Tap List | McCoy’s Watermelon IPA is in the Works
Peach Bow Saison is out now from Double Shift Brewing Company. (Courtesy of Double Shift Brewing)
Published June 6th, 2017 at 6:00 AM
New breweries and summer-inspired beers are on the menu for the seventh annual Westport Beer Festival. Piney River Brewing, Stem Ciders, Dogfish Head Brewery, COOP Ale Works, and Uinta Brewing are all first-time participants in the festival (4057 Pennsylvania Ave.). The festival, from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 24, is a benefit for AIDS Walk.
Summer session beers are the focus at this fest, which will feature more than 35 craft breweries and several local distilleries: J. Rieger & Co., Union Horse, Pinckney Bend, and Tom’s Town will pour samples.
“We focus on lighter, easy-drinking summer styles of beer that delight the novice and experienced beer drinker,” said Randyl Danner, beer/beverage director of McCoy’s and The Foundry. “McCoy’s will pour Strawberry Ginger Shandy, which is our popular shandy with fresh juiced strawberries, and our 20th anniversary beer, the Watermelon IPA made with Newcomb’s IPA and fresh watermelon juice.”
McCoy’s food tent will sell and serve smoked pulled pork sandwiches, burnt end mac-n-cheese, house-made brats and other beer fest fare. Representatives from Sporting KC will also make an appearance at the festival. Tickets are $35 advance, $40 at gate.
Boulevard’s Love Child No. 8 will be the latest release in the series. (Courtesy of Boulevard Brewing Co.)
Welcome to the World, Love Child No. 8
Boulevard Brewing Company released the eighth iteration of its Love Child blended sour ale to the greater Kansas City area yesterday on draft and today in 750-ml bottles.
“With each release of a Love Child blend, it’s not our intention to reproduce the character of the previous year’s blend, but rather to offer a blend of the very best sour beers we have on hand,” Ambassador Brewer Jeremy Danner said.
Love Child No. 8’s blend includes Flanders-style red aged in previously used red wine barrels (41-percent), Belgian-style golden ale aged in previously used red wine barrels (53-percent), and Love Child No. 7 blend aged in previously used red wine barrels (6-percent). The tart flavor profile is reminiscent of sour cherries and green strawberries.
Boulevardia Adds Event at Voltaire
Boulevard Brewing Company and The Free State Brewing Co. present an intimate three-course dinner on Saturday, June 17, inside the Boulevardia festival grounds at Voltaire. The $80 ticket includes dinner, with each course paired with one Boulevard beer and one Free State beer, and general admission to Boulevardia on Saturday. Representatives from both breweries will talk about their beer.
Crane Brewing Company’s taproom will feature a special IPA release this week. You may also want to check out a flight, pictured above. (Jonathan Bender | Flatland)
This Week
Tuesday, June 6
Tuesday Foosday happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Boulevard Beer Hall (2534 Madison Ave). Get a Boulevard and Sporting KC co-branded stainless pint with tap handle pour for $16. Any fans in Sporting KC gear will receive a 10-percent gift shop discount.
Wednesday, June 7
Ballast Point Field Quality Analyst Matt Laibson presents a free beer class from 7 to 8 p.m., covering general beer quality and off-flavor tasting. It’s first come, first served, at Bier Station (120 E. Gregory Blvd.). Grab a seat in the upstairs biergarten early.
Thursday, June 8
Attend a pre-boarding party, 4 to 7 p.m., to prepare for Boulevardia (June 16 and 17). Visit Boulevard Brewing’s Tours & Rec Center (2534 Madison Ave.) to buy festival tokens in advance or buy tickets in person and pay no service fees. You can also taste a sample of Boulevardia Sparkling Ale, the 2017 festival collaboration brew between Boulevard Brewing Company and Piney River Brewing Company.
The Taproom at Crane Brewing (6515 Railroad St., Raytown, Missouri) has a special tapping of an IPA release with Nugget and El Dorado hop profiles from 4 to 9 p.m.
Grain to Glass (1611 Swift St., North Kansas City, Missouri) hosts a Crooked Stave Brewing sour beer tasting ($15) from 5 to 7 p.m.
Martin City Brewing Company takes over the taps from 6 to 8 p.m., at BD’s Mongolian Grill (19750 E. Valley View Pkwy., Independence, Missouri). Try pints of Highwayman, Purple Train, Side Way, Banging the Enemy and Abbey on tap.
Friday, June 9
At the seventh annual Wine and Brew Walk, sip and stroll among businesses in downtown Independence Square from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants receive a souvenir wine glass to sample wines and beer from multiple wineries and breweries. VIP and general admission tickets available.
For the Taste For Teal Charity Event, Kansas City Bier Company (310 W. 79th St.) will donate one dollar per beer sale from 6 to 9 p.m. The fundraiser helps support ovarian cancer awareness. To raise additional funds, the Vicki Welsh Foundation will sell $30 tickets that include a brewery tour, beer flight and traditional pretzel.
Saturday, June 10
At Bier + Garten, all proceeds from select Stockyards Brewing Co. beer sales at Bier Station (120 E. Gregory Blvd.) from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. go toward Kansas City Community Gardens. KCCG assists low-income households and community groups in the Kansas City Metropolitan area to produce vegetables and fruit from garden plots located in backyards, vacant lots and at community sites.
Be nostalgic at Bogus Saturdays, a monthly screening of childhood cartoons and TV shows. This month, Forever Bogus presents video game cartoons. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., watch cartoons, nosh on brunch, and enjoy drink specials at Tapcade (1701 McGee St., Suite 200). Every screening includes nostalgic giveaways, trivia questions and classic commercials.
Waldo Pizza (1543 NE Douglas St., Lees Summit, Missouri) hosts its first Big Huge Stout Day from 2 to 10 p.m. Check out five-ounce pours ($5 per pour) of Prairie Birthday Bomb!, Prairie Paradise, Perennial 2017, Brickway Epic Blackout, Firestone Parabola, Bruery’s Share This: Mole, Dogfish Head Siracusa Nera, Mark Twain Passport to Russia, and Latitude 42 BA Lucifers Cuvée.
Sunday, June 11
Take a Beginner Brewing Class, 1 to 3 p.m., at Grains & Taps (10 SW 3rd St., Lee’s Summit, Missouri). Observe a detailed demonstration of extract brewing and learn the basic methods used to make homebrewed beer.
HappyBottoms, Kansas City’s diaper bank, presents Bikes, Babies & Brews at Kansas City Bier Company (310 W. 79th St). Check in, and earn a free draught (21-plus) if you bring diapers. The event includes five stops at select businesses along the Trolley Trail. After the bar crawl, return to KC Bier Company at 5 p.m. for face painting, balloons and family-friendly activities. And beer.
Monday, June 12
Drink, listen and learn in Beer School, featuring Duvel at Barley’s Kitchen + Tap (11924 W. 119th St., Overland Park, Kansas). Learn about beers from Boulevard, Ommegang, Firestone Walker, and Duvel representatives. The tap list includes Boulevard’s 2014 Saison Brett and 2014 Bourbon Barrel Quad, Ommegang Game of Thrones and Pale Sour, Firestone Walker Parabola and Bretta Weisse, and Duvel Golden and Chouffe.
— 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.