If you're in Kansas City from out of town, come on out to McCoy's or The Foundry and enjoy the beautiful weather on our patios! Or sit inside watch some of the great college hoops action while drinking one of our house-brewed beers. Either way, you'll win!
And come Sunday morning, celebrate St. Patrick's Day with us! Grab brunch and beers at Beer Kitchen or McCoy's. McCoy's will open at 7, so get there early and get your table!
There'll be a write-up of the Grain versus Grape beer dinner shortly.... so check back for that!
Starting at 4 this afternoon, we'll be serving a couple Randalled beers - honeycomb lavender Goode Farmhouse, and a dry-hopped IPA. Here's a little peak at the Randall, loaded with the fresh honeycomb and lavender!
Also, stop by McCoy's, The Foundry, or Beer Kitchen all week to enter a raffle for some great prizes. How great? How does free beer for a year sound? Grab a freshly-hopped IPA or a honeycomb lavender farmhouse, and get entered. Happy Craft Beer Week, cheers!
We've got a lot of stuff happening at our restaurants for American Craft Beer Week, so let's get right to it!
First, start a day early, and treat your mom to a delicious brunch at McCoy's! Starting at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 13, we'll have a buffet set up with glazed ham, roast beef, peel-n-eat shrimp, almond-encrusted salmon, eggs Benedict, fried chicken, chicken & sausage jambalaya, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy, bananas foster French toast, mashed potatoes, mac n' cheese, danishes, and much, much more!!! You get all of this for $19.99/person, and can add a bloody Mary or mimosa for only $3! So come on, treat your ma to a great brunch.
Monday 5/14 - Two different Randall beers! Honeycomb lavender Goode Farmhouse and Dry Hopped IPA at McCoy's. Unfamiliar with a beer Randall? A Randall is basically a filter that can hold different flavor enhancers for a beer. We'll run the beer through it, giving it a fresh extra little taste. So on the Farmhouse, the Randall will be holding some honeycomb and lavender, we'll push the beer through it, and you'll be served a freshly-flavored beer! Here's a clip from Dogfish Head's famous Randall the Enamel Animal, being used to add an extra hop kick to a beer -
Still not making sense? Well. . . come down on Monday and check one out in person!!
Tuesday 5/15 - Our Maibock release! Come to McCoy's or The Foundry, and you'll get a 20 oz commemorative mug, full of beer, for $8. A steal!
Wednesday 5/16 - Founders specialty keg release at the Foundry. We're going to have 2011 Kentucky Bourbon Stout, Double Trouble, Backwoods Bastard, and Breakfast stout. Super special kegs, you don't want to miss these beers.
Thursday 5/17 - 2 Double Pale Ale real ale casks at McCoy's. One with Amarillo hops, the other with Cascade. This will be a great opportunity to compare a couple of the more popular American hop varieties, side-by-side.
Also, all week Beer Kitchen will have a special 3-course wild game dinner, paired with a 6 oz taster of beer. Here's the menu -
1. Buffalo Meat Balls with French Bread and Ragu paired with Boss Tom's Golden Bock from Boulevard
2. Wild Green Salad with Fried Rabbit & Spicy Honey Mustard paired with Stiegl Grapefruit Radler
3. Pan Seared Duck Breast with onion and garlic risotto w/ belgian
strong pale ale reduction paired with Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer Rood
You get all three courses of delicious meats (buffalo, rabbit, and duck? mmmmmmm) and delicious beers for $38.
Summer Beer Fest
Now, as if that wasn't enough news, here's the scoop on our Summer Beer Fest!
On Saturday, June 9th, from 5-9 pm, we'll be hosting our Summer Beer Fest. It'll be located on Pennsylvania Ave
in Westport, between McCoy's and Kelly's. You can get your $25 advanced tickets at www.beerkc.com, or $30 at the door. This will be benefiting Aids Walk KC and sponsored by Sporting Kansas City and the Ink.
Now, for the brewery lineup. Each brewery will be bringing a "summer style" including and not limited to, Saison,
Hefeweizen, Wit, Biere de Garde, Sours, Lagers, Shandy's, Radlers, White
IPA, Spring and Summer seasonals.
75th Street Brewery
Amerisports
Gordon Biersch
Boulevard Brewing Co.
McCoy's Public House
Brewery Ommegang
Deschutes Brewery
Goose Island Beer
Grand Teton Brewing
Empyrean Brewing Co.
