beer.

[kcdcchef]

yeah, i had always thought boulevard should open an open to the public brewhaus in kc, and the crossroads would be great, westport is overdone already. or maybe even in the new p&l, something, because boulevard is probably one of the best kept secrets in american beer. good stuff.

[Highlander]

Great places for craft/micro/import beers in the KC area

Favorite beers in general

1.) Guinness (Ireland)
2.) Estrella Galicia (Spain)
3.) Smithwick's (Ireland)
4.) Harp (Ireland)
5.) Samuel Adams (United States)
6.) Negra Modelo (Mexico)
7.) Bass (England)
8.) Newcastle (England)
9.) Murphy's (Ireland)
10.) Boulevard (United States)
11.) Monty Python Holy Grail Ale (England)
12.) Ace Pear (United States)

How can a good Irish lad like yourself leave Kilkenny off that list?  It is among my favorites.  Use to drink it all the time when I lived in Norway despite the fact that it cost 7 bucks a pint there (typical cost for non-Norwegian beers).


Kilkenny    http://www.koff.fi/en/products/beers/ki ... _beer.html

Another great beer, this time from from the UK, is Black or Red Cullin from the Isle of Skye.  They are among my favorites.  Norwegians make some decent beer too (but they really dehydrate you) and it's unlikely you'll ever find them in the states.

[
I've taken the Boulevard tour, was a few years ago though. Cool tour to go through, I've always enjoyed those kind of tours though. Plus you get free beer at the end. Buy a glass from them and they'll pour you a black and tan...

Tell how you can get on this tour.  Sounds like something I really would like to do when I am back home over Christmas Holiday.  Is it a public tour or do you have to arrange ahead of time?

Boulevard Pale Ale is among my favorite beers in the world.  Coincidentally, because of the dollar/pound ratio, Budweiser is becoming really popular and somewhat of a novelty here in the UK.  I have gone to a couple of parties and was a bit disappointed that this is all they had in the cooler!   

[jason122]

When I took the tour I had to make a reservation. They only took groups of like 40 or so, and they only did it like 2 or 3 times a month, on Saturdays when I went, but now do it every Saturday. They are open to the public, and they do put on a good tour, very nice people! I'd definately like to go when they get done with their expansion. Good to see a local company be so successful.

From their web site:
Tours of our brewery are conducted each Saturday at 11am, 1pm and 3 pm. Please call 816-474-7095 ext. 7 to make your reservation.

Coincidentally, because of the dollar/pound ratio, Budweiser is becoming really popular and somewhat of a novelty here in the UK.  I have gone to a couple of parties and was a bit disappointed that this is all they had in the cooler!   

I still enjoy a Budweiser every now and then. It's a good mass produced American Lager. I think there is a place for all beer, even Miller Lite and stuff. It's all just different taste, some more than others. I once went into the Homberew Pro Shoppe out in Olathe and was wearing a Boulevard t-shirt, and the guy behind the counter was like, "Oooh, that's the enemy!" I don't understand this attitude, if it wasn't for Boulevard, I may never have gotten in to craft beers and homebrew, and I'd have to say that he probably owes some of his business to Boulevard, for getting people to realize there is other beers outside of AB and Miller products and sparking interest in homebrewing.

[Highlander]

Thanks for the info!!

[gootsku]

Any details on the yardhouse opening near the speedway.  What is it comparable to?  Is it an upscale bar/grill?  Is it similar to Freestate?

[bahua]

It's the first in what I think will be a number of nationwide taphouse chains to hit the KC area. If you're familiar with the Flying Saucer, it's a lot like that, except with meaner staff.

I have been on the tour at Boulevard between 40 and 50 times. To go, call 816.474.7095, and try to make your reservations about a month in advance.

