Wilderness Kickstarter

Nate, from the video above, is a friend of mine. Nate is one of the Gents. Nate brewed one of the best beers I had last year, Dandelion Saison, which is shown in the video above. Nate, along with his friend Mike, is starting a brewery, Wilderness Brewing.

This is a passion project, not a moneymaking project. Maybe it will turn into that, but what's important is they have a passion for beer and make damn good beer because of it. Mike and Nate need your help though, they need to raise $40,000. A Kickstarter campaign has been set up for you to donate to the brewery with various benefits for larger donations. That may be a benefit to you, it may not. What will be a benefit for you is the opportunity to drink Mike and Nate's beer. Any donation is accepted and appreciated.

I believe Wilderness Brewing will quickly become the region's destination small brewer. You're going to love their beer. If you can't donate, share this post, share the link to the Kickstarter page, "Like" the Kickstarter page and share that on Facebook, whatever, but something. You'll be proud when they open their doors that you did your part to help these 2 guys share their beer with Kansas City.

Columbia Beer Travel Guide

The Columbia Beer Enthusiasts may be the Gents of Columbia, MO, though there are ladies in the CBE. One of those ladies is Jade Elwess who oh so graciously offered to write up a Columbia travel guide to go with all of the others we've been doing. So, without further ado, I give you Jade Elwess' Columbia. 


Hi, I’m Jade of Columbia, MO and current president of the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts. KC Beer Blog had an open invitation for guest writers to come up with a travel guide for their own cities, and I volunteered. I am not a native of Columbia, but I have been here for around 8 or 9 years now, and have been involved with the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts and, thus, the local beer scene for about 3 years, so there’s my qualifications.

Rob's World of Beers

The Vard family traveled on down to Wichita for the Memorial Day weekend. Stella and I did the usual beer at The Anchor and popcorn and martinis at Mort's. On Saturday, we had some time to ourselves as well and while the Shockolates at Cocoa Dolce were tempting and the fried gator and crawfish etouffe at Da Cajun Shak were delicious, I really wanted to hit Rob's World of Beers at Goebel Liquor.

For some reason, I never once had been to Goebel Liquor when I lived in Wichita. It's on a street I hate driving on and was just out of my way from my house. Plus, I just didn't believe that a liquor store could carry a beer selection greater than any other liquor store. Even Saturday morning before we went, I thought I was just going to see a better organized Lukas Liquor or something. Even though many people have told me Goebel Liquor is the best liquor store in Kansas I had no idea how they could be noticeably better.

I'm convinced now. They had everything. Not just everything, but everything going back a couple of years. They had at least 3 cases of Boulevard Imperial Stout batch 2, but that wasn't that impressive since the other store I hit in Wichita also had at least a case. But they had Schlafly's Barleywines going back to 2006, same with the Schlafly Imperial Stout. Goebel would be the best beer store in Missouri too if everything that's available in Missouri were available for them to sell. It was ridiculous.

I picked up a bottle of Avery Brabant which I hadn't seen here. I already had some Boulevard Imperial Stout to bring back. We got a couple of other beers while there as well. Since I have someone from Wichita coming to KC about once a month, I didn't feel the need to stock up on a bunch of things.

Wichita isn't much of a beer town. We actually went to Old Chicago for a beer (and found a Tallgrass Trippel that's exclusive to Old Chicago which was quite wonderful) which we never do here. Wichita doesn't really deserve Goebel Liquors, but that's where it's at, so if you find yourself in Wichita, get yourself to Goebel.

St. Louis Beer Travel Guide

Continuing our series of beer travel guides is the St. Louis Beer Travel Guide. This one is written by Mike from STL Hops, the best beer site in St. Louis. Mike is also the author of 2 of my favorite emails ever including one from this morning which was simply "I think I may hate you". That email was in response to all the work he was putting in on this little opus on St. Louis which may be the longest, most comprehensive post about travel in St. Louis that makes no mention of the Arch. I give you Mike Sweeney's St. Louis.

Almost a day doesn’t go by where I don’t get an email or see a post on Beer Advocate with people asking about what kind of beer related things to do in St. Louis.  So, I thought it would be a good idea to put together a list of great craft beer spots in the metro area.

Splitt

I grew up in a time (late 70's) when it was normal behavior for kids to sit in a room every night listening to Denny Matthews and Fred White describe baseball games every night all summer long. The games meant something then, probably more than they should have or as Posnanski always says, maybe that's just what it is to be a kid. I knew every Royal player, I knew their number and I knew their stats (well, I didn't know their OBP as I don't think that even existed then). I hated the players they played against, especially the Tigers like Steve Kemp, Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker and the Mariners because we never seemed to beat them even though the Royals were the best team in baseball.

One in 5 of those nights Paul Splittorff took the mound and we listened. Weak grounder to U.L., weak grounder to White, weak grounder to Brett. Splitt was a junker and no ones favorite player. That was Willie Wilson, U.L. Washington, Quiz, Clint Hurdle. Splittorff was the non flashy guy. Even that huge leg kick of his would make you think about his 80 mph fastball (that Royals scout delightfully describes as "wouldn't even blacken an eye") and how easy it would be to steal second. The guy had nothing and yet still got people out, went out every fifth day and won games. I don't think a guy like Splitt would even get a chance nowadays. As I grew up playing baseball nearly every day, I began to respect Splitt, I could throw a ball harder, but I was never successful at getting anyone out.

Then he was gone, the new bucks came up, Saberhagen, Gubicza, Black, Jackson. Splitt, who'd been with the team since inception wasn't there for the World Series Championship, but he was starting his second career as a broadcaster. Again, he wasn't my favorite. Let's face it, he was an ugly guy, his voice barely wavered above a monotone. But, damn, he did tell it like it was. He probably witnessed more bad baseball by a team he loved than anybody in history. But, he showed up every day, learned his job and did it better than the Royals deserved.

Then there was opening day a couple of years ago and Splitt sounded drunk with a load of marbles in his mouth. We had concern. And he was gone a couple of days later. We weren't supposed to worry, we weren't supposed to be concerned, it was a minor thing. I think it pained Splitt more that people might talk about him that he didn't want to be a distraction to the team, an awful team. Grandfatherly Frank White took over, a beloved Royals superstar. It was nice to hear White, but, at least for me, I kind of wished for Splitt to be back. It surprised me, but I missed Splitt. He'd been a part of my life for my entire life.

I watched a game a couple of weeks ago and Splitt was there doing the pregame and postgame. He still didn't sound that great, but it was good to see him. He sounded more like a drunk Jerry Remy than a drunk with a mouth full of marbles. I thought if it works for Remy, Splitt can make a go of it. Then the news came, cancer. It was like a kick in the balls. This wasn't just cancer, this was cancer progressed, this was death is imminent. I just saw the damn Swede. He didn't want to be the story.

Splitt died this morning. A piece of my life died this morning. It shouldn't be so goddamned sad, he was a guy on my radio, a guy on my TV, a guy on the baseball field but he mattered. And now he's gone and I'm going to miss him. He was old school, I'm going to pop open a Boulevard Pilsner, the most old school KC beer I can think of, turn on the TV at 5:30 to see the pregame show and most likely see grown men cry. They probably won't be alone.

Good job Splitt, we'll miss you.

Abacus

Firestone Walker Abacus is going to be available in KC again this week. A very limited amount of bottles will be hitting the best liquor stores on the Missouri side of the line. Give your favorite store a call and get your name on a list to get it because there's not much of it and it won't last long.

