Westport Beer Festival is almost here!

It's the last day to get your advanced ticket for the Westport Beer Festival and save a few bucks. Go to http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1813427 to get your ticket and save $5 off the price on Saturday. And, you'll guarantee your spot before the fest sells out.

If you already have your ticket, get ready for the fest. The Pitch talked with our Director of Beer, Randyl Danner!

Then plan your beers and learn about them with the Westport Beer Festival app.

We'll see you Saturday at 5!

KC Craft Beer Week approaches

We're a little over a week away from Kansas City Craft Beer Week! The week will be book-ended by a couple of beer fests, with a number of great events in between.

On Saturday, June 7th at 5 pm, join us in kicking off KCCBW with the third annual Westport Beer Festival! We've partnered with Sporting Kansas City to bring more than 80 beers from 35 craft breweries and a chance to meet members of this year's Sporting Kansas City team. As an extra special bonus, this year's fest will be the unveiling of Boulevard's Sporting Kansas City Championship Ale! A saison brewed with a new German hop, the beer won't be hitting shelves until mid-June, but you'll have a chance to try it on the 7th. Go to http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1813427 or straight to McCoy's for your ticket. $30 in advance/$35 at the door will get you a tasting glass, unlimited access to beers, and the chance to mingle with champions!

Wednesday, June 11th, Beer Kitchen will be hosting a tap takeover with Cambridge Brewing Co. and Boulevard. Will Meyers from Cambridge Brewing will be on hand, so you won't want to miss it!

We keep the events rolling on Friday the 13th, with Doug Odell from Odell Brewing stopping in at the Foundry with some of his delicious beers. A keg of Friek and a pin of cucumber St. Lupulin will both be tapped at 4 pm.

Finally, the inaugural Boulevardia Taps and Tastes will close out the week on Saturday, June 14th. McCoy's will be there with Blackberry Tart, Gose, and the ever crowd-pleasing Ginger Shandy.

Until next week, you can pass your time on the porch of either McCoy's or The Foundry. Grab a drink with your favorite four-legged friend - both of our patios were named among the best places to drink with your dog in Kansas City!

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 - 

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.

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!)

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.

A block party, a beer fest, a beer dinner. What more do you need?!

This Sunday, after you get done mainlining all 15 episodes of Arrested Development, head to Westport at 8 pm for the annual Kelly's Westport Inn & McCoy's Public House Block Party - $5 gets you in for live music, food and drink specials, and more, as we celebrate another year of two institutions!

And while you're thinking about it, pick up your tickets for another party next month in Westport. The Summer Beer Festival is coming up on June 15th! $25 will get you in with a souvenir glass and tastes of of some delicious, delicious beers. Plus, proceeds benefit Aids Walk Kansas City, so it's for a very good cause. Get your tickets at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1718889 before they go up to $30 the day of the event. If there are any left!

Alright, so I had teased that the next beer dinner would be EPIC...

Yeah, 10 courses, 10 beers. 10 beers from the New Belgium Lips of Faith series. This is exciting to me, and it should be for you. First of all, the food. It's always great, but four cheese courses? General Tso's Lobster? SEA SCALLOP TACO???? Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. And then the beers. This is an excellent chance to try a variety of high quality suds. Plus there are some beers new to the area that you may only see at this dinner... Paardebloem (Flemish for dandelion - a beer bittered with dandelions with some wild Belgian yeasts and grains of paradise and I want it right now) and Pluot (a plum and apricot make a baby fruit and it hangs out with Brettanomyces). This is going to be fun. $65 covers everything - your seat, the food, the beer, the tax, and the gratuity. Hurry up, this one will probably fill up fast! Call Beer Kitchen at (816) 389-4180 and get your spot today!

The work week is over, but American Craft Beer Week continues!

How's everyone's American Craft Beer Week going so far? Have you been to any of Beer KC's events?

The Randyl'd beers were great! Strawberry basil Good Farmhouse was a treat (slight change from the originally planned Ginger Shandy, but it worked so well)...

...and the Boulevard bottle signing event was a hit!

Trip, Steven, and John gave their signing hand muscles a workout
And yep, that's a Love Child #2. A Boulevard fan brought in her 4 bottles of it!!

