I know most of you folks probably think the only thing good north
of the river is the airport, but believe it or not there are 9 breweries and
counting north of the river. If you are
looking for something to do for nice day trip up north, that doesn’t include
Weston, I’ve got the perfect trip for you.
The first stop is Dubious Claims brewery in Excelsior Springs. It is a short walk from the historic Elms
hotel, where Harry Truman spent the night of his presidential election. The brewery is located in a revitalized
historic building with 8 of their own beers and several guest taps
available. My personal favorite was the
Vitality Vienna, a 4.8% ABV Vienna lager.
They have a full menu, and serve hand crafted pizza.
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| Flight of beer from Dubious Claims and a picture of the bar |
The next stop is the small town of Polo, Missouri located 25
miles north. Stop at the Casey’s gas
station and get a Casey’s pizza to-go, it will be the best decision you’ve ever
made. Their pizza is the stuff of legend
in small-town America.
The final stop is Levi Garrison and Sons Brewery in
Hamilton. The brewery was formerly known
as Ninja Moose Brewery, but after being threatened with trademark infringement
from Moosehead Brewery in Canada, the name was changed to Levi Garrison. They generally have 10 different beers on
tap, and you can have food delivered from a couple of local restaurants in
town. They have been open since 2014 and
have slowly and organically grown from brewing 25 barrels in 2014 to currently
164 barrels so far in 2018. My favorite beer
is their Second Amendment Amber Ale. You
can find their beers on draft the Hy-Vee in Liberty, Broadway Bar and Grill in
Excelsior Springs, and other random bars in the Northland. Feel free to leave any comments on other
places to find their beers. The best
part of a visit to Hamilton, is if you have someone who isn’t into drinking you
can drop them off at Missouri Star Quilting Company to make a quilt.
The total drive from Excelsior to Hamilton is 39 miles, and
if you want to make an entire weekend of the trip, Hamilton has multiple Bed
and Breakfasts and a newly renovated hotel, or you can take the trip in reverse
and stay at the Elms.
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| New Levi Garrison Sign |
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| Old Ninja Moose Sign |
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| Past and current brewery production at Levi Garrison |
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| History of Levi Garrison's name |
