KC Beer Blog

Chocolate Ale Tapping List

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:48:00 +0000

As Boulevard Chocolate Ale starts to roll out today in Kansas City, I thought I'd try to keep a comprehensive list of all the restaurants and bars that will be tapping Chocolate Ale and when. I plan to update this as more information rolls in, so keep checking back if you are looking for a specific bar or restaurant and don't see it on here yet. List is in alphabetical order.

UPDATE: Central States Beverage has posted a list of all Missouri and Kansas accounts that are receiving Chocolate Ale kegs. Visit their Facebook page to see a full, comprehensive list.

810 Zone (Leawood) - Tapping Wednesday, 2/1

All Star Pizza and Pub - On tap now

Barley's Brewhaus 119th - Tapping Tuesday, 1/31

Barley's Brewhaus Shawnee - Tapping Wednesday, 2/1

Beer Kitchen - Tapping Tuesday, 1/31 at 4 PM

Blue Moose Overland Park - Tapping Wednesday, 2/1

Blue Moose Prairie Village - Tapping Wednesday, 2/1

Blue Moose Topeka - Tapping Wednesday, 2/1

The Brew Top (NKC) - On tap now

Charlie Hooper's - Tapping Tuesday, 1/31

Dempsey's (Lawrence) - On tap now

Foundry - Tapping Tuesday, 1/31

Flying Saucer - Tapping Tuesday, 1/31

Governor Stumpy's - On tap now

La Bodega (Leawood) - Tapping Thursday, 2/2

Lew's - On tap now

Longbranch Steakhouse and Pizza - Tapping Tuesday, 1/31 at 4 PM

Martin City Brewing Company - On tap now

O' Dowds - On tap now

The Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange - TBA

RJ's Bob-Be-Que Shack - Tapping Wednesday, 2/1 around 6 PM

Smokehouse BBQ (Zona Rosa) - Tapping Monday, 1/30 at 4 PM

Waldo Pizza - Tapping Friday, 2/3

The Well - On tap now

If anyone knows of any other locations that aren't listed above, add them in the comments below and I'll be sure to update the list.

B4TW - Bell's Hopslam Ale

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:54:00 +0000

An obvious choice for Beer for the Weekend? Maybe. But after just having a lunch Hopslam at Flying Saucer, I was reminded of how great this beer is. It's like this beer punches you in the face with bitter hops, then wipes away your tears with delicious honey and citrus (this may be the beer talking). With a buzz and anticipation second only to Boulevard Chocolate Ale at the moment, this is a beer that people have been asking liquor stores and bars about for weeks (and for some obsessive people, probably even months). And although it's not available on store shelves yet, there are plenty of bars that will be tapping Hopslam over the next few days, giving you an opportunity to partake in this limited treasure now, before the Black Friday-esque retail battle begins.

Here's the rundown of where you can get Hopslam and when:

Flying Saucer: Already tapped, go get it now. They will also be tapping a firkin of Hopslam on Monday starting at 7, tickets go on sale at 6 and are required.

Foundry: Tapping at 4 PM today

Martin City Brewing Company: Announced they would be tapping this weekend

Smokehouse Barbecue (Zona Rosa): Announced they would be tapping this weekend

Waldo Pizza: ~~Said they would be tapping on or around January 31st, with updates to come on their Facebook page. Maybe if you go harass them enough, they will end up tapping it this weekend. Worth a shot, right?~~ Update: you must have harassed them enough, Hopslam is on tap NOW at Waldo Pizza!

So there you have it, from downtown out to Martin City, you should be able to find somewhere relatively close where you can get Hopslam on tap. Details on when it will be available in liquor stores are still a little fuzzy, so it might be worth going and getting your fill now in case you aren't able to get any in bottles when it finally hits.

If I get any new information regarding bars that are tapping Hopslam this weekend, I will be sure to update this post accordingly. In the meantime, map out your plans to hit up one of the venues on the list above, because Hopslam is your beer for the weekend.

Happy Canned Craft Beer Day

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:57:00 +0000

..or Beer Can Appreciation Day, or whatever you'd like to call it. Either way, today's beer holiday marks the 77th anniversary of the first day that beer was sold in cans. On January 24th, 1935, Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company began distributing Krueger's Finest Beer to the public, and the canned beer revolution has snowballed since.

Fortunately for those of who prefer craft beer, a similar snowball has been seen over the past couple years when it comes to craft breweries offering their product in cans. There are currently 159 breweries and 481 beers in the CraftCans.com database, and those numbers continue to grow as more breweries recognize the multiple benefits of canning.

While we certainly don't have 481 canned craft beers available to us here in Kansas City, we still have a nice variety of options to choose from. Perhaps you could celebrate by drinking semi-locally and snagging a 4-pack of Velvet Rooster or Buffalo Sweat from Tallgrass. Modus Hoperandi from Ska is always a solid option. People sometimes forget that Avery now offers their IPA, White Rascal and Joe's Pilsner in cans. And Caldera Brewing (only available on the MO side) is often overlooked, but offers up a great canned IPA.

Plus, we can celebrate the fact that we have more cans to look forward to in the near future, as Bell's Brewery, Abita Brewing and Sierra Nevada will all be offering canned options starting in 2012.

I'll gladly crack open a couple pulltabs tonight in appreciation of the fact that I have canned beer available to me that is something other than an American light adjunct lager. I suggest you all do the same, because after all, who doesn't want to make a toast to a nice set of cans?

Weekly Bar Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:33:00 +0000

I don't know about you guys, but last Tuesday really put All Star Pizza on the map for me. Their Deschutes event was a huge success as the place was packed with an eager crowd. The pizza was great (I had some sort of avocado, chorizo, sriracha pie that really hit the spot) and the draft selection was outstanding (even without all the Deschutes beer). As a South KC resident, I don't make it to Parkville too often and I had never been to All Star Pizza before. But if I lived North of the river, I imagine I would be spending many a night with Grant and the gang. They have finalized the date for their Avery Angels and Demons event (details below) and it looks like they are committed to being a player in KC's craft beer scene. Its great to see more places making this kind of commitment to better beer, that's one of the reasons now is such a great time to be a beer drinker in KC. But enough with that, here are your upcoming beer events:

***Keep an eye out for bottles of Nebraska Brewing Apricot Au Poivre Saison this week as well as Bell's Hopslam on draft***

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday 1/25
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Get the Glass: Goose Island Chalice

Thursday 1/26
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Night: Troubador Flying Saucer Imperial Stout

Friday 1/27
Barley's Brewhaus Shawnee - 4:30pm - Tallgrass Sexy Buffalo (Buffalo Sweat mixed with cocoa nibs and cherries) firkin tapping, first 40 guests keep the glass

Monday 1/30
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Bell's Hopslam Firkin Tapping (only one in KC), tickets required for your pour go on sale at 6pm

Wednesday 2/1
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Get the Glass: Deschutes

Thursday 2/2
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Night: Ommegang Seduction Ale

Friday 2/3
The Drum Room at the President Hotel - 6pm - Boulevard Beer Dinner: Join The President Hotel at its Drum Room for an exclusive five-course dinner featuring selections from Boulevard's line up. Tickets are $65. Seats are limited, you can secure yours today by calling Tovia at 816.303.1642.

