Tap List | Overland Park Welcomes Discourse Brewing Now Open in Overland Park
Published October 3rd, 2023 at 11:30 AM
Above image credit: Discourse Brewing is a new brewery located in Overland Park. (Courtesy | Discourse Brewing)It wasn’t so long ago that Matt Britton was in a classroom setting helping to mold the future of America. On the side, he was an avid homebrewer. Making a name for himself in his local beer scene, he was eventually poached to brew professionally.
He spent the next few years learning everything he could about scaling up beers from small batches to big batches. One day he decided it was time to go out on his own.
Britton traded in the sunshine of Florida for the sunflowers of Kansas. Originally from Lawrence, he saw an opportunity in Overland Park. Enter Discourse Brewing.
Luckily Britton was able to find the perfect spot in the Windmill Square shopping center. Located at 7211 W. 97th St., the spot was a door and window treatment store before it was outfitted to become a brewery.
With its high ceilings, cozy fireplace and space for an outdoor patio, Britton knew he had to have it. Unlike many new breweries that end up facing various delays in opening due to permitting issues, construction delays and more, Discourse was able to open on time.
The vibe feels like a cozy cabin mixed with a slight nautical feel thanks to the beautiful blue and white color scheme. One corner of the brewery features a comfy bench with an original Nintendo loaded up with every game ever released for it. The brewery also features a wall festooned with stickers from breweries all over the country. Even more impressive is that they’ve been laid out geographically.
The outdoor patio is covered and dog-friendly. While the brewery doesn’t have a kitchen, it does sell flavored popcorn from Popculture and four-packs of cupcakes from Sugar Beat to snack out. The cupcake flavors rotate based on what’s delivered by Sugar Beat. You’re also more than welcome to order food from one of the many nearby restaurants like Jack Stack.
Discourse marked its grand opening last week with a line-up of five different beers, each one more delicious than the last, and has already added another. The standout beer is Blender Detonation, a 6.6% hazy IPA. With permission, Britton took that recipe with him from Florida and considers it to be his baby and one of the first brews he created professionally. For non-beer drinkers, Discourse offers cider and wine.
Congratulations on a fantastic opening weekend. We look forward to seeing (and drinking) all the great beers you’ll make.
Beer Releases
BKS Artisan Ales — 633 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, Missouri — released a new variant as part of their “Hop Salad” series. The hazy double IPA series features new and experimental hops. This batch uses classics like Citra and Mosaic while showcasing the experimental hop Manalita. You’ll get bright notes of tangerine, nectarine and pink fruits in this 8.5% IPA.
Martin City Brewing Co. — 500 E. 135th St., Kansas City, Missouri — has two new brews. The first is Pineapple Mango Sour, a 5.4% fruited sour. You’ll get plenty of tropical notes such as pineapple, mango, coconut and lychee from aroma to finish. The second is Purple Passion, which features ingredients such as ginseng, Assam black tea leaves, ginkgo biloba and more. Not only will this 5.8% ale quench your thirst, it also provides some healthy qualities like antioxidants and brain boosters.
City Barrel — 1740 Holmes St., Kansas City, Missouri — brought back a popular fan favorite. Returning to cans and draft lines is their Strawberry Shortcake Bar IPA. Inspired by its namesake, the popular Strawberry Shortcake ice cream bar, you’ll find lots of parallels in aroma and taste. Brewed with lots of strawberries, vanilla and milk sugar, the 8.5% IPA will make you feel like you’re about to bite into the delicious childhood treat.
Cinder Block Brewery — 110 E. 18th Ave., North Kansas City, Missouri — has released a couple of new beers as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations. Hop Maven, a 10% triple hazy IPA, has returned after a five-year hiatus. Expect copious amounts of mango, pineapple and passion fruit along with a balanced bitterness and creamy mouthfeel. You can also snag their 2023 DoppleBlock. The 10.5% dark lager has spent the last year aging in Missouri bourbon barrels. Flavors range from caramel and dark fruit to vanilla, oak and whiskey.
Friction Beer Co. — 11018 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, Kansas — just tapped another new beer. Los Angeles is a nod to the classic West Coast IPA style. Coming in at 6.4%, this IPA is slightly reminiscent of the popular Lagunitas IPA. You’ll get notes of caramel followed by a piney finish.
Beer Events
Friday, Oct. 6
Big Rip Brewing Co. — 216 E. 9th Ave., North Kansas City, Missouri — is getting spooky every Friday in October. They’ll be teaming up with Signal Horizon to host Drinkaway Camp: A Slasher Themed Pop Up & Experience. You’ll pick a character to play (The Jock, for example) where you’ll navigate various challenges. Each player has a unique perspective and set of challenges. There will be plenty of spooky cocktails and beer to make your experience that much more fun.
Saturday, Oct. 7
Red Crow Brewing — 1062 W. Santa Fe St., Olathe, Kansas — has one of the last remaining Oktoberfest events on tap. Their staff will be donning traditional German attire while serving up their fall seasonal, Anne, as well as a surprise Oktoberfest brew (plus their regular lineup). The event will also feature a German-themed menu, live music, traditional steins, yard games, a selfie station and more.
Sunday, Oct. 8
Vine Street Brewing — 2010 Vine St., Kansas City, Missouri — is hosting a special live podcast episode for Beers with Nigel. The podcast wanted to go all out for its 100th episode. They’ve collected some rare and mysterious bottles for their mystery beer sampling segment, but this time attendees of the episode can participate. If you’ve got something fun you want to share with everyone you’re encouraged to bring it. Once the episode recording is over feel free to stick around for the Chiefs watch party.
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.