Tap List | New Axiom Brewing Adds Cider Into The Mix
Epic Brewing and The Roasterie have collaborated on Son of a Baptist. (Courtesy of Epic Brewing)
Published January 2nd, 2018 at 6:00 AM
Mac Lamken and Devin Glaser stood in the 3,000-square-foot cavern that will become New Axiom Brewing Company’s brewery and taproom (949 NE Columbus St., Lee’s Summit, Missouri) by summer 2018. The current space is little more than a dusty concrete floor, exposed vaulted ceiling and thick clusters of wiring that dangle from above.
A bank’s information technology offices previously occupied this end of the Lighthouse Building near 291 Highway. Recently, New Axiom secured an additional 1,000 square-feet of adjacent office space that will be used for storage and a winery to supplement its brewing operations.
“We have to obtain a winery license in order to make cider and mead,” Lamken said.
As a halogen construction light glared, Lamken and Glaser shared a sample of a Mexican-inspired winter cider. Glaser, who grew up in a border town in Texas, draws on Hispanic influences for inspiration in his beer and cider recipes. The Mexican cider relates to a beverage served during Las Posadas, a traditional nine-day period from Dec. 16 to 24 leading up to Nochebuena (Holy Night).
“Cider is served during Las Posadas, a Mexican spiritual practice,” Glaser said. “The cider is served with tamales at celebrations.”
According to Glaser, the cider’s three adjuncts include tejacote, or Mexican hawthorn, that resembles a miniature apple with a thin yellow skin and sweet-sour flavor, guava and hibiscus flower. The cider has a bright berry color from the hibiscus and slight sweetness reminiscent of fruit nectar.
New Axiom’s cranberry-raspberry lactose dessert sour was vibrant magenta in color. The beer’s tartness is balanced by berry notes and a creamy mouthfeel from the lactose. Once open, New Axiom plans to offer a Mexican hot chocolate stout, dry-hopped cider, a tart cherry hibiscus Go(o)se Hunting Gose, root beer spiced Rooted Rye Ale and other craft drinks.
The brewers plan to install twin three-barrel systems in the brewhouse, enabling them to brew up to a dozen barrels of beer in a day.
“Twin systems keep our options as versatile as possible,” Glaser said. “We can brew a single three-barrel batch, two separate three-barrel batches or do a double batch.”
The taproom will be equipped with 20 taps with beer lines. Brite tanks will feed New Axiom’s beers directly to some taps with others reserved for a rotation of guest craft beers.
Epic Brewing’s Son of a Baptist Uses Roasterie Coffee
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Epic Brewing Company chose to use The Roasterie’s Ethiopian Natural in the Kansas edition of its Son of a Baptist (SOB) Imperial Stout. SOB is not barrel aged like its father, Big Bad Baptist. Rather, Epic works with select small-batch coffee roasters nationwide each year to produce iterations of the imperial stout that highlight the coffee’s character. Each release of SOB is widely different depending on the coffee selected.
Epic approached The Roasterie in early 2017 about a potential partnership and flew to Kansas City for a coffee tasting. After tasting nearly a dozen coffees, they selected a coffee bean harvested in Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe micro-region. Ethiopian Natural is known for its intense blueberry and apricot flavors and high citrus notes.
Son of a Baptist is available on tap at select Kansas restaurants and at Kansas liquor stores in cans.
KC Cider Company’s cranberry-orange cider is on tap at Brewery Emperial. (Pete Dulin | Flatland)
Tap Notes
Crane Brewing Company plans to release Berry Weiss, a new seasonal Berliner Weiss with raspberries and blackberries, in early 2018. Details to come.
Tapcade NKC (1735 Swift St., North Kansas City, Missouri) closed last weekend. The original Tapcade (1701 McGee St.) in the Crossroads continues to offer craft beer, arcade games and movies.
The Foundry at McCoy’s (424 Westport Road) kicks off Big Giant Huge Stout Month through Jan. 29. Starting Jan. 4, The Foundry will release two to three stouts every Monday and Thursday (except for Jan. 8). All stouts will be available in 6-ounce pours only, prices vary. Circle Jan. 18 (Perennial Sump 2016 and Goose Island Bourbon Country Brand Stout 2016), as well as Jan 22. (Perennial Abraxas 2016 and 2017) on your calendar.
Double Shift Brewing (412 E. 18th St.) is scaling up a smoked quadrupel, dubbed Smoke Ritual, for release later this month. A collaboration with Blue Blood Brewing from Lincoln, Nebraska, is also slated for January release. Blue Blood tag-teams on Double Shift’s single-hopped Hall Blanc IPA, enhanced with black pepper and kiwi. Half the batch will be on tap at Double Shift (date to be announced) while the other half ages in gin barrels.