I had Abacus a while back at The Riot Room's cellar clearout and was amazed at how good it was. I shared a bottle with Gents KBS and McCoy and we nearly went to fisticuffs over the remaining drops left in the bottle after dividing it evenly. It was a little like dividing the bread in Anne Frank's loft, we found the Abacus that valuable. While I'm not normally a big barleywine drinker or barrel aged beer drinker, I make an exception for the best of them. Abacus is that. Abacus is what beer can be and others should aspire to be. I've had Firestone Walker 14 recently as well and Abacus is much more enjoyable.

Do what it takes to get you some, but please just take 1 and spread the love around.

Donation Monkey

A before and after picture of a street corner in Joplin

Drunk Monkey over at Show Me Beer is offering up pint glasses and stickers for your donations to the Red Cross for Joplin. So far, he's raised over $1200 for a very worthy cause and I'm very proud that our beer community can do so much good. So in case you're not a regular reader of Show Me Beer, check out what you need to do to help out Joplin and maybe get yourself a pint glass. If you just want to give, go here and donate. I'm sure whatever you can spare will be appreciated by the people of Joplin. After all, this could happen to you at any given time living in Kansas and Missouri, it really is just a twist of fate.

San Francisco Beer Travel Guide

Part of our continuing series of beer travel guides, below is San Francisco as written by my e-pal Brian Yaeger. Brian should be everyone's hero as he actually makes a living writing about beer. You can pick up his book, "Red, White and Brew" or read his column on beer traveling in All About Beer magazine (the July 2011 edition of said magazine has a picture of Steven Pauwels in it and Brian's column focuses on KC's world class burgers). Brian has lived in San Francisco for many years, though he is now a Portland resident. He felt more comfortable writing about San Francisco for our purposes here. So, I give you Brian Yaeger's San Francisco.


If you are interested in writing a similar guide for your city or area, feel free to email me (bullevard73@gmail.com).


As All About Beer's Beer Traveler columnist, I look to local beer experts all over the country (and beyond) since it behooves them to know every single hot spot a beer tripper might be interested in visiting. Yeah, I just wanted to work in the word behooves. When I hit up Bull E. Vard, blogger behind the KC Beer Blog (Kansas City being home to Boulevard Brewing) for a burger-centric column, he kindly obliged. It turns out, I'm far from the first or last person who beseeched his in-the-trenches expertise, so he posted his KC Beer Travel Guide.

Bad Ideas in Ice Cream

It's too bad Paul A. Ner isn't in KC anymore so we could hear him bitch and moan about Waldo Pizza not making enough Weston Hot Pepper Ale ice cream to make him happy. While Weston Hot Pepper Ale's best use is as a good additive, I'm not sure that using it in ice cream is its best use. I think its best use might be leaving it in the bottle and see how long it takes the Hot Pepper Ale to eat its way out of the bottle.

Weston Hot Pepper Ale ice cream as well as Seadog Blueberry Wheat ice cream is now available at Waldo Pizza. I think you'll probably be better off sticking with the featured Trappist beers, Orval, Achel, Rochefort, Westmalle or La Trappe.

Seattle Beer Travel Guide

Since I enjoy Paul A. Ner's dispatch about Milton and Rehoboth Beach, DE and my own little KC travel guide, I had Wes Port deliver a similar guide to Seattle. Below is Wes Port's Seattle. If you're a blogger/writer and interested in writing a travel guide to your particular area contact me (bullevard73@gmail.com).

A trip to Seattle wouldn’t be complete without sampling some of its world-class beers. The region is packed with brewpubs and artisan/micro breweries, some of which offer a tour.

Gomer's South Lagunitas and Boulevard Tasting

In just over an hour, Gomer's South will be popping the tops of the 3 new to market Lagunitas beers for sampling. So, if you've been hesitant to buy them, this will be your chance to give them a try. Boulevard beers will also be available for sampling. The event lasts from 4-6.

Craft Beer Festival

Beer KC (the troika of Beer Kitchen, McCoy's and The Foundry) are holding their own craft beer festival with 19 breweries available. Each brewery will be bringing one year round and one seasonal or limited beer for your consumption. Some of the confirmed beers are:

Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale and GnomegangSchlafly American IPA and Biere De Garde
75th Street Easy ESB, White Tie Belgian Wit
Free State Copper Head and a Firkin of something...
Tallgrass will bring a Firkin...and something else
Goose Island Matilda and Fleur
Ska Modus Hoperandi and Barrel Aged Nefarious
Bell's Oberon, Double Cream Stout, and Cherry Stout

The dealio will be held in the little McCoy's parking lot you always dream of parking in every trip to Westport. Because of the small space and noted girth of many a beer afficionado, only 500 tickets will be sold. Tickets are $25 each and includes a commemorative tasting glass. Part of the proceeds will benefit AIDS Walk KC. You can get tickets at any of the Beer KC troika locations. The festival happens on Saturday, June 4th from 1-4.

Beer for the Weekend - Stone Sublimely Self Righteous

The Cardinals are in town, that means that Cardinal fans will be around and showing their colors. Nobody wants that. Kansas City's better than St. Louis (not necessarily the baseball team), we know it, they know it, Albert Pujols knows it, the rest of America knows it. Unfortunately, The K won't show it. It's going to be a sea of red. Kansas Citians tend to run and hide when the Cardinals come to town and it's always evident when you watch the games. They're almost home games for the Cardinals. But, a new day is coming, the Cardinals' dominance over the Royals should be coming to an end, if not this year, then definitely next year and beyond.

That's why the beer for this weekend is Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous. Kansas Citians are not full of braggadaccio like St. Louisians, but we know we're better. We're sublimely self-righteous. Not only does the name match what the weekend will be like, but it's a wonderful beer. A sweet, citrusy, hoppy taste mixed with a little roasted and nutty flavors, Sublimely Self Righteous strikes that wonderful balance of easily drinkable while full of many flavors. Sublimely Self Righteous is one of the best beers you can buy at any price, but for $5 - $6 it's nearly unparalleled. Beating the Cardinals on any given day is just about the best thing that can happen. Taking 2 of 3 or sweeping them is the equivalent of a great beer for a low price. Drinking Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous is the equivalent of a 3 game sweep, which is why Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous is the beer for the weekend.

Utopias

Got $150 burning a hole in your pocket? Want to spend that on a rare beer? Today's your day because Sam Adams Utopias is out. It's very rare but should be available at all the usual suspect places.

I've had a snifter of Utopias before and I did enjoy it. I'd never actually buy any. It tastes enough like Cognac that I'd rather spend the money on an actual bottle of good cognac. But, your mileage may vary. It does come in a cool little bottle and glass and might be worth it once, but I think you buy a lot of really good beer for that kind of coin. I would suggest getting a couple of bottles of Avery The Beast Grand Cru, it tastes about the same.

Lagunitas Fun

We're having our first of many little KC Beer Blog contests. It's being held at the KC Beer Blog Facebook page. You must like the page to take part in the contest. At stake is ownership of a Lagunitas Mason Jar, my preferred beer glass. All you have to do is take a picture of an open bottle of one of the new to market Lagunitas beers, along with that beer poured into a glass with the words "KC Beer Blog" visible and post that picture to the wall of the KC Beer Blog Facebook page. The first 3 people to do so will each get a Lagunitas Mason Jar. The first person to post a pic with each of the new Lagunitas beers will get a pair of Lagunitas Mason Jars.

You must "like" the KC Beer Blog Facebook page in order to post pics, so get on it. You don't care about a Lagunitas Mason Jar? Well I have a couple different prizes to give away in the coming weeks that will only be announced on the Facebook page so go ahead and "like" it if you haven't already.

