Flying Saucer 3rd Anniversary Tapping

FatCatKC has the tap schedule for The Flying Saucer's 3rd Anniversary party tomorrow. Short of staying there all day, kudos to you if you can do that sort of thing, I'd opt for the evening when 2007 Cantillon Iris at 5 and Firestone Walker Abacus at 6 are tapped. But, that's a personal thing, there isn't a bad beer in the bunch besides maybe Bell's Batch 10,000 which I didn't like at all when I tried it. Also, some great bottles will be available, should be a great time.

Beer for the Weekend - Great Divide Colette

Almost everyone reading this in KC will be either going to Parkville or the Flying Saucer 3rd Anniversary or both this weekend. But, if you're not going to either or want to get your drink on tonight, I can think of no better beer for the weekend than Great Divide Colette.

We've emerged from the cloudy and chilly week to a sun drenched and warm afternoon. It practically calls out for a beer that celebrates summer. Colette is light, citrusy with just the right amount of funk to remind you of a nice meal on your patio as the helicopters and cottonwood blooms fall from the trees. Colette is a wonderful beer anytime it's available, but is perfect for this weekend full of beers, the football draft and Royals in town.

Colette should be available in nearly every liquor store in town. It's also available on draft at the Granfalloon if you're willing to give it another shot.

Night Crew Goose

The fellas from the night crew at Gomer's South are having a genuine Belgian beer tasting tonight. Starting at 4:00 they'll be popping the top off 5 of Goose Island's wonderful Belgian brews. Sofie, Matilda, Fleur, Demolition and Pere Jacques will be available for tasting until 6:00.

Sounds like a good time to commiserate with fellow Royals fans on their fall back to Earth or talk about the gigantic super WR the Chiefs drafted last night or laugh about former Goose Island brewmaster Greg Hall pissing all over a bar in Chicago (best part of this post was doing the Google search "Greg Hall urine"). Whatever you talk about you'll have some wonderful Belgian beers to flavor your conversation.

Imperial Stout Refunds

I'm not usually a party to reprinting press releases or letters or things like that. But, this one seems somewhat important so I'll just give you Boulevard's words without comment:

To All Boulevard Fans:

The 2011 Limited Release of Smokestack Series Imperial Stout has recently been the subject of some consumer comments and forum postings. We’d like to take this opportunity to explain what happened, and to offer monetary relief to any dissatisfied consumers.

Prior to the March release our tasting panel sampled several bottles of the new barrel aged beer. Some turned out as expected, while others displayed the unique characteristics of wild Brettanomyces yeast. We immediately posted tasting notes to our blog, announcing the deviation and noting the differences in flavor profiles. Because our tasting panel very much enjoyed both versions, we decided to proceed with the release as usual.

It is Batch #2 of the 2011 Imperial Stout that exhibits the Brettanomyces trait. In retrospect, we should have called attention to this Brett character on the label. Because we didn’t, and because some consumers got a beer that was different from the one they had a legitimate right to expect, we’re offering a refund to anybody who feels shortchanged, and who can reasonably demonstrate that they did in fact buy a bottle of Batch #2 of our 2011 Imperial Stout.

Batch information is located on the back label of the bottle, in the upper right-hand corner (click here to view image—batch number is indicated by the number “2” at the end of the top line.). To receive a full refund, please send us the name of the store where you purchased the beer, the purchase price, your name and mailing address, and one of the following:
• The actual front and back labels removed from a bottle of 2011 Imperial Stout, Batch #2
• A scan or photo of the front and back labels from a bottle of 2011 Imperial Stout, Batch #2

You can e-mail this information to refund@boulevard.com or mail it to “Imperial Stout Refund, Boulevard Brewing Company, 2501 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64108.” You should expect a check within 2-4 weeks of your submission.

We apologize for any confusion or dissatisfaction. Thanks to everyone who shared comments or concerns. We sincerely appreciate your support, and we pledge to learn from our mistakes. If you have any additional questions about this release, or any other Boulevard offering, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Your Friends at Boulevard Brewing Company

 You can find the links included in the letter here.

The New Cat's Cradle

Late in the summer of 1998 I traveled to Melbourne, Florida to go to a friend's wedding. This was in the days before everyone had a cell phone and I somehow missed my friend at his apartment, where I was going to be staying. After going a couple of places to find out where in town someone might have a rehearsal dinner, I determined I was not going to find him until he came home. So I went to a bar I had driven past that looked like I might be able to get a bite to eat and a beer or two and maybe meet Cecil Fielder (he lived in Melbourne, I was convinced I would meet him while I was there, I didn't but we did see his house).

The bar I chose apparently spent all the money they had to spend for ambience was spent on the sign out front. It was in a nondescript strip mall (like everything else in Florida) in a nondescript town and was overwhelmingly beige inside. The clientele seemed to be well heeled Floridians just living out their bleak days in beige and macro lagers. The menu appeared to be a ripoff of a Village Inn menu with cutesy names having to do with whatever the name of the bar was. I spent a couple of hours there swilling Heineken and looking for Cecil, pretty much just wasting a couple of hours of my life.

I never again thought of that place until a couple of years later when I went with some new friends from my new work in my new city of Kansas City. I thought of it when I walked in the Granfalloon on the Plaza because it appeared they had airlifted the place from Melbourne right onto the Plaza. A look at the menu revealed the same kitschy names for fried bar food that was innovative in 1953. The beer list looked like a beer list from before Fritz Maytag saved Anchor. Granfalloon was boring and forgettable.