Saturday 2/11
75th Street Brewery - noon to 5pm - The Big Chill Strong Ale and Chili Fest: This year the Big Chill will feature 7 different local breweries. Tickets for this event are $30 ($25 if you're a Mug Club Member) and $35 the day of.

Monday 2/13
Maker's Mark Bourbon House - Seatings at 6, 7, and 8 p.m - Boulevard Beer Dinner: Looking for the best way to treat your Valentine in Kansas City? Join Maker's Mark for a four-course Boulevard beer dinner you're sure to fall in love with. The meal and beers were paired by Executive Chef Zachary Alft. Tickets are $125 a couple (plus tax and gratuity) and seats are limited, so reserve spots for you and your Valentine today by calling 816.442.8115. There will be door prizes and contests as well along with a special guest from the brewery on hand to walk you through the decadent meal.

Tuesday 2/21
All Star Pizza - 6pm - Avery Angels and Demons Night: We will feature The Beast, Samaels, Mephistopheles, The Reverend, Hog Heaven, and Salvation all on tap. We will also be selling one Genua Glass (never been in KC) per person for an extra $4 on the first beer. There will be tons of goodies we're raffling off, and hopefully, not confirmed yet, there might be some Rumpkin. Here's the link to the glass. https://gear.averybrewing.com/Avery-Genua-Glass.html

Friday 2/24
Boulevard Brewing - 11:30am - VIP Tour and Luncheon: Secure your spot for an exclusive VIP tour and luncheon with Boulevard’s brewmaster, Steven Pauwels, and the Beer Kitchen as they share their inspired pairings. The tour will begin from our Tasting Room promptly at 11:30am with the meal concluding at approximately 1:30 pm. Tickets for this event, which include the tour and three-course lunch, are $42 each including tax.

Wednesday 2/29
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Get the Glass: Stone Old Guardian Barleywine

The Return of Chocolate Ale

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:26:00 +0000

I had been hoping to wait a little while longer before I wrote this post, but as the buzz for Boulevard's Chocolate Ale grows stronger, it becomes harder to justify the delay. Everywhere I go, people want to know about Chocolate Ale. Retailers are being inundated with questions, requests to get on a waiting list, even calls from people who live on the other side of town and have never even been to their store before. I don't pretend to understand why people go so nuts for Chocolate Ale, but I can't deny that it has become perhaps the most anticipated beer release this city has seen. More beer geeks might mark their calenders for the annual release of Bell's Hopslam, Boulevard's Saison Brett or the inaugural bottling of Founder's CBS, but Chocolate Ale is that rare beer that transcends the beer geek world and has become a must have for even the casual craft beer drinker. Kansas Citians who have zero interest in craft beer are still at least aware of the existence of Chocolate Ale and I think that in and of itself is a pretty amazing thing.

Today's Star did a nice feature on Chocolate Ale and you can read "How to get Chocolate Ale on January 31st" and other related stories on the Ink KC website. I won't bother going into any actual info about the beer itself. I think you all know about it already and if you don't I would just direct you to the Star articles. What I can hope to tell you is where and when you might get it.

The goods new about the 2012 Chocolate Ale is that Boulevard has a much better idea of what to expect. According to Boulevard brewer Jeremy Danner, "last year when they told us how much we needed to make in a brewers meeting, we laughed. We thought there was no way we were going to sell that much chocolate beer. We were crazy wrong." To make it easier for Boulevard customers to get their hands on this year's batch, the brewery produced over 2.5 times more than they did in 2011. In fact, according to Danner, "this year we made far more Chocolate Ale than any other seasonal or limited release Smokestack Series beer we've ever brewed."

The tentative Kansas City release date for Boulevard Chocolate Ale bottles is January 31st. That means Central States Beverage Company, the sole distributor of Boulevard beer in the Kansas City metro, hopes to send the first trucks of Chocolate Ale to retail accounts that day. Now that date could change as conditions at Boulevard and Central States change, but right now January 31st is the best guess. The other important thing to keep in mind is that just because trucks start delivering the beer on the 31st doesn't mean every store is getting it on that day. Only the stores that just happen to get Tuesday deliveries from Central States will get it then. The rest will have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday or Friday or even Monday, February 6th to receive their deliveries. So if you go to your local liquor store on January 31st and they say they don't have it yet, DON'T FREAK OUT. Also, keep in mind that not every liquor store in KC is going to get this beer. That's just how it is. But if you shop at a store that carries Boulevard's Smokestack beers like Tank 7 or the Sixth Glass, there is a pretty good chance they will get Chocolate Ale.

I think it is with releases like this that loyal patronage of a good liquor store really pays off. If you've developed a relationship with "the beer guy" at your local shop, you probably already know if and when they are getting Chocolate Ale. If you have not, don't be surprised if you find it harder to get a bottle. Stores all across town are being flooded with people who want to make sure they have some Chocolate Ale reserved for them. But put yourself in the retailer's shoes. Who are you more likely to do a favor for (and yes, reserving bottles in this sort of environment is a favor) the regular customer who knows you by name or some stranger you've never seen before who is asking for a bottle over the phone? Let this be a reminder, getting to know your local beer guy (or gal) is a must if you want to score hard to find bottles. This is also where the truly great craft beer stores are going to shine. Stores that bother to employ a knowledgeable and educated staff are also likely to post to facebook and twitter as soon as they receive their allotment. If that's not the sort of store you shop at, you might want to reconsider where you buy beer. Retailers who go the extra mile to provide an excellent customer experience are the ones who will handle releases like this the best and they are also the stores that are most likely to get a large allocation of beers like Chocolate Ale.

Finally, while January 31st may be the big day everyone is talking about, January 30th is a day that might be even better to mark on your calender. That's the day Chocolate Ale kegs will start showing up in Kansas City bars and restaurants. And I've heard its tastes even better on tap.

Edit: As soon as I posted this, I saw this article on the Boulevard website.

Kansas Samplers

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:59:00 +0000

To say Kansas liquor laws are absurd is an understatement, but finally, at least one of the ridiculous ones may be coming to an end. A proposed bill has been presented to the Kansas Senate that would allow liquor stores to offer samples of products inside their retail establishments.

Obviously, if this measure is passed, this opens up the door for beer tastings to take place within the confines of liquor stores on the Kansas side. Naturally, these stores and their owners are already showing strong support for the bill, including Marshall Rimann of Rimann Liquors, who spoke about the proposal, and specifically about the booming craft beer segment, on KMBC 9 News.

If passed, the bill would limit portions to 1/2 ounce for distilled spirits, 1 ounce for wine, and 2 ounces for beer or malt beverages.

Having this bill pass would not only be huge for these retailers looking to increase revenue and customer satisfaction/interaction, but it would also beneficial for craft beer drinkers who live or work on the Kansas side and can't easily make it to tastings in Missouri all the time. Personally, I live on the Kansas side and would love having the opportunity to go to tasting events on the weekends or evenings when I have to head home soon after work. And between Rimann, Gomer's, Lukas, Tipsy's, Brown Bag (if I forgot any, it's because they haven't sent me their sponsorship check yet), there are certainly plenty of stores on the Kansas side of the metro that have nice craft beer selections and would make great locations for tastings.