Colony KC (312 Armour Road, North Kansas City, Missouri) released Hull and Oaks (9-percent ABV), its first barrel-aged beer, named in honor of Hall and Oates. If you can go for that, no private eyes are needed, rich girl, just drink a pint of this winter warmer, aged in a Union Horse Rye Whiskey barrel, until it’s gone.
Recent tap additions at one-year-old Brewery Emperial (1829 Oak St.) include a Baltic Porter (7.6-percent ABV, 34 IBUs), Bruin kettle-soured brown ale (4.8-percent ABV, 9 IBUs) inspired by Flemish brown ales, Belgian-style Quadrupel made with molasses and dark brown sugar for a sweet maltiness that finishes dry, and, lastly, a tart cranberry-orange peel cider (7.5-percent ABV) from KC Cider Company.
Boulevard’s Irish Ale, the brewery’s longest running seasonal, is out this week. (Courtesy of Boulevard)
This Week
Winter and cold temperatures inspire indoor pastimes, such as trivia, cards and board games (all of which can be combined with your favorite beer). #TapList highlights several game nights at taprooms to fill this week with entertainment.
Tuesday, Jan. 2
Boulevard Brewing releases its Irish Ale today, the brewery’s longest tenured seasonal beer. Brewed annually since 1990, Irish Ale emulates early English and Irish pale ales, according to ambassador brewer Jeremy Danner. Six different malts contribute a crisp and toasty malt character with notes of toffee, caramel and biscuit balanced by spicy and floral hop notes. Look for Irish Ale in six-packs and on draft throughout the greater Kansas City area.
Shake off the cold and head to The Taproom at Crane Brewing (6515 Railroad St., Raytown, Missouri) for trivia, beers and cash prizes. Bid adieu to trivia host Deanna as she and her husband prepare for a move to Texas and pass the hosting duties to a new trivia-loving geek.
Kansas City Bier Company (310 W. 79th St.) hosts its monthly Stammtisch gathering from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring German tasting bites, Apfel cider and a friendly group to converse with in German.
Wednesday, Jan. 3
Pawn and Pint (613 Walnut St.) hosts a fast-paced Uno tournament in a round-table battle royal for prizes and bragging rights.
Dogfish Head sponsors trivia at International Tap House (403 E. 18th St.). Play to win brewery swag, gift cards and beer. Trivia starts at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 4
The Foundry at McCoy’s (424 Westport Road) kicks off Big Giant Huge Stout Month through Jan. 29. Stouts will be available in six-ounce pours only, prices vary. Today, partake in Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin and Brooklyn Brewing Black OPS.
Like surprises? The Taproom at Crane Brewing (6515 Railroad St., Raytown, Missouri) reveals a special tapping each Thursday. This week, it’s Scythe & Stave, a bourbon barrel-aged mixed culture rye saison.
Colony KC (312 Armour Road, North Kansas City, Missouri) releases the third installation of its ShuttleHop series. Dubbed ShuttleHop East vs. West (7.2-percent ABV, 62 IBUs), this hybrid IPA marries the piney, dank, and slightly malty characteristics of a classic West Coast IPA with the tropical, juicy and hazy notes of a New England IPA.
Friday, Jan. 5
Besides imbibing beer, winter pastimes at Smoke Brewing Company (209 SE Main St., Lee’s Summit, Missouri) involve a weekly Cards Against Humanity tournament, where being offensive and politically incorrect might earn some contestants (21 years-old and over) prizes.
District Pour House & Kitchen (7122 Wornall Road) highlights beers from Martin City Brewing Company during its crab and shrimp boil. Feast on bayou fixings and choose from eight taps of MCBC beer, including Apposite, Radical Candor, Alchemy Coffee Stout, Hard Way IPA, Belgian-style Abbey Ale, Belgian Blond, Sideway and Yoga Pants.
Saturday, Jan. 6
It’s a New Year. Time to make good on that resolution to learn how to make beer. Grain to Glass (1611 Swift Ave., North Kansas City, Missouri) teaches Homebrewing for Beginners ($50), a three-hour, hands-on class on sanitizing, brewing and bottling. Also, sample beers made from an ingredient kit while brewing.
Kick off 2018 with a Founders CBS Pancake Breakfast at Grinders Stonewall (10240 Pflumm Road, Lenexa, Kansas). While supplies last, chow down on pancakes and Founders Brewing Company Canadian Breakfast Stout.
Sunday, Jan. 7
Sunday Funday at Fringe Beerworks (224 SE Douglas St., Lees Summit) means deep discounts on 32-ounce crowlers of select beers on tap. Stock up for the week.
— Pete Dulin writes about food trends for Flatland and is the author of The KC Ale Trail. Follow @FlatlandKC and #TapList on Twitter for more food news and trends.