Maybe Granfalloon is still boring and forgettable but they've undergone a little renovation including a patio where that little parking lot right next to it used to be. I've been told the menu has been reworked. But, the biggest change of all is the addition of numerous taps that pour all manner of fine brews. Granfalloon now has Stone Arrogant Bastard, IPA and Sublimely Self Righteous, Avery Hog Heaven, a couple Schlaflys, Great Divide Colette and Chocolate Yeti, some New Belgiums including Somersault and Le Terroir (which I had at The Riot Room and really liked a lot) and Boulevard Pale Ale. While I might quibble with some of the choices (lose a couple New Belgiums, add Tank 7 and Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin'), I admire the effort. Colette on tap seems truly inspired. Granfalloon seems a little less bleak and beige now. Maybe Granfalloon might be worth a drop in, at least they've joined the 21st century beer wise. Welcome to the future Jonah.

Deconstructing Latitude 48

Apparently Sam Adams wants to teach us about hops. I thought one of the Longshot beers a couple of years ago provided a nice hops education. But Latitude 48 Deconstructed, which is hitting KC store shelves this week, almost explicitly plans on doing it.  The 12 pack has 2 bottles of regular old Latitude 48 then it has 2 bottles each of Latitude 48 single hopped with each of the varieties of hops that Latitude 48 contains; Hallertau Mittelfrueh, East Kent Goldings, Ahtanum, Simcoe and Zeus. These single hopped beers will really give you an indication what each variety tastes like and help you become one of those beer geeks that can taste a beer and then tell you what kind of hops were used.

Unfortunately, I don't think Latitude 48 is that great of a beer. I just had one a couple of nights ago in my Sam Adams Summer Variety Pack and had to have a Shlafly Export IPA to clean my palate. But, this is a very interesting idea to deconstruct a beer and sell it in one convenient package. So in the interest of education, it may be worth your time and taste buds to give this a shot. Get together with a couple of friends, break out the pack and 6 tasting glasses each and drink this thing. Or set aside a Saturday, escape to your basement and drink the 6 varieties all by yourself. Maybe you'll gain a new appreciation for hops and their many flavors.

Arrogant Buzzard

A couple of nights ago at The Riot Room Beer Cellar Cleanout party I had a discussion with Adam, one of the guys behind Carousel Chronicles. He asked me what I thought of how Stone markets itself. I gave him a typical beer soaked answer akin to they can do whatever they want but it's not really my style. Which is true, I feel dirty with any kind of self promotion, but Greg Koch thrives on it. And that's fine.

Well, maybe it's better than fine because the naked self promotion and the in your face style of naming their beers might put Stone beers somewhere most other beers can't go. As evidence of that, there is now a Stone Arrogant Bastard tap in the super cheap macro lager dive Buzzard Beach, joining the ranks of the PBR and it's ilk. Not only did Arrogant Bastard squeeze its way in, but it pushed Bud Light out. If you're reading this and wanted a Bud Light on tap, just know Buzzard Beach isn't an option anymore, the Arrogant Bastard has taken over.

Binge in a Can

They're baaack! The grandstanding politicians are here to save us yet again. This time from high alcohol beer in the form of Colt 45 Blast. They're using terms like "binge in a can" and delivering false information that one 24 oz. can of Blast at 12% ABV is the equivalent of drinking 5 cans of regular beer. But, they're doing it for you, because Blast comes in fruity flavors and brightly colored cans as if underage drinkers are fish and only attracted to sparkly things.

I'll be the first to say I would never drink this stuff, let alone buy it, with flavors like grape, strawberry lemonade, strawberry watermelon and the ultra sophisticated blueberry pomegranate for the suburban teen, Blast sounds awful. But, I can go to the liquor store right now and find 50 other things that sound equally as awful with just as much alcohol. None of those things should be illegal either.

These jerkholes don't even have evidence that the product is being abused by teens, which they did have, at least anecdotally, with Four Loko. They just think that kids "could" abuse it. Well, kids can abuse anything, spray paint, mom's prescriptions, dad's liquor cabinet, $4.99/750 ml vodka and, in the case of 15 year old boys, themselves. Hell, if they wanted to, they could abuse Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus.

The practical issue is this, how do you legislate Blast away? Do you outlaw beers over 10% ABV? Goodbye Avery Beast, Sixth Glass, Maharaja or any other badass beers. Do you outlaw fruit flavors in beer? Goodbye Cerise (and good riddance), Boulevard Chocolate Ale, Wittekerke Framboise, the Michelob Ultra collection o' crap. You could combine the 2 and ban high alcohol fruit drinks over 10% ABV, but why would they leave out flavored vodkas or foritified wines? The problem is they won't stop there, they'll just keep banning and banning until they get to something actual voters care about.

The solution, as always, is to end our puritanical relationship to alcohol with the highest legal drinking age in the world (non-Islam edition). Since the beginning of time, humans have sought to alter their reality in some way. In the United States we do it primarily with beer, wine and liquor. It's a part of who we are as a people and takes a big role in our celebrations and lives. It's only natural that our children would want to drink alcohol as well. Instead of making them hide out in their friends' basement chugging as much alcohol as they can before they go to the high school basketball or football game (hello high school memories), let them have a beer with their chicken fingers at Applebee's (hello Paul A. Ner). They'll be much less likely to binge if they have access to beer or wine in most situations. Chugging would no longer be an important part of drinking. When was the last time you chugged 2 beers in 5 minutes or used a beer funnel?

Lastly, let's not leave out what really riles whitey up, Snoop Dogg is the spokesman for Blast. Chuck Schumer knows better than anyone that young black kids can't help but to buy anything that Snoop Dogg endorses.  The best thing the Blast people could do would be to dump Snoop Dogg and get Tony Danza to sign on as spokesman, then whitey wouldn't have to worry anymore.