The New Laguniti are Here

It's been 6 months since I started my effort to get the entire Lagunitas lineup into the KC market. It's been 6 months well spent since, starting today, 3 more Lagunitas year round beers will be hitting store shelves in town. Maximus IPA and Censored Ale sixers and Imperial Stout 22 oz. bombers will be available year round on both sides of the state line. I'd love for Pils to be available too, but I'm okay with the 3 new ones.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm going to buy all 3 this morning. I'm probably not going to make it to dinner tonight without opening one. But, day drinking Lagunitas is definitely not advised, especially with these 3. Censored is probably the best bet at 6.75% ABV, but it's also the one I'm least excited about. Imperial Stout's 10.14% would prove to be too much in an afternoon. So, my guess is the Maximus IPA will be the first one into my gullet. If I could only wait until late this evening, I'd go with the Imperial Stout, especially to pair with the rain. I don't know how it's going to work out, just that it's a big day for me and by the end of the day I'm sure that the beer will be speaking and I'll just be mumbling.

As always, let us know where you've found the new beers. If you don't see them at your favorite store, ask for them and let them know you're looking for it. If your favorite store carries no Lagunitas, stomp your foot and leave in a snit. It's unforgivable now to not carry the best beer for the money, Lagunitas.

Under the (Beer) Radar: Dish Pizza

While it doesn’t appear in the authoritative Kansas City Beer Travel Guide (nor should it), Dish Pizza (846 S 291 Highway, Liberty, MO) is an option you might not have considered if you’re looking for good beer. In fact, it might just be your best choice for a beer in the greater central Clay County suburbplex.


A group of friends and I get together on a semi-regular basis to have some laughs and some beers, and majority geography (I’m the only non-Northlander) dictated that we find a place in the northern reaches of the metro. One night we decided to give the Dish a try, and it’s been our regular gathering spot ever since.

The Dish doesn’t appear on anyone’s list of must-visit beer destinations in the metro. This is due in part to its location beyond most people’s radar in Liberty, but mostly it’s because it’s not a beer “destination”. There is no brand-specific (or style-specific, for that matter) glassware. They’re not going to beg their distributor for a case of something rare like Abacus or Kentucky Breakfast Stout.

What you will find is a surprisingly varied bottled beer selection to go with their very good Chicago-style deep dish pizza. Their stock rotates frequently; we have found everything from St. Bernardus Abt 12 to Old Rasputin to Bell’s Two Hearted.

Six days a week, they offer better-than-average pricing on these beers. However, on Tuesdays all of their bottles are on sale at some of the lowest prices you’ll see anywhere.

Last night, we drank Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ and IPA for $2.50 a bottle. Founders Dirty Bastard was the same price. Boulevard’s Double Wide (12oz) was $3.25, which isn’t much more than the per-bottle price in a liquor store.

If it’s not worth a trip in and of itself, the Dish is certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area. Order a deep dish pizza—it’s their specialty, and they do a really good job. And with those beers on the menu, you can take advantage of the fact that their pizza requires some extra time in the oven.

Rock Out With Your Kwak Out at Swagger

The video below was taken at Swagger by the folks at The Roaming Pint. The Roaming Pint people travel the nation going to breweries and drinking at good beer bars. To my knowledge, they're the first to use the KC Beer Drinking Guide to find a place to drink when they used it to hit up Swagger last night. From the looks of the video, they had a good time and learned a little about Kwak which is on draft at Swagger.

Craft Beer Week

A lot of beertivities this week to celebrate Craft Beer Week. The Foundry is going to be tapping a rare keg every night at 6:00.

Monday Schlafly Hop Toddy
Tuesday Firestone Walker 14
Wednesday Goose Island Vanilla Bourbon County Stout
Thursday Stone Chipotle Smoked Porter
Friday New Belgium Oh La La

McCoy's will tapping special casks and firkins all week. Beer Kitchen will be having mini 3 course beer dinners. For more information on all these events check out Beer KC.

Boulevard will be having a couple of tastings around town this week as well. Tonight, they'll be sampling Smokestack beers at Cellar and Loft from 6 - 7. Tomorrow night from 6:30 - 8:00 they'll be pouring some Boulevard beers at Barley's in Shawnee.

75th Street Brewery is starting their homebrewing competition tonight at 6, so get down there to try some good homebrew and vote for your favorite.

Berbiglia across from Royal on 103rd will be having a tasting of 15+ breweries on Thursday night for the low price of $2 with take home etched glass.

All this activity has me worn out so check out FatCat KC and Show Me Beer for more events or more details about these events.

But, if you really want to take Craft Beer Week to heart, take out a co-worker who doesn't drink what you drink and buy them a Boulevard or a Tallgrass or a Free State or a Schlafly, anything and share with them what you like about beer. Maybe it will make them think twice next time they order a beer, maybe it won't, but I'll bet the beer will do the talking for you.

Kansas City Beer Travel Guide

I get an email once or twice a week asking me where to go for the beer minded individual visiting KC. I used to type up a different response for each one based on specific itinerary or part of town, etc. But, it ended up taking up so much time, in case you didn't notice, I can get a little wordy, especially if I'm trying to hurry through something. So I thought it might be a good idea to just make this into a blog post that I can just link to and be much more thorough. I won't just cover beer locations though, I'll cover my choices for restaurants and beers not to be missed. Consider this my travel guide to KC. Unlike every other post on the KC Beer Blog, though, this will be a living document to be updated as new things enter town and others leave town.

Breweries
Boulevard (2501 SW Blvd, Kansas City, MO) - Obviously Boulevard is the biggest brewery in the KC area. Unless you're really planning ahead and have 3 months before you're coming to town, you're going to have a tough time getting a tour. The tour is well worth going on for no other reason than you can try all of the Boulevard beers if you're not familiar with them. You can book the tour here.

Free State (636 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS)- Free State is actually in Lawrence which some people consider part of KC. I do not, but Free State is a great enough place and Lawrence certainly worth an afternoon of your trip to KC. I've never been to Lawrence and not gone to Free State for at least a beer. It's a brewpub and they have great food as well.

McCoy's Public House (4057 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO) - McCoy's is a brewpub in the middle of Westport, the best beer bar area around town. McCoy's beer is good, but not that different from most brewpubs across the US. It's a great place for a beer and a dinner or lunch that can satisfy any number of moods for food.

Gordon Biersch (100 E. 14th, Kansas City, MO) - Located in the Power & Light District, a city planned district that lacks any local character, but has the benefit of being downtown across the street from the Sprint Center. If you're staying in the downtown area, Gordon-Biersch is a great place to get a beer. If you're in a part of the US with your own Gordon-Biersch, there's no reason to go to this one. But, they do have good food (if a little overpriced) and good German style beers.

75th Street Brewery (520 W. 75th, Kansas City, MO) - 75th Street's beer can be a little hit or miss, but they have good pub food and it is a really cool place. 75th Street is located in the southern part of KC in Waldo which is another great area in town for beer. Waldo is also the best bet for beer for those who are staying in Overland Park.

Beers
Boulevard Tank 7 - If you're in a part of the world without access to Boulevard beers, Tank 7 is the beer you're going to want to get. It's on tap in most of the best restaurants and bars in town so it's not hard to find. It's also available in 750 mL bottles and 4 packs of 12 ounce bottles.

Tallgrass Oasis - Tallgrass is a brewery in Manhattan, KS and Oasis is my favorite of their beers. It may be a little harder to find around town, especially on tap, but it's worth your time. Oasis comes in 4 packs of 16 ounce cans.

Free State Ad Astra - As mentioned above, Free State is a Lawrence brewery. They only distribute to Kansas and Missouri so, odds are, you don't have access to Free State on a regular basis. Of the beers that they distribute, this is my favorite. But, if you see another Free State beer on tap around town, go for it, they don't make a bad beer.

