Happy New Year from Beer KC!

If you're still trying to figure out your plans for tonight, let Beer KC help you out. For $10, you can get in to Beer Kitchen, McCoy's, and The Foundry for an all-night celebration of 2013 and a party to ring in 2014! DJs, food, and drinks, it's all taken care of for you.

Then make a resolution to start 2014 with a world-class meal. The Foundry will be hosting a New Year's Day Beer Brunch, featuring five courses complete with beer pairings, and a reception beermosa and oyster shooter. Mmmmm. Oysters and beer. As long as you can wake up and get to the Foundry by the crack of noon, you'll be eating well and getting 2014 started with a belly full of fantastic food!

Holiday Hours at Beer KC and a New Year's Brunch!

If you're looking for a place to grab a bite and/or a drink and maybe watch some football (or do some last second Christmas shopping) over the next few days, Beer KC has you covered. On Christmas Eve, McCoy's and Beer Kitchen will both be open until 5 pm. The Foundry is going to be closed, so get your growlers filled at McCoy's during the day!

On Christmas day, Beer Kitchen and The Foundry will open at 6. Perfect time to get up and go grab a beer after your post-dinner nap.

Thinking about New Year's Eve plans? Well $10 will get your in to all three of our restaurants that night, with DJs playing all night! Then come back and kick off 2014 with brunch at Beer Kitchen, or enjoy a special a 5 course brunch at the Foundry -

There's no better way to clear the haze from the night before. Great beers, great food, at a good time to get breakfast. Noon. Seriously, pork belly monte cristo slider? Plus, a couple of beers from breweries new to the area - Prairie and Cambridge. Call The Foundry now at 816-960-0688 to claim your spot.

Ursa Major 2013 Release Party

We've struggled through some really freakin' cold and now some unseasonably warm temperatures, a dusting of snow and a morning of icy sidewalks, but it's all worth it. Today's the day when McCoy's unleashes an early Christmas present to you. Yep, it's time again for the Ursa Major release party! Today at 4 McCoy's and The Foundry will be tapping not only this year's Ursa Major, but 2012's and 2011's as well.

Proud brewers

For $10 you'll get your first pour AND a commemorative glass to take home! Sure, the glass would make a great gift on its own (for yourself or a loved one), but what if you want to fill it with delicious imperial stout? Pick up a bottle of this year's Ursa Major!

There are only 72 bottles available for purchase, so get yours early.

Feast of Samichlaus Recap

Now that it's been a few days, the cloud of euphoria (and from drinking a high abv beer) has worn off, but the memories still last. The final beer dinner of 2013 may very well have been the best. Especially when it's starting with...

A surprise amuse-bouche! This zucchini bread was more substantial than a typical one-bite deal, but I'm not complaining one bit. I would eat an entire loaf, especially topped with the pear compote. Making this even more special was a one night only beer from McCoy's, a Holiday Brown. This was a throwback to one of the first Randyl'd beers McCoy's did, the Hogpound Brown with cranberry, clove, and cinnamon. The course was more like a dessert, but who doesn't love starting (and ending) meals with something sweet?

The true first course was a vegetarian golabki with sweet tomato and mint coulis, paired with Deschutes' Chainbreaker White IPA. It turns out golabki is a polish cabbage roll and it looked much more appetizing in person than the picture shows. Very fresh and light, beautifully mimicked in the beer. The lemongrass in Chainbreaker was perfect with the sweet tomato sauce. 

Now the second course. Seared white fish with butternut squash, zucchni, radish, brioche, and chestnut brown butter. Maybe it's because I've had it recently and it's the freshest on my mind, but this is possibly my favorite dish in a beer dinner this year (mental note: make a Top Ten of beer dinner courses for 2013). The "hash" of squash, zucchini, radish, and brioche was great in its own right, but topped by the not-too-delicate white fish took it to the next level of OMG THIS IS SO GOOD. And I love love love chestnuts, so it was nice to have a couple thrown in here. Their rich, nutty (well duh they're nutty), slightly sweet flavor was amplified by the butter, and fantastic with the rest of the food. The Crabtree Berliner Weisse was an excellent pairing; it provided a sweet tartness that kept this from being too heavy. This was spectacular. 