So keep in mind when you see KCTV5 reporting by press release, that this hysteria is being produced by state Attorneys General and politicians. There is no there there and they're lying to you. But, Blast sure does make a fun boogeyman.

How Many Calories Am I Drinking?

A quick hello to the KC Beer Blog faithful. I’m Josh, also known as JJSKCK. I hope you’ll forgive the blatant lack of vowels in that alias, as I admittedly didn’t put much thought into my online identity (though it did sound good after a bottle of wine).

I was invited to contribute here from time to time. This was extremely flattering, since this is one of the first blogs I ever followed with any regularity. I graciously accepted, and here I am.

I love good beer. More than that, I love the laughs and ridiculous/inappropriate conversations I’ve had over pints of porter and snifters of stout. Beer is fun.

However, my own beer consumption has diminished somewhat in the last couple of months. I haven’t given up drinking; I just happen to be 6 weeks into a certain 90-day fitness program. In the interest of not totally undoing all the work I’ve put in, I’ve chosen to be a bit more discerning as to how often (and how much) I consume. Don’t worry. It’s only temporary. I’ll be back soon.

Anyway, this all got me thinking: how many calories are actually in that 12 oz. bottle of happiness?

I did a little research, and found some information that was printed in Homebrew Digest.

The caloric content of beer comes from two sources: the alcohol itself, and the residual carbohydrates/sugars remaining after fermentation.

Parkville Hopluia

The Parkville Microbrew Festival is Saturday from 1 - 5. This is probably the best annual beer fest in town each year and focuses mostly on beers from the region. I think every brewery in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska is going to be there (and that's more breweries than you think). Parkville will be your only chance to drink some Hop God from Nebraska Brewing Co. without being in Nebraska or St. Louis.

Parkville will also serve as the kickoff event for Nebraska's Spilker Brewing's distribution to KC. Spilker makes one beer, Hopluia, which is a very enjoyable English style IPA. Stella actually got mad at me last summer because I brought some Hopluia back from Nebraska and I left the empty bottle sitting on the kitchen counter for about 3 weeks with every intention of writing a post about it. The post never happened, but my want of more Hopluia hasn't dissipated. You'll be able to buy Hopluia in select KCMO liquor stores starting next week. Hopluia is available only in 16 oz. bottles and kegs so it's possible some bars in town may put Hopluia on tap.

Head out to Parkville this weekend and maybe you'll find the next beer you want to be distributed to KC or discover a new favorite. Stone will be there, so if there's any Stone beers you didn't get to try last week, Parkville is your best shot. I'm sure Boulevard will have something special there as well. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased from the official site of the Parkville Microbrew Fest.

Iron Homebrewer Challenge - Cactus and Lime

Such a thing exists as Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus. I came across this little nugget of information this afternoon. Now I know I would never buy such a thing and often can quickly move on from hearing about these sorts of abominations and going about my business. But, this one sticks in my craw a little bit. I first began to wonder what kind of person would order such a thing. Not to be sexist or anything, but can a man order this and be taken seriously as a person? Could a woman?

But then I began to wonder what exactly is so wrong with it? What exactly is so revolting? I like lime. Cactus is intriguing. It has to be the Michelob Ultra part of the name. Michelob Ultra is probably the single worst I've ever had, I'm not sure losing weight is worth drinking Ultra. But, still, and prepare yourself for this, there are other flavors of Michelob Ultra, Pomegranate Raspberry and Tuscan Orange Grapefruit. Neither of those 2 sound completely revolting like the Lime Cactus.

Has the presence of all the other macro lime beers ruined the little green fruit's beer reputation? Could there be a craft beer or homebrew using lime and cactus that would not be immediately dismissed as some sort of gimmick beer? Or is the lime taboo for good beer? My first ever Iron Homebrewer Challenge is to create a lime cactus beer that is delicious. The only rule is that lime and cactus must be used and be 2 of the primary flavoring agents in the beer. Everything else is up to the brewer. Lime Cactus White Ale, Lime Cactus Saison, Lime Cactus Stout, doesn't matter, like U2 tried to do with Helter Skelter, let's try and take the lime back.

Double Jack Harpo, All Star

A couple of months ago I wrote a post about bars maximizing their taps by putting good beer on them rather than the repetition of macro lager, macro lager, macro lager, hipster lager. I'm constantly amazed that nearly every bar doesn't carry an even bigger premium beer, Tank 7, which I consider Kansas City's best beer. It should be the most profitable tap in any bar that carries it. For bars who want to go that extra step towards maximizing their taps, they should put Firestone Walker Double Jack on tap as well. While Double Jack isn't as universal and acceptable to everyone as Tank 7, it is certainly one of the best premium beers for the price and could be very popular to anyone who loves beer.

It looks like Harpo's has figured this out as they have both Tank 7 and Firestone Walker Double Jack on tap in one of the best patios in KC. As summer approaches and the warm weather dictates that you spend some extra time outside drinking, the Harpo's patio might be one of the best outdoor beer destinations in town, joining McCoy's and The Foundry patios. In addition to Double Jack and Tank 7, Harpo's has Schlafly APA, Avery White Rascal, Boulevard Pilsner, Lagunitas IPA, Boulevard Wheat and New Belgium 1554. Harpo's also has Stone Arrogant Bastard on tap at the inside bar.

If you're looking for some Double Jack really cheap, I've heard that All-Star Pizza in Parkville has it at happy hour for around $3. Sure seems like a great deal if you're in Parkville.