Boulevard Long Strange Tripel - Aside from Tank 7, this is my favorite Boulevard beer from the Smokestack series. It's not available on tap and only comes in the 750 mL bottle. Pair this with your favorite dessert and you'll be very happy.

Bars, Beer and Otherwise
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium (101 E. 13th, Kansas City, MO)- The Flying Saucer is the biggest and best place for beer in town. They have the most beers on tap and have a great selection of local beers. Even if you are coming from a town with its own Flying Saucer, you should still go to Kansas City's. If you're staying downtown, the Saucer is the perfect place to end your evening. Kansas City has so many food options you'd be silly to eat at the Saucer, but if you do, just get a slice of pizza.

Beer Kitchen (435 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO) - Beer Kitchen in Westport is a great stop for lunch or dinner. They have great burgers which shouldn't be missed and, while they only have 8 beers on tap, those beers are usually pretty rare and special. Beer Kitchen also has an extensive selection of bottled beers. Located just across the street from McCoy's mentioned above, you can spend a great afternoon in Westport.

The Foundry (424 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO) - Another Westport bar across the street from Beer Kitchen and connected to McCoy's. The Foundry has more of a focus on Belgian beers and they have a great selection of taps as well as bottled beers. The Foundry also has great food and is a great late night spot.

Blanc Burgers and Bottles (4710 Jefferson St., Kansas City, MO; 10583 Mission Rd., Leawood, KS)- I consider Blanc more of a restaurant than a bar, but they do have an extensive selection of bottles and 4 taps (at the KC location) with some rather rare or tough to find beers. What you can't miss at Blanc, though, are the burgers. If you eat a better burger in the United States I will refund the money you spent on this travel guide. Blanc has 2 locations, one in the Plaza which you're probably going to anyway and one in Leawood. The Plaza one is probably better because of a more extensive beer list (more beers available in Missouri which is where The Plaza is than in Kansas). Make Blanc one of your meals while in town.

Swagger (8431 Wornall, Kansas City, MO) - Swagger is located in Waldo, the southern part of KC, in a nondescript strip mall in a nondescript part of town. What sets Swagger apart, though, is the massive beer list including lots of taps. Swagger is another place you may consider eating with quite an array of different, unique food, including an eclectic selection of burgers. If you consider yourself a glutton or appreciate gluttonous food, you should definitely check out the Swagger menu when planning your trip.

Waldo Pizza (7433 Broadway, Kansas City, MO) - For the beer traveler with kids, Waldo Pizza is a Godsend. Blanc, McCoy's and 75th Street Brewery are fine places for kids and you definitely shouldn't think twice about bringing kids there. But, Waldo Pizza is the best of the bunch kids wise. And, they have a great beer selection and some of the best pizza in town.

Harry's Country Club (112 E. Missouri Ave., Kansas City, MO)- Located in the River Market area, Harry's is a gem of a bar. It really is one of my favorite places in the city. They have a great happy hour with discounted beer, booze and food. The $3.95 burger and fries during happy hour is one of the best deals in town. They have a great beer selection, but nothing really rare or hard to find. You can get some great beer, good food and look at a naked Indian woman above the bar. I think you'll find everything you need at Harry's.

Westside Local (1663 Summit, Kansas City, MO) - The Westside Local which is a mere mile or two away from Boulevard Brewery has a nice little beer list and good food (try the burger or grilled cheese sandwich). It might be a perfect place to stop in for an afternoon beer and snack or go all the way and grab lunch or dinner here.

Barley's Brewhaus (16649 Midland Dr., Shawnee, KS; 11924 W. 119th, Overland Park, KS) - Barley's has 2 locations in town, Overland Park and Shawnee. Barley's has mediocre food but by no means bad food and has a great beer selection, especially for the Kansas side of the state line. Mostly tap beer, some good finds can be had, but since it is in Kansas some of the more well known brands are not available such as Stone, Firestone Walker, Bell's and Founders.

Grinders (417 E. 18th, Kansas City, MO) - Grinders is probably the most unique place in Kansas City to get a good beer. They have about 20 taps most of which rotate so you never know what you're going to find there. Another place with eclectic food such as Tandoori Chicken Pizza or Chili and Tater Tot Pizza. Kind of a bad place for those with kids. Grinders is one of those places where a motorcycle gang and 5 guys in suits could be sitting at tables side by side. Be prepared to stay a while as service is notoriously spotty.

Riot Room (4048 Broadway, Kansas City, MO) - The Riot Room has great taps and is a great place. A problem with Riot Room is it is a concert venue so if you're going late in the evening, you're going to pay a cover to see the band. If that doesn't interest you, show up when they open at 5 and you can sit at the bar and drink any of their fine selections. They tend to have some rare beers and because of the issues with drinking there, the rare stuff lasts longer than it should.  Located next to McCoy's and The Foundry in Westport, it's just one more great beer place on a great beer block.

All Star Pizza and Pub (6100 NW 63rd Ter, Kansas City, MO) - Near historic Parkville, All Star Pizza and Pub is just about the only place in the Northland to get a good selection of beer. If you're going to Parkville for an afternoon and want to make a good beer stop and get some food, All Star Pizza and Pub is your best bet.

The Well (7421 Broadway, Kansas City, MO) - Another place in Waldo with a good beer selection. For the younger crowd, The Well is more of a house music type place with slicked up Guidos drinking Bud Light everywhere. But, The Well has good bar food, decent beer selection and one of the best decks in KC.

Harpo's (4109 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO) - Yet another Westport bar, this one next to Beer Kitchen with a good beer selection. Harpo's is a pretty standard bar, like The Well, popular with younger people. But, they have an excellent patio with a well thought out selection of beers on tap. If you're visiting KC in the summer, Harpo's may be a good choice for you to drink outside. If you don't like it, you can leave just as quickly and hit up Beer Kitchen, McCoy's, Riot Room or The Foundry.

O'Malley's (500 Welt St., Weston, MO) - A historic bar unlike any other. Located almost entirely underground in cement encased rooms, you'll never see another bar quite like it. On the off chance you're going to travel to Weston when you come to KC, O'Malley's is worth a stop.

Granfalloon (608 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO) - If you're going to spend a day shopping on The Country Club Plaza or eating at one of the great restaurants on The Plaza (see Blanc Burgers and Bottles) you may want to stop in for a drink. I've never been a fan of Granfalloon, but they've recently undergone a renovation adding a bunch of new taps and if you're in the area already, Granfalloon will certainly have some good beer for you to drink.

Manifesto (1924 Main, Kansas City, MO) - Not a beer bar. Manifesto has some of the best cocktails in the country. It's a modern day speakeasy with seating for 40. You buzz in at the back door, leave your name and number and they'll let you know when you can go down to the bar. It's well worth it, you'll drink the best cocktails you're going to find in KC. While you're waiting, you can have a cocktail at the more conventional bar at The Rieger Hotel Grill and Exchange (Manifesto is in the basement of the Rieger). It's a great place to spend an evening.

R Bar (1617 Genessee St., Kansas City, MO) - R Bar is what a proper bar should be. Great cocktails and a decent selection of beers on tap, I'd recommend the cocktails. Located in the West Bottoms, it's a destination place as not much else is in the area. But, it's only 5 minutes from downtown so it's an easy to get to out of the way type place.

Pierpont's (30 W. Pershing, Kansas City, MO) - Pierpont's is primarily a restaurant in Union Station. But, they have an excellent bar that you'll be giddy about when you see it. You can get several Boulevard beers on tap, but you're probably going to want a cocktail just to see if you can make one of the bartenders climb the ladder to get your liquor. If you're looking for a good steakhouse in town, you can do a lot worse than Pierpont's, it's one of my favorite restaurants in town.