Tonight and tomorrow there aren't any scheduled events, but Beer Kitchen still has their $30, three-course beer dinner going tonight through Sunday! Also on Sunday at the Foundry - a free Odell Flagship tasting from 4-6 pm. It's tough to be free beer, especially from a brewery as great as Odell!

One last order of business for Friday - grab your advance tickets for the Summer Beer Festival! It's less than a month away... time flies, so save yourself $5 and get them now at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1718889

Cheers!

American Craft Beer Week 2013

First off, a very heartfelt and enthusiastic congratulations to Beer KC's own Director of Beer Randyl Danner, as she and her husband Boulevard Brewing icon Jeremy welcomed their son Cooper Del early this morning! Raise a pint to them tonight!

And now for the second-most anticipated event of May... American Craft Brew Week starts Monday, May 13th, and Beer KC will have activities for you all week.

Starting Monday, Beer Kitchen will be offering a three course food and beer pairing for both lunch and dinner, available for only $30! This deal will be running all week long, so come in and have a your own personal beer dinner! Speaking of beer dinners, the next one will be taking place in June, and it will be EPIC. I don't use that word lightly. The official announcement will take place during ACBW, so keep your eyes peeled. You won't want to miss it!

Monday will also be Randyl Monday! McCoy's will have the delicious Ginger Shandy Randyl'd with mangos and chili peppers along with the Lunch Pale Ale with strawberries and basil. Mmmm.... both are great combinations. They'll be on all day, so stop by and grab a pint of each!

Then come by on Tuesday at 4 pm for the McCoy's Maibock release party! McCoy's and the Foundry will both have the Maibock on tap, $7 gets you a pour and a commemorative mug. Refills will be cheaper. Unless you want more mugs. Then you pay $7 for it and beer again.

Wednesday's going to be a special day at the Foundry. From 6-8:30 Boulevard founder John McDonald, brewmaster Steven Pauwels, and long-time legendary employee Trip Hogue will be on hand to sign bottles!! Purchase a bottle at the Foundry, or bring in your own special bottle from your collection. Maybe get Trip's autograph next to his face on a bottle of Long Strange Tripel. Or maybe you have a bottle from the first run of Chocolate Ale you'd like to have signed by all three. You could even buy a bottle of Love Child #3 at the Foundry! So many options.

The event Thursday brings a classic pairing together again. Pints and Pretzels. Choose from 4 different pairings at McCoy's and Foundry, or don't make a choice and get all 4. It's American Craft Beer Week, it only comes around once a year. Live a little!

Friday and Saturday you'll have to be on your own. I'm sure you kids will find something fun to do, you always do. But make sure you save some energy for Sunday, because the Foundry will be having a free tasting of the flagship beers from Odell! Come make friends with a new beer, become reacquainted with an old beer flame, or just drink some damn good free samples. The fun will run from 4-6, so come and get your tastes in and then figure out what you'll want the rest of the night.

You know you want to be cool and let all your friends know you're going to be taking part in the fun, so let them know by RSVP'ing on our Facebook American Craft Beer Week Events page.

And don't forget to get your ticket for the Summer Beer Fest! Buy it in advance and save yourself $5. They're $25 now, and will be $30 the day of at the gate (if tickets remain).

There will be some more very cool stuff coming up soon... keep checking here or the Facebook pages for the announcements!

Summer Beer Festival tickets on sale NOW!

Last week's Parkville Micro Fest might have been a little wet, but it was a lot of fun! McCoy's went through the Blackberry Tart in a hurry, followed by the IPA Randyl'd with watermelon. If you were around at the right point, you may have been able to grab a taste of the Ginger Shandy Randyl'd through the watermelon. Sadly, I wasn't there for that, but I heard it was delicious!

Right before the Blackberry Tart keg blew

Even if it was a little chilly and a little damp, TONS of people turned out. It was fun

Ready for the next festival? Beer KC's 3rd Annual Summer Beer Festival is coming up on June 15th, and tickets are now on sale! $25 gets you your ticket, a commemorative glass, and a chance to taste over 80 beers from more than 30 breweries. Buy your tickets online at http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1718889

Parkville Microfest - A Rite of Spring

Spring is finally starting to come back to Kansas City after a few false starts, which means it's once again time for the Parkville Microfest!

This Saturday, April 27th from 1 - 5 pm, come on out to English Landing Park for the 10th Annual Parkville Microfest! It's always a fun time with fun people and fun beers.

