Tap List | Game On at Tapcade NKC

It’s game on for Tapcade NKC (1735 Swift Ave., North Kansas City, Missouri). Aiming for a different audience than the family-friendly flagship location in the Crossroads, Tapcade NKC is a 21-plus arcade bar at all times.

Tapcade NKC is for those that love craft beer and gaming. It features more than 60 drafts, two Skee-Ball lanes, 10 pinballs, Pop-a-Shot, Dance Dance Revolution, and more than 25 arcade machines. It’s $5 for unlimited play or 50 cents a go for pinball, Skee-Ball and pinball.

Owners Adam Roberts and Brent Miller used brightly-colored Marvel, DC, and indie comics pages and covers as wallpaper to line columns, windows, and the bar countertop. Iron Man, The Joker, and the Hulk add energy and a playful feel to the arcade bar.

The kitchen will begin preparing and serving food in mid-May.

“We’ll offer calzones and other light snacks,” Roberts said.

In the meantime, locally-made Craft Beer Jerky [read the Flatland story here], peanut butter pretzels, and a pub snack mix are available to appease hungry gamers.

North Kansas City is a Craft Beer Destination

Tapcade NKC joins a growing array of craft beer taprooms and venue within blocks of each other in North Kansas City. The concentration of these area businesses provides a ready-made craft beer crawl. Here’s a roundup (in no particular order) – Grain to Glass (1611 Swift Ave.), Cinder Block Brewery (110 E. 18th Ave.), The Big Rip Brewing Company (216 E. Ninth Avenue), Calibration Brewery (119 Armour Road), Screenland Armour (408 Armour Road), Colony KC (312 Armour Road), Chicken N Pickle (1761 Burlington St.), Helen’s JAD (2002 Armour Road) and Velo Garage and Tap House (1403 Swift Ave.).

Martin City Brewing Company’s Pants Off, Dance Off is on draft now. (Pete Dulin | Flatland)

Martin City Brewing Company Teams with The BMA Foundation for Charity

This year, Martin City Brewing Company (500 E. 135th St.) partners with The BMA Foundation, which distributes funds to nine local charities, in several ways. First, Matt Moore, co-owner of MCBC, will dance at BMA’s Dine & Dance With the Stars on June 10, 2017, at the Overland Park Convention Center.

Also, MCBC hosts its 3rd Annual Shrimp Boil on May 6 at The Martin Event Space (13440 Holmes Road). Event proceeds benefit BMA and Tour de Hope, a cycling-based nonprofit that distributes funds to local charitable organizations. The all-you-can-eat party includes live music and rare beer tappings.

Finally, MCBC is donating profits from taproom pint sales of Pants Off, Dance Off, a session American Pale Ale (4.9-percent ABV, 30 IBU), to BMA.

McCoy’s Public House has New Patio and Fresh Beers on Tap

When it’s not raining, swing by McCoy’s Public House (4057 Pennsylvania Ave.), try out their newly rebuilt deck, and drink fresh beer, such as the Blackberry Tart. McCoy’s head brewer Morgan Fetters shares notes on other recent tap additions Sticke Alt and Quadrophilia.

“Quadrophilia, our Belgian-style Quad (9.4-percent ABV), has been cold-conditioning for about 60 days,” Fetters said. “Sticke Alt (6.1-percent ABV) is a fresh malty German ale [like] a brown kölsch or an Oktoberfest fermented with kölsch yeast. Lots of malty Munich flavors, toasty and bready, with a spicy noble hop balance.”

Also, look for Lunch Pale Ale and Foxy Roxxy in the next few weeks.

“Lunch Pale Ale is our ‘session’ Pale. This batch did get a little wild at 4.9-percent ABV. It’s normally closer to 4 percent,” Fetters said. “[It has a] nice biscuity malt backbone with citrus notes in the flavor and aroma. [It was] dry-hopped with Citra and Cascade.”

Foxy Roxxy, a Peppercorn Red Rye Ale, pairs perfectly with a pastrami sandwich. The grain bill includes 20-percent rye, using a 75/25 ratio of malted rye and dark crystal rye.

“It drinks like an East Coast beer, nice and malt forward, and finishes with just a little hint of peppercorn spice,” said Fetters. “It’s usually a little under 5-percent ABV and will probably be on in a few weeks.”

Fringe Beerworks’ Madame X is their new brew. (Pete Dulin | Flatland)

Tap Notes

On tap at Fringe Beerworks (224 SE Douglas St, Lee’s Summit, Missouri), Madame X is a milk stout (7.5-percent ABV, 40 IBU) made with a coffee blend from The Roasterie. Also at the taproom, ask about Naughty Sister Tripel Ale, a rare Kansas City-area release from Levi Garrison & Sons (formerly Ninja Moose Brewing) based in Hamilton, Missouri.