Liquor Stores
I'm assuming you may want to take some beer not available in your area back with you so I thought I'd recommend a couple of stores where you can find a good selection of beer. Depending on where you're from you may need a little education on buying beer in Kansas and Missouri. Because the state line runs right through the middle of town, we have 2 different systems in place. In Kansas, you cannot buy beer in a grocery or convenience store. Well, you can, you just don't want to, it's 3.2 beer and not full strength. In Missouri you can buy beer at a grocery or convenience store. As mentioned above, Missouri has more beers available than Kansas and you'll probably want to visit a liquor store in Missouri, but if you're looking for local beers, a Kansas liquor store will work just as well for your needs and depending on where you're staying in town, may be preferable. I'll note which stores are in Kansas and which are in Missouri.

Tipsy's (KS) (6840 Johnson Dr., Mission, KS) - Tipsy's is the store I frequent most simply because they're the closest to my house. But, they have an excellent selection, have good prices and are extremely helpful.

Royal Liquor on State Line (MO) (1301 W. 103rd St., Kansas City, MO) - This is my Missouri liquor store where I pick up Founders, Bell's, Firestone Walker and Stone beers. Again, they have an excellent selection, good prices and are very helpful and friendly.

Gomer's (KS and MO) (3838 Broadway, Kansas City, MO; 12740 W. 87th St., Lenexa, KS; 6298 NW Hwy 9, Parkville, MO; 9902 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO, 201 SE State Rte 291, Lee's Summit, MO ) - Gomer's has several locations and is the best bet to be near where you are staying. Gomer's South, North, Lee's Summit, Midtown, Lenexa all are good stores with good selections. You'll be able to find what you need or want at any of them.

Lukas (KS and MO) (13657 Washington St., Kansas City, MO; 7541 W. 119th St., Overland Park, KS)- I'm listing Lukas here simply because they do have everything. If it's available in MO or KS, Lukas will have it. I don't personally like Lukas because shopping there has all the charm of shopping in a warehouse and I don't find them in any way helpful. Plus, their 2 KC area locations are not very convenient for the traveler. But, if you're looking for something hard to find, Lukas would be your best bet.

Barbecue
If you're coming to KC, you're more than likely going to want to eat barbecue at least once. You ask a Kansas Citian where to get the best barbecue and you're going to get many different answers, so keep in mind this is just one man's list. Another person's is just as valid and I assure you, unless you live in a barbecue mecca yourself, our 10th best place is better than your best place so this is all just academic.

Oklahoma Joe's (3002 W. 47th St., Kansas City, KS; 11950 Strang Line Rd., Olathe, KS) - OJoe's is pretty close to a consensus #1 pick for barbecue in town. They have the best pulled pork you're ever going to eat and some of the best fries in town. Everything's good at OJoe's. Don't be a hero and get the large sandwich, it will ruin the rest of your day, it's too big. The regular size sandwich is fine, you'll get full. You can get Boulevard beers on tap at Ojoe's and at most of the barbecue places in town. Go to the one in the gas station on 47th St. if you have the opportunity.

Gates (1325 E. Emanuel Cleaver, Kansas City, MO; 3205 Main St., Kansas City, MO; 1221 Brooklyn Ave., Kansas City, MO; 4621 Paseo Blvd., Kansas City, MO; 103rd and State Line, Kansas City, MO; 10440 E US HWY 40, Independence, MO; 1026 State Ave., Kansas City, KS )- Gates is a Kansas City landmark. Odds are if you've ever seen a television show dedicated to Kansas City barbecue, you've seen Gates. The simple order of ham on bun will get you a great barbecue ham sandwich and fries. That's what I get.

Arthur Bryant's (1727 Brooklyn Ave., Kansas City, MO; 3200 N. Ameristar Dr., Kansas City, MO; 1702 W. Village Pkwy, Kansas City, KS) - Bryant's is one of those love or hate type of places because of their sauce. I like their sauce, but it's quite vinegarry and not something you're probably used to. Known for their burnt ends which in turn is the reason KC is known for burnt ends, if you want to know why KC has this reputation, Arthur Bryant's is the answer. Go to the downtown location on Brooklyn by the Negro Leagues Museum if you're going.

LC's (5800 Blue Pkwy, Kansas City, MO) - LC's is out near the stadiums so may be a good place to go if you're in town for a game. It's what a good barbecue place should be, a little scary looking in a scary looking part of town. Somehow, that makes the Q taste better.

Danny Edward's Blvd Barbecue (2900 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO) - Danny Edwards has great barbecue as well and is just down the street from Boulevard Brewery. If you can get a late morning tour, Danny Edwards might be a good place for lunch.

Smokin' Guns (1218 Swift Ave., North Kansas City, MO) - Known mostly for their brisket, Smokin' Guns should be your choice if you're looking for some good beef and willing to cross the river to the Northland.

RJ's Bob-be-Que (5835 Lamar Ave., Mission, KS) - RJ's puts a little gourmet spin on barbecue. While they have good barbecue, they also have a fine selection of other delicacies such as bison empanadas which might just strike your fancy. They also have a great breakfast with some of the best bacon you'll ever eat. If you're staying in Kansas or near The Plaza, RJ's may be worth a trip. RJ's also has a good beer selection and is probably the most beer friendly barbecue around.

Fiorella's Jackstack (4747 Wyandotte St., Kansas City, MO; 101 W. 22nd St. Kansas City, MO; 13441 Holmes, Kansas City, MO, 9520 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS) - If you wish to wipe your hands with cloth napkins and have waiter service, Jackstack is the place for you. It's really good barbecue probably top 5, it's just more of a fancy schmancy type meal for no good reason. A cheesy corn bake or Jackstack baked beans are mandatory if you're there. A good beer selection can be found at Jackstack as well. With 4 locations in town, you're likely to be near one at some point on your trip.

Summary
This is by no means an exhaustive list of things to do, see, eat and drink in KC and should just be used as a resource in planning for your trip to KC. If you're into burgers this article in "All About Beer" magazine which I contributed to may prove a valuable guide as well. I'm sure commenters may add a couple of great things to the discussion so check out the comments. I'm going to keep this updated as things come and go so no matter what the date says on this post, know that it's pretty current. I've also included links to Yelp reviews of all these places to better crowd source this guide.

Radio Beers

As you're reading this you may be listening to me on KCUR 89.3 discussing these 5 beers that are great gateway beers. Not only are they good gateways, they're good beers for the novice and beer geek alike. So if you've read about them before, don't click on the links, but if you haven't, links are provided for your pleasure.

Tallgrass Halcyon
Boulevard Amber
Boulevard Tank 7
Great Divide Hoss
Stone Levitation - I've never actually written anything about Stone Levitation but it's an Amber style ale like Boulevard Amber but has more of a roast taste and a well balanced hop presence. It might be a little jarring if you're not sure you like hops, but if you do like hop flavor, Levitation is a fine introduction to more aggressively hopped Stone beers and IPA's.

All of these except Tank 7 are available for sampling tonight at the Royal Liquor free tasting as well as numerous other beers. You'll probably find something you love more than the beers I mentioned rendering my appearance moot.

Some other beers I've recommended have been part of the Beer for the Weekend feature can be found here.

If you're interested in more local beer blogs check out the Local Beer Feeds section on the right hand side of this page.

