Tap List | Lawrence Beer Co. Gets Brewing
Published July 25th, 2017 at 6:00 AM
Lawrence Beer Company (826 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence, Kansas) is coming to the Warehouse Arts District with beer and a band for its debut. This new 15-barrel, two-vessel brewery and restaurant kicks off its grand opening with a performance by ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on August 25th. Tickets are $10.
In preparation for the event, Lawrence Beer Company’s president Matt Williams and head brewer Sam McClain joined Ska Brewing CEO Dave Thibodeau and brewer Joe Hull at Ska’s headquarters in Durango, Colorado, in late July. They brewed a summer Saison, a dry saison brewed with rye.
Matt Williams, Adam Williams (no relation), Brendon Allen and chef Ken Baker, former owner-operator of Pachamamas, co-founded LBC. McClain, a native of Abilene, Kansas, moved from Chicago to Kansas City to be closer to family.
“Sam cut his teeth brewing at the amazing Half Acre Beer Company in Chicago for five years, including commissioning their new production facility,” Matt Williams said. “He spent the last year working at Boulevard before joining Lawrence Beer Company. Sam’s background at Half Acre will lend itself to a focus on American Ales and IPA categories, but we definitely will play with seasonality and variations and all sorts of styles. ”
Williams has worked with breweries across the country for nearly a decade.
“I love the creativity, passion, and community-focused culture,” Williams said. “I’ve seen what works and what hasn’t worked in the industry. I identified our amazing Warehouse Arts District in Lawrence as a great potential location. We jumped in full force.”
LBC won’t “be a regional brewery with large distribution and packaging.” Rather, it will focus on a community-oriented taproom model. And drinkers should keep an eye out for additional collaborations in the future.
“Several others are in the works soon after opening,” Williams said. “With all the talent and creativity out there, it just makes sense to get together and see what we can come up with.”
Zona Rosa Hosts Ninth Annual UNICO Microbrew Fest
Kansas City’s Northland gears up for a brewfest just in time to counter hot summer days. The Kansas City Chapter of UNICO National, an Italian-American service organization, hosts the ninth annual UNICO Microbrew Fest in Zona Rosa (8640 N. Dixson Ave.) from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, August 12th.
“It is one of the oldest [beer] festivals in KC. The pre-sale [price] makes it an affordable brewfest compared to the others in town,” said David Schumacher, a local homebrewer.
Schumacher brews under the name Schubrew. He is a member of the local homebrewing group Missouri Mashers that pours samples of homebrewed beer at area festivals. Missouri Mashers will share beer samples at UNICO Microbrew Fest. Some nationally distributed craft beer brands are also available.
This event, which includes food vendors and free live music, is open to the public. Beer sampling tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate.
Tap Notes
Double Shift Brewing Company (412 E. 18th St.) released Guava Lamp (7.1-percent ABV), a kettle-soured beer, for its second anniversary last weekend. The beer was hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Galaxy hops for a tropical aroma. Mango and pink guava were added for deeper complexity and tropical fruit sweetness. The brewery also released Anniversary IPA (7.8-percent ABV, 48 IBU), a beer with an aroma of tropical fruit, berry and fresh grapefruit with distinct qualities of malt sweetness and pine resin.
The middle of your week just got better. Torn Label Brewing Company’s taproom (1708 Campbell St.) is now open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays. The taproom’s other hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Miami Creek Brewing Company (14226 NW County Road, 14001, Drexel, Missouri) will release DC/DC (double coffee/double chocolate imperial milk stout, 12.7-percent ABV) in late July.
Red Crow Brewing Company (20561 S. Lone Elm Road, Spring Hill, Kansas) will have Nora Jane Blood Orange Wit available by the end of July.
Kansas City Bier Company (310 W. 79th St.) released Mischuper last week. “Mischsuper is a blend I invented a couple years ago,” said Karlton Graham, head brewer at Kansas City Bier Company. “It is part Pils, part Helles and part Doppel Alt. Whenever I make some, it becomes almost the only beer employees will drink for a while.”
This beer blend has a “super clean bitterness with the nose of both noble and citrus hops,” Graham said. “The Helles gives it a gentle malt backbone to go with it.”
At Green Room Burgers and Beer (4010 Pennsylvania Ave. Suite D), their one-barrel Papa Louie’s brewery has Papa Louie’s Cask Ale American Stout with dry hops, IPA, Pale Ale, and Peach Wheat on tap.
— 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.