It doesn't appear that a specific date has been set for voting on the bill (just that it will be the topic of hearings in a 'matter of weeks'). KAKE out of Wichita reports that the chairmen of the committees that will likely handle the bill "don't see many problems with allowing the tastings", which is good news. On an unrelated note, I highly recommend reading the comments on their article.

The passing of this measure would be a nice, albeit small, step in the right direction for Kansas and their screwy liquor laws. I can only hope that if this gets approved, it will lead to other changes, but only time will tell.

Stay tuned and hopefully sooner than later, we'll be attending beer tastings on both the Missouri and Kansas sides of the state line.

Weekly Bar Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:07:00 +0000

By all accounts, last night's Deschutes release party at the Foundry was a kick ass event. If you are like me and missed out, you still have a shot at attending tonight's Deschutes kick off party at All Star Pizza in Parkville. If you are going too, please say hello if you see me. I would love to get to know more of you.

Odell Saboteur Brett Barrel Brown has been popping up in liquor stores and on tap at bars around town. I enjoyed it on tap at Martin City Brewing on Friday night.

The brass from Boulder Beer are in town this week and they brought nitro kegs of Mojo IPA with them. Waldo Pizza and Grinders have events this week featuring their beer as well as specialty menu items like an interesting Mojo IPA ice cream at Grinders.

Also, if you are thinking about enjoying a meal out this weekend, you might want to check out Kansas City Restaurant Week. It gets started this Friday and includes a number of good spots to grab a beer.

Mistakes, omissions, comments? Let me know.

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday 1/17
All Star Pizza - 5pm - Deschutes Kick-Off event with the Deschutes crew. Mirror Pond, Black Butte, Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss, and Hop Henge are all expected to be on tap.

Wednesday 1/18
Waldo Pizza - 6pm - Boulder Beer Flashback tapping plus Flashback cupcakes
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Get the Glass: Green Flash
Conrad's Restaurant and Alehouse (Liberty, MO) - 6pm - Deschutes Kick-Off Party

Thursday 1/19
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: Schlafly Coffee Stout Firkin w/Vanilla
Grinders - Boulder Beer Flashback tapping w/paired specialty menu item

Sunday 1/22
Beer Kitchen - 6:30pm - Grand Teton Brewing Company Beer Dinner

Monday 1/23
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - Grand Teton Beer School
Grunauer - 7pm to 10pm - Boulevard Beer Dinner: Grunauer is pleased to announce its hosting a Boulevard Beer dinner. Don't miss this winter culinary masterpiece where a four-course meal will be paired with delicious Boulevard beers including one test brew that you can't get in the market. Tickets are $50 a person and can be reserved by calling 816.283.3234.

Wednesday 1/25
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Get the Glass: Goose Island

Monday 1/30
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Bell's Hopslam Firkin Tapping (only one in KC), ticketsvrequired for your pour go on sale at 6pm

Late January
All Star Pizza - Avery Brewing Angels and Demons event, details coming soon

Saturday 2/11
75th Street Brewery - noon to 5pm - The Big Chill Strong Ale and Chili Fest: This year the Big Chill will feature 7 different local breweries. Tickets for this event are $30 ($25 if you're a Mug Club Member) and $35 the day of.

Selection vs. Service - The Beer Bar Conundrum

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:17:00 +0000

Don't even THINK about asking her what's on the rotator taps

Over the past couple weeks, I've had discussions with different craft beer drinkers that have all had one unfortunate common thread: the trend of beer bars having an above average selection of craft beer to choose from, but service and beer knowledge that is well below average. Now, this isn't to say that every beer bar in the Kansas City area is like that, because that's certainly not the case. There are plenty of places in the area that do an excellent job of educating their staff and making an effort to make craft beer an experience, not just a product offering. But sadly, there are places that fall well short of that mark.

I'm no beer snob. Far from it, in fact. If there's anything I hate, it's people who act pretentious and holier than thou with anything, beer included. However, that being said, if I am going to be paying a premium to enjoy my beer at an establishment outside my home, I expect a certain level of service. Just the other night, at a bar/restaurant that shall remain unnamed, I asked the waitress if there were any special beers on tap at the moment. She hemed and hawed momentarily, before pulling out a piece of scrap paper with a scribbled list, throwing it down on the table and saying 'Here, you can just look at this.' Really? Now, let's look at this from a different perspective. If someone had been there to eat and asked what the food specials were, I bet she would have rattled them off from memory. Certainly she wouldn't have thrown a handwritten piece of paper down and told them to read for themselves. So why should a beer drinker be treated any differently? Especially when the aforementioned bar goes out of it's way to market themselves as a beer bar with a great selection?

And it's not even just a matter of knowing what special beers are available. There's glassware. Serving someone a bottled IPA without a proper glass is like serving someone a steak without a knife. And to me, basic understanding of beer styles should be commonplace. I don't expect every waiter, waitress or bartender to be a Master Cicerone, but they should at least have a slight clue if asked about a certain beer. And don't forget about proper maintenance of the taps. A wide selection of beers means nothing when many of them are Old kegs or have dirty tap lines.

Of course, all of these things rely on the companies themselves taking the time to educate and inform their employees, which is the true core of the issue. It becomes pretty obvious which places are much more concerned about revenue and the bottom line than about customer satisfaction and providing a true 'exBEERience' (don't worry, I'm kicking my own ass for using that horrible pun).

I understand that the food and drink industry, like any business, is about making money. But the fact is, if I'm out drinking high dollar beers, chances are I'm going to rack up a decent bill. A decent bill coupled with great service equals a great tip. So, if a venue provides an equal focus on both service and selection, there's a much better chance that my beer dollars will be spent there and they will reap the benefits. But there seems to be a naive thought at some places that as long as they line up a wide variety of beers, people will come regardless of how lacking the service is. However, with the growing number of craft beer establishments in Kansas City, these places better start rethinking that concept.

Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion a bit, but I'm sure there are people that will agree with me. As I said above, if I'm paying the extra money to drink my beer at your bar or restaurant, give me something in return, a reason to want to come.

What do you think? How important is service vs. selection to you when selecting a beer bar to go to?

B4TW - Deschutes Black Butte Porter

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:28:00 +0000

The Deschutes madness continues today as multiple liquor stores sell limited quantities of Hop Henge IPA, The Stoic (a Belgian style quad) and Abyss (their famed Russian Imperial Stout). And the Kansas City release of this Oregon brewery culminates next week in a pair of release parties at The Foundry and All Star Pizza (more information to come).

With all the Deschutes buzz and commotion going around, why not use this weekend as an opportunity to try one of their solid, year-round offerings that will be a mainstay and doesn't require a frantic race to the liquor store? Black Butte Porter is Deschutes' flagship beer, and for good reason. When I tried this beer for the first time in Denver last fall, I enjoyed the toasted malt and chocolate flavors this beer had without being too heavy. It's very drinkable, and at $3 for a bomber, the price is definitely right.

Even if you can't get out in time to pick up the 3 limited releases that are popping up around town, you can definitely grab a bottle of Black Butte Porter to enjoy this weekend. It's also on tap at multiple places now, so if you'll be out and about at a beer bar on the Missouri side, check for it. After a much anticipated arrival, Deschutes is finally here, and that's why Black Butte Porter is the beer for the weekend.