As hard of an act that is to follow, the wild boar ravioli held its own. This course was a different take on a couple things. First, the ravioli itself was closer to a wonton than traditional ravioli. And the potatoes were sambuca creamed potatoes. It used to be I'd always say I don't usually like fish (now it's the best thing that I've had all year), so I guess I'm changing my tune to not normally liking anise flavors. But here, the sambuca was subdued enough to not take over the potatoes and the rest of the dish, so it worked as an asset. The Stillwater Folklore helped, as the foreign stout was a big compliment to any anise flavors that came through. (Also it should be noted that wild boar is a great meat, one that I don't think I've had since the Wild Game Dinner of 2012. I hope it's not another year before I have it again.)

That darkish area towards the top of the plate is a delicious venison chop, I promise

After a unique take on meat and potatoes, the fourth course served the diners with a more straightforward approach. Venison chops with black currants and a cherry glaze, potatoes au gratin, and sage derby. Since I didn't see a hat made of sage, I took to the internet to learn that sage derby is a sort of cheese, I'm assuming used in the au gratin. It was a good decision. Of course, in my mind it's hard to mess up buttery cheesy potatoes. A venison chop? That can be easier to screw up, but these were perfect. Some pink in the middle, not gamey, and expertly sauced with the cherry glaze. Then the cherry glaze provided an expert link to the sour Foeder Projeckt #1 from Boulevard. Mmm I like this beer. Sour and delicious. This may have been the first time that a beer has been applauded when it was announced. Cheers to you, Boulevard!

The beer star of the night, however, and reason for the season(al beer dinner) was the final toast. The 2012 Samichlaus, filling our glasses just days after the 2013 had been brewed. It'll be a while before the current batch can be sampled, but this one is best with a little age. And even better with six different preparations of pumpkin. Now I didn't catch what all of the desserts were, but I believe they were (from left to right) a pumpkin shortbread with pumpkin cream, pumpkin crème brûlée topped with burnt pumpkin sugar, and a pumpkin ice cream with a pumpkin sauce. All three were tasty, but it was between the crème brûlée and the ice cream for my favorite. The shortbread was good, but didn't have the same strong pumpkin flavor the others did. Regardless, Samichlaus gave each a strong backbone. And it got me ready to be all tucked away for a long winter's nap. 

Gifts for kids, a pint for you

If you're out and about this weekend doing some holiday shopping and want to help spread joy in the community, bring an unwrapped children's gift to The Foundry from noon to 4 today or tomorrow. We're working with Operation Breakthrough to collect gifts for underprivileged kids. And while you're here, grab a McCoy's pint for $2, our little way of saying THANK YOU!

Happy Samichlaus Day!

December 6th is the day when Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg brews up a beer that's among the strongest lagers in the world - Samichlaus. This 14% lager will be aged in barrels for about 10 months before it's bottled, and then can age in the bottle with the best of them. It's a rare find at your local liquor stores, but if you're looking to enjoy some (along with four other fantastic beers and some delicious food), you're in luck! There are still some tickets to Beer Kitchen's Feast of Samichlaus on Monday!

Call up Beer Kitchen at 816-389-4180 to reserve your spot.

Get your holidays started with Beer KC

Get your Turkey Day growlers filled with delicious McCoy's beers today, because they'll be closed on Thanksgiving. You can still bring your family (or get away from them) tomorrow at Beer Kitchen and The Foundry! Both open at 6 pm, so you've got a place to go after your afternoon nap. And if you just want to get those growlers refilled, bring them over to The Foundry and they'll take care of you.

What beers can you get? Right now we have Bright Lager, Unfiltered Wheat, Raspberry Wheat, Ginger Shandy, Newcom's IPA, Imperial IPA, Fresh Hop ESB, and Hog Pound Brown. Who needs can-shaped cranberry sauce when you can have Raspberry Wheat with your dinner? And a Hog Pound Brown would go really well with stuffing...

And don't forget, while you're out doing your Black Friday shopping, get your Beer KC gear! Sweatshirts, workshirts, hats, and accessories are available at McCoy's. Or call Beer Kitchen at 816-389-4180 to get your spot for your next feast - the Feast of Samichlaus - coming up on December 9th.

Then, coming up about a week after the Feast of Samichlaus is one you've been waiting to come around since last winter. It's once again time for Ursa Major to return!! McCoy's imperial stout will return December 17th. We hope you don't have much going on December 18th. Take a look at this beauty from last year -

Get ready for the 17th. It's going to be a fun night.