Southern Tier
Green Flash
Crispin Cider
Summit Brewing
Founders Brewing
Stone Brewing Co.
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Free State Brewing Co.
Stiegl
Tallgrass Brewing
Sierra Nevada
Schlafly Beer Co.
Quite the lineup, with beers that should be perfect for the weather. Save yourself five bucks and ensure you'll have your ticket by getting them in advance from www.beerkc.com. Supports a great cause!
I think that's all the information I can handle giving out right now. Who needs a drink? With all the events coming up, you'll have plenty of opportunities at any of our locations. We'll see you soon! Cheers!
As you may have heard, we're sorry to say that our Boulevard Tap Takeover night, originally planned for Wednesday, May 16th, will not be happening that night. With their recent expansion, they had to take a little break from brewing some of their specialty beers, in order to keep up with their regular production, until they had all of their new tanks in place. This doesn't mean that we're totally abandoning the takeover, or that Wednesday night will be barren. Quite the contrary! We'll be having some special beers from Founders, straight from private reserves. Check here for more information on the beers available in a few days. And look for the Boulevard Tap Takeover in June or July, when we can give you all the beers we think you deserve!
Again, we're sorry for any inconveniences, or if this throws a wrench into your plans. We'll make it up to you. And we'll still have great events each night during Craft Beer Week, including the release of McCoy's Maibock, on Tuesday, May 15th. $8 for a commemorative 22 oz glass, filled with delicious beer!!
Trying to make brunch plans for Mother's Day? McCoy's will be having a special Mother's Day brunch buffet, staring at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 13. For $19.99 per person, you can treat your ma to great start to her day!
Now, let's say your mom wants to be lavished with a week-long celebration (and you better believe she deserves it). Well, you're in luck, as May 14th-20th is Craft Beer Week! Each night during the week, Beer Kitchen will be offering a mini 3-course beer dinner, for $38. There are also daily specials at McCoy's and The Foundry, including the tapping of our spring annual beer, a Maibock, on Tuesday, May 15th. Eight bucks will get you a commemorative 20 oz beer mug, full of beer! Keep checking here for more updates on events happening throughout the week.
Finally, if your mom can't wait a couple weeks for the festivities to start (who can blame her?), take her to St. Louis for the St. Louis Microfest this weekend, May 4 & 5. We'll be there, along with over 75 other breweries, along with some cooking demonstrations, and delicious local foods. For more information, or to purchase tickets, head to the St. Louis Microfest home page.
May looks to be shaping up for quite the month in the world of craft beer. We're looking forward to joining you in celebrating all the month as to offer! Cheers!
Here are a few quick photos of Eric Salazar's visit to The Foundry on Thursday.
Eric was more than happy to talk beer, and answer any questions about New Belgium
The real star of the day!
Lots of these guys met their end
Eric Salazar and local Beer Ranger Adam Satz made it a great afternoon!
It was a great, low-key time, with good beers and conversation. Did anyone make it to the dinner at Julian, or the special blending session on Friday? We'd love to hear about it!
From 4:15-5:45 tonight, New Belgium's Eric Salazar will be at the Foundry! Like New Belgium's sour beers? He's their sour beer guy. Stop in and say hello, and have some of the vintage La Folies we'll have for the occasion.
While he's in town, Eric will be part of a cool event at Julian tomorrow evening, doing an interactive blending of some New Belgium beers! If you'd like more info, or want to reserve your spot, email
If you're getting board with run-of-the-mill beer styles (come on, you're not really, we know, but play along), we've got a couple new and exciting bottles in at the Foundry!
First is the 1809 Berliner Style Weisse. It's got a nice, crispy, tart flavor, bordering on sour. This is a fantastic beer for anyone who wants to venture into some sourer beers, but doesn't want to jump off into the deep end of some others that will pucker you up, or for someone who is looking for a great patio beer on a warm day. Very refreshing, very well balanced. 5% in a 16.9 oz bottle, so a nice choice for a relaxing afternoon. Quite possibly my favorite German beer. Classically, a Berliner Weisse is served with a flavored syrup, but this one more than holds up on its own.