Schlafly Tasting and Briggs Sighting

Gomer's South is doing a Schlafly tasting tonight, presumably to coincide with the appearance of Schlafly AIPA in town (a beer so important that it caused The Hopry to sacrifice his principle of fridging the hops and buy a warm sixer of it). Schlafly makes a lot of beers but they're pretty hit and miss for me. I suppose the same is true for you too, so this is a good opportunity to try out a few and find out what you enjoy.

That's not the best part though, the best part is KC Schlafly representative Gary Briggs will be there to answer your questions and bathe you in cool. When presented an opportunity to meet Briggs you don't dilly dally, you get to where Briggs is and meet the man that brings us Schlafly.

The fun begins at 4 and ends at 6. Maybe pair this tasting up with the Lagunitas tasting over a Mike's and you'll have a cool buzz and you'll be fine (good luck finding some tasty waves).

Beer for the Weekend - Lagunitas New Dogtown Pale Ale

Lagunitas Pale Ale was on my short list of beers to include on my radio appearance yesterday. A couple of reasons why it didn't make the cut; I think most Kansas Citians who've made a foray into craft beer have had a Boulevard Pale Ale, it may have taken, it may not have. I didn't want to advocate a style that someone had tried and maybe not enjoyed, though I still advocated the Tallgrass Halcyon because it's just that good. Second, I went a little Lagunitas crazy last time I was on the show and I wanted to spread the love a little bit.

But, Lagunitas New Dogtown Pale Ale is one of my favorite beers to have around at all times. It's not the most popular of the Lagunitas offerings, in fact it's not even sold in Missouri anymore, but, I enjoy it more than the Lagunitas IPA. With some new Lagunitas offerings on the way next week, reacquaint yourself (or acquaint yourself) with one that's been in town for a while. Lagunitas New Dogtown Pale Ale is the beer for the weekend.

Mike's Liquor Store on Wornall and 83rd is having a Lagunitas tasting tonight starting at 4. You can get a taste of some Hop Stoopid and Lagunitas IPA and you may get a taste of Maximus, Censored and Imperial Stout if the distributor gets them in today.

Royal Tasting

Royal Liquor on State Line is having a big beer tasting tonight from 6-8. Beers from 25 breweries will be available for sample and should be a good time. Some brewery representatives will be available for questioning/grilling/complaining to as well. Royal Liquors has become one of the best stores in town for beer and it's good to see them have an event like this. But, if you don't come they won't have more. The whole thing's free so take the opportunity to try some beer that you haven't had the gumption to pull the trigger on.

Bull on the Radio - Again

To introduce Craft Beer Week next week, I've been asked to be on Central Standard Thursday morning at 10. I will be the first guest and will be on from 10-10:30. So if you're really wanting to torture yourself, listen in and try to stay awake as I prattle on for 30 minutes about beer.

As part of the segment I will be choosing 5 beers that could serve as an introduction to craft beer for Bud, Miller and Coors drinkers. If you'd like to chime in on what beers you'd like to hear about or predict which beers I'm going to present, leave a comment. Since I haven't figured out the 5 beers yet (because they first booked me for next Thursday), your comment could influence the segment. Also, if you know of any events around town next week for craft beer week leave a comment.

The show is on taxpayer subsidized radio KCUR 89.3. I'll have the links to the podcast version of the show after they're posted.

Kansas City

It doesn't have anything to do with beer, but since I served you up about 500 words about Harry Connick Jr. in 1991, I don't think you'll mind. Pop open a Boulevard, find a comfy chair and read Joe Posnanski's story about Kansas City being Home. You won't regret it.

Then, if you haven't done it already, whether you care about baseball or not, read Posnanski's book about Buck O'Neill.

Truth in Beervertising

I learned from Beernews that Breckenridge spent $10k on an advertising campaign for Denver called Truth in Beervertising that mocks advertising for Bud, Miller and Coors. My favorite is immediately below; the gravity activated pouring system. They're all pretty great making fun of the most easily satired big beer marketing schemes out there.

Weissbier Connick Jr.

I have those socks

When I was in high school I was a big fan of Harry Connick Jr. He had done the soundtrack to "When Harry Met Sally" which was fabulous. He had an instrumental CD with his trio, a couple of solo albums singing standards and I enjoyed them all. He even starred in "Memphis Belle" and sang the best version of "Danny Boy" I've heard. Back in those days CD's came in long cardboard boxes where the CD cover was resized to be the cover of the box. I cut the front of the CD boxes and hung them on my bedroom wall. If I was going to be gay, Harry Connick was going to break my cherry.

At some point during my obsession with Harry he did the obligatory "60 Minutes" interview of the wunderkind breaking through into the mainstream with unmainstreamlike music. During the piece, Mike Wallace asked him about the standard comparison with Frank Sinatra. To which Harry said he will never be able to sing as well as Frank and demonstrated his voice and said "can you hear all that breath in their". Then they played a clip of Frank singing and sure enough, Frank was all voice and no air. It was a spot on answer to the question.

What does Harry Connick describing his voice in 1992 have to do with anything beer related? Harry's answer is what I thought of when drinking the Schlafly Bavarian Style Weissbeer.

The Weissbier tastes much like KC Beer Blog favorite Schlafly No. 15. It has the banana and clove flavors that made No. 15 so drinkable and simplistically complex. But, the clove and banana flavors are kind of mixed up with some light malt flavor and a bit of a watery taste. It kinds of tastes like a watered down No. 15. So much like Harry Connick's voice is kind of airy in comparison to the legend Sinatra, Weissbier tastes like a watery version of No. 15.

While I think Harry Connick certainly enjoyed Frank Sinatra, I think answering this question over and over again may have made him resent Sinatra. It certainly didn't diminish Connick as a performer, "She" and "Hope Floats" did that (as well as reaching a low point in the movie "P.S. I Love You" by having to tell Hilary Swank that she was gorgeous, perhaps the most difficult acting job ever, and not succeeding at all). But, "Red Light, Blue Light", "We Are In Love" and "20" were great CD's and definitely worth repeated listenings to this day. Just because Harry's voice wasn't as great as the Chairman of the Board doesn't make him less enjoyable. The same is true of Schlafly Bavarian Style Weissbier. It's well worth your time, it just doesn't quite reach legendary status.

Greetings from Milton

As Bull mentioned last month, I recently left Kansas City to take a job at Dogfish Head. I've been trying to find the time to put together a blog post about the move but it's been a little hectic. I decided to sit down this weekend and finally compose something. I figured most people won't care much about my move or the work I'm doing but they'd want to hear more about the brewery, so I put together a list of tips for anyone who might want to make the trip out to Milton or Rehoboth. I had always wanted to make the trip to Milton before taking this job with Dogfish, but it didn't seem feasible from KC and I knew next to nothing about the area. Hopefully this will help convince a few of you that it's not as much trouble as it seems and it's definitely worth it.

Delawhere?
Not gonna lie, Milton and Rehoboth are a little out of the way... My first trip out here was through Philadelphia, an airport that I absolutely despise. After flying back to KC from Germany a few years ago there was a massive delay at PHL that caused me to have to spend the night in the terminal, it wasn't fun. Philadelphia is two hours from Milton by Google Maps, but it ends up being more like an hour and a half or less because speed limits in Delaware are entirely optional. I hear a lot of folks say they fly out of Baltimore because it's a smaller airport and there's less hassle for the same commute. I haven't flown out of Baltimore because I've found there are fairly regular direct flights out of Reagan in DC and it's only a 15 or 20 minute longer drive, totally worth it for a non-stop flight and you don't have to deal with Philadelphia.