Get ready for the Feast of Samichlaus!

It's once again time for Beer Kitchen's Feast of Samichlaus! 

Monday, December 9th will be the fourth annual meal that celebrates the season and Samichlaus beer. This is one of the strongest lagers out there, clocking in at 14%. German for Santa Claus, this is only brewed one day a year, every December 6th. It's a big, sweet, malty beer, that's going to be perfect with six different preparations of pumpkin dessert.

Going backwards from there, OH MAN IT'S FOEDER PROJEKT #1! If you missed it when it was on tap a few weeks ago, you're getting a second chance. You better take it, this could be your last shot at this rare sour ale. And it's being served with caribou chops. Caribou chops!

I haven't had (and pretty sure I've never seen) the Stillwater Folklore, a Belgian dark strong ale. So that's pretty exciting. And the Crabtree Berliner Weisse is tart and delicious. And Deschutes' Chainbreaker is going to be a nice start to the meal. Then throw in how chef Michael Peterson has topped himself with every meal, and this becomes a MUST GO event.

Reserve your spot for this beer dinner by calling 816-389-4180. $60 will get you the five-course meal with beer pairings (beer pairings which include not one but TWO rare beers), including tax and gratuity.

Still time to save $5!

The 3rd Annual Strong Ale Festival is only a couple days away now! There are still some advanced tickets left, available at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1760233. The weather's going to be great (who cares if there's a little sprinkle? There was a torrential downpour right when the Summer Ale Fest started, and that was an amazing time!), and the beer list is incredible. Beers that you don't usually see in the market, and some brews from Kansas City homebrewers! 

Make your plan of attack for Saturday now. Which beers are on your list that you MUST TRY?

Drink double local!

There are sure to be some barrel aged beers at next weekend's 3rd Annual Strong Ale Fest (do you have your ticket? Hurry up and go to http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1760233 to get yours before they're gone!!!), but you're going to have to wait a little bit longer to try this one -

That's this year's Ursa Major is aging in Dark Horse Distillery bourbon and rye barrels. Beer made here, liquors made here. An all around Kansas City beer! We'll have more details about the release party for Ursa soon, so keep your eyes open.

What local beers (or spirits!) will you be having this weekend?

3rd Annual Strong Ale Festival Beer List!

Just over two weeks until the 3rd Annual Strong Ale Festival hits Westport! If you haven't gotten them yet, advanced tickets are available by clicking this link - http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1760233. If you get them now, not only will you assure yourself a ticket ahead of time (these festivals have been selling out!), but you'll save yourself $5. 

What beers are going to be available to you at the fest? We're glad you asked! The list is after the jump - 

Five courses with 4 Hands

Now that the World Series is over (I'm starting this in the top of the 7th, so if the Cardinals come back and win then you can blame this one on me, Boston), why not look back to a night we spent with our friends a few blocks away from the new Busch Stadium - the beer dinner with 4 Hands Brewing. (Quick order of business - 4 Hands will be bringing one of their research and development beers to the Strong Ale Festival on November 16h! Get details at http://beerkc.com/beerfest/strong-ale/ and tickets now on sale at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1760233)

The evening started with a lump crab agnolotti with chard, pear, and peppered mozzarella and the Pyrus saison. My first experience with agnolotti was in last summer's Kurlbaum Heirloom Tomato dinner. I liked it then, and may have liked it even more this time. Pyrus is brewed with pear juice and white peppercorns (in addition to orange zest), so it was a natural pair for this course. Good synergy here. (Top of the 7th just ended. Cardinals got one run and threatened more, but left the bases loaded. Everyone stand up for the 7th inning stretch.)

Agnolotti is kinda like ravioli. Filled with delicious crab next to some pear and mozzarella. Yes.

The second course featured a beer that first appeared at (I believe) the Summer Beer Fest - Resurrection IPA. This was served with a stewed tomato custard, jerky, and bread. Whoa. This was awesome. AWESOME. The tomato custard was smooth, sweet, and creamy. Spread on the bread and jerky, it was magical. When the bread and jerky was gone and I was left with some custard still in its little jar and I ate it off a butter knife, it was still kinda magical. Paired with the beer, it was magical. A balanced IPA with great malt and big hops, the bitterness played off the sweetness.