I can't believe I missed this thread up until now, but I will throw my hat in:

Favorite local beers
1 - Possumtrot Brown (75th Street)
2 - Nutcracker Ale (Boulevard)
3 - Ginger Christmas (River Market)
4 - Dubbel (McCoy's)
5 - Ad Astra Pale Ale (Free State)
6 - Pale Ale (Boulevard)
7 - Bully! Porter (Boulevard)
8 - Porter's Porter (75th Street)
9 - Cask IPA (75th Street)
10 - Tornado Red (Pony Express)

Favorite nonlocal beers - This is an ever-fluctuating list, and is in no particular order
1 - 90 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head - Milton, DE)
2 - Arrogant Bastard Ale (Stone - San Marcos, CA)
3 - Gumballhead Pale Wheat (Three Floyd's - Munster, IN)
4 - Two Hearted Ale (Bell's - Comstock/Kalamazoo, MI) - now available on tap at Hooper's. Go get it!
5 - Winter Storm (Clipper City = Baltimore, MD)
6 - Honker's Ale (Goose Island - Chicago, IL)
7 - Brown Shugga Sweet Release (Lagunitas - Petaluma, CA)
8 - Moose Drool (Big Sky - Missoula, MT)
9 - Winter Skal (Capital - Middleton, WI)
10 - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Great Lakes - Cleveland, OH)

Honorable Mention
Brown Ale (Saint Arnold - Houston, TX)
Austin Pale Ale (Bitter End - Austin, TX)
Hazed and Infused (Boulder - Boulder, CO)
Old Speckled Hen (OSH - Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK)
Dead Guy Ale (Rogue - Newport, OR)
Juniper Pale Ale (Rogue - Newport, OR)
Optimator (Spaten - Munich, Bavaria, DE)
Hitachino Red Rice Ale (Kiuchi - Naka-shi, Ibaraki, Japan)
Autumnal Fire (Capital - Middleton, WI)
Rip Curl (Full Sail - Hood River, OR)

I love beer. It's one of the pillars of civilization, and as varied as the human imagination. I will go get one now.

[Beermo]

It's the first in what I think will be a number of nationwide taphouse chains to hit the KC area. If you're familiar with the Flying Saucer, it's a lot like that, except with meaner staff.

I can't believe I missed this thread up until now, but I will throw my hat in:

Favorite local beers
1 - Possumtrot Brown (75th Street)
2 - Nutcracker Ale (Boulevard)
3 - Ginger Christmas (River Market)
4 - Dubbel (McCoy's)
5 - Ad Astra Pale Ale (Free State)
6 - Pale Ale (Boulevard)
7 - Bully! Porter (Boulevard)
8 - Porter's Porter (75th Street)
9 - Cask IPA (75th Street)
10 - Tornado Red (Pony Express)

Favorite nonlocal beers - This is an ever-fluctuating list, and is in no particular order
1 - 90 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head - Milton, DE)
2 - Arrogant Bastard Ale (Stone - San Marcos, CA)
3 - Gumballhead Pale Wheat (Three Floyd's - Munster, IN)
4 - Two Hearted Ale (Bell's - Comstock/Kalamazoo, MI) - now available on tap at Hooper's. Go get it!
5 - Winter Storm (Clipper City = Baltimore, MD)
6 - Honker's Ale (Goose Island - Chicago, IL)
7 - Brown Shugga Sweet Release (Lagunitas - Petaluma, CA)
8 - Moose Drool (Big Sky - Missoula, MT)
9 - Winter Skal (Capital - Middleton, WI)
10 - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Great Lakes - Cleveland, OH)

Honorable Mention
Brown Ale (Saint Arnold - Houston, TX)
Austin Pale Ale (Bitter End - Austin, TX)
Hazed and Infused (Boulder - Boulder, CO)
Old Speckled Hen (OSH - Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK)
Dead Guy Ale (Rogue - Newport, OR)
Juniper Pale Ale (Rogue - Newport, OR)
Optimator (Spaten - Munich, Bavaria, DE)
Hitachino Red Rice Ale (Kiuchi - Naka-shi, Ibaraki, Japan)
Autumnal Fire (Capital - Middleton, WI)
Rip Curl (