Hop Fest

Tired of huge crowds, rank amateurs, little beer and drunk douchebags at your favorite beer festival? I am and apparently so were some other folks so they came up with Hop Fest 2011. Hop Fest aims to solve the large crowds of other beer fests by limiting the number of tickets to 850 (750 General and 100 VIP). To keep out those who believe a Heineken is a special treat, Hop Fest charges a bit of a premium, $30 for General Admission and $50 for VIP's. Solving the problem of running out of beer, Hop Fest is actually purchasing the beer for the event rather than relying on donations from distributors or breweries. That means they're going to be buying the good stuff and lots of it. I don't know if there's a plan to keep out the drunk douches, but without Bud Light or beer flavored with lime, I think Hop Fest may be douche free (at least the standard Jersey Shore-ish, protein powder swilling kind).

Most breweries that have beers available in KC will be represented. But, they won't just be offering the same old fare you could find at Gomer's or Royal. They'll be bringing the rare stuff too. In addition, rare and unusual beers will be released every 30 minutes during the festival. The VIP ticket gets you into Hop Fest an hour early so you can get to the Hopslam or Boulevard Hoppy Wheat (or whatever rarities will be available at that time) without having to push through 700 people. VIP's will have access to 5 rare or unusual beers in the extra hour. With every ticket guests will receive a tasting glass and program and access to some of the best brewers and beer people in the US.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday at The Well and Lew's Bar and Grill in Waldo. Hop Fest will take place on Saturday, June 18 and take place in the parking lot just east of The Well. Get your tickets quickly, you don't want to be on the outside looking in.

Update: Someone is posting this around saying this is the official site of Hop Fest. It is not the official site of Hop Fest. Other than planning on attending, I have nothing to do with Hop Fest, have no financial stake in Hop Fest and have no responsibility for Hop Fest. This is not the official or unofficial site for Hop Fest, this is a blog covering events, bars and beers in Kansas City.

Beer for the Weekend - Boulevard Tank 7

We had a great week, with numerous new beers from Stone hitting the market. Our taste buds have been under assault trying all these new beers and trying to remember each one as a distinctive beer. But, we have a holiday this weekend. Many of us are either traveling or receiving travelers for the holiday festivities. You'll want to bring KC to your hosts or give KC to your guests. To me, KC is Boulevard Tank 7.

After a week of the unfamiliar, it's time to get back to the familiar favorite Tank 7. Tank 7 is my answer to the most familiar questions I get from people not steeped in beer culture, "what's your favorite beer", "what beer should I try if I don't really like beer", "what beer do I need to try in KC". Tank 7 is the answer.

Tank 7 is available on tap in any KC area bar that gives a hooey about beer. It's also available in the big bombers which you can serve to your guests or hosts like wine. Or, Tank 7 is available in 12oz. bottle 4 packs so you can pop one open while the kids are hunting for their Easter eggs. So share KC with your people, they'll thank you for it.

Carousel Clearance

Another edition of The Riot Room's Carousel Chronicles featuring Greg Koch of Stone spilling his spiel. Also, at the end, an announcement that on Monday, the 25th, The Riot Room will be cleaning out their beer cellar and offer up some of the best beers of the past year. A keg of Boulevard Chocolate Ale will be tapped which I believe must be the last keg of Chocolate Ale left in KC. So, if you want to get some Chocolate you'd better be at The Riot Room promptly at 5 on Monday.

Beer Geek

I really loved this simple YouTube video of a beer geek talking to his co-worker. It's well worth the 6 minutes and the last minute is the best.

And, just because I like these videos with the computer animation and voiceI'm going to post my favorite of the style. If you don't like baseball, don't watch it, but I think it's funny even if you don't know anything about baseball. Just as background this is Cliff Lee (one of the best pitchers in baseball) after he signed with the Phillies (one of the best teams in baseball) talking to Jayson Werth (who had played for the Phillies, but signed with the Washington Nationals, one of the worst teams in baseball, before Cliff Lee had signed with the Phillies).

Samuel Summer

I'm a sucker for a Samuel Adams mixed 12 pack even though I'm not that big of a fan of Samuel Adams beers. The Sam Adams Summer 12 pack is no different. It's loaded up with regular beers from the Sam Adams lineup like Boston Lager, which I do really like, Light, which I don't, mediocre Latitude 48 and one of my favorite Summer beers, Sam Adams Summer. But, they're also throwing in 2 new beers not available in any other form, Rustic Saison and East-West Kolsch.

Regular readers know that I love Saisons and will buy every one that comes out, so I'm really looking forward to the Rustic Saison. Kolsch is one of the few German styles that I enjoy and is perfect for summer. I kind of hope that I don't actually like these 2 new beers because I don't want to have to keep buying the variety pack. I'll end up with a whole bunch of Sam Adams Light in my fridge. But, if I do like them at least I'll have some Sam Adams Light to bring over to your house when you have a party this summer.

Sam Adams Summer Variety packs should be popping up in every alcohol licensed store in town. Just this morning I made my first ever beer purchase at Target to get this variety pack.

Big John

Big John is here, no, not John Mayberry, he's been here all along, but Goose Island's newest big boy stout, Big John. For those unfamiliar, Big John is an 11.5% ABV stout loaded up with roasted malt and cacao nibs and is darker than a Tyler Perry movie premiere. The good thing is, demand shouldn't be too high because of all the beer geeks boycotting Goose Island because of their sale to ABInBev.

This release appears to only be on the Kansas side right now, with Rimann Liquors Lenexa the first to call it out, but Tipsy's also has it. Give your favorite store a call to find out if they have it yet. This is a pretty limited release so it should only be in the bigger Kansas side stores like Tipsy's, Lukas, Gomer's and Rimann. Let everyone know in comments where you find it and at what price.