I'm amazed I waited long enough to take a picture of this. SO GOOD.

As the bottom of the 7th ends and we head towards the 8th, it's time for me to admit that I might like fish. At least very well-prepared fish. I can't hide behind saying I normally don't like it, because me liking fish at these dinners has become the norm. This continued here with seared American red snapper served on risotto and apple butter, and Morning Glory in the glass. Incredible dish. There wasn't much of a fishy flavor, especially in a bite that had risotto and apple butter. And Oh, the apple butter. It might have been the single greatest item served this night. Not overpoweringly sweet. And Morning Glory was the perfect beer to go with it - brewed with sweet potatoes, all spice, nutmeg, whole vanilla beans, and aged on Pecan Wood (top of the 8th just ended, quickly. So much for me getting through a course per half inning). Think of your usual pumpkin beer, and then imagine it being really super good without being that "pumpkin-y." Yeah, good, right? Right.

Alright, I may need to invest in a better camera. That is to say, a camera not on my phone.

Moving along to the fourth course, I KNOW I like beignets, and kielbasa, and poutine. So yeah, I was looking forward to this one. And it was another case of a perfectly-selected beer (bottom of the 8th just starting. I can do this). The Smoked Pigasus is a big robust porter with maple syrup and smoked malts. What was great with this course is that each of the food offerings brought out something different in the beer. The "bk bacon" beignet had smoky bacon and synced up well with the smokiness in the beer, while also pulling out some of the maltiness with the beignet (my fingers want there to be an h in beighnet). The kielbasa was more on the smoky side, not as much on the sweet malt side. And the caramel poutine, besides being FANTASTIC MMMMM made you remember there's maple syrup in the beer.

More. I want more of all of these.

WOO! Made it to dessert before the end of the 8th. And that's good, because this dessert deserves like four innings. (Whoa, a balk! That was weird.) Dessert was chocolate three ways - in the beer, in a mousse, and in a pie. This was good. The mousse was light and fluffy. The pie was rich, with a berry schmear below it to give more variety in the flavor. And the Chocolate Milk Stout was big, rich, and velvety. This is one of the better desserts I've had at a beer dinner (I think the best is still the bread pudding from the Alex Pope-prepared dinner. I still have dreams about that. And now the 8th just ended. Three outs from the end of the season). Also, I discovered the cup holding the mousse was held to the plate by peanut butter. And then I combined peanut butter with the chocolate and whoa. Yeah, that was good.

It may look small, but it was rich enough to pack a big punch

This might have been the best all-around beer dinner yet. It seems Michael Peterson keeps finding ways to top himself, so I'm looking forward to the next one. I'll show up hungry. Keep an eye here and on the Beer Kitchen Facebook page for details on that one when they're announced.

Now we're one out away from the end of the baseball season, so I'm going to sit and take it all in. Hurry back baseball. I love you.

Don't be afraid to say FOEDER

Important stuff!!

Boulevard's Foeder Projekt #1 has been tapped at Beer Kitchen! If you haven't had a chance to try this delicious sour beer, get there NOW. It won't last long. Here, check out Boulevard's brewmaster Steven Pauwels talk about it

Want to know another cool thing Boulevard is doing? Tomorrow, they're having a pet adoption day. Head to the brewery, grab some delicious beers, and meet some new adoptable friends

And while we're on cool news, 2013 Strong Ale Fest tickets are now on sale!!! Get the details at http://beerkc.com/beerfest/strong-ale/, or go ahead and buy your tickets at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1760233. It's going to be a dang fun time.

Be a part of Lance's Brewery Tour

If you're looking for something to do tonight, come out to McCoy's for a wonderful experience for a great cause -

Check out https://www.facebook.com/lancesbrewerytour for more information about Lance's tour across the country, then come out to meet him tonight from 6-8pm!

4 Hands, 5 Courses

If you're not out at GABF, you can come to McCoy's to have some award-winning beer. And the Sinister Rye was tapped recently, and me oh my it's good. The rye adds some spice to a smooth beer. Dangerously delicious.

If you subscribe to BeerAdvocate magazine, check out this month's article on The Foundry! They have some quotes from incredibly good looking people in it.

