Tap List | 3 Trails Brewing In the Works in Independence

Published September 11th, 2018 at 6:00 AM
The thousands of visitors that flock to Independence for the Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival next year may find an unexpected surprise in the beer garden: an Independence, Missouri, brewery.
3 Trails Brewing, which is in the process of building out its space at 111 N. Main St., hopes to open by year’s end on Independence Square. And the brewery’s back door leads right out to where the beer garden was located for last weekend’s fest.
“I’ve always felt like there was a void in Independence,” 3 Trails President Kyle Weinand said. “There are breweries popping up all over Kansas City, and there’s got to be somebody driving through Independence saying, ‘There’s nothing here.'”
That may not be the case for long. Apex Aleworks, a brewery by the team behind the homebrewing shop Apex Brew Wares, will open this fall at 4356 Noland Road. 3 Trails, which is waiting on its federal licensing, may not be far behind.
Weinand is opening 3 Trails — named for the Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails — with Matt Medley and Brian Clark. Medley owns the building on Main Street, which also houses the Blue and Grey Book Shoppe and Art Squared. Weinand, an accomplished homebrewer who earned national recognition from Ballast Point in 2016, aims to hire a head brewer this month.
“There’s just a whole set of things you need to know to manufacture beer. I wanted somebody with a lot of experience in a brewery,” Weinand said of the decision to hire a head brewer.
That brewer will oversee production on a 10-barrel system, as well as a 20-gallon pilot system that will be used to make beers Weinand has dubbed “The Manhattan Project,” inspired by Harry Truman and World War II. The brewery will also serve local spirits and wine, as well.
“We’re excited to see the effort that’s going in to making the Square a better place,” Weinand said. “And that idea that we might be part of the reason that the whole place looks totally different in a year or two is really exciting.”
You can try 3 Trails Brewing’s beers at The Festival of The Lost Township, hosted by Crane Brewing Co., Saturday, Sept. 29, in Raytown, Missouri. 3 Trails will bring its Fat Man Sweet Stout, a Grapefruit Truman Slow Stroll IPA, and unnamed American light lager.
The Beers of St. Joseph
Liberty Cap Brewing released its beers into the market in St. Joseph, Missouri. The production brewery is producing kegs that are on tap at Cafe Belle Epoque (1141 Frederick Ave.). Liberty Cap has a cream ale and Centennial IPA.
Also in St. Joseph, River Bluff Brewing is looking to open just down the street at 1224 Frederick Ave. by the end of the month. The brewery plans to serve beer and cider in the historic building that was a brewery more than a century ago. The taproom will be decorated with St. Joseph ephemera, like the sign from the former Olympia Bowling Lanes.
Tap Notes
With the Kansas State Fair in town, Sandhills Brewing Co. (111 W. Second Ave., Suite D) is extending its hours at the brewery in Hutchinson, Kansas. They’ll be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 1 to 6 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. They tapped a Test New England IPA #2 last week. Sandhills offers four-packs and 32-ounce and 64-ounce growlers to go.
Brewery Emperial (1829 Oak St.) recently released its Amber Ale (6.2% ABV, 25 IBUs).
Torn Label Brewing Co. (1708 Campbell St.) released the 22nd batch of Hang ‘Em High last week. It’s been brewed with two new hops: Styrian Dragon and Vic Secret.
Casual Animal Brewing Co. (1725 McGee St.) has an Experimental IPA and Apricot Ale (5.5% ABV), an ale infused with apricot puree.
Strange Days Brewing Co. (316 Oak St.) has Estrangement, a Belgian dark strong ale made with cherries that is aging in Maker’s Mark bourbon barrels. It should be ready next spring.
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