McCoy's will be there with some of their own fun beers - a Watermelon IPA, Ginger Shandy, Good Farmhouse, and (a personal favorite) Blackberry Tart. So come to the tent, say hello, taste a beer or four, and tell us what you think! The Watermelon IPA is going to be a tasty treat! And be sure to get to the Blackberry Tart before I do, because I may just camp out there until it's gone.

Tickets are $25 in advance, and can be purchased online at http://parkvillemicrobrewfest2013.eventbrite.com/. They'll be $30 at the gate, but there's going to be a cap of 3,000 attendees -- if they sell out online before the day of the event, they're gone! Designated drivers will get in free of charge, so find a friend and be safe!

45 breweries from all around the country with beers you won't usually be able to get in the area, live music, and the weather looks like it's going to be PERFECT for having some fine craft beers at the beautiful English Landing Park in Parkville!

Save the Date - Westport Summer Beer Festival is coming June 15!

It's getting to be nice weather outside, which brings one of my favorite pastimes - enjoying a beverage outdoors. We're lucky to have two of the best patios in town right next to each other, at McCoy's and the Foundry! While you're out enjoying the gorgeous day and Middle of the Map Fest, swing by for a beer and a burger.

Speaking of outdoor drinking, the next beer fest will be here before you know it! The Westport Summer Beer Festival returns June 15. Over 70 beers from 35 different breweries. Sign me up. Tickets are $25 in advance, and will be $30 at the gate. Be sure to RSVP on Facebook to stay up to date on the details - https://www.facebook.com/events/294011130730644/ and keep an eye on http://www.mccoyskc.com/ for a link to purchase your tickets in the near future.

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!

Coming in September: Local Pig Beer Dinner

Finally recovered from the Great Nebraska Beer Fest. It was a fantastic time, rain and all!

The view from under a tent

One of the big takeaways from the fest for me was that Cinder Block can't get here fast enough! I really enjoyed their beers (especially the lemongrass saison and the sour they brought!), and think they'll be a welcome addition to Kansas City. Any other readers make it to the fest, and have any standouts?

Now, how about a little news about our next beer dinner?

On Monday, September 17th, Beer Kitchen will host a 6-course beer diner, featuring Chef Alex Pope of Local Pig. If you're not familiar with Local Pig, why not?? It's a charcuterie, located in Kansas City's East Bottoms, specializing in hormone, steroid, and antibiotic free meats, from the Kansas City area. They make their own sausage, cure their own meats, and offer classes on butchering whole animals or making sausage, among other meat skills. And if you're a home brewer, they'll even trade you a sausage for one of your beers (I believe it's up to 6). They appreciate good beer, and sell some of the best meats you'll find. So this is a beautiful fit for a beer dinner.

Here's a quick rundown of the courses we'll be having:

First Course: 
Stillwater Debutante paired with dry-aged beef tartare, slow-roasted tomatoes, Green Dirt Farm cheese, and gaufrettes

Second Course:
Crabtree Ginger Bee with coppa, sweet corn (bread), soy-braised shiitake, red pepper custard and fennel

Third Course:
Deschutes Chainbreaker with chorizo verde, grilled scallions & almonds in phyllo, and a kale & berber vinaigrette

Fourth Course:
Hofstetten Granitbock paired with a manchego-stuffed pork chop, smoked sauerkraut, and butternut, dry-hopped honey, and apples

Fifth Course:
Contreras Valier Extra with whipped bleu cheese, beet pie, pickled melon rind relish, and balsamic

Sixth Course:
Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown, pretzel bread pudding, morita white chocolate ice cream with rosemary pecans and roasted pear

Oh my. Oh my. First off, there are a few beers here I've never tried (I think the Deschutes and Tommyknocker are the only two I've had). Then, the food. Mmmmmmmm. I LOVE beef tartare, and fell in love with Green Dirt Farms in their beer dinner a couple months ago. So this is rockin' right off the bat. And really, I don't know that I can single out a course I'd prefer over any other right now on paper. Bread pudding is a weakness of mine, so I'm excited about a pretzel bread version of it.

This beer dinner has limited seating, so make your reservations soon! $65 per person will get you all six courses with tax and gratuity included. Hurry, this one is sure to sell out! Call us at 816-389-4180 to get your spot.