The Iron and the Irish

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Photo courtesy of boulevard.com

A couple quick beer release notes:

First, Boulevard Irish Ale starts hitting store shelves in Kansas City today. Although it's a little bizarre having a spring seasonal come out before we've had a significant snowfall in KC, Irish Ale is probably my favorite Boulevard seasonal with Nutcracker coming in at a close second. There should be plenty of this to go around, so no need to speed to the liquor store and throw people to the ground to grab some.

Second, Free State announced that the first release in their specialty series, Ironman Imperial Stout, will hit store shelves at the end of the month. According to their newsletter, it will be available in 4-packs, but they also posted a label graphic that listed a bomber size, so I'm trying to confirm if it will be in both sizes or just one.

Update: Free State confirmed on Twitter that for now, it will just be available in the 4-packs.

On an unrelated note, don't forget to stop by Royal Liquor on 103rd tonight between 5:30 to 7:30, I'll be there with Nate from KC Brew Review hosting a free tasting as part of Royal Liquor Strong Ale Week.

Cheers!

Session IPA: the next big thing?

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Last week, Founders announced the release of their first new year-round beer since 2006. All Day IPA is "a session ale that has the traditional qualities of an India Pale Ale with significantly lower alcohol. At 4.7% ABV, the beer is highly drinkable, but maintains the intense tropical aromatics and complex flavors consistent with Founders’ portfolio." My initial thought was what a great name, right? Then I thought its about damn time.

As the name implies, the goal of a Session IPA is to provide the hop forward focus of an American IPA in a lower alcohol, more drinkable beer. Now, I think its easy to say that this style is nothing new. Its the foundation of the American craft beer movement and its called American Pale Ale. While I understand this point of view and to a certain extent it is correct, I think that brewers of Session IPA are trying to accomplish something a little bit different here. APAs are obviously good hoppy every day drinking beers, but few are below 5% alcohol. Maybe that's where we draw the line for this style. Founders All Day IPA is 4.7%, 21st Amendment Bitter American is 4.6%, Stone Levitation is 4.4% and Ballast Point Even Keel is all the way down at 3.5%.

My first experience with this low gravity IPA concept was the one-off collaboration between Stone, Ballast Point, and homebrew champ Kelsey McNair, called San Diego Session Ale (4.2% ABV, the same as Bud Light). I was working at Mile High Wine and Spirits back in Denver then. I absolutely loved that beer and it sold well for us. I wrote a review on Beer Advocate then that I think sums up my thinking at the time. Here's a quick excerpt:

"Did I just taste the future of beer? I always wondered what it would be like if a light beer was heavily hopped. After all, its the alcohol level that produces most of a beer's calories, not the hops. Well, now I know and it is excellent. Want to be a millionaire? Learn how to make a beer like this around 125 calories and under $9 a 6pk."

Ok, I was probably a little too excited then. But I think with all the attention we give to high alcohol beers and the growing imperialization of beer, sometimes we forget that for most beer drinkers (even the ones who do like flavorful, unique beers) Imperial IPAs and Belgian Quads just aren't realistic everyday options. Most people prefer to drink beer of modest strength that won't break the bank. That is one of the reasons BMC beers are so dominant. But what if craft brewers made beer that had the alcohol content of Bud Light, but with a truly interesting flavor profile? Who knows, maybe we could convert some new craft drinkers that way, though that hop character can be pretty intimidating to some people. I'm just excited to be able to keep some hoppy beer in the fridge that has a more moderate ABV and (presumably) a lower calorie count. Because frankly, I do like the idea of lower calorie beer. I just don't want to sacrifice all of a beer's flavor to get there.

Unfortunately, it looks like All Day IPA won't make it to KC, at least not in the early going. But hopefully more breweries start making year-round Session IPAs. Then maybe we can put that Tastes Great, Less Filling line to better use.

Weekly Bar Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:42:00 +0000

You should be finding Deschutes Mirror Pond and Black Butte on tap at more and more bars this week. Deschutes is having a kick off event at All Star Pizza on 1/17. I will add more details about this event when I get them, but it sounds like several Deschutes employees will be making the trip including one of their head brewers.

It may be gone by now, but on Thursday McCoy's tapped Red Eyed Monster, a special version of their Ursa Major Imperial Stout aged in whiskey barrels with coffee and vanilla beans added.

In case you missed it: Tickets are currently on sale for The Big Chill, 75th Street Brewery's Strong Ale and Chili Fest. The fest will be held on February 11th from noon to 5pm. The brewery has been posting on facebook and twitter to promote the event, but you won't find any mention of it on their website. Just sayin...

Also, don't forget to stop by Royal Liquor on 103rd tonight between 5:30 to 7:30, Pat will be there with Nate from KC Brew Review hosting a free tasting as part of Royal Liquor Strong Ale Week.

Mistakes, omissions, comments? Let me know.

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday 1/10
Royal Liquor 103rd - 5:30 to 7:30pm - Strong Ale Week: Blogger's Choice Tasting - Pat's Picks: North Coast Brother Thelonious, Tripel Karmeliet, and Odell Myrcenary and Nate's Picks: Great Divide Old Ruffian, Fantome Printemps and Grand Teton Pursuit Of Hoppiness

Wednesday 1/11
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Collect the Glass: New Belgium Fresh Hop IPA

Thursday 1/12
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: Avery Mephistopholes
Royal Liquor 103rd - 5:30 to 7:30pm - Strong Ale Week: Schlafly Vertical Night - Garry Briggs From Schlafly will be here pouring: Schlafly Reserve Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout 08' & 11" and Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywin 08', 09', 10', 11' This will also serve as a Royal Liquor Cellar Series Release Event for both beers with 4 year vertical packs (08' - 11') of both with a set of Schlafly Snifters for sale.

Saturday 1/14
Royal Liquor 103rd - 2:00 to 4:00pm Best Of The Rest: We will concentrate on some of the strong ales that seem to slip through the cracks, readily available but often overlooked. The beer list is not complete for Saturday but will include: Boulevard Dark Truth Stout, Straffe Hendrik Bruges Triple, Straffe Hendrik Bruges Quadruple, Klumbacher EKU 28, Uerige DoppelSticke Alt Beer

Tuesday 1/17
All Star Pizza - 5pm - Deschutes Kick-Off event with the Deschutes crew. Mirror Pond, Black Butte, The Stoic, The Abyss, and Hop Henge are all expected to be on tap.

Wednesday 1/18
Waldo Pizza - 6pm - Boulder Beer Flashback tapping plus Flashback cupcakes

Thursday 1/19
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: Schlafly Coffee Stout Firkin w/Vanilla
Grinders - Boulder Beer Flashback tapping w/paired specialty menu item

Sunday 1/22
Beer Kitchen - 6:30pm - Grand Teton Brewing Company Beer Dinner

Monday 1/23
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - Grand Teton Beer School
Grunauer - 7pm to 10pm - Boulevard Beer Dinner: Grunauer is pleased to announce its hosting a Boulevard Beer dinner. Don't miss this winter culinary masterpiece where a four-course meal will be paired with delicious Boulevard beers including one test brew that you can't get in the market. Tickets are $50 a person and can be reserved by calling 816.283.3234.