Boulevard and Deschutes Collaboration

This one's been in the works for quite a long time, but now it appears finalized and nearing release. The collaboration between Larry Sidor of Deschutes and Steven Pauwels of Boulevard will be a White IPA. Each brewery will release their own version of the collaboration under their own labelling, Boulevard's as Collaboration #2 and Deschutes' as their second Conflux (Collaboration). Collaboration #2 will be available in bottles and kegs this summer.

4:20 Stone

Lani modeling the Saucer 4/20 glass

It's another big day for Stone events but none more big than The Flying Saucer's event from 6:30-7:45 featuring the 4:20 Cheech and Chong glass. Bottle signings today at Lukas Liquor, Royal Liquor on State Line and Gomer's South. Taps open up at Swagger and The Foundry. Should be a fun filled second day of Stone.

If you're not up for the festivities today, you can always celebrate 4/20 day with A Little Sumpin' Sumpin'.

No More Fizzy Yellow Beer

Greg Koch proselytizing from the pulpit of The Flying Saucer.

Stone All Star

It is Stone Week and there are plenty of Stone events to get to. Having been to one already, I can tell you you'll want to see Greg Koch and drink a beer near him. But, there are places not having an event that have plenty of Stone beers. So, for all my people that hate crowds, like I do, I thought I'd point out All Star Pizza (6100 NW 63rd Terrace, KC, MO) has 9 Stone beers on tap; Levitation Ale, Pale Ale, IPA, Smoked Porter, Ruination IPA, Cali-Belgique IPA, Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Arrogant Bastard and Oaked Arrogant Bastard. Want to try them all in one night? All Star offers flights of beers as well so you should be able to get all 9 in over a pizza.

All Star has 30 beer taps, 26 of which are craft beers. So if you're not after a Stone beer, they should still have something good. So if you want to avoid the crowds and still enjoy new to KC Stone beers, All Star Pizza may be the place for you. Get a Cali-Belgique which was my favorite of the bunch.

Stone Day

Stone Brewing Company beers will be available on your favorite liquor store shelves today. If you've never had any Stone beers, pick up a bomber of Arrogant Bastard and thank me later. To kick off Stone coming to Missouri, we have a whole slew of events to attend. You can check the Stone Brew Week website for specifics of the beers available at each shindig. Plus this is your chance to meet and talk to Greg Koch, CEO and co-founder of Stone. If you're not aware of Greg Koch, you will be. He's the Jerry Lee Lewis to Sam Calagione's Pat Boone, or for a more current reference, he's Lindsay Lohan to Calagione's Raven Symone.

The big parties are tonight at the Flying Saucer and Riot Room, with total tap takeovers at Riot Room and Waldo Pizza. Tomorrow, The Foundry will have a total tap takeover, another big party at The Saucer and another total tap takeover at Beer Kitchen. Check the Stone Brew site for more details.

For the recluses, Stone beers will be in your favorite Missouri liquor store, so get out there and get some. Use the comments section to shout out what Stone beers you're seeing and where. This should be a fun week.

UPDATE: During the Blanc event today at 1, they will be featuring the ARROGANT BURGER, an 8 oz. patty with Stone Smoked Porter, spiced chipotle BBQ sauce, A "Stone" peach chutney, Frisee and smoked Gouda on a Farm to Market bacon brioche bun. Sounds wonderful.

Beer for the Weekend - Odell Myrcenary

Odell Myrcenary has been out for about a month now. Myrcenary was a big Gents winner against its double IPA counterpart from Left Hand. I was a bit surprised that I actually enjoy Myrcenary more than I do Avery's Maharaja which is one of my favorites of the style. That's why Myrcenary is the beer for this weekend.

With the weather cooled down for the weekend a douple IPA seems like the perfect varietel for the rain. The malt sweetness and alcohol warms the body while the citrus flavors from the mix of hops remind you of the summer heat to come. You're not going to find a better beer for this weekend.

Myrcenary comes in 4 packs for about $9.99. It's widely available so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. Pick up a 4 pack, stay inside and enjoy the last cool weekend for the next 6 month and get your heat from the 9.3% ABV.

Pub and Pedal

One of the most fun times I've had doing things for this blog was when we did the 87th Street Bar and Bike. Wes Port and I weren't really great bikers so we mostly focused on the bar aspect of the bar and bike. I think we went to 10 bars and rode about 3 or 4 miles. It feels a lot better getting some exercise in while you're getting your drink on.

With that in mind, the Pub and Pedal for Earth Day may just be a great time. The Pub and Pedal will start out at the Liberty Memorial, ride to Czar Bar, then to Tower Tavern, then The Foundry and Riot Room and then to a bonfire at some dude's house. It doesn't sound like that strenuous of a ride so I think nearly anyone with a bike could do it. The trick is to try. If you only make it to 1 or 2 bars, that's better than 0 bars.

The ride takes place on Saturday, April 23rd with the meetup at Liberty Memorial at noon. A donation of $20 benefiting BikeWalkKC is appreciated, but not mandatory. The first 75 people participants will receive an "eco-friendly" t-shirt (nudity is much more eco-friendly). So if your idea of a good time is drinking good beer near bikes with people with biker shorts on, this is the ideal event for you.

Somersault into Summer

I feel completely dirty for the title of this post. Seriously, I hate myself a little bit more than I did before I thought of it. But, that hate for myself pales in comparison to the hate I feel for New Belgium for getting rid of Skinny Dip for a couple of years and replacing it with Somersault. Okay, hate is a strong word, but I'm mildly disappointed for no other reason than I enjoy the Skinny Dip which always seemed to be the beer in the fridge at the in-laws house. Now I guess it will be Somersault.

