Tap List | J. Rieger and KU Collaborate On New Rye Just in Time for the Big Dance

Last week we took a little break from writing about beer to introduce you to a cool new spirit from Mean Mule Distilling Co. The pause on beer news will last one more week as we have some more exciting spirits news.

J. Rieger & Co., well known for its local whiskey, has teamed up with the University of Kansas for a new collaboration. The duo created Rock Chalk Straight Rye Whiskey. The limited edition rye was officially released on March 10. Only 6,000 bottles were made and are spread out between the J. Rieger distillery and select retailers around Kansas and Missouri.

According to a press release, Rock Chalk has “​​a rich, elegant and buttery mouthfeel with notes of cigar smoke, cornbread and cotton candy. The finish includes more complex flavors, like honey-cinnamon, dark-roast coffee, vanilla, caramel, and sea salt, with a rich, malty effect reminiscent of a stout beer.”

In addition to the whiskey, J. Rieger teamed up with Charlie Hustle to create a line of custom merchandise available at the distillery’s gift shop, where you’ll be able to get corresponding t-shirts and glasses.

Seeing as how KU just won the Big 12 basketball tournament over the weekend, you may want to consider grabbing yourself a bottle to help celebrate and get ready for the Big Dance!

Beer Releases

Lost Evenings Brewing Co. — 8625 Hauser Court, Lenexa, Kansas — just put out their newest hazy pale ale, Hazemaker. Brewed with Sequoia hops, this 5.8% ABV beer provides a refreshing blend of tropical fruit notes with classic West Coast pineyness. The combination of barley, oats and wheat help make the body of this beer light and easy to drink.

Pathlight Brewing — 11200 W. 75th St., Shawnee, Kansas — is getting excited for St. Patrick’s Day with their latest release. Vaughn’s Irish Stout comes in at 5% ABV and pours jet black with a creamy tan head. The chocolate and coffee flavors make this beer robust yet easy to drink.

Rockcreek Brewing Co. — 5880 Beverly Ave., Mission, Kansas — has a brand new lager available at their brewery. Zocchihedron is an oat lager named in honor of their 100th beer brewed. On the front end you’ll get cereal-like honey oats and a light hoppiness leading to a clean finish. The beer comes in at 4.5% ABV and 32 IBUs, making it easy to have a couple.

Crane Brewing Co. — 6515 Railroad St., Raytown, Missouri — is sending off winter in a big way. They just released Arctic Hounds, which is a big 8.5% ABV imperial winter lager. Brewed with Pilsner and Vienna malts, the beer has a strong malt backbone. It was heavily hopped with Loral and Moteuka hops leading to citrus flavors.

Free State Brewing Co. — 636 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kansas — teamed up with the Lawrence Brewers Guild for a new collaboration. The result is Bizarre Rye’d, an imperial IPA that comes in a little over 8% ABV. As the name suggests, this beer is a roller coaster of flavors. The rye leads to spicy, peppery flavors with the hops providing some fruity and floral notes.

BKS Artisan Ales — 633 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, Missouri — took a little break from IPAs and released a big 13% imperial milk stout. Magic Show was conditioned on cacao nibs, toasted and raw coconut, and Madagascar Pompona vanilla beans. This boozy stout is thick and rich with flavors of chocolate on the front end finishing with notes of coconut.

Torn Label Brewing Co. — 1708 Campbell St., Kansas City, Missouri — has a new addition to their lager family. Torn Label Gold (5% ABV) is their take on a classic Japanese rice lager. They added in both jasmine and sticky rice and hopped the beer with Riwaka hops from New Zealand. The final product is clean, effervescent and easy to drink.

City Barrel — 1740 Holmes St., Kansas City, Missouri — decided to do a little experimenting that resulted in a new beer. Double Day Drinker is an imperial version of their regular Day Drinker IPA. This version comes in just shy of 8% ABV and features big flavors of mango and orange.

Beer Events

Thursday, March 17

The Goat Brewing Co. — 817 N.E. Rice Road, Lee’s Summit, Missouri — is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party! They’ll be featuring all sorts of Irish classics for the bash. This includes Irish coffee, Irish whiskey flights, special Irish cocktails, and yes, green beer. The party starts at 9 a.m. and goes all day!

Servaes Brewing Co. — 10921 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, Kansas — will be doing a special Thursday release party and cookie pop-up shop in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Servaes will release Empty Canvas-Let’s Get Lucky Cookie, a cream ale that can be paired with its corresponding cookie from Quarantine Cookie. They’ll also have Dreams in Color, an Irish sour, on tap.

ExBEERiment — 925 E. Lincoln Lane, Gardner, Kansas — has a St. Patrick’s Day Party planned with several different events throughout the day. From 2-9 p.m. they’ll be serving up green beer and doing various giveaways. White River Baking Co. will be doing a pop-up at the brewery from 4-9 p.m. They’ll be offering ExBEERiment beer bread, St. Patrick’s Day-themed cookies, cupcakes and more. The brewery will round out the day with Irish-themed trivia starting at 7 p.m.

Lost Evenings Brewing Co. — 8625 Hauser Court, Lenexa, Kansas — is opening up early to usher in St. Patrick’s Day. Starting at 9 a.m. they’ll have their green beer flowing. They’ll feature all day happy hour until 6 p.m. with $1 off beers. They’ll have two Irish-themed beers available, Soundcheck Irish Stout and Irish Rover Irish Red Ale.

Saturday, March 19

Crane Brewing Co. — 6515 Railroad St., Raytown, Missouri — teamed up with the Mid-America Bully Breed Rescue (MABBR) for a unique St. Patrick’s Day event. Dubbed St. Pitties Day, the event is part fundraiser, part fun! MABBR will be showcasing their pups that are up for adoption and also have a fun picture booth. Crane will donate a portion of the sales from the day to the MABBR. Harp BBQ will be on hand for all of your food needs from 11 a.m. until whenever they sell out.

Not Lost Brewing Co. — 229 S. Main St., Ottawa, Kansas — is throwing a combination 3rd Anniversary and St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. The day will feature special anniversary glassware as well as special beer releases. Come dressed in your best green outfit and celebrate with Not Lost from 2-9 p.m.

East Forty Brewing — 1201 W. Main St., Blue Springs, Missouri — has back-to-back events planned for you. First up is their monthly Yoga & Brews class. The hour-long class is perfect for all skill levels and will work on mindful movement and breathing exercises. When that wraps up at 11:45 a.m., be sure to stick around for their St. Pat’s Party that kicks off at noon. They’ll have three Irish beers on tap — World Record Dry Stout, Irish Red and Irish Cream Stout, which is making its debut. East Forty will also be featuring various styles of Reuben sandwiches and offering Irish cocktails.

Alex Andujar is a former beer sales rep turned personal trainer. When he’s not training clients you can find him trying new beers at many of Kansas City’s great local breweries.