Monday 1/30
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Bell's Hopslam Firkin Tapping (Only one in KC), tickets required for your pour go on sale at 6pm

Late January
All Star Pizza - Avery Brewing Angels and Demons event, details coming soon

Saturday 2/11
75th Street Brewery - noon to 5pm - The Big Chill Strong Ale and Chili Fest: This year the Big Chill will feature 7 different local breweries. Tickets for this event are $30 ($25 if you're a Mug Club Member) and $35 the day of.

B4TW - Green Flash Rayon Vert

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:59:00 +0000

Image credit: beerbooters.com

To any of you who have seen me tweet about Rayon Vert since I first tried it, this choice for Beer for the Weekend is probably no surprise. Now some of you dissenters may think that a Deschutes beer just HAS to be the Beer for the Weekend, and while I respect that opinion, I politely disagree.

If you haven't had the opportunity to try Rayon Vert yet, it is a Belgian Pale Ale brewed with Brettanomyces. The result is a light-bodied, easy-drinking beer that balances West Coast hops with the funk of the Belgian yeast strain. With the unseasonably warm weather we've been having, this is a perfect beer to enjoy outside on a patio on what could be one of our last outdoor drinking weekends for a while. Plus, at $9 for a 4-pack, this is a great bargain for a Belgian-style pale with Brett.

Rayon Vert is a year-round offering, though it seems to have been a little bit harder for people to find recently. I know Royal just got a delivery in today, so other places may have replenished their stock as well. So get out there, grab a 4-pack, and find somewhere to sit outside.

Also, in case anyone was wondering (I know I did at first) "Rayon Vert" is French for "Green Flash". So essentially, you are drinking a Green Flash Green Flash. I know, a real head trip, right?

Royal Liquor Strong Ale Week

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:19:00 +0000

Yesterday, Royal Liquor announced that the week of January 9th will be Royal Liquor Strong Ale Week. The festivities include 3 free tasting events that will highlight a variety of strong ales.

Tuesday, January 10th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM - Blogger's Choice

Myself and Nate from KC Brew Review will be on hand for this tasting to chat and share some of our favorite higher ABV beers.

Thursday, January 12th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM - Schlafly Vertical Night

Western Missouri and Kansas Schlafly representative and Certified Cicerone Gary Briggs will be on hand as they pour:

- Schlafly Reserve Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout '08 and '11
- Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywine '08, '09, '10 and '11.

Limited 4 year vertical packs of both of these beers and speciality glassware will also be available for purchase.

Saturday, January 14th, 2-4 PM - Best of the Rest

This tasting will explore strong ales from regions and breweries that often get overlooked.

All tastings will take place at the 103rd/State Line Royal Liquor location. A complete list of beers will be posted soon, and once it is, I will be sure to update this post. In the meantime, you can go over the Facebook page for this event to RSVP and keep track of it as well.

Weekly Bar Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Note: All happy hour content has been moved to the new KC Happy Hours page. My thanks to John for the excellent suggestion and Chimpotle for the feedback. Also, I have included all January events I have info for. I will still post every Tuesday, but I think listing a months worth of events should make it easier for folks to plan ahead.

Mistakes, omissions, comments? Let me know.

Now:

All Star Pizza - Double Bastard, Arrogant Bastard, Green Flash Double Stout and Nectar IPA now on tap

Coming Soon:

Wednesday 1/4
All Star Pizza - Tapping Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Collect the Glass: Goose Island Mild Winter

Thursday 1/5
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: Schlafly 20th Anniversary Southern Hemisphere IPA
The Well* - Tapping Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter at 4 PM
Lew's Grill and Bar* - Tapping Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter at 4 PM

Friday 1/6
The Well - Tapping Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter
Lew's Grill and Bar - Tapping Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter
Lakeside Tavern - Tapping Boulevard Harvest Dance Wheat Wine and Boulevard Pilsner

Wednesday 1/11
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Collect the Glass: New Belgium Fresh Hop IPA

Thursday 1/12
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: Avery Mephistopholes

Wednesday 1/18
Waldo Pizza - 6pm - Boulder Beer Flashback tapping plus Flashback cupcakes

Thursday 1/19
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: Schlafly Coffee Stout Firkin w/Vanilla
Grinders - Boulder Beer Flashback tapping w/paired specialty menu item

Sunday 1/22
Beer Kitchen - 6:30pm - Grand Teton Brewing Company Beer Dinner

Monday 1/23
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - Grand Teton Beer School

Monday 1/30
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Bell's Hopslam Firkin Tapping (Only one in KC), tickets required for your pour go on sale at 6pm

Late January
All Star Pizza - Avery Brewing Angels and Demons event, details coming soon

*Moved from Friday, 1/6

Schlafly No. 20 Volume 4 - Southern Hemisphere IPA

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Today the fourth and final beer in Schlafly's 20th Anniversary Series hits shelves on the Missouri side. Called Southern Hemisphere IPA, this beer is described by Schlafly as "kettle-hopped and dry-hopped with a unique hop from Tasmania, called Galaxy. This strong, aromatic hop is distinctly different from traditional Pacific Northwest varieties."

Stores receiving Southern Hemisphere include Lukas Liquor, Royal, and all Gomer's locations. I've been informed that there is very little of this beer to go around, so if you are hoping to get your hands on it, keep an eye and ear out and act quickly once you find out it has arrived at any of these stores. It will be hitting the Kansas side at some point as well, but it sounds like there will be even less available in Kansas than there will be in Missouri.

Happy hunting!

Imbibing Kansas City

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:05:00 +0000

Photo courtesy of Imbibe, credit Brandon Cummins.

In the January/February 2012 issue of Imbibe Magazine, a story titled 'Kansas City Here We Come' is included, which examines drink culture in the Kansas City area. While the article covers everything from soda and cocktails to wine and coffee, there is a nice chunk that recognizes the beer presence in the city (even going so far as to call KC a 'serious beer town').

Of course, Boulevard gets the immediate mention, with references to GABF medals, the Smokestack lineup and Chocolate Ale. Steven Pauwels is quoted regarding the growth of craft beer appreciation in Kansas City:

"…It’s easy to forget craft beer wasn’t always so popular in Kansas City, says brewmaster Steven Pauwels. “We had to convince people that a beer that’s hazy or cloudy isn’t bad.”

Besides Boulevard, Imbibe gives the rundown on some of the hot beer spots in town. Special mentions are given to The Riot Room (which is given the most attention out of all the venues), McCoy's/Foundry/Beer Kitchen, Blanc, Swagger, Grinders and Waldo Pizza.

Overall, I think it's fantastic that Kansas City drink culture is getting national attention from a respected publication like Imbibe. Of course, given my beer bias, I think an article could have been dedicated solely to the city's appreciation for beer, but I understand that had to cover all areas with this specific piece.

I will say, though, that this article got me to thinking, and made me a little more appreciative of what we have in terms of beer culture in Kansas City. Sure, we may not have the insane amount of breweries that a town like Denver has. We may not be in the distribution areas of some of the higher echelon breweries like Dogfish Head or Russian River. But, we still have some great stuff going on in this town.

Boulevard and all the venues mentioned in the article are great. But they are just the tip of the iceberg.