Somersault is a Golden Ale with a bit of fruit flavor and citrus, not that different sounding than Skinny Dip. You can get some on tap at Buzzz Coffee Bar in South OP near 135th and Quivira. Buzzz has 15 taps which sets it apart from most other bars in that area, but aside from a couple of Free State beers, Fat Tire and Somersault nothing that extraordinary. But, those taps alone beat most bars in the area and they bill themselves as the least pretentious bar in OP.

Somersault should be widely available in town, so if you're a fan of New Belgium, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a sixer to take home with you.

Stone Carousel

The Carousel Chronicles are back with plenty of information about their Stone event next week. As an added bonus, Gent Jeremy Danner makes an appearance as well as his wife, Randyl, which can only serve to excite Drunk Monkey.

The Export Patient

Have you ever seen "The English Patient"? I was a bit fascinated with that movie when it came out. I probably saw it 3 or 4 times in the theater with another 10-15 viewings since. It's incredibly long and not that exciting, but it had a style that few movies in the mid-90's had. Plus it was set during WWII which is right in my wheelhouse of 1930 - 1950 style that I enjoy like the Indiana Jones movies. Ralph Fiennes in his baggy button down shirt with loose fitting khaki cargo pants, Indiana Jones in his leather jacket and fedora, Indiana Jones in his white dinner jacket fighting for the diamond at the beginning of Temple of Doom, Bogart's trenchcoat in Casablanca, all classic style in my book.

This is what I think of when I see Schlafly Export IPA. I don't think there's a more evocative beer bottle label than what appears on Export IPA. But, Export IPA also has substance. It's one of my favorite IPA's for the springtime and seems like a perfect accompaniment for a good WWII era movie not set in the war. Export IPA is more of an English style IPA than an American hop bomb IPA, so it brings some sweetness to counter the piney flavor. It's eminently drinkable and enjoyable.

I can imagine Ralph Fiennes climbing out of his bi-plane, opening up a leather trunk, pulling out a map and an Export IPA to drink. Or I can just imagine that I'm Ralph Fiennes in "The English Patient" (before he got all burned up) while I'm drinking a sixer.

Sixers of the Ralph Fiennes of beers are now available at your favorite KC package store.

Flying Saucer 3rd Anniversary

3 years ago from May 1, I walked into The Flying Saucer 5 seconds after they unlocked the doors for the first time. I found my seat, ordered a Bell's Oberon, and found my new favorite bar in KC. I think many people had the same experience as I did over the next couple of weeks. It's the only taxpayer subsidized P&L bar worth selling out my principles for and rightly so. They've made the KC beer community a little tighter and less underground.

On Sunday, May 1, The Flying Saucer will hold its 3rd Anniversary Party to celebrate their wonderful success. You'll get a raffle ticket when you get in the door making you eligible for wonderful Flying Saucer prizes, you can also purchase more raffle tickets for $5 or 5 canned goods/book of 5. All proceeds from the raffle will go to benefit Harvester's.

Now that that's out of the way let's get to the beer. They'll be tapping 10 special beers that day, one every hour on the hour. When I write special, I mean Flying Saucer special; 2007 Cantillon Iris; Struise Black Damnation III – Black Mes; Struise Black Damnation IV – Coffee Club; Bell’s Batch 10,000 Ale; Firestone Walker Abacus Barley Wine; and Firestone Walker 14 Anniversary Ale. That's just 6 of the beers, Abacus alone is worth the price of admission, which is free anyway.

The first tapping is at noon on May 1 with the last tapping at 9. Get there early so you can camp out at your favorite table.

Beer Chips

Stella and I made a big mistake this weekend, we went to Costco quite hungry. It was late in the afternoon after a minimal lunch and everything food sounded fantastic. It was this mindset that set the scene for us bringing home a bag of Beer Chips, potato chips made with beer.

I'd like to say that we made it home without breaking into the bag, but we didn't. We set the bag between us and started chowing down. The beer chips were crispy like the best potato chips on the planet, Krunchers. But, the thing that sets Beer Chips apart is the dusting on the chips that tastes faintly like beer. If you didn't know they were beer chips, you wouldn't be able to pick out the flavor. They're just slightly sweeter than a regular potato chip kind of like kettle corn is just a little sweeter than regular popcorn.

Beer Chips are fine for the novelty of them, but I haven't picked them back up since the drive home from Costco. My kids like them so they'll probably get the lion's share of the rest of them. But, for the beer lover, there's not much in Beer Chips that would make you really want to eat more than one bag. Save your money for some Jalapeno flavored Krunchers or Salt and Vinegar Art and Mary's.

#missiondrunj

We had our 3rd Annual Mission Twitical Pub Crawl on Saturday. So in honor of the spirit of the pub crawl, I would just post our day in Tweets. The pub crawl was founded on a lazy Sunday afternoon with several of the participants on Twitter discussing bars in Mission and deciding that a pub crawl through Mission would be fun. We had a loss this year as JJ's Other Place has closed and that really threw our course out of whack. We actually went to The Keyhole 3 times (once because Manhattan Lounge may be the worst bar in America). So here it is, the day in Tweets from the pub crawl.

Weissbeer Poorbeer

Schlafly has commissioned a team to come up with a beer that meets exactly the flavor profile that suits my needs*. They've emailed, read every post ever on this blog and even kidnapped me for 6 days for an extensive taste test. The beer they came up with is the Schlafly Bavarian Style Weissbeer (since they actually kidnapped me, they had to give it a German name).