Coming up in a little more than a week is our next beer dinner! And this one looks great - we're welcoming 4 Hands Brewing into Beer Kitchen on Monday, October 21st for 4 Hands, 5 Courses -

This looks fantastic. Each course... mmm... And the beers. Double mmm. As usual, this isn't one you'll want to miss. $50 per person reserves your spot and includes the price of the meal, tax, and gratuity. Call Beer Kitchen at 816-389-4180 now!

A few weeks after that, we'll be celebrating the third annual Strong Ale Festival! 25 breweries bringing beers 8% and up. Check out the event's Facebook page for a list of breweries. Tickets will go on sale on October 20th, so check back here for a link.

GABF is almost here!

The weather's starting to feel a little more like fall, which means that the Great American Beer Festival is right around the corner! The 32nd annual GABF starts next week, on October 10th, and McCoy's will be looking to add a few more medals to the collection.

Beers sent for judging include Public House favorites across the board: Ginger Shandy, Blackberry Tart, Pilsner, Gose, Malabar Brown, Lunch Box Pale, Oktoberfest, Brite Lager, and Good Farmhouse. And if you haven't tried this year's Oktoberfest, 1) You missed out on drinking it by the liter at the first McCoy's Oktoberfest; and 2) It's freaking fantastic. Look at this majestic beer - 

mmmm

If you're heading out to GABF, McCoy's will be pouring Ginger Shandy, Blackberry Tart, Pilsner, and the Gose. So you'll have a chance to taste some beers that haven't been around for a little bit. And if you're not heading to Denver, well then you might as well go to McCoy's have have these beers from the source!

We don't need no stinkin' meat

Last week's beer dinner welcomed a little bit of a different crowd, as Beer Kitchen hosted the Vegetarian Beer Dinner. Even better than the food was the cause the meal benefited. New Roots for Refugees is a wonderful organization that helps refugees start new lives in the Kansas City area. Really, click on that link and read about them, because they're doing fantastic work.

People love the veggie food!

Last year's vegetarian beer dinner was excellent, and I knew that I probably wouldn't be missing the meat. It started with a nice chilled spinach soup with water spinach salad and lemon creme. This small reception dish was a perfectly light start for the dinner, setting us up for a lovely dinner.

The first pairing for the night was miso marinated heirloom tomatoes with red chili mozzarella and Thai basil pesto focaccia with Brouwerij van Steenberge Piraat. The miso added a savory component to a sweet tomato, and the Belgian IPA is just a dang good beer. I like dang good beers. There wasn't a lot of chili spice in the mozzarella, but the classic pairing of tomato and fresh mozzarella is magic.

Up next was a golden and red beet napoleon with feta and Burmese sorrel paired with Contact High from the St. Louis brewers at 4 Hands. I rarely eat beets, but when I do I wonder why I don't eat them more often. They've got a sweet earthy flavor, cut here by a little bit of an acidity in the sorrel and balanced in creamy feta. Contact High is a hoppy, hoppy wheat, so a hint a sweet with bitterness. It all worked so well.

As odd as this may be, I think this next course might have been the first time I've had ratatouille. Accompanying the ratatouille terrine was crispy black truffle polenta and micro greens with a white balsamic gastrique, and another beer from Brouwerij van Steenberge. This time the beer was a favorite, Monk's Cafe. A Flemish sour ale that's on the sweet side, it went wonderfully with the bitterness from the dish. I would eat ratatouille again. In terrine form or otherwise.

The next dish was probably the one that most resembled meat with a portabella-seitan wellington served alongside roasted fingerlings, oyster mushrooms, and a rosemary pan jus. The picture below doesn't do the dish justice... you can't see the portabella seitan inside of the puff pastry. But trust me, it's in there. And it was fantastic. And you can't go wrong with potatoes and mushrooms. Again, trust me. The beer was another from St. Louis, this time Civil Life's American Brown Ale. I'm a big fan of Civil Life, and especially of this beer. It's a great example of a brown ale, and a great choice to compliment the food.

Before the dessert was a nice palate cleanser, watermelon sorbet and marinated melon. Mint and vinegar flavors, very cleansing.

Dessert was a combination of sweet and savory in with kale zeppoli with Calabrian chili honey, and Bell's Oarsman brought a light tartness. A zeppole is kind of like an Italian doughnut. So, this was kind of like a kale doughnut. I'm not big on kale by itself, but I am big on doughnuts covered in powdered sugar. And honey. The Berliner Weisse was light and kept the dessert from beginning too heavy.