We have newer venues like Martin City Brewing Company and Lakeside Tavern making a push for craft beer appreciation in 'unmarked' areas of town. Places like 75th Street Brewery, Barley's Brewhaus, All Star Pizza, Gram & Dun, Urban Table and BRGR are working to make restaurant beer menus as important of a consideration as the food menu.

We have a beer festival scene that seemingly exploded in 2011 and is sure to continue growing.

We have upstart brewing companies in Doodle Brewing and Wilderness Brewing that show promise for the future of breweries in Kansas City.

We have liquor stores that actually care about their craft beer customers, working hard to keep a consistently stocked selection of craft beer options and notifying customers of limited and new releases.

But most importantly, and what really ties all of this together, is the fact we have awesome beer PEOPLE. Not to have a Kumbaya-singing, holding-hands-around-the-fire moment, but the beer community in this town is awesome, and it's what makes all of the stuff listed above work so well and prove to be successful.

I have my 'grass is greener' moments sometimes where I think I'd prefer to live in Denver or somewhere in California where maybe the beer selection is more plentiful. But the article in Imbibe gave me a little perspective on the fact that when it comes to beer in this town..well, I think Randyl Danner said it best:

Right now is prime time to be a beer geek in Kansas City.

Six Row Coming to KC

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:53:00 +0000

Evan Benn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch announced today on Twitter that Six Row Brewing Company out of St. Louis signed a statewide distribution contract and is expected to have bottles and kegs available in Kansas City (as well as Jefferson City and Columbia) sometime in January.

It appears that (at least as of a month ago) the only beers they are bottling are their 'Whale' (a wheat/pale ale), a Strong Porter and a Double IPA. I'm currently trying to find out exactly what Kansas City will be getting in terms of kegs, and will update this post once I have that information. Just looking at their beer list, I'm interested in trying the Belgian Dubbel and Fresh Hop Black IPA, so hopefully we will be seeing some of their seasonal and special styles in kegs.

While I've never had the opportunity to try Six Row beers, I'm excited to have another Missouri brewery available in our area. Have any readers tried Six Row? What did you think?

UPDATE: I was able to get in touch with someone at Six Row who provided me with specifics on their arrival in KC. North Kansas City Beverage will be distributing, and initially we will be receiving 1/6BBL kegs and 22 oz. bottles of the three styles mentioned above, the Whale, Porter and Double IPA.

Is Jim Koch crazy?

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Last night, with the help of beernews.org, I came across an article in the Washington Post about craft beer. I'm sure we've all read some rather dubious newspaper articles about craft beer, few papers are known for well researched craft beer articles (unlike beacons of journalistic integrity like this blog), but this one was interesting. The article explains, for anyone who has not purchased beer in the last 5 years, that thanks to American craft breweries you can now find good beer in a can. This is a trend we all need to get used to apparently.

But beyond catching the laymen up on a movement that started nearly ten years ago, the article also rehashes some of the old anti-can arguments. One involves Bisphenol A (aka BPA), the chemical an increasing number of water bottles and tupperware proudly proclaim their independence from. BPA is also found in beer can lining. I for one do not understand the science behind this so I won't pretend to know if this is something we should be concerned about or not. In the end, I think we are all just putting our trust in breweries, the FDA, and others that the things we buy won't kill us, at least not quickly.

Regardless, the BPA issue is not why I am writing this post. I am more concerned about the second complaint about canned beer: the metallic flavor. From the Washington Post article:

"For Boston Beer’s Koch, the main problem with cans is how they affect beer’s taste. Although many brewers disagree with him, he believes that tiny tears in can linings frequently lead to metallic notes and that the plastic linings suck up delicate hop aromas. 'The cans tend to absorb the floral character of the hop and, to me, dumb the hop down,' he says. In developing cans for Samuel Adams, he adds, he hopes to create thicker, denser linings that address those problems."

When I was a retailer in Colorado, this topic came up almost daily. In KC, we have Tallgrass, Avery, Ska, New Belgium, and a few others selling canned craft. But Colorado is ground zero for the Oskar Blues-led "Canned Beer Apocolpse." Oskar Blues, Ska, New Belgium, Upslope, Boulder Beer, Breckenridge, Wynkoop, and AC Golden are just some of the local breweries selling canned beer in Colorado. The state is seen as an early adopter of canned craft, but even in that can-friendly environment, I had many customers who insisted that canned beer just didn't taste as good.

I for one have never had an issue with this. I don't taste metal when I drink canned beer just like I don't taste metal when I drink beer poured from a metal keg. But I am willing to admit that maybe I am just biased, maybe I just want canned beer to taste better because I want to see these breweries succeed. I have tried to be objective about it though. When Ska was still bottling and canning Modus Hoperandi, the brewery blind tasted our staff and we all either preferred the canned version or noticed no difference. Avery produces several of its beers in both cans and bottles and if anything I prefer the cans. But regardless of my preference, I have never detected a metallic flavor from the cans. And I am not the only one, otherwise you would think canned craft wouldn't be exploding like it is right now. From the WP, "In 2009, about 50 craft breweries, mostly small ones, packaged beer in cans; now there are close to 150, and they aren’t all small. By the end of 2012, at least half of the 25 largest U.S. craft breweries will be selling canned beer, twice as many as this year."

So that begs the question, what's with all these people who still think canned beer tastes like metal? Are they crazy? Is it the result of decades of marketing? The stigma of mass-produced beer? Are they literally drinking out of the can instead of pouring it into a glass? What do you think?

Weekly Bar Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:04:00 +0000

I know this post is thin, my bad. I'm sure there are all sorts of New Year's specials this week, but I dropped the ball. Too busy stuffing my face with Christmas leftovers to do my research. Please feel free to share in the comments if you've heard of some can't miss events.

Now:

Martin City Brewing Company - Nectar Black Xantus Imperial Stout and Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout now on tap
The Foundry/McCoy's - Randalling Oatmeal Toddy Stout through Espresso beans
The Foundry - Flight of the Moment: Goose Island Christmas 2011, Noel de Geant, Blaugies Special Winter, and Mikkeller's Santa's Little Helper for $8

This Week:

Tuesday 12/27

Martin City Brewing Company - 3 to 6pm - Draft and Well Tuesdays: $1 Off All Drafts
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers
Lakeside Tavern - Bucket Specials 5 for $10
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - 10 for $10 Bombers
RJ's BBQ - $3.50 Sam Adams Draws

Wednesday 12/28

The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Collect the Glass: Boulder Beer Nitro Mojo IPA

McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm & 10 to Close - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers
Lakeside Tavern - Half off canned beer
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - Hophead Night – $3 IPA’s, and $4 Double IPA’s
Barley's Brewhaus (Shawnee) - $3.00 Local Pints
RJ's BBQ - All draws $3.50

Thursday 12/29

The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: He'Brew Jewbelation

Martin City Brewing Company - 3 to 6pm - Bottle Service (Bomber) Thursdays: $2 Off Bottled Service Beers
McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm & 10 to Close - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers
Lakeside Tavern - Shiner and Labatt Drafts $2
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - $3 Pints
Barley's Brewhaus (Shawnee) - $3 Pints
RJ's BBQ - All Free State draws $3.50

