June 1 - Saison Beer Dinner

Join us Tuesday, June 1 at 6:30 PM for the latest installment of our monthly Brewmaster's Dinners. If you've been to one of these events before you know how much fun they are, but if you haven't, this is a great opportunity to sample some delicious food paired with incredible beers. I really cannot speak highly enough of these dinners. Here's what's on the menu:

-Scallop ceviche with wonton crisp paired with McCoy's Farmhouse Ale

-Green tea smoked duck breast with Brasserie Dupont Foret

-Roasted rabbit sausage & butternut squash gratin with DeProef Saison Imperiale

-Fresh summer berries & sabayon with Boulevard Saison-Brett

Reservations are only $35 including tax & gratuity. We've scaled back these dinners in regards to attendance - seating is limited to 25 guests - so please call us at (816) 960-0866 or come by to make your reservations ASAP. See you next Tuesday!

KC Beerfest

This past Saturday marked the 4th annual Kansas City Beerfest which was held in Westport this year. The intersection of Pennsylvania & Westport was jam-packed with thirsty beer enthusiasts on one of 2010's hottest days so, as you can imagine, cold beverages were in high-demand. While it was definitely unfortunate that most of the selection was picked over well before the end of the event, in the end it was a great day to be outside drinking beer with a few thousand people, all while supporting a charitable organization.

The entrance to Beerfest; this year's glasses were some pretty sweet snifters!

The line to get in was quite long, but moved very fast thanks to plenty of volunteers.

The view from McCoy's front door.

Our draft offerings for the event.

The Hefeweizen was quite popular given the heat.

There were lots of interesting comments about the hops & barley we had displayed, but there are definitely some new fans of lupulin in KC!

Many thanks to those of you who made it out to support the Kansas City Free Health Clinic and enjoy some damn fine beers in the process. Cheers!

Now on Tap - Scotch Whiskey

Since we ran through the Ursa Major so fast, and we're still waiting on the Oatmeal Stout to finish up, we tapped a keg of another very rare blend - Scotch Whiskey. This is a blend of our heavily smoked Scotch Ale with whiskey barrel aged Hogpound Brown. The result is a slightly sweet, smokey ale with low carbonation. It should pair great with today's Truckstop Tuesday special - meatloaf & mashed potatoes or chicken-fried chicken for $7.99 all day.

American Craft Beer Week

Today marks the first day of American Craft Beer Week, which lasts through Sunday, May 23. This is a week long excuse to drink more beer, or what many are referring to as the Best Week Ever. We've got some special blends on tap right now, including Winterberry & the brand new Scotch-Whiskey (our smoked-peat Scotch Ale blended with Whiskey Barrel Brown Ale - more info to come on that soon).

But if you can't get out of the house until the weekend, well, I feel sorry for you, but this year the 4th annual Kansas City Beerfest takes place on our front porch. The intersection of Westport Road & Pennsylvania will be blocked off from 1:00 - 5:00 while thousands of beer enthusiasts descend upon Westport to sample over 200 beers from local & national breweries (the Liquid Diet blog has the inside scoop). Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate - click here to get 'em.

Now get out there and drink some beer!

Farewell, Dry Stout

It is with both heartache & joy that we announce the departure of Thompson's Dry Stout for good. She'll be permanently replaced by our Oatmeal Stout very shortly, but in the meantime the Ursa Major Imperial Stout will be holding down her spot in the line-up.

Now on Tap - Winterberry

You're probably thinking, "what the hell is Winterberry?" Well, it's our 2009 Winter Warmer blended with our oak-aged Blackberry Lager. This is a very limited release that will not last long. Its tart, sweet, hoppy & delicious.

Pics - Bell's Dinner 5.04.10

Wow, last night's Brewmaster's Dinner was incredible! Not only were all the food and beer pairings phenomenal, but guest host John Mallett of Bell's Brewery put on a beer clinic as well. John has been in the beer industry for over 25 years, working as a head brewer, brewery designer and brewery consultant. Currently, as Bell's Production Manager, he oversees all aspects of beer making at the Kalamzoo, MI brewery. Needless to say, he knows a LOT about beer and everything that comes with making and selling it. This was undoubtedly one of the most delicious & entertaining dinners we've had yet. Many thanks to all of you who made it out, but for those that didn't here's what you missed:

Guest host John Mallett of Bell's Brewery.

Cave-aged gruyere gougere cheese puffs served with Sparkling Ale.

Sparkling Ale - an "American Tripel" - 9% ABV.

Wild mushroom-gorgonzola spring roll, candy-cane beets & sherry vinaigrette served with Oberon wheat beer - 5.8% ABV. John was able to estimate how many weeks old the Oberon was by taking just a few sips.

Respect beer.

Tempura-battered pork belly over Himalayan red rice pilaf paired with Amber Ale - 5.5%

The firkin of cask-conditioned Two Hearted IPA.

Bell's regional sales rep Jim O'Connor did the honors.

Gremolata-encrusted sea bass with Spanish chorizo, potato chowder & cilantro pesto oil served with cask Two Hearted - 7.1% ABV. This dish/pairing was out of control!

McCoy's Brewmaster Keith Thompson joined John in the beer discussion. Keith was (unsurprisingly) quite inquisitive about the process & ingredients behind Hopslam...

Pretty maids all in a row.

Almond biscotti with Expedition Stout - 10.5%, caramel-banana panna cotta with Java Stout - 7.5%, Dark Chocolate Truffle with Cherry Stout - 7%. Going out with a bang!

Cheers!