BeerKC blog is going on vacation!  We are thinking maybe Hawaii.  In the mean time, we encourage you to join us at the pub for a few brews.  We'll see you in April!  Aloha!

                                                

Firestone Walker Flight Night - 2.20.12

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!

Pics - Grain vs. Grape 2.12.12

Sunday night's Brewmaster's Dinner at Beer Kitchen was the second annual Grain vs. Grape Valentine's Day dinner: a five course food pairing battle between beer and wine. Local sommelier Kathy Rohlfing of Room 39 selected the wines, while our own beer director Randyl Danner chose beers for each course. This was a great way to see how and why some pairings work better than others, making it very informative and at the same time very enjoyable. Once again we thank those of you who joined us, but for those that didn't here's what you missed:

The menu with hand-made commemorative buttons and voting ballots courtesy of McCoy's bartender Ricardo Ruiz; diners voted on whether they preferred the wine or beer for each pairing

Sizzled day boat scallop with pain perdue and truffle fig butter paired with Grand Teton Persephone imperial pilsner & Chateau Lemonthe Bordeaux Blanc. Wine was the heavy favorite on this course. The delicate sweetness of the wine paired wonderfully with the buttery scallops.

Spent grain poached egg with steak frites and duck gravy paired with Kulmbacher Monshchof Schwarzbier & Arizona Stronghold Nachise. This was a close one but beer took the win to even the score 1-1. This dish was probably the highlight of the dinner - and any of the other recent  Brewmaster's dinners. 

Creamed local oyster mushrooms and cheesy fennel poofs paired with Goose Island Fleur & Paitin Nebbiolo "Ca Veja" Piedmont. Beer won this course taking the lead making it 2-1. The earthiness of the mushrooms were perfectly complimented by the wild yeast in Fleur.

Java braised beef rib with charred, peppered and smashed sweet corn paired with Deschutes Black Butte XXIII &  Cedarville Zinfandel. Once again, beer won. The big roasted flavors of Deschutes' imperial porter were bold enough to handle this hefty dish.

Bounceberry pancake with vanilla cream and chutney paired with Boulevard Two Jokers & Jorge Ordonez "Seleccion Especial" Moscatel. The slightly sour double witbier was a perfect match for the tart berries and creamy vanilla.

Clearly, beer was the big winner taking the win in 4 of the 5 dishes. This dinner was a ton of fun and we're very excited about the next one; but we're actually going to be next month off, so there will be no Brewmaster's Dinner in March but we have lots of other cool stuff in the works. Check back here for more information as it becomes available. Cheers!

Now on Tap - Baltic Porter

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.

Brewer's specs:

Malts - 2-row pale, Dextrin, chocolate, crystal & honey

Hops - Yakima Goldings & East Kent Goldings

Fermented with Gordon Biersch house lager yeast

5.6% ABV

Grain vs. Grape Dinner - 2.12.12

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:

- sizzled day boat scallop, pain perdu and truffle fig butter; Grand Teton Persephone imperial pilsner vs. Chateu Lamonthe Bordeaux Blanc

- spent grain poached egg, steak frites with duck gravy; Kulmbacher Monshchof Schwarzbier vs. Arizona Stronghold Nachise

- creamed local oyster mushrooms and cheesy fennel poofs; Goose Island Fleur vs. Paitin Nebbiolo "Ca Veja" Piedmont

- java-braised beef rib, peppered, charred & smashed sweet corn; Deschutes Black Butte XXIII vs. Cedarville Zinfandel

- bounce berry pancake with vanilla cream & chutney; Boulevard Two Jokers vs. Jorge Ordonez "Selection Especial" Moscatel

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!

Collaboration Baltic Porter - 2.7.12

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!