Another successful dinner! One of the great things about going to the beer dinners is getting to try a wide variety of foods with first class beer, and this was no exception. The chefs showed meat is optional!

The First Annual McCoy's Oktoberfest

Tomorrow the mayor of Munich will be tapping the first barrel and starting the 180th annual Oktoberfest! Now, if you weren't able to book that last-minute flight to join the celebration, have no fear. McCoy's is bringing Bavaria to you.

In exactly 24 hours, McCoy's will kick off their 2013 Oktoberfest! In addition to McCoy's own Oktoberfest brew, there will five other Oktoberfest biers, German music, bier garden, and traditional & contemporary German food from 1pm - 5pm in the parking lot. Oh, did I mention for $15 you get this -

Your very own liter bier stein! The $15 gets you the glass filled with McCoy's Oktoberfest, and then you keep the stein.

The weather looks like it's going to be absolutely gorgeous. What better way to spend it drinking delicious beers and honoring a great beer tradition! Get your lederhosen or dirndl from the dry cleaner and get ready to party in Westport. (Also, bring cash for all of the beer and food in the bier garden. There are some ATMs around, but come prepared and save time!)

Get your cask on

It's starting to feel a little more like September, which means absolutely beautiful patio weather. And right now McCoy's has two cask beers that are perfect for sipping on their patio!

First up is the Chai Tea Brown ale. The always popular Hog Pound Brown with chai spices. Mmm. Kind of warming for nights that are getting cooler. Or, just delicious on days that are not 100 degrees (it'd probably be delicious on days that are 100 degrees too. From the comfort of air conditioning).

Cherry Stout Cask. Yeah, I was sitting at the bar, but come on,
there were important baseball and football games on!

Then there's a Cherry Stout cask. McCoy's Oatmeal Stout primed with a kriek lambic. Oooooh so good. It's not overly sweet, only a hint of cherry. The combination works well, giving a smooth and tasty treat. Again, dang fine on an autumn-like night.

What are your plans for the weekend? Stop into McCoy's for one of the casks, or any of the other fine crafted beers on tap (fresh Pilsner and Lunch Box Pale Ale, too!).

Left Hand Pint Night

Have plans Tuesday? No? Well now you do. Head to Beer Kitchen for Left Hand Brewing Pint Night!

Beer Kitchen will have four beers from Left Hand on tap -

• Homefront IPA; American IPA; 6.6%
• Safety Round Ale #1: Belgo-American Pale Ale; 4.6%
• Ambidextrous Step 5: Sticke Alt; 7.4%
• Oktoberfest; 6.6%

- AND you get to take home a pint glass!!

Some cool beers here. If you're not familiar with the Homefront IPA, it's become a yearly tradition now, first started by Fremont Brewing Co. and Center of the Universe Brewing Co. Each year different breweries across the country brew Homefront, each given bats from Louisville Slugger to be added to the beer! But the best part about this brew is all proceeds from it will go towards Operation Homefront, a national non-profit providing emergency assistance to military families and wounded warriors. 

The Safety Round Ale #1 will be available for the first time here, a light new Belgo-American Pale Ale. Then there's the next iteration of the Ambidextrous series, a Sticke Alt. Hey, why does that sound familiar... And it's getting to be the time of the year for Oktoberfest beers! 

(Speaking of Oktoberfest - don't forget about McCoy's Oktoberfest coming up in a few weeks!!)

So grab a pint and get a pint glass to keep! And get some dinner while you're in Westport, either at Beer Kitchen or across the street at The Foundry's Taco Tuesday. You could have worse Tuesdays.

Cheers!

Vote Beer KC

It's time for round 2 of voting in The Pitch's Best of Kansas City, and Beer KC is well represented!

McCoy's is in the running for

• Best Outdoor Dining
• Best Brew Pub
• Best Local Craft Brewer
• Best Local Microbrewer
• Best Patio

The Foundry is nominated for

• Best Bar Food
• Best Bar for People Watching
• Best Beer Selection (Bottles)

Beer Kitchen's nominations are

• Best Brunch
• Best Bloody Mary
• Best Brew Pub 

And our Strong Ale Fest is up for Best Beer Festival!! (That one returns November 16th, 1-5pm, so get your strong drinking shoes ready.)