Our Bavarian-style Weissbier is an authentic German-style unfiltered wheat beer, full of clove and banana characters. The unfiltered beer results in haziness, leaving the yeast and grain protein to provide extra mouth feel. While not a hoppy beer, the German Tettnang and Hallertau Tradition hops provide a minimum level of bitterness. The unique Bavarian ale yeast strain gives clove and banana flavors in the final beer.

Weissbier means “white beer” in German. Before the development of lighter colored malts, Germans produced beers from wheat, darker in color and not categorized as wheat beers. In 1516, German Purity Laws went into effect, making barley the only acceptable malt in the brewing of beer. This should have ended the production of Weissbiers. Luckily, German nobility allowed brewers to continue brewing Weissbiers in exchange for large bribes. Weissbier has grown in popularity since World War II, and sales now rival those of Bavarian lager brews.

I've been told this should end up being similar to my beloved Sybil Stone, or No. 15. I'd rather have No. 15 but, in a pinch, this Weissbeer might do. I'm interested to try it.

It should be available nearly everywhere in town in sixers. But, for now, it's only at Gomer's Midtown and Lee's Summit. It's only a seasonal but should be available all summer long.

*Consideration of my taste buds had absolutely nothing to do with the creation of this beer.

Beer for the Weekend - Tallgrass Halcyon

It's going to be hot this weekend. You're not going to turn on your air conditioning unless you're Josh Eans (the mustache gets hot). You're going to be out in your yard clearing leaves, planting flowers, getting the vegetable garden ready, playing catch with your kids, anything but sitting inside in your 80 degree house. You need a beer you can sit on the grass or in the dirt and will keep you refreshed. That beer should be Tallgrass Halcyon.

Halcyon is the new wheat beer from Tallgrass. I had a six pack of it and really enjoyed it. It has a much creamier mouthfeel than Boulevard Wheat and refreshes as it drunkens. I really think it's a great beer to drink out in your yard and you're not going to lose much flavor experience by not pouring it in a glass. Halcyon is a 3 step beer; plop in koozie, pop the top, enjoy. Fill a bucket with ice throw a sixer in there and drink your weekend away from your balcony, porch, deck or yard. Just don't go inside, it'll be hot in there. And if you're going out and what a draft Halcyon, hit up Grinders, sit on the deck and enjoy the courtyard. Grinders is the only place I could find in town with Halcyon on tap.

Drunk Monkey on the Radio

For those of you willing to subject themselves to morning FM radio, one of America's failures as a society, you can hear Show-Me Beer's Drunk Monkey, Tim on 96.5 The Buzz tomorrow morning. Tim's segment should start at 7. I'm going to break about 8 of my rules regarding things I'll do to my ears and brain to listen. Tim promises not to plug Lagunitas or hate on Weston, my 2 signature moves. But, I'm sure he's going to do something he's not planning on, you should be there to listen.

Undercover Uncovered

The Royals are 4-1 (I had 5-1 here, but the Royals blew a lead in the 9th and I'm not waiting any longer to publish this). An investigation into how such a thing can happen needs to commence. Luckily Lagunitas has supplied KC with the investigation it needs, Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale. Investigate every drop of the a 6 pack of Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale and most of life's mysteries, including the Royals hot start, will be solved.

Lagunitas calls the Shutdown an Imperial Mild, but it's really a strong ale. And it is strong at 9.7 ABV, a whole six pack of it will certainly give you some answers, just probably not any answers to questions you really want to know the answer to. The Undercover Investigation is in stores all over KC today and is well worth seeking out.

Dearest Colette

Dear Colette,

Last night was great. I feel like you've changed and for the better. Last year you seemed a little too German for me. But, last night when I opened you up, I got that Belgian funk I'm looking for when I have a saison in my mouth. You smelled like a dirty barn and it got me so hot. Last year, it seemed like you had been stuffed with lemons like a chicken.

You made me feel so good. Your taste in my mouth gave me an obscene amount of pleasure. Last year you were just dirty, this year you were dirty with love. I want to continue to see you. Forget about my last letter, I was so happy to see you again and now I want to see more of you.

All my love,

Bull

BYOB KC

Two months ago, under the cloak of darkness, the KC City Council passed ordinance 11005 to amend Sec. 10-335 to remove subsection (1) of said statute.  So, because of the darkness under which the ordinance was passed activity (1) has been legal for 2 months, but no one knew it. Until, that is, the fabulous Ferruzza uncovered activity (1) and now KC restaurants are a BYOB party.

Ferruzza's article explicitly stated that bringing your own wine to an alcohol licensed restaurants was now allowed (corking fees may apply). What he didn't express was anything about beer or liquor. From my reading of the ordinance, beer and liquor can also be brought to restaurants. All restaurants retain the right to not allow you to bring your own booze and also retain the right to charge you for the privilege.

In grand Kansas City style, the ordinance has caught restaurant owners flatfooted so call ahead and make sure that the restaurant you desire to dine at allows you to bring your own. Based on the comments to Ferruzza's article the ordinance is a bit controversial in the restaurant community so many restaurants may simply refuse to allow you to bring your own bottle(s).

The ordinance leaves in place many of the laws that govern liquor licensees including many that were unknown to me. For instance, if you bring your own bottle of liquor (again, based on my reading, this is now legal) a restaurant cannot sell or give you a mixer (soda water, water, sour mix, etc.) to mix with your liquor and cannot allow you to mix your own drink. So if you're bringing a bottle of liquor, prepare to drink it straight. Employees of a liquor licensee can not solicit drinks in any way from customers, so if you bring an interesting bottle of wine or beer your server can't ask for a drink. Not only that, but even if you offer a drink, they can not take a drink of an alcoholic beverage.

The most disappointing restriction also still resides on the books,

I've always wondered why neither of the Matts at The Flying Saucer will dance with me. I used to take offense, but now I know, they're sticklers for Kansas City's liquor laws.

