm – Brew at the Zoo, Kansas City Zoo, 6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, MO, $35-$45. Appetizers, music, beer, and wine samples as well as two drink tickets included in your ticket at this event. Breweries include KC Bier Co, Big Rip, Boston Beer, Crane Brewing, and more. In the Valley Below will be performing.
Saturday, October 24
1:30pm-5pm – Beerfest at the Ballpark, 1800 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, KS, $36. I’ll be honest, you should skip this one. The venue is great, but the beers and crowd were less than stellar, especially for the price. If you really want to go, they do have over 200 domestic, microbrewed, and international craft beers while a DJ will be playing.
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.