Friday 12/30

Martin City Brewing Company - 3 to 6pm - Hoppy Fridays: $1 Off All IPAs
McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers
Lakeside Tavern - Boulevard drafts $3
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - Unfiltered Fridays: $3.25 Boulevard Wheat
Barley's Brewhaus (Shawnee) - Unfiltered Fridays: $3.25 Boulevard Wheat

Saturday 12/31

The Foundry - 4 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
The Foundry/McCoy's - Complimentary toast of McCoy's Calypso DPA Batch 8.5
Lakeside Tavern - Local drafts $3

Sunday 1/1

The Flying Saucer - Local Pints: Local beers only $3 a pint
Lakeside Tavern - All bottled beer $3, including Boulevard Smokestack Series 12oz
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - $3.00 Local Pints and $3.66 Mug Club Local Beers
RJ's BBQ - All Boulevard draws $3.25

Monday 1/2

McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm & 10 to Close - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
Swagger - Monkey Mondays: $2 Flying Monkey Pints
The Flying Saucer - Pint Night: A bunch of damn brews for $3 a pint
Lakeside Tavern - Big Monday: All draft beer $3 a pint
Barley's Brewhaus (OP) - $3.00 Local Pints and $3.66 Mug Club Local Beers
Barley's Brewhaus (Shawnee) - $3.00 Wall (That means $3.66 Mug Wall)

Mistakes, omissions, comments? Let me know.

Beers for Festivus

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:46:00 +0000

In lieu of the typical Beer for the Weekend post, I decided instead to celebrate an often overlooked and under-appreciated holiday: Festivus. Traditionally celebrated on December 23rd, this Costanza-born tradition is just begging for some alcoholic accompaniment. Below is my list of suggested beer pairings for the standard Festivus activities, the majority readily available in the Kansas City area.

Putting up the Festivus Pole - As Frank Costanza notes, the Festivus Pole requires no decoration, is made from aluminum, and has a high strength to weight ratio. To me, a beer that aligns itself perfectly with this description would be Ska Brewing Company Modus Hoperandi. Presented in a green aluminum can, Modus is a fairly basic, hop-forward American IPA. And at just under 7% ABV, it has enough strength to place it just above a sessionable level but not something that will put you out for the rest of the evening. No distracting 'tinsel' or beer gimmicks here, just a solid, worthy IPA.

Festivus Dinner - You may recall that alcohol was not served at Festivus dinner, but George's boss, Mr. Kruger, drank out of a flask throughout the meal. So when it comes to beer for Festivus dinner, you want something with a high ABV that you could conceal in a flask or other conspicuous container. My suggestion would be to turn to Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine. Smooth, easy to drink, and a heavy hitting 10.2% ABV make this beer the perfect one to sip on sneakily. Plus, it could pair well with a variety of foods, from a marble rye to a lobster bisque.

Airing of Grievances - Arguably the most popular of the Festivus activities, the Airing of Grievances is a time to let everyone in your life know how they've disappointed you in the past year. An activity that is sure to leave a sour taste in everybody's mouth, you may as well purposefully put a sour taste in your mouth with a beer. Jolly Pumpkin La Roja is one of my favorite go-to beers for a sour kick. As you sit there and receive a tongue-lashing from your loved ones, soothe your bruised ego with this delicious beer.

Feats of Strength - After being taken down a peg during the Airing of Grievances, the Feats of Strength offer you an opportunity to redeem yourself in the eyes of your family and friends. A proper beer to get you prepared would be Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale. A strong ale that seems to have an ego of it's own, this brew is sure to instill a renewed sense of confidence in you that will surely bring you victory in the annual family wrestling match.

Witnessing a Festivus miracle - When it comes to celebrating a miracle on this holiday, you want to do so with a beer that leaves a lasting impression that you won't forget. For me in 2011, that beer was Anchorage Brewing Company Love Buzz Saison. Now while this one isn't available in Kansas City year-round, it made a couple of limited appearances, making it that much more special. Brewed with rose hips and brettanomyces and aged in french oak pinot noir barrels, this beer is very unique and was one of my absolute favorites of the year. And even if you don't witness any Festivus miracles,drinking this beer will prove to be a miracle of its own.

Happy Festivus to all, and to all a great beer!

Choklat Rain

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:30:00 +0000

I confess, I've lusted over Southern Tier Choklat since the first time I tried it.

A chocolate beer virgin at the time, I randomly picked up a bottle one cold day to take with me to Hays, Kansas during a Christmas vacation. When I finally popped the bottle open and took my first taste, it was heavenly. I single-handedly finished the bottle, which was probably a poor choice because I had to attend mass shortly thereafter. Granted, it was probably the most entertaining and enjoyable church service I've ever been to, but I'm sure I was catching some suspicious glares from all the sober Catholics (I think there might have been a couple of them there).

Ever since that Christmas Eve miracle with Choklat, I've looked forward to it being back on shelves. Well, the joyous day has come. Choklat is now available again in Kansas City. As is the case with all the Southern Tier Blackwater beers, this will be limited, so if you're interested, go sooner than later to grab some.

While I'm on the topic of the Blackwater beers, you may also want to consider picking up a Southern Tier Blackwater Gift Set from Royal Liquor on 103rd. The set includes one bottle each of Choklat, Oat, Jahva, Mokah, and Creme Brulee plus a Southern Tier tulip glass. For $49.99, it's a nice deal and a pretty fantastic set of beers to give as a gift, or as I'll probably end up doing, buy for yourself.

Crooked Stave

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:55:00 +0000

I love a good IPA and really enjoy dark beers, especially this time of year. But few things get me as excited as rare wild ales. Cantillon and Russian River are two of my favorite breweries ever and I can't wait for Boulevard's Love Child series to get going. In the meantime, local access to such beers is a struggle to say the least. Most of us have to resort to beer trading or stocking up when we go out of town.

A friend of mine opened a brewery in Colorado called Crooked Stave that is dedicated to producing this sort of beer. While Crooked Stave's beers are not distributed to Kansas City, I thought some of you might still like to hear about them. In my first post for this blog, I wrote a Colorado B eer Travel Guide based on my time working as a beer retailer in Denver. Crooked Stave was one of the breweries I mentioned in that post and I think its a brewery fans of barrel aged wild ales need to know about.

Chad Yakobson started the Brettanomyces Project as part of his dissertation at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, he helped develop Friek and Deconstruction Ale while brewing at Odell, and last November he created Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project in Fort Collins. Crooked Stave initially opened as a brewery within a brewery leasing space from Funkwerks, another new Fort Collins brewery (an idea other brewery startups might consider). Now the brewery is ready to move to its own facility in Denver and to raise money they are offering membership in a Cellar Reserve program that will provide exclusive access to some of the most rare barrel aged beers in the country.

As I mentioned, Crooked Stave does not sell beer outside of Colorado, but I know how resourceful you beer geeks can be. If I was able to track down some bottles, I'm sure you guys can make it happen too. Membership is not cheap, but then again, good barrel aged beers never are. Also, according to the brewery, "The proceeds from the purchased memberships will be going directly to our Denver expansion project and be the first big push needed to lay the groundwork for the rest of the project and our future brewery."

