Flying Dog Gonzo

You may have already read this over at Show-Me Beer, but Flying Dog brewery is exiting the Kansas and Missouri markets. I don't think I'll miss it, I ranked it the 24th best available brewery in KC in my starting 5 power rankings a year and a half ago, just ahead of Leinenkugel's. I certainly need to revisit that list, but Flying Dog would probably fall rather than rise in that system. I haven't bought any of their beers besides Gonzo Porter for a couple of years and I only bought Gonzo once or twice.

This has been a bit of a trend as of late as Great Divide, Dogfish Head and Avery have all done similar pullbacks to serve their home markets a little better. Good for Flying Dog for deciding to serve the bureaucrats, lobbyists and politicians of the DC area the mediocre to bad beer those sorts deserve.  But, this is the first time Kansas and Missouri have been deserted.

Since this has been happening, I've been wondering who was going to be next. Hoppin' Frog has been getting closed out at Tipsy's for a couple of weeks now (great bargains to be had for some really good beers). I don't think many people buy Hoppin' Frog very often, maybe they would exit Kansas. Ballast Point always seems like an afterthought, I've never bought anything of theirs. Grand Teton or Bridgeport wouldn't make much of a dent. Or maybe it could be something big like Bell's or Founders. In any case, you should keep in mind, you need to support your favorite beer because it could very well be out of market at any given time.

Other Popular Posts on KC Beer Blog