Tap List | Wind Shift Brewing Owners Set to Retire Seeking New Operator for Blue Springs Brewery

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. In a heartfelt and bittersweet Facebook post, Wind Shift Brewing owners Tony and Lynn DiPlacito announced they’ll be retiring from the brewery. The change comes alongside the brewery’s fourth anniversary, which will take place at the end of May.

Wind Shift is one of two breweries in Blue Springs and first opened in 2019. In fact, the owners credit members of the community for quite literally helping to build out their brewery.

“So many of you showed up for us from the very beginning to help tear down walls and build new ones,” the owners said in their retirement announcement. “We were humbled and so grateful for every hand you lifted us with.” 

The owners are planning on moving to central Kansas to care for Lynn’s father. Their hope is to find someone to take over the brewery instead of shutting the doors for good. 

Tony and Lynn’s last day in the brewery will be May 27. Not coincidentally, that’s the date of the aforementioned four-year anniversary. The pair are planning on throwing a big bash to commemorate both the anniversary and retirement. Details for the event have not yet been announced.

We’re always saddened to hear of a brewery closing, but wish Tony and Lynn all the best in their future endeavors.

Beer Releases

BKS Artisan Ales — 633 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, Missouri — is all about using Citra hops in their two newest releases. The first is a new version of their Current Past West Coast IPA series. This new variant features an orange label and focuses heavily on Citra hops. This 7% ABV IPA has firm bitterness before finishing clean and crisp. Also new to the lineup is Citra & (Ocho), a 7% ABV hazy IPA. It’s the latest addition to their “Citra &” series that uses Citra plus a new hop with each version. This one showcases flavors of grapefruit, orange, green tea and a bit of pine.

River Bluff Brewing — 201 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri — partnered up with the crew from 3Halves Brewing Co. to bring you a new collaboration beer. Officially released on 4/20, Heart of Dankness is a 7.6% ABV West Coast IPA. It combines Centennial, Columbus and Apollo hops to give it that classic palette-wrecking bitterness of a West Coast IPA. It was also infused with Lemon Diesel terpenes to give it extra dankness.

Brewery Emperial — 1829 Oak St., Kansas City, Missouri — debuted their newest beer style this past week. They introduced bE-NE-Thing, a 6.4% ABV hazy IPA. The new brew uses Mosaic and Citra hops to help impart tropical and citrus notes that start in the nose and go through to the finish. Its bright flavors have led Brewery Emperial to saying it’s like sunshine in a glass.

City Barrel — 1740 Holmes St., Kansas City, Missouri — has been on a roll with new beer releases. The brewery has yet another one this week called Fun Story, a West Coast IPA that comes in at 6.1% ABV. The beer is bursting with flavors of passion fruit, grapefruit, kiwi and other citrus flavors thanks to New Zealand hops HBC 586 and Nectaron.

Diametric Brewing Co. — 949 N.E. Columbus, Lee’s Summit, Missouri — released the newest beer in their Tickle Me series. This one uses the popular New Zealand hop Rakau. The hop helps give the beer flavors of apricot and tropical fruit. You’ll also get a bit of resinous pine flavor. The hazy IPA has an ABV of 6.4%.

Rockcreek Brewing Co. — 5880 Beverly Ave., Mission, Kansas — put out a new beer in honor of Kansas Craft Beer Week. Their latest creation is a 5% ABV American golden ale called Homegrown. The beer uses local pilsner malt from Kansas Malt Co. along with experimental hop ID-158 (currently known as The Ocho). You’ll get aromas of bread, honey and citrus. The body is clean and crisp with hints of citrus on the finish.

Red Sash Brewing Co. — 406 E. 18th St., Kansas City, Missouri — did a double beer release this week. The first is Recondo, a 5.7% ABV helles lager. It uses German malts and hops exclusively and was lagered for 30 days. It drinks clean and crisp. Also available is the latest beer in their Crayon Chomper series. The third version of the series, this beer is a 5.4% ABV amber lager. It uses Kviek Lutra yeast, giving it a unique twist. The beer is very easy drinking with notes of biscuit and caramel and a crisp, malty finish.

Beer Events

Thursday, April 27

Servaes Brewing Co. — 10921 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, Kansas — is celebrating its fourth anniversary. The brewery will be throwing a four-day bash chock full of fun surprises. The four days will feature 24 different beer releases, food trucks, pop-up shops, kids activities and more. The fun kicks off on Thursday at 4 p.m. and goes through 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. For a full list of what each day will bring, check out their event page with all of the details.

Friday, April 28

Lenexa Public Market — 8750 Penrose Lane, Lenexa, Kansas — is hosting four local breweries as part of their Friday Night Sound Bites Utepils Celebration. Utepils is a Norwegian term that essentially equates to the return of the patio season. It celebrates the first outdoor beers of spring. You’ll be able to enjoy beers from Limitless, Brew Lab, Sandhills, and Transport. The event will also feature live music and various food vendors. The event is free to attend and will be family friendly.

Saturday, April 29

Strange Days Brewing Co. — 316 Oak St., Kansas City, Missouri — is kicking off a new Saturday series. Strange Days will begin hosting Brewery Yoga in the taproom on the last Saturday of every month. The series kicks off on April 29. Each class will be an hour long and includes one free beer after the class is over. Reservations are required with a ticket cost of $20.

Sunday, April 30

Crane Brewing Co. — 6515 Railroad St., Raytown, Missouri — welcomes back Teri Cartwright from Way of Life Yoga for another Sip ‘N Stretch class. The event takes place in Crane’s Barrel Room and will last an hour. It’s open to anyone who’s interested in a bit of relaxation and stretching. Tickets are $15 and include one beer.
East Forty Brewing — 1201 W. Main St., Blue Springs, Missouri — also has a Sunday yoga event happening. The brewery’s monthly Yoga & Brew class is back and will take place in East Forty’s Mill Room. Whether you’re just starting out or have been practicing for years, the class is open to everyone. The class costs $25 per person but includes a beer (or non-alcoholic beverage) upon completion.

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.