Here is a link to the brewery's website and below are details about the Crooked Stave 2012 Cellar Reserve Program:

2012 Cellar Reserve Membership which will be available starting at 10am MST on December 17, 2011. 2012 Cellar Reserve Memberships will be $300.00 each this year. Given the low production for most of the beers on the list (some only being a single barrel) space is limited to 400 members. We look forward to seeing you at future Cellar Reserve Member events!

If you are located out of Colorado and choose to have someone other than yourself pick up your Cellar Reserve allocations, you must email trustee@crookedstave.com with the name of your designated trustee who is the person responsible for picking up your beers.

Crooked Stave Cellar Reserve Membership 2012:
- 2012 Membership Card
- 2 Cellar Reserve stemware glasses
- Exclusive members only T-Shirt
- Neoprene Dual Bottle Beer Tote
(1 bottle) Blackberry Petite Sour (upon release, estimated Feb 2012)
(2 bottle) Batch #1 (100% Brett, 100% barrel fermented) (upon release, estimated March 2012)
(1 bottle) *Surette Reserva Chardonnay barrel-aged (upon release, estimated April 2012)
(1 bottle) L’Brett d’Or – 100% Brett Golden Sour (upon release, estimated May 2012)
(1 bottle) *Persica – Sour Peach (upon release, estimated July 2012)
(1 bottle) *Nightmare on Brett Street (Cognac barrel) (upon release, estimated Aug 2012)
(1 bottle) *Nightmare on Brett Street (Brandy barrel) (upon release, estimated Aug 2012)
(1 bottle) *Sour Quad (Cognac barrel) (upon release, estimated Nov 2012)
(1 bottle) *Cellar Reserve Blend (upon release in 2012)
*Denotes beer is a Cellar Reserve exclusive.
- Access to purchase specialty bottle releases at 20% discount (subject to allocation limits)
- First right of refusal for 2013 membership
- Future discounts to be added once our taproom is open.
- Future planned Cellar Reserve Member events (additional charges apply)

As well as receiving the above listed beers and merchandise, the following beers are planned for release from our Barrel Cellar in 2012 and available to Cellar Reserve Members.
- Blackberry Petite Sour
- Batch #1 (100% Brett, 100% barrel fermented)
- L’Brett d’Or – 100% Brett Golden Sour
- Burgandy Sour (not yet named)
- Oculus – Sour Belgian Golden Ale with Vignole grapes
- Barrel Aged 2012 Petite Sour (w/soon to be added fruit)
- Dark Sour (not yet named)
- Sour Quad (Bourbon barrel) (not yet named)
- First Anniversary Blend

**Please note that a few of these beers will likely be available to the public for purchase. As a Cellar Reserve Member you are guaranteed the first opportunity to purchase these beers, to some limitation, before they go on sale to the public.

Weekly Bar Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Well, here we go. This is the Weekly Bar Buzz, an effort to share information about this week's local craft beer specials, limited release draft offerings, and other events area beer geeks should know about. Moving forward, I hope to have less boiler plate happy hour info and more tapping events. As Pat said last week, the Weekly Bar Buzz will ultimately be as successful as the local bars make it. So if you want to see your bar on this list, contact me. Cheers!

Tuesday 12/20
McCoy's/The Foundry - 4 to Close - Ursa Major Fest 2011: Commemorative snifter with purchase of Ursa Major Imperial Stout 2011. Bottles available. Green Eyed Monster Ursa Major on tap (Ursa Major aged with Chartreuse soaked oak.)
Martin City Brewing Company - 3 to 6pm - Draft and Well Tuesdays: $1 Off All Drafts
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers

Wednesday 12/21
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Buy the Beer, Collect the Glass: Goose Island Christmas in a Yule Fuel Glass, also tapping Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap and Seriously Bad Elf
McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm & 10 to Close - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers

Thursday 12/22
The Flying Saucer - 7pm - Rare Beer Tap Night: Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
Martin City Brewing Company - 3 to 6pm - Bottle Service (Bomber) Thursdays: $2 Off Bottled Service Beers
McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm & 10 to Close - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers

Friday 12/23
Martin City Brewing Company - 3 to 6pm - Hoppy Fridays: $1 Off All IPAs
McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
The Flying Saucer - 4 to 7pm - Happy Hour: $1 off all draft beers

Saturday 12/24
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints

Sunday 12/25
Really?

Monday 12/26
McCoy's - 3 to 6pm - Happy Hour: $3 pints
The Foundry - 4 to 6pm & 10 to Close - Happy Hour: $3 McCoy's pints
Swagger - Monkey Mondays: $2 Flying Monkey Pints
The Flying Saucer - Pint Night: A bunch of damn brews for $3 a pint

Direct from our Readers:

"Just wanted to let you know that Goodfellas in Belton is doing $2 wells and $3 pints all the time. They have happy hour everyday from 3-6 and offer 25 cents off each drink. Also, if you go to their website, you can print off a coupon for buy one get one free on pints. Pretty good deal. Bartenders are real friendly, foods pretty good. Here's their website http://www.goodfellasbar.weebly.com."

"Attention hop heads, ale babes, stout fellows, lager lovers, cerveza chasers and suds guzzlers. If you could have any beer on tap at Nick and Jake's - what would it be? Tell us your "number one draught choice" and why it gets your vote, in the comments below. We'll take responses through the end of December and place the winning beer on tap for the entire month of January. Winner will also receive a $25 Nick and Jake's Gift Card and a mug (you know, to put your beer in). Post your response at either location (we will add a new beer to each in January)"

http://www.facebook.com/NickandJakesOP

http://www.facebook.com/NickandJakesParkville

Mistakes, omissions, comments? Let me know.

Are You There God? It's Me, Tebrew

noreply@blogger.com (Pat) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:46:00 +0000

With a Saturday Night Live skit poking fun at him and nearly every sports journalism outlet talking about him nonstop, Tim Tebow has quickly become one of the most, if not THE most, talked about athlete at the moment. And sure enough, the beer world is following suit.

Bonfire Brewing out of Eagle, Colorado revealed that they are working on 'Tebrew' a high ABV barley wine that pays homage to everyone's favorite God-loving quarterback (of course, I use the term 'quarterback' loosely).

This isn't the first time an athlete has inspired a beer. In 2010, after LeBron James left Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat, Great Lakes Brewing Co. created a beer called 'Quitness', a dry-hopped IPA. It was initially so popular that the first 30 gallons sold out in 3 hours.

Are we going to see a new trend of athlete-inspired beers? If so, I have a few ideas:

Jared Allen 69 Barley Wine - With a 14% ABV that's sure to get you a DUI after just one bottle!

Nate Robinson Double IPA - Sold in 7 ounce bottles, this beer would have the slogan "Small in size, big on hops."

GSP ESB - Hey, you'd be Extra Bitter too if you missed out on a title match thanks to a torn ACL..

Sharapova Stout - Russian, with fantastic body and mouthfeel.

And of course, in honor of our own Kansas City Chiefs, Stanzi Light - Because if you drink anything other than American Light Lager, you're a terrorist foreigner. 'Merica.

Tebrew is only available in Bonfire Brewing's tap room, so unless you are planning a trip to Eagle anytime soon, don't expect to get your hands on any.

Would you be interested in lower calorie craft beer?
	Yes
	No
	What the hell is wrong with you?

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Does canned beer taste metallic?
	Yes
	No
	Only if the beer inside is flavorless

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