originstory-blacksquirrel-header-021417

Origin Story | Cinder Block Brewery’s Black Squirrel

February 15, 2017 | Jonathan Bender | 1 min read

Back in summer 2013, a few weeks after Cinder Block Brewery began operation, they were brewing an unnamed Russian Imperial Stout.

A faulty temperature sensor meant that their brew system kept dumping food-grade glycol on the cement behind the brewhouse.

Owner Bryce Schaffter went outside to investigate and that’s when he saw it...

I looked over to the left and there was a black squirrel lapping up the glycol on the ground because it was sweet. I thought that’s the biggest rat I’ve ever seen with a fluffy tail.

Bryce Googled it and discovered there are black squirrels in Missouri.

For the next two weeks, the squirrel came back looking for more glycol.

And ever since, then there’s a single family of black squirrels that we see once or twice a year.

It’s like a sasquatch, but we call it a squirrel-squatch.

Black Squirrel launches this week. Check out #TapList, our new weekly beer calendar, for details. Got an origin story you think we should illustrate? Drop us a line on Twitter.

Tags: Origin Story

Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.

Support Local Journalism

Could the Kansas City streetcar extend into North Kansas City? Local and state officials are exploring the idea. An east-west route is also getting a look. (Carlos Moreno | KCUR 89.3)

Nick’s Picks | Fan Fest, Streetcar, Liquor and More …

June 8, 2026

World Cup Begins The wait is finally over. The first ball of the 2026 World Cup will be kicked Thursday, ushering in 5 ½ weeks of competition across the United States, Canada and Mexico. It’s also opening day for Kansas City’s FIFA Fan Fest at the National World War I Museum and Memorial—our first real…