Head to The Pitch to cast your votes for Beer KC. They're on the last few pages of the survey, but there are local friends nominated all along the way.

Football & beer!

What better combination than watching football with some locally brewed beer? McCoy's has a full tap list, with summertime favorite Ginger Shandy, and two casks! The West Coast IPA dry hopped with Centennial hops is still on, as is the fantastic Malabar Brown. Stop on in for your Saturday afternoon football action!

Hot temps, cool beers

Yeah, it's hot, we know. Luckily, there is beer and thoughts of more moderate temperatures.

On the beer front, McCoy's has a freshly-tapped cask of West Coast IPA dry hopped with Centennial hops. If you haven't had a chance to taste this IPA, WHY NOT? It's delicious and very easy to drink. And if you have, now's a good time to taste it with the Centennial hops featured. These are a very popular American hop, and will provide a great floral and citrus flavor.

While you're there sipping on the cask beer, start clearing all your plans for September 16th. That's the night of the next beer dinner at Beer Kitchen, and you'll want to be there. It's the annual vegetarian dinner, this year benefiting a great cause in New Roots for Refugees. $5 from each ticket will go to this wonderful organization. And the meal will be great, featuring seven courses of vegetarian dishes that won't make you miss meat.

$50 includes your meal with beers, tax, gratuity, and the $5 donation. Get your spot by calling Beer Kitchen at (816) 389-4180 now!

A few days after the beer dinner, join us for the first McCoy's Oktoberfest! September 21st will be your chance to get a liter commemorative stein full of McCoy's Oktoberfest bier for $15. You get to keep the stein! But this isn't any regular "take home the glass" night. We're going all out with a fest in the McCoy's parking lot, complete with 5 other Oktoberfest biers, German food, a bier garden, and German food! If you can't make it to Bavaria, we'll bring Bavaria to you. The party is from 1-5 pm, so be sure your Lederhosen is dry cleaned in time.

Perennial tapping at Foundry!

Head to The Foundry this evening for some delicious beers from across the state! St. Louis' Perennial Artisan Ales is going to have three beers tapping at 6 tonight: Peach Berliner Weisse (a berliner with peaches! And special schuss syrup!), Woodside Trippel (a trippel brewed with local woodside honey!), and Barry Rye (a dark rye ale fermented on local blackberries!). And Plan B (Belgian strong dark ale collabo with Half Acre from Chicago, brewed with black currants!) is already on tap. You can get a 6 oz taster or a full pour if any of them.

All five saisons from the Saison Showdown are still available on tap as well, so it looks like the next few days of your week are planned.

Celebrate five years of AWESOME with the Foundry

The Foundry five year anniversary party kicks off now! All week long, 10% of Boulevard's KC Pils sales from both The Foundry and Beer Kitchen will be donated to KC Pet Project. Drink for a cause!

On Thursday, August 15, join us for a Saison Showdown. When The Foundry opens at 4 p.m., we'll have five different saisons tapped - 4 Hands Pyrus, Anchor Zymaster Series Saison, Boulevard Saison-Brett, Great Divide Colette, and Odell Celestrina. Excellent beers, all rated 88 or higher, with Saison-Brett with a perfect 100. It's a perfect beer. I like saison season, and right now the forecast looks absolutely perfect for sipping on one (or five) on the patio.

Then on Sunday, you won't want to miss our Back to School Beer Ice Cream Social! This is an ice cream social for adults (it's OK to still be a kid at heart but please be 21 at everything else), with beer ice cream and beer floats. The five beer ice creams will be made with Boulevard Harvest Dance, St. Louis Peche, Stiegl Weisse, McCoy's Farmhouse, Bell's Kalamazoo Stout, and the 2 beer floats will be St. Louis Frambois with cheese cake ice cream and McCoy's Stout with white chocolate ice cream. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes. Yes. Please.

The party starts at 7 p.m. on Sunday the 18th, and you better believe I'll be there counting down the seconds. Set your DVR to record Breaking Bad so you don't have to hurry and give yourself an ice cream headache. It'll be worth the wait, especially after you polish off the fifth ice cream. And the second float. Because come on, you're going to want to eat all of it and then yell I AM THE ONE WHO EATS ICE CREAM and call yourself Icecreamberg.