Bier Station (120 E. Gregory Blvd.) announced daily happy hours (4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, all day Sunday) with $1.50 off pours at the tap. Plan your week as follows: Monday (IPAs), Tuesday (malty beers), Wednesday (seasonal beers), Thursday (local beers), Friday (featured brewery), Saturday (session beers) and Sunday (sour beers).

Boulevard Brewing Company’s Saison Brett, a Smokestack Series limited release, returns to Greater Kansas City this week. Kegs were slated to be released yesterday with 75o-ml bottles on shelves today. Hibiscus Gose is on the same schedule with draft out yesterday and six-packs slated for today.

Calibration Brewery (119 Armour Rd.) released an unnamed light wheat beer (5-percent ABV, 7 IBU) made for spring. Brewer Jack Owen used Cascade and Tettnang hops, strawberries added for aroma, lactose “for a touch of sweetness” and house ale yeast.

Mike’s Wine and Spirits (1106 Westport Rd.) has Boulevard Brewing’s Tequila Lime Gose and Founder’s KBS at its growler station. Mike’s Wine and Spirits (8447 Wornall Rd.) in Waldo, Missouri, also has Founder’s KBS on tap this week.

Martin City Brewing Company (500 E. 135th St.) has several tap-only beers worth checking out, including Executive Order Big Brown Ale (8-percent ABV, 15 IBU), Humbucker Double Rye IPA (9.3-percent ABV, 87 IBU) and Black Kölsch (4.8-percent, 35 IBU).

Founders Brewing head brewer Jeremy Kosmicki will be in Kansas City this week. (Courtesy of Founders Brewing)

This Week

Tuesday, May 2

Behold the wonders of Dogfish Head Beer and doughnuts through samplings at Doughnut Lounge (4117 Pennsylvania Ave.).

Wednesday, May 3

At 4 p.m., Cinder Block Brewery (110 E. 18th Ave, North Kansas City, Missouri) releases an experimental Amber (5-percent ABV, 42 IBU). Copper-colored with a light body, roasted malt aroma, and residual sweetness, the Amber is made with a Kölsch yeast strain that provides a lager-like characteristic.

Meet Founders Brewing Company brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki on his first trip to Kansas City. Enjoy Founders’ beers at Bier Station (120 E. Gregory Blvd.) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4

May the Fourth be with you as Stout Madness storms the galaxy, or at least Harry’s Tavern (13657 Washington St.). Embrace “the Dark Side,” with Imperial stouts, including Founders KBS, Prairie Pe-Kan, Firestone Walker Parabola, Deschutes The Abyss (2016), Omnipollo Yellow Belly, Uinta Sea Legs and many other beers.

Crane Brewing Company (6515 Railroad St., Raytown, Missouri) taps small-batch Hoppy Wheat for its Bier du Jour.

Play music bingo from 7 to 9 p.m at Red Crow Brewing Company (20561 S. Lone Elm Rd., Spring Hill, Kansas).

Friday, May 5

Cinder Block Brewery (110 E. 18th Ave., North Kansas City) serves First Fridays Reclamation Cocktails from 4 to 9 p.m. Try the Nutty Manhattan made with 4 Roses single barrel bourbon, sweet vermouth, Paver’s Porter simple syrup and English Cherry Cider-infused cherries.

For First Draft Friday, Boulevard Brewing’s brewers set up shop in the Tours & Rec Center Beer Hall (2534 Madison Ave.) to share samples of new creations and tell the stories behind the beers. From 4 to 6 p.m., sample Test Unfiltered IPA and Test Dry Hopped Porter #2.

The Boulevard Brewing Tap Takeover at Grinders Stonewall (10240 Pflumm Rd, Lenexa, Kansas), 5 to 8 p.m., lines up American Kölsch, Noble Prize Imperial Pilsner, Saison Brett, and other Boulevard beers for your drinking pleasure.

Saturday, May 6

Grain to Glass (1611 Swift Ave., North Kansas City) takes part in the annual American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Big Brew Day celebrated nationwide. Six homebrewers brew in the parking lot from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participate in a toast to homebrewing at noon along with homebrewers from across the U.S.

For (AHA) Big Brew Day, Boulevard Brewing Company Tours & Rec Center (2534 Madison Ave.) joins forces with the ZZ Hops Homebrew Club from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn about homebrewing as the crew brews beer. Tasting room entry (no ticket needed) is open to the public.

The first annual Fungi and Fermentation Festival debuts May 6 and 7 at Powell Gardens (1609 NW US Highway 50). Explore toadstools, mushrooms, live music, vendors, food and samples from local and regional brewers and meaderies.

Sunday, May 7

Sunday is a fun day to join in Cheers for Charity at Kansas City Bier Company (310 W. 79th St.). Support BMA Foundation and Noah’s Bandage Project through purchases of Weizenbock. You can also buy a raffle ticket and indulge in a “Cake Walk” with treats from area bakeries and pastry shops.

— 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.