December 28, 2012

Welcome 2013 with Beer KC!

If you haven't made your New Year's Eve plans yet, Beer KC got you covered! $10 will get you a wristband for admittance to all three of our restaurants for the night - McCoy's, The Foundry, and Beer Kitchen. It gets better! It includes a free specialty beer or champagne toast at midnight. Plus we'll have DJs and dinner specials at each location. Sounds like a party!!

And what's the best cure for too much party? A great brunch. Beer Kitchen will have the Holiday Hangover Brunch all weekend, starting tomorrow, the 29th, and goes through the first of the new year. From 9 am to 4 pm on the 29th, 30th, 31st, and January 1st, head to Beer Kitchen, get some grub, have a Bloody Mary or a beer, and enjoy recuperating from the holidays.


December 19, 2012

Seeking a beer for the end of the world

Did you get your Ursa Major fix last night? The 2012 version is mighty fine. It's got just a hint of oaky flavor from the barrel, and loads of smooth roasty chocolaty stouty flavor. It's a big, deep beer. Complex. A sipper that gets even better as it warms. And it'll warm you up. Not enough to convince you to head to McCoy's or the Foundry to try it? Well...

What about a special "Oh #@% the Mayans were right!" edition of Ursa Major? This Friday, Dec 21, McCoy's will be tapping Dark Rift - 2012 Ursa Major blended with a toddy made from Mayan coffee beans and XtabentĂșn, a honey anise rum liqueur. Our attempt to appease those who might bring our demise. Or just to have a dang good beer so we won't notice when all comes crumbling down. Since the Mayans didn't leave us an exact time for the end of everything, McCoy's will have Dark Rift on tap starting at 11 am on Friday. (It was originally going to be Thursday, but we've decided to tempt fate and go ahead with it on Friday. It's more appeasing on that day.)
Pictured: the other Dark Rift
As if that wasn't enough incentive, McCoy's will have ANOTHER specialty beer tapped Thursday afternoon, the 20th. This will be the Oatmeal Stout with juniper berries! A very "wintry" combination. Or maybe kind of a little gin-like. Either way, I think I'll like it.

(For some background on where Dark Rift got its name, check out NASA here - http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-alignment.html - debunking all of our fun)

December 18, 2012

Today's the day for Ursa Major!

Coming up at 4:00 at McCoy's and The Foundry, we'll be releasing the 2012 version of McCoy's Ursa Major!!

Take the glass. Leave the beer (in your belly)
$9 will include the sweet commemorative snifter you see above to take home, full of delicious Russian Imperial Stout. Mmmm.... Additional pours of Ursa Major will be $6.50. But that's not all we'll have. There are a limited number of 2012 bottles available for sale, and some Ursa from 2011 will be on tap as well!


December 13, 2012

The Big Bear Returns!

First, a bit of bad news. We've had to cancel the Fest of Samichlaus dinner. We apologize to anyone planning to attend, and we will contact those of you who have already made reservations.

But now, some god news - Ursa Major is making its return soon!


This year's version will be released on Tuesday, December 18th, at 4 PM. $9 gets your first pour and a commemorative glass snifter. There will also be a limited number of bottles of 2012 Ursa Major available for purchase, and 2011 Ursa on tap. The release party is always a fun time, so join us for a night of Imperial Stout at McCoy's and The Foundry!


December 03, 2012

Picture day! Zwanze 2012 and Wild Game

On an unseasonably warm Monday in December, let's reflect on some pictures from the recent past.

First, a picture of the lineup of beers from Saturday's Zwanze Day 2012! From left to right, there's Fou' Foune, Kriek, Iris, and the 2012 Zwanze beer.

It was a great day for sour beers!

The commemorative Zwanze Day glass, with the deliciously tart rhubarb lambic. I loved the Zwanze 2012. There was some earthiness from the rhubarb, and a very drinkable sourness. Yum yum yum!


Now, although it's been two weeks with a few different Thanksgiving meals since the last beer dinner, it's a meal I won't forget. There aren't many opportunities to eat wild game, so when there's a whole meal of it, it's one to remember.

The meal started with a wild boar confit, with shaved asiago and toasted challah, paired with Weihenstephaner Vitus. Weihenstephan lays the claim as the oldest brewery in the world, so it's fitting that it's in the first course. The boar was delicious, sort of along the lines of a rich pulled pork and balanced with the strong wheat beer. This was a strong first course. 

The second course paired Odell Shenanigans with hasepfeffer. Rabbit stew. There was a tang in the stew that perfectly matched the acidity in the wild ale, which made for a fantastic course. The hush puppy-like fritter was dense and soaked up the stew nicely. I believe this was my first time having rabbit stew, an dthe first time having the Shenanigans. I'm looking forward to having both again in the future, as the Brettanomyces keeps the beer evolving. And, well, rabbit stew is delicious.

Next was a nice little surprise - an amuse-bouche of lime with pink salt. Tasty! Thank you to hand model Jeremy Danner for assisting with this picture.

After the palate cleanser, diners were served crispy pheasant with a cherry agrodolce, black rice, and bok choy, and Hitachino Nest Extra High (XH). The XH is a strong Belgian dark ale aged in sake barrels. Another first-time beer for me. It was dang good. The pheasant was tender with a crisp coating, and, well, as cliche as it is, it kind of tasted like chicken, but more flavorful. Not a gamey flavor, either. The cherry sauce was decadent, but not quite overpowering. A very well crafted plate, where the combination of every element making a very satisfying bite.

I have had elk in the past, but only ground and put into burger form, so I was excited for this. Roasted elk, pommes William, cranberry sage emulsion, and Brussels sprouts. The star of this plate to me was the Pomme William. Basically mashed potato formed into a pear shape, then breaded and fried. As aesthetically pleasing as it was delicious! The elk was fantastic, and Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables. The cranberry sage emulsion fit the role of a fancy ketchup. Very nice. Boulevard's Nommo complimented the food with a little spiciness.

And now dessert! Pumpkin tart, heirloom pear compote, and spiced cream. It tasted of fall. And while I may not prefer pumpkin in beer, it is quite lovely in desserts. Pears are another favorite fruit, and I have a sort of crush on all things heirloom. It was nice and light, which helped keep the Founders Breakfast Stout from coming off as too heavy. It's a wonderful beer, full of coffee and chocolate flavors. This dish was great, and the meal was one of the best all-around dinners I've had. No weaknesses. 


Your next chance to join us for a beer dinner comes two weeks from today, when Beer Kitchen will have the Feast of Samichlaus at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 17th. It's a trip around the globe with beers and dishes from five different countries. $60 for a seat, including the meal, tax, and gratuity. Don't miss it!!