Philadelpia definitely has it's charms though and it's got great beer places to make it worth visting at least once. The last time I went through Philly I made a point to stop by Monk's Cafe, it was awesome. I had a pot of mussels cooked in sour ale and they had Pliny the Younger on tap. It was cool to say I've had Pliny the Younger but it really didn't taste much different than the Elder, I honestly enjoyed the pint of Allagash White I got a lot more with the mussels. I hear DC has plenty of great beer spots too, but I haven't spent any time there just yet.

So let's say you've got your flight booked, now what? Milton will probably be your first stop, it's on the way from the airport (doesn't matter which one) to Rehoboth Beach. The brewery is a pretty neat place, it's on the south side of a little town about the size of Weston, MO. In fact, I think Milton and Weston have a lot in common, lots of antique shops and old homes. Milton has a few more restaurants and a grocery store but it's still tiny, it's not going to be the high point of your Off-Centered vacation.

The brewery is just that, a production brewery... you can take a tour and do a tasting, that sort of thing. There a few surprises on the tour that make it worth your time even if you've been on a thousand other brewery tours before. The tasting room/gift shop is the final stop, this is where you can pick up T-shirts, beer soap and glassware. The nice thing about Delaware is that you can buy beer directly from the brewery, and there's no sales tax (at all) so this will be the cheapest place to stock up. The only downside is that the state doesn't allow single 12oz bottles to be sold individually so if you want World Wide Stout or 120 Minute you'll have to commit to a 4pack, which isn't cheap... but totally worth it. Also worth noting, there's a ton of traffic through the tasting room so seasonal stuff doesn't last long. Aprihop was gone in about a week, so if arrive just past the release of a seasonal beer you might not be able to find it at the brewery.

Brewings and Eats
After you've had your fill of the brewery in Milton you'll probably want to head to Rehoboth Beach. The easiest way to get there? Just follow one of the other cars leaving the brewery... I bet 90% of the people leave the brewery and go straight to the pub. It's a short drive, maybe 10-15 minutes. It's short enough that brewery employees will go to the brewpub over their lunch break.

Rehoboth is an interesting area, it reminds me a lot of Branson and Panama Beach. It's definitely touristy, with a lot of kitschy seafood places, go-karts and a huge outlet mall. The outlet mall is actually worth noting because, again, there is no sales tax at all in Delaware. The first time I came out here I stopped at Banana Republic and picked up a jacket to take back to my fiance, it set me back a whole $6.

Downtown Rehoboth has a very mid-Atlantic Victoria feel to with it's boardwalk along the beach and old timey hotels. Four blocks or so from the boardwalk is the Dogfish brewpub. If you came out to Delaware to experience crazy beer, this will be the highlight of your trip. All of the standard Dogfish beers will be on tap along with the current seasonal and probably the previous seasonal as well. There will also be up to a dozen more brewpub exclusive beers on tap. These beers are brewed at the brewpub as tests or small batch collaborations between coworkers or other companies (not necessarily other brewers). While the beer at the brewpub is unparalleled, the food won't blow you aware. It's standard pub fare for the most part, with local ingredients and a bit more seafood. Don't get me wrong, some of the items are great (Shrimp Club Sandwich) but it's not a four star dining experience. It's for the best in the end though when you're drinking 18% ABV beers you'll be in the mood for a burger and onion rings.

Centered Ales for Centered People
Ok, so you've done all the Dogfish stuff there is to do, it's about a day's worth of activity, not something that will take a whole weekend... Now what? Well, if you haven't had your fill of craft beer yet there is plenty left to do. In Rehoboth there's a great little beer bar called the Pickled Pig Pub where they've got two dozen taps and a nice bottle list that will keep you occupied for a couple hours. Every Thursday they hook up a Randall to one of their taps and fill it with something crazy. The last time I was there I had a Haymaker from Evolution Brewing Co. Randalled through apple slices and oak chips that were soaked in Rum. It was interesting. The food here is a couple notches above the Dogfish brewpub.

Evolution Brewing, Burly Oak, Georgetown Brewing and Fordham are all local breweries within a short drive from Milton and Rehoboth. I haven't visited any of the others so I can't really say who's worth the trip but Evolution makes some pretty solid beer.

If you've had enough of "lower slower Delaware" all together, you can take the ferry near Rehoboth up to Cape May on the south Jersey Shore and find a nice beach bar that serves Bud Light Lime by the gallon. You could always drive back to DC, Philly or Baltimore to visit Church Key, Yard's or Clipper City respectively. New York is about four hours away as well if you want to make a long weekend out of it all.

So yeah, it's been fun putting writing this all down. I've only been here a month so there's probably a lot I don't know about the area yet, but it's definitely grown on me over the short amount of time I've been here. I think the beer has helped a lot with that. If any of you ever make it out to The First State you'll have to look me up, we'll go get a beer or ten.

Cheers!

Blind IPA

Plastic tasting glasses, why didn't we think of that?

Perhaps the most prolific of KC bloggers of beer, FatCatKC, has started his own blind beer tasting group. For their first session they tasted 11 IPA's blind. A couple of things struck me about his test. First, it never occurred to the Gents to use plastic tasting cups, we're always toting glassware around. Second, he used his wife to pour the beers whereas our wives fled the building when we did a Gents at someone's house. Last and probably most important, the FatCat group graded those IPA's which were most different, in the IPA's case, the most malty. This confirms my theory that in a blind tasting, the beer that is different is graded the worst.

Check out FatCat's post to see the results.

Beer for the Weekend - Left Hand Good Juju

It's a big weekend for all the mothers out there*. Dads and kids are going to cook breakfasts. Flowers and chocolates will be received. Weird licking may even occur. We need a good all purpose beer for this weekend. That beer is Left Hand Good Juju.

*This is Mother's Day, not female owners of a dog or cat day. If you own a dog or cat and don't have children, your dog or cat is not your child and you are not eligible for Mother's Day or Father's Day. This is very important because it is immensely insulting to real mothers. The same goes for calling your dog or cat your child. If your child has 4 legs, you've had some freaky unprotected sex. This does not apply to monkey owners. If you own a monkey, you can do as you wish.

Left Hand Good Juju is a beer made with ginger, not a ginger beer. It's relatively light, really tastes great and makes for easy drinking. Since the ginger really brightens a morning, it may help the fathers out there cope with cooking breakfast with the kids, which, depending on the age of your kids, may actually be the most discouraging thing you do all year. You're going to need a drink for that, and go ahead and give one to your wife for breakfast too.

Good Juju is available on both sides of the state line but it may be a little harder to find. You'll probably need to go to one of the better beer stores in town to get some.

Margarita Popsicles

Buried in my rant about Colt 45 Blast I made the assertion that I could find 50 things in the liquor store as awful with just as much alcohol. While Shark Bite Margaritas aren't quite as alcoholic and actually sound kinda tasty, they are even more kids oriented than Blast (which I don't really think is aimed at kids).

In case you don't know, and odds are you didn't, Shark Bite Margaritas are little tubes o' margarita similar to Flavor Ice, that crap you can buy 10/$1. Like Flavor Ice, Shark Bite Margaritas are meant to be frozen and eaten like a popsicle. That's right, it's an actual alcopop. If Snoop Dogg was their spokesman, Shark Bite would be illegal shortly after the announcement. But, since Shark Bite Margaritas are kinda aimed at the boating crowd and woo girls, no one really cares. And, don't get me wrong, they shouldn't.

Shark Bite Margaritas only contain about 6.7% alcohol but I'll bet it's a hella lot easier to eat 24 oz. of yummy margarita than it would be to choke down a Blueberry Pomegranate Blast. Shark Bite also has the benefit of masking the alcohol by being in popsicle form. Who's going to think twice about having a 4th popsicle?