The other beer is another one from Germany, another one that is kind of tart, but has one key ingredient you won't find in any other beers. It's the Leipziger Gose (gose, not gueuze. BIG difference). The special ingredient that makes this beer different? Salt. Yep, salt. Not enough to make it salty, but enough to maybe kinda tell it's there when you drink it. It's actually not too far off from the 1809, in that it has some tartness there, and is quite refreshing, in spite of what you might think with the salt. It clocks in at a little under 5% ABV, and makes for another good warm-weather beer.
Something kind of interesting with the gose is that because of the addition of salt, as well as coriander, it doesn't fall under the terms of Reinheitsgebot, the
German purity laws which stated that beer can only contain water,
barley, and hops (yeast was added later, when they were eventually
discovered to be part of the fermenting process). It was allowed to be
brewed only because it was considered a regional specialty. Along the same lines, a beer brewed with syrup would have been against the law, but since Berliner Weisses added the syrup when served, and not when brewed, they were allowed. Beer history is so intriguing!
Stop by the Foundry for either of these beers, or both, and let us know what you think!
With the warmer weather approaching, it's time to start thinking about what you want to drink while sitting on a patio (maybe McCoy's? How about at the Foundry?). Stouts, barleywines, double IPAs, and porters are all great styles, but they can all be a bit much. So, something lighter while sitting in the sun. What about not getting a beer at all? Why not get an increasingly popular beverage - cider!
If you haven't had a cider recently, or have been avoiding them because you associate them with other, malt-based hard ciders, you should take the time to try a well made cider. Unlike beer, a cider generally doesn't use hops, and unlike some mass produced "hard ciders," they aren't based on malt liquor. Instead, they're crafted from fruit juice, usually apple, and fermented with a yeast that gives it a nice depth of flavor. And from 4-8 PM on April 17th, you'll have the chance to try four fantastic ciders from Crispin at The Foundry, including a few rare taps!
Crispin Original is their refreshing original cider. Crisp, clean, and light, and very apple-forward.
The Bohemian is a new, limited offering, and different take on the cider - fermented with Pilsner yeast. The Foundry is the only place in Missouri that will have this one!
Marvin is another limited release from Crispin. This cider is fermented with stout yeast, and aged in oak barrels, with dark chocolate and cherry!
Finally, the last limited release cider is Wonderwall - a pear cider, aged in Zinfandel barrels. This is another that you can't get anywhere else in Missouri.
I don't know about you, but these are all making me thirsty. Come out on the 17th and try a flight of all four beers for only $9. It's the perfect chance to catch up on what you've been missing by not drinking ciders, or to get a taste of a few ciders you can only get at The Foundry! Hope to see you here next week. Cheers!
On Monday, February 20th, the Foundry will be offering a flight of some very special beers from California's Firestone Walker and their Nectar Ales sister brand. $7 gets you samples of their flagship barrel-aged English-style pale ale Double Barrel, the Parabola imperial stout, Fifteen anniversary ale, Pale Ale 31 & Nectar Black Xantus: whiskey barrel-aged imperial stout with organic/free-trade coffee. Flights will be available when the Foundry opens at 4:00. Cheers!
Now on tap is the second collaboration beer between McCoy's brewmaster Keith Thompson and James Hudec, brewmaster of Kansas City's Gordon Biersch locations. The pair previously worked together on a very popular version of a Sticke Altbier but this time they've done a Baltic porter - an English-style dark beer typically stronger in flavor and higher in alcohol than a traditional porter. We used British malt and hops and fermented with a Bavarian lager yeast strain at low temperatures to keep ester development down and smoothness up. Dark malt flavor balanced with lightly floral hops and the smooth, crisp finish of a lager.
It's time again for one of the most exciting and interesting Brewmaster's Dinners of the year - the second annual Grain vs. Grape Dinner: an epicurean food pairing battle between beer and wine. Beer KC beer director Randyl Danner will be selecting beers for the 5 course dinner, while renowned sommelier Kathy Rohlfing chooses the wines. Last year's dinner was very informative and a whole lot of fun - check it out pictures here. Here's what's on this year's menu:
The dinner will take place at Beer Kitchen on Sunday, February 12th at 6:30. Tickets are only $60 - including tax and gratuity - and are available at all 3 Beer KC restaurants or by calling Beer Kitchen at (816) 389-4180. Cheers - happy Valentine's Day!