Now that it's legal, dig out your good bottles of Tank 7, Harvest Dance, Odell Avant Peche, Lagunitas Gnarly Wine, Stone Vertical Epics, etc. and get out and dine KC (unless you're a Johnson Countian because you're not welcome in KC anymore, besides BYOB's been legal in JoCo for a couple of years). We're no longer slaves to substandard beer lists among KC finer restaurants.

Stone Beer Week

Stone Beer Week is a scant 2 weeks away and this morning they've released their schedule for KC. Greg Koch and crew from Stone will kick off 2 days of activity at noon Tuesday the 19th at Gomer's Midtown. From there they move to Blanc Burgers and Bottles from 1 - 2, no doubt to be mesmerized by the Eans 'stache. From 3:30 - 4 they'll be at Waldo Pizza, then from 5 - 7 they're going to unleash quite a bit of rare beers. Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans, Double Dry Hopped Stone IPA, Double Dry Hopped Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale and 2008 Stone Imperial Russian Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels are but a few of the beers that will be poured at the Saucer. From there they're going to The Riot Room at 7:30 where they'll be pouring quite a bit more beer.

On Wednesday the Stone fellas will be going to Lukas, Royal on State Line, Swagger, Gomer's South, Flying Saucer again and The Foundry. All these events are open to the public and will be your chance to meet Greg Koch, drink some great beers and learn about Stone Brewing.

Check out the Stone webpage for all the information. It should be a fun couple of days. They've even made an IPA label specifically for KC.

Bloggy Blog Blog

I don't usually like these sorts of posts, but, we've got a couple of changes to the ol' beer blog to announce. First and foremost, we're losing a writer, the lovely Paul A. Ner. He has decided to leave KC for the friendly environs of Rehoboth Beach and Dogfish Head. Now when you log onto Dogfish.com you will see Paul A. Ner's work as he is the off centered Web Head or something like that. He'll continue to have rights to write posts but his contact info will no longer be available and will not be listed on KC Beer Blog as a contributor. Hopefully, he will find the time to write a post of his own about his move, his new position, etc.. We will be adding another writer to take Paul's place. Nothing has been finalized but I don't think you'll be disappointed with the addition.

Next up, for those who don't enjoy the layout or look of KC Beer Blog we now have 5 additional views each with their own merits and demerits. You can access the other views by adding /view to the end of the url and selecting from one of the 5 other views. Mosaic is the one I think works best for what we do here. Your mileage may vary. You do lose the sidebar with links to other KC beer blogs and other things, but the new views are pretty nice. Find one you like and bookmark it.

Lastly, we've added another way for you to get your timely KC Beer Blog information, Kindle subscriptions. I know you're thinking, well it looks like Vard is finally trying to reach into my pocket for some cash. Well, I'm not, I honestly thought I was going to get to make it free when I set it up, but I apparently don't have the ability to change the price, so it's $1.99/month to deliver every KC Beer Blog post to your Kindle. If you're not happy with it, cancel it, no skin off my nose. I'm just trying to figure out how the whole thing works, but I may do some Kindle exclusive content (think nude Chimpotle pictures) to make it a little more worth your while. But, $1.99 isn't really that much a month in the grand scheme of things so if you really love reading things on your Kindle, subscribe.

As always, you can also follow me on Twitter or "Like" KC Beer Blog on Facebook to get your KC Beer Blog content and since I have control over that, it's free. Forget I mentioned the other thing.

Now that I feel all dirty for boring you with this naked self promotion I'm going to hop in the shower and scrub myself with a wire brush so I can feel clean again.

Beer for the Weekend - Bell's Oberon

Legend has it that life in the upper peninsula of Michigan is so hard in the winter that many people don't go outside for months at a time. Before Bell's came along to Michigan they didn't leave until late in the spring when the grass finally turned green again. Then Bell's started brewing Oberon, their spring seasonal, and the upper peninsula sprung to life again. Since Oberon began appearing in Michigan the number of births in February has increased five-fold. In the upper peninsula and Michigan in general, the first taste of Oberon is the first taste of spring.

We don't have it quite as hard in Kansas City as the upper peninsula folks so we may not deserve the sublime spring taste of Oberon, but Bell's has supplied us with it. Go pick up a sixer for the weekend, watch some baseball, eat some peanuts, work in the garden or watch the Final Four. Spring is here*, Oberon is here.

*I know Oberon is the summer seasonal, but brewery seasonals appear a full season too early now. So when I feel like it, I'm going to call some seasonals the season they appear in.

Bell's is only available on the Missouri side of the state line. I've verified that Royal on State Line and Gomer's South has it, but any liquor store in Missouri that carries Bell's beer should have it now. Pick some up when you go to one of the Gomer's tastings tonight.  In the obscure trivia department, Bell's Oberon was the first beer I ever had at The Flying Saucer.

Blind Gomer

Gomer's Midtown is having a beer tasting tonight from 4-6. But, it's not just any beer tasting, it's a blind tasting. We, at Gents, have a good time with blind tastings, it really takes away your preconceptions with certain beers. Gomer's Midtown isn't quite doing it Gents style, but theirs is pretty interesting as well. You'll get a pour of beer and then it's up to you to identify the style and country of origin. Sounds like fun and I imagine it will be tougher than you think it is.

The tasting is free so if you're in the neighborhood there really isn't any reason to not drop by. If you're really interested you may even plan to drive across town. If you're in the south part of town, Gomer's South has a weekly free tasting from 4-6. This week's tasting is the beers of North Coast, which includes the simply wonderful Old Rasputin.