Once again, We Say Tomato

Last year's beer dinner with Kurlbaum's heirloom tomatoes opened up my eyes (and taste buds) to the world of heirloom vegetables. I was sort of familiar with the concept, and knew they had a much better flavor than the mass-produced tomatoes usually found in stores, but that was about it. I didn't know the rich history behind the seeds, legacies being traced back hundreds of years, and the different varieties that exist. Check out their website for some more about the history of the tomatoes and what kinds they have on their Tomato Varieties page. They had some information about their farming methods as well - they dry farm, which means they don't irrigate the plants. So you'd think the mild, wet summer we've had would be a boon, but tomatoes actually like warmer, dryer climates. Last year was a great year for them, this year has been a little slower. That just makes this dinner that much more special!

It started off with a reception pairing, almost an amuse-bouche, called "El Matador." A tasty combination of fresh mozzarella, a Juanne Flame tomato, and I believe prosciutto, served with McCoy's Cerveza in a sort of "chelada/cubana" style - some Worcestershire sauce, peppers, and salt. With the tomato it kind of had the feel of a beer Bloody Mary. I could go for having one of these most every morning.

The Juanne Flame is a flavorful tomato, sometimes given the title of "best tasting tomato ever." It certainly worked well with the bit of spiciness in the beer, and the combination of tomato, mozzarella, and pork is one for the ages.

The first course continued the fun presentation, this time with tempura Gold Medal tomatoes with bay scallops and lobster miso butter, served in a "takeout" box. Oh goodness. My love for scallops and lobster has been documented (most recently with the sea scallop taco in the Lips of Faith dinner), and this dish didn't disappoint. The tempura Gold Medal tomato was a subtle addition to some hugely rich flavors (I'm not ashamed to say I nearly licked the lobster butter clean). Tallgrass's Wild Plum Farmhouse Ale cut through the richness of the dish, providing a good, sweet counterbalance. And I learned something about this beer! The plums used were grown near Manhattan, KS, in farmhouses!

Now a salad course to lighten things a little, with pickled Brandy Wine tomato, crisp romaine, charred vinaigrette, and Maytag blue cheese, paired with the latest year-round offering from Boulevard, the Pop-Up Session IPA. The bitterness from the IPA and the acidity from the tomatoes complimented each other beautifully. And another classic pairing, this time with tomato and blue cheese. Maytag is one of the finest available, made in Iowa. Sticks with the local (-ish) theme for the dinner.

The third course was pureed Belmont tomato with crispy bass and gnocchi paired with the Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen. I think it's safe to say now that I like fish. I thought I didn't, but these dinners have turned me. It helps when the fish is as well prepared as this. The Belmont puree was almost like a tomato sauce, but some of the best tomato sauce ever. It gave some acidity to the dish. And gnocchi is just good. A bite of everything on the plate made for a wonderful melding of flavors. The Gordon Biersch Hefe (the first ever GB beer served at Beer Kitchen!) was nice, with a hint of banana and clove, like a good hefeweizen has. It didn't overpower the food, but provided a nice mellow background.

Thanks to Brent for letting me use his plate as a model. His was pretty.

Next was a big one. Berkshire pork with bacon jus and stewed San Marzano tomatoes. Again, the pork/tomato combo. Add in a potato croquette and I want all of it you have. This was delicious. Tender and succulent pork, some tang from tomato, and saltiness from the bacon jus. McCoy's Sticke Alt is malty and sweet, rounding out the flavor profile for the course. Great, now my mouth's watering. This was excellent

So excited to eat, I couldn't get my finger out of the way for the photo

A beer dinner would not be complete without a dessert, especially when tomatoes are involved. Last year's dessert was a cobbler with ice cream. This time around it had macerated Black Krim tomatoes, shortbread, whipped cream, syrup, and Boulevard's Long Strange Tripel. More savory than sweet, it was a great light finish to the evening. The shortbread was crumbly and delicious, with light whipped cream and the sweet tang of the tomatoes.

I'm already looking forward to next year's dinner with the Kurlbaums! And I'm definitely going to have to seek out some heirloom tomatoes for myself.

Keep an eye out here soon for the next beer dinner, which will be the annual vegetarian meal.