Tuesday, February 7th marks the release of the second collaboration brew between McCoy's & Gordon Biersch. The previous version was a very well received Sticke Altbier, but this time they've brewed a traditional English-style Baltic Porter. The style is similar to a regular porter but typically has a stronger flavor profile and contains a higher alcohol content. Brewmasters Keith Thompson of McCoy's and James Hudec of Gordon Biersch will be on hand to answer any questions you might have as we pour $3 pints beginning 4:00. See you Tuesday - cheers!
The Boulevard Brewing Co. & Christopher Elbow collaboration beer, Chocolate Ale, has begun hitting bars, restaurants and retail accounts today and we'll be offering the beer on draft at the Foundry & Beer Kitchen. Beginning at 4:00 tomorrow we'll have 6 oz. pours of the remarkably sought after beer for just $4. The Foundry has three 1/6th barrel kegs we'll be selling until they run out; holding one keg back for Valentine's Day on Tuesday, February 14th; not sure on Beer Kitchen's allotment. See you tomorrow - cheers!
On Monday, January 16th, the Foundry will be welcoming Bend, Oregon's Deschutes Brewery to the Kansas City market. For just $6, we'll be offering flights of their Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Hop Henge Experimental IPA, Abyss Imperial Stout & Black Butte XXIII - an 11% ABV imperial porter with orange zest, pasilla negra chilies & chocolate nibs. Also, between 5:00 - 8:00, Deschutes brewmasterBrian Faivre will be in the house to discuss his creations with you. Established in 1988, Deschutes has grown to become the 5th largest craft brewery in America and their beers continually win awards and contests all over the world; they were also recent White IPA collaborators with KC's own Boulevard Brewing Co. We're very excited to add Deschutes to our lineup and we're sure you will be too after trying these beers. Cheers!
The Foundry was recently named one of America's Best 100 Beer Bars by Draft Magazine for the second year in a row. The article makes note of the Foundry's 200+ beers, pot roast sliders and signature beer cocktails. Click here to read the full article. Cheers!
Now on tap is the latest batch of our single-hop double pale ale - this time brewed using only Calypso hops. Calypso is a brand new breed of hops known for its pleasant fruity flavors with notes of pear, tart apple and perhaps an earthy tea-like flavor. We tapped this on New Year's Day so this stuff is FRESH. Come try it but beware the 11% ABV!
Brewer's specs:
Malt: 85% 2-Row, 10% Vienna, 5% malted white wheat
Hops: Calypso, added at 10 different times from start to finish
Now on tap for a limited time is the latest batch of our Broadway Toddy Stout. This is our Oatmeal Stout that's been infused with a special 'toddy' coffee blend made exclusively for McCoy's from our friends at the Broadway Roasting Co. The toddy method of brewing is a cold-extraction, which reduces the coffee's bitterness by up to 70%, resulting in a highly concentrated coffee with tons of flavor and packed with caffeine.
Now on tap is a fresh batch of our Russian imperial stout, Ursa Major. This massive ale is brewed only once a year and released during the Winter Solstice. It was brought out in style last night and we still have some 2010 Ursa left as well. This is one of our most popular beers and perfect for sipping as we prepare for the cold weather. We held a few kegs back so you can try this beer throughout the year as it mellows with age; watch this space for future tappings. Come try it before it's gone - for now...
Brewer's specs:
malt: pale 2-row, crystal, roasted, chocolate & black
It's that time of the year again - the annual release of our massive imperial stout, Ursa Major. On Tuesday, December 20th at 4:00, McCoy's and the Foundry will be offering $8 commemorative glasses full of one of our most popular beers ever. We'll also have a few bottles of 2010 & 2011 Ursa for sale, as well as draft flights available so you can try them side-by-side. There might even be an appearance from the Green Eyed Monster - Ursa Major that's been aged with Chartreuse-soaked oak spirals...
From 4:15-5:45 tonight, New Belgium's Eric Salazar will be at the Foundry! Like New Belgium's sour beers? He's their sour beer guy. Stop in and say hello, and have some of the vintage La Folies we'll have for the occasion. 
Now on tap for a limited time is the latest batch of our Broadway Toddy Stout. This is our Oatmeal Stout that's been infused with a special 'toddy' coffee blend made exclusively for McCoy's from our friends at the Broadway Roasting Co. The toddy method of brewing is a cold-extraction, which reduces the coffee's bitterness by up to 70%, resulting in a highly concentrated coffee with tons of flavor and packed with caffeine. 
