Tap List | Rock & Run’s Hoppy Doughnuts
There's beer in these donuts. (Pete Dulin I Flatland)
Published February 14th, 2017 at 6:00 AM
It’s time to make the donuts…with beer. Chef Tod Barlow of Rock and Run Brewery and Pub (114 E Kansas Street, Liberty, Missouri) has created the IPA donut by adding beer as an ingredient.
“I use Rock and Run’s 5K IPA in the doughnut batter,” said Barlow. “The hops in the ale comes through in the flavor.”
The glazed-style donut is somewhat light in body with a sugary glaze. The beer’s flavor definitely comes through each bite, cutting sweetness and the doughy yeast flavor with the mild bite of hops used in beer.
“We’re getting dried hops that I will toast and sprinkle on the donuts as an accent,” said Barlow.
The donuts are made to order in Rock and Run’s Liberty kitchen. The taproom plans to sell IPA doughnuts on weekends by the dozen or half-dozen with advance call-in orders. For weekend brunch, look for the Weekender, a signature burger with the IPA donut sliced in half as a bun. The burger is topped with American cheese, bacon, corned beef hash, fried egg, hollandaise sauce, shaved corned beef, and Bloody Mary sauce.
The IPA donut holes are sold at Rock and Run’s taproom and brewery in Kearney.
Getting Civic and Being Civil at the Green Dragon Room
Recently, John Couture, owner of Bier Station (120 E Gregory Boulevard), renamed his bottle shop’s second-floor room as the Green Dragon Room. While the room has always been an extension the craft beer bar’s taproom experience, Couture assigned the name change with a specific purpose in mind – to facilitate civic discussion through guest speaker appearances and public dialogue in a civil social setting.
“The Green Dragon Room project is dedicated to encouraging people to engage civically and learn more about current issues from a variety of speakers,” said Couture.
Green Dragon Room takes its name from historical inspiration during a trying time in colonial days.
“During the American Revolution, concerned citizens met at the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston to discuss the news of the day, share opinions, and craft plans to change society,” said Couture. “It’s where Paul Revere started his famous ride and the Boston Tea Party was organized. We loved the idea of referencing the American pub’s history with political discourse.”
Recent political discourse in the context of raising a family prompted Couture to take this imaginative community-building step.
“Honestly, my 7- and 10-year-old daughters were the inspiration to create the Green Dragon Room,” said Couture. “During the 2016 election, it shocked me how well they already grasped the issues and showed genuine interest in the political process. They were addicted to fivethirtyeight.com. They inspire me to get involved and make the world a better place.”
This Week
Tuesday, February 14
Cinder Block Brewery releases Heart Breaker, a pomegranate cider, at its taproom (110 E 18th Avenue, North Kansas City) and at Screenland Armour (408 Armour Road, North Kansas City), beginning at 4 p.m.
Crane Brewing (6515 Railroad Street, Raytown) taps a keg of Amber + Brett 4Ever, batch one, at its taproom, 4 p.m., in honor of Valentine’s Day.
Wednesday, February 15
It’s a Luv-a-Thon at Bier Station with Crane Brewing Company, Martin City Brewing Company, and Bier Station supporting the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City’s Annual Pet Telethon. Proceeds from beer sales of Martin City’s Belgian Blond and Crane’s Trailsmith Saison, plus a percentage of all tap sales this day, will be donated to the Humane Society.
For its Bitterhearts Club, Flying Saucer (101 E 13th Street) taps COOP Ale Works F5, Grapefruit F5, and Alpha Hive. Dare to be bitter over these beers.
At 6 p.m., the Big Rip Brewing Company (216 E 9th. Avenue, North Kansas City) releases Skeptic Red, an Imperial Red beer from homebrewer Rebecca Pemberton. Her beer has been “scaled up” on The Big Rip’s brewhouse after earning honors from the Missouri Mashers’ Hot Summer Brew Hoff.
Thursday, February 16
Green Dragon Presents: Lindsey Baker w/ Missouri Budget Project
Baker is an outreach and policy specialist with the Missouri Budget Project. She’s traveling across the state to educate Missourians about state tax and budget policy with the goal of increasing transparency and public engagement surrounding these issues. Gather at Bier Station from 7 to 9 p.m., have a beer, listen, and discuss the issues.
Friday, February 17
Cinder Block Brewery releases one keg of its Black Squirrel Russian Imperial Stout at Bier Station at 4 p.m. This bold stout aged in Woodford Reserve barrels for 13 months and clocks in at 12 percent ABV.
Saturday, February 18
Grain to Glass (1611 Swift Avenue, North Kansas City) hosts a Homebrew for Beginners class ($50) at 4 p.m. Learn how to boil, add hops, chill, sanitize, pitch yeast, and bottle a five-gallon batch of beer. Each participant takes home beers for bottle-conditioning at home and a detailed outline to launch a homebrewing hobby.
Sunday, February 19
Celebrate the second anniversary of Border Brewing (406 E 18th Street) with reserve kegs of Raspberry Chocolate Milk Stout and Mint Chocolate Milk Stout tapped at noon. Chow on Aussie meat pies from the Pie Hole food truck. The brewery will have giveaways hourly throughout the day.
Monday, February 20
Prepare for beer festival season as a homebrewer with this planning and preparation primer, courtesy of ZZ Hops homebrewing group. Starting at 7 p.m., learn about festival dates, prepping, equipment, and pouring. Bring a tasting glass to sample home brews and bring a homebrew or favorite commercial beer to share at Grains & Taps (10 SW 3rd Street, Lees Summit).
— 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.