Special Brown Ales at McCoy's!

Have you gotten to the Foundry to try the 4 Hands beers yet? The Divided Sky Rye IPA and Cuvee Ange from St. Louis are both GREAT, and both on tap now, so get there and try them.

Those aren't the only two new and exciting beers in the area. Today, McCoy's will be tapping a cask of Hogpound Brown with a bite - ancho pepper! Then Saturday, the "Randyl" will once again be put to use, with a cranberry spice brown, $4.50 a pint. A deal! This beer was featured in last year's Thanksgiving beer dinner and was a big hit. Both of these should be good options in the cooler weather, with a touch of heat in one to warm you up, and a sweeter fall flavor in the other.

And don't forget - while you're at McCoy's getting a pint, pick up your ticket to the Strong Ale Fest and save yourself a little money. Tickets are $30 in advance of the November 3rd event, $35 the day of. You can get them at McCoy's without a service fee, but if you're unable to make it to Westport, never fear. They're available online at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1663931.

4 Hands, Strong Ale Festival, and beer dinners!

Very cool events coming from Beer KC in the near future. Most immediate will be coming tomorrow (Wednesday, October 24th), when we welcome 4 Hands Brewing Co. to Kansas City. The Foundry will have a couple beers on tap from our St. Louis friends - Divided Sky Rye IPA and Cuvee Ange. They are two excellent beers; Cuvee Ange is a complex, funky, woody beer. Don't miss it!

Another event not to miss - the Strong Ale Fest from 1-5 on November 3! The above-mentioned 4 Hands will be, uhh, on hand... as will about 36 other breweries, and nearly 80 beers, all around or over 8% ABV. Advanced tickets are available for $30 online at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1663931, or you can avoid any service fees by buying them directly from McCoy's. If there are any spots open on the day of the event, the price will go up to $35, so get 'em now and save yourself a few bucks (that you can put towards a hand cranked sausage, conveniently $5). Designated drivers will have free entry, so get a ride, carpool, whatever you need to do. We want everyone to enjoy themselves, and to be safe. 

Then the next beer dinner comes to Beer Kitchen on November 19th. This month it'll be the Wild Game Dinner, with wild boar, rabbit, pheasant, and elk. Yum.

$55 includes your dinner, tax, and gratuity, with a good chance for some great company. Who knows, maybe one course will make you rethink your Thanksgiving plans. Like maybe you'll want to add Brussels sprouts to your meal. Because they are delicious. 

Speaking of delicious beer dinners, last night was October's delicious beer dinner. Or should I say Oktober, for the German-inspired meal? Sure, the real Oktoberfest was a month ago, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate the culture, beer, and food now. There was even some surprise entertainment for people before the meal started...

You want beer? We've got beer!

Lederhosen optional, but preferred

We're just a few days away from the next beer dinner at Beer Kitchen! Oktober 22nd is our Oktoberfest-themed dinner, with German-style food paired with German-style beer. $50 will get you the five-course meal and beers, with tax and gratuity included. 7:00 pm. Don't miss it! Call us at 816-389-4180 to reserve your spot.

While McCoy's beers didn't place in this year's GABF, our Kansas City brothers in brewing came home with two golds! Congratulations to Boulevard, picking up gold medals in the Other Strong Beer category with Reverb and ZON winning the Belgian-Style Witbier category. They have a great post that goes into some more details of the fest and judging - Bringing Home the Gold!!!

You're going to have a chance to sample a few winners from GABF at the Beer KC Strong Ale Fest! Below is an ever-evolving list of beers that will be on tap. Some of the medal winners include a couple locals - Lawrence, KS's Free State won a bronze in American-Style Stout with Iron Man Imperial Stout, and Perennial from St. Louis took silver in Other Strong Beer with Heart of Gold (a wheat wine).

Firestone Walker's Wookey Jack won the gold in American-Style Black Ale, and Sierra Nevada got the Imperial Stout silver (while the official GABF list of winners doesn't have the Narwhal name listed, I'm pretty sure it's the same beer).

Colder weather means time for Strong Ales!

The weather is turning cooler, which means the beers you're drinking should get a little stronger in ABV. At least, that's what I feel. I don't usually want to be drinking too much of something that's 9 or 10% (or higher) when it's over 100 degrees outside, but when it's in the 40s and 50s? Ah, perfect. Especially when paired with the changing leaves. Call me a beer romantic. If you're looking for a good place to start in on some of the higher-octane beers, you're in luck! From 1-5 on November 3, Beer KC will have its 2nd annual Strong Ale Festival, featuring beers with an ABV of 8% or higher.