Again, I don't think there's anything that should be illegal about Shark Bite Margaritas. They seem kind of useful and may even taste good. But, it sure does seem to me that a story could be told that they are just as dangerous and irresponsible as Blast or Four Loko. It's not at all dangerous and irresponsible, it's up to the drinker to be responsible anyway. But, you'd have a tough time convincing me that a popsicle isn't more kid oriented than a bright colored can filled with a crappy fruit concoction.

Because I picked on Shark Bite a little bit, let me sell you a little bit on it as well. Shark Bite Margaritas are a local company (at least they have a 913 phone number) and founded by a Kansan. They are made with all fresh ingredients, the lime juice is freshly squeezed, the orange liquer comes from Paula's Orange Liquer of Austin, TX. I've not had a tube of Shark Bite, but the more I read about it after seeing it at Tipsy's, I believe it's a quality product if you're in the market for frozen margaritas. It's only about $1.59/tube or $15/box of 10 tubes. Future flavors of Shark Bite include Hard Lemonade, Strawberry Margarita, rum drinks and vodka drinks.

If I can offer a word of advice to the Shark Bite Margarita people, if you get big enough for a celebrity spokesperson, go for Tony Danza and not Snoop Dogg.

Steven and Larry Sitting in a Bar C-o-l-l-a-b-o-r-a-t-i-n-g

We got word about a week and a half ago that the Gents were invited to a special deal at Boulevard with Larry Sidor and Steven Pauwels. What the deal was wasn't that clear, but when you're invited to Boulevard to drink, you go. Especially if you get to hang out with Pauwels and the brewmaster of Deschutes, Sidor. We were getting to drink in the 2nd floor employee bar, they made a sign for us and everything. The last time I got to drink at the employee bar, I got to drink Tank 7 before it came out.

I started off with a Boulevard Pilsner and had Steven eyeing me the entire time I drank it. For some reason, he found it funny how I drink beer. Then Larry and Steven described the process of how Collaboration #2 was born, Nate from KC Brew Review has the story if you're interested (he was there too, but he's decidedly not a Gent). And then we got to try a test batch that Larry had brewed in Oregon (correction: the beer we had was brewed by Boulevard).

This was just a test brew so it's not the beer that will be bottled and sold. This is a good thing and a bad thing. A bad thing, because the test brew was wonderful to drink. It was floral, light and very drinkable. Steven explained that it had coriander, sage and orange peel thrown in and that was fairly evident in the beer. Some thought the sage flavor was a little strong, but I didn't get that. What I also didn't get was the hoppy flavor that would be present in a beer labeled an IPA. Centennial, Citra and Cascade hops are in the beer giving off a citrus taste, but that bitter bite of most IPA's just wasn't there for me. It was an excellent beer, but if they sold it as a white IPA, some people might be a little upset. So, it's a good thing this wasn't the finished product, but a beer that was 90% of the way to being a great one.

Boulevard Deschutes Collaboration

Then we popped open the gifts that Larry brought from Oregon, bottles of Hop Henge IPA and Abyss. We all reacted in horror as Larry opened the first bottle with a standard opener instead of the official opener of Gents, the Josh and Kim opener. Four or five of us quickly dug our openers out of our pockets for Larry to use for any further bottle openings.

I started off with a Hop Henge, because, quite frankly, there was a bit of a scrum going on over The Abyss. Hop Henge was quite tasty and if it was the only beer I got to try last night I would be happy. But since it wasn't, it got a little lost in the shuffle. Then I tried some Abyss which has the most delicious aroma imaginable.

For those with kids this may make sense. You know when you go to Baskin Robbins or Braum's or someplace like that they have some weird ice cream concoction that's blue or pink and has sprinkles and cookie dough and cake and brownies and is flavored like cotton candy? Your kid will always get that flavor, though nothing in it is naturally occurring in nature, because it just has everything that a kid loves. The Abyss is the adult version of Super Candy Cookie Dough Sprinkle Ice Cream. It's filled with licorice, chocolate, bourbon, coffee, oak, toffee and molasses. And apparently it is 40% ABV (actually only 11) because Steven asked me what I thought of it and I said "it's better than anything you could do" which made Flenker laugh like a little schoolgirl.

As if he were responding to my challenge, Steven went downstairs to get some Two Jokers from one of the tanks. This Two Jokers was different than Two Jokers in years' past, this one was just the right amount of sour. It wasn't better than The Abyss, few things are, but it was much better than the Two Jokers I remember (which I really enjoy).

From there, I got some socializing in with the other Gents and kept alternating between The Abyss and White IPA depending on where I was standing at the time. I talked with Steven about the comments thread on the Imperial Stout refund post to which he responded that they released it because it was good, they liked the brett addition to it. Then we got kicked out because the party upstairs was getting underway. Some of the Gents looted the Gents sign out front and headed to the Saucer. But, I took the opportunity to head home with my driver for the evening, Dan, so I could tuck my kids in.

When a beer as good as Deschutes Hop Henge gets lost in all the other beers you had in an evening, you had a good evening. That's exactly what the Gents had last night. Right now, as I write this, Steven and Larry are brewing Boulevard's version of Collaboration #2. Boulevard's will take longer because of the bottle conditioning Boulevard does. Deschutes' version will not be bottle conditioned. Both should be available in KC as Deschutes should be available in June and Collaboration #2 won't be available until mid-July.

Chocolate Rosa

I can't believe there's still a keg of Boulevard Chocolate Ale around KC, but it appears there is. Tonight at 6 Jeremy Danner from Boulevard will be serving samples of Boulevard's fine products at O'Dowds in Zona Rosa. As part of the deal, O'Dowd's will be tapping a keg of Chocolate Ale. It seems as if I've written this 10 times, but this may be your last opportunity to get some Chocolate in you.

Ask a Mexican Logger

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Ska's Mexican Logger finally got approval in Missouri and is now hitting your favorite store's shelves. Now you won't have to drink Corona for the holiday. As if.

Mexican Logger is much like the Mexican beers you drank in high school but with a craft beer flair. I've heard good things, but it doesn't sound like something I'm that interested in. But, I used to think that about Pilsners and now I'm in love with a pilsner (Boulevard) and just had a great Imperial Pilsner (Abita SOS) that I was really looking forward to. So maybe Mexican Logger can bring me around to Vienna lagers, a long foregone style for me.

Like most other Ska beers, Mexican Logger is in the can so it's great for the backyard Cinco de Mayo fest or tailgating at The K.

Blanc Dinner

Gents Josh Eans of Blanc and JB from Firestone Walker are teaming up for a Blanc-Firestone Walker beer dinner at the Plaza location. If you love Blanc like I love Blanc, you're going to want to get in on this one. But, more importantly for our purposes here, Firestone Walker is providing some Anniversary 14 and another special beer that may just blow your socks off.

The dinner is Tuesday, May 17th starting at 6:30. 4 courses later you'll be full and most likely very happy. And you'll have spent a couple of hours with Josh and JB making your life even better. Cost for the meal is $50 and you'd better call soon (816-931-6200 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            816-931-6200      end_of_the_skype_highlighting) to get your reservation.

Hop Toddy Today

Schlafly's second 20th Anniversary beer, Hop Toddy is hitting KC retailers today. This is a very limited release and will only be available in a couple of stores. Today, Hop Toddy is arriving at Gomer's South, Midtown, Northland and Royal on 103rd. Tomorrow Gomer's Lee's Summit and Lukas Martin City will get it. Kansas will only be getting a couple of cases total and won't hit until later in the week.

Hop Toddy is a hopped up wheat beer aged in bourbon barrels making it similar to a hot toddy. KC isn't getting much of it and it's not going to last long, so if you're interested you'd better get out and get some as soon as possible.