Urban Chestnut – Kansas City Beer

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.

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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

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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

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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?

The Pitch’s Crafts & Drafts Pictures and Review

Some of the best breweries and crafters were all packed into the Uptown Shoppes on Saturday. Starting at 11am, you were able knock out some of your Christmas shopping or splurge on something for yourself in an Etsy-in-real-life setting, while drinking some fantastic drinks from Crane Brewing, Boulevard, 4 Hands, KC Bier Co, Tallgrass, Urban Chesnut, Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Crown Royal.

The event was planned really well, although I didn’t see a lot of advertising for it, which kept the crowd down. Even when I left at 2:30pm, there were still enough parking spaces to accommodate the vendors and attendees. I appreciate it was a free event, but before going I was unsure if the beer would be free and/or if I should bring my own glass. When I arrived, the bar was set up for $6 a beer, so I figured I would walk around a little bit, take a few pictures, and head out. When I got back around to the beer area, the breweries had set up and started to serve their beers for free. They provided small, plastic taster cups that were tossed away in a trash bin. It would have been nice to have some recycle bins set up. Bridging the Gap often provides these at events for a small fee. The floor plan of the event was perfect. Enough room for lines at the brewery tables, aisles were big enough to easily get through, and even a lounge area set up with couches, tables, a DJ, and college football on TV.

The beers were amazing and were drinkable with little-to-no wait. Crane Brewing was the best with their Orange, Peach, and Braun Weiss beers that were a dream to any sour beer lover. It was nice to watch as patrons excitingly inquired about their location, when they are going to open, where they could buy bottles. Although a bit out of the way in Raytown, they will be the brewery to check out whether you’re a Kansas City native or just a visitor.

The other breweries brought good beers and mostly good attitudes. The people working the Boulevard and Urban Chestnut booths seemed like they didn’t want to be there at first, but warmed up a little as the day went on. While this is a beer blog, I did indulge in some wine and Whisky. Cooper’s Hawk Winery‘s table had several wines from Sangria to a Cabernet Zinfandel and a well setup booth. The gentlemen at the booth were friendly and enthusiastic. Crown Royal was giving away their new Regal Apple along with some few other favorites.

Great, free event with plentiful parking, an upbeat crowd, enough space to chill out, and the crafters were amazing. 9 out of 10. Can’t wait for next year!

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