The fest will take place at 4057 Pennsylvania, on the street between McCoy's and Kelly's. If you're worried about space, don't be - it'll be set up to use more of the street, a little different than has been done in the past. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 day of, and available at this link: http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1663931. The cost includes a commemorative tasting glass, and all the samples you can handle in 4 hours. And, even better, proceeds will benefit AIDS Walk KC. 

Now, for the important stuff... the breweries! We'll have some usual faces, and a whole host of friends from St. Louis! Here we are, the participating breweries in a somewhat alphabetical order

2nd Shift Brewing - St. Louis, MO
4 Hands Brewing Co. - STL
6 Row Brewing Co.  - STL
75th Street Brewery - Kansas City, MO

Amerisports - KC
Anchor Brewing - San Fransisco, CA
Avery Brewing Co. - Boulder, CO
Brasserie de Blaugies - Belgium
Boulder Beer - Boulder, CO
Boulevard Brewing Co. - KC
Cathedral Square - STL
Deschutes Brewery - Bend, OR
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. - Paso Robles, CA
Founders Brewing Co. - Grand Rapids, MI
Free State Brewing Co. - Lawrence, KS
Goose Island Beer Co. - Chicago, IL
Grand Teton - Victor, Idaho
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver, CO
Green Flash Brewing Co. - San Diego, CA
Gulden Draak (Brouwerij Van Steenberge) - Belgium
Kulmbacher - Germany
Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Petaluma, CA
Leinenkugel Brewing Co. - Chippewa Falls, WI
Maredsou - Belgium (the Maredsou website doesn't seem to be loading, but you should know they make great beers)
McCoy's Public House - KC
Mother's Brewing Co. - Springfield, MO
Nebraska Brewing Co. - Omaha, NE
New Belgium Brewing Co. - Ft. Collins, CO
Brewery Ommegang - Cooperstown, NY
Perennial Artisan Ales - STL
Samuel Adams - Boston, MA
Schlafly Beer - STL
Sierra Nevada - Chico, CA
Southern Tier Brewing Co. - Lakewood, NY
Stone Brewing Co. - Escondido, CA
Summit Brewing Co. - St. Paul, MN

If you haven't had a chance to get to St. Louis and try breweries like 2nd Shift, 4 Hands, 6 Row, or Perennial, this is an excellent opportunity! If you have had them, well, now you can get some more of their beers without a 4-hour drive! Don't miss out, get your tickets early, and save yourself $5 at this link - http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1663931

McCoy's Beers Head to GABF!

In a little more than a week, craft beer brewers, judges, and enthusiasts will make their yearly invasion of Denver, CO, for the 31st annual Great American Beer Festival. McCoy's will be there, from October 11-13, attempting to bring some more medals back to Westport. You may have seen some of the hardware hanging on the wall by the brewhouse -

GABF isn't just a run-of-the-mill beer festival. It's one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the country. Four McCoy's beers have won medals in the past - Ginger Shandy won bronze in 2001 and silver in '02 and '03, all in the Specialty Beer category. Newcomb's IPA won the IPA bronze medal in 2002 and '04. A little more recently, Wee Willy Scotch Ale won the 2010 silver medal for Scotch Ales out of 34 entries, and last year the Pilsner took the bronze in Bohemian-Style Pilsener out of 42 entries. Interesting aside about the Pilsner's win last year - there was no gold medal winner in the category. If judges don't think that a beer in the category meets the quality and style-accuracy criteria, they may elect not to award a medal.  So last year they gave a silver to Mama's Little Yella Pils from Oskar Blues and the McCoy's Pilsner got bronze.

Today I talked with McCoy's brewer Morgan about the beers they're sending for this year's festival. All four previous award winners will be returning, along with 6 of their brethren. This year, Ginger Shandy will be entered in the Session Beer category, but the categories for the rest should be pretty straightforward. The Pilsner and the Scotch Ale are both fantastic this year, and the Newcomb's is always a favorite. The Shandy will be back on tap soon, and the other three are there right now.

Two other submitted beers are also currently on tap - the Unfiltered Wheat and Oatmeal Stout. The other four beers are some excellent brews that have made an appearance in the last year. It's hard to pick a favorite out of Toddy Stout, the Quad, DPA #9 (with Pacific Jade hops), and Blackberry Tart. . . We're excited and think we've got a great shot at a few more medals!

Are you heading out to Denver for GABF? Or is there a favorite beer of yours heading to be judged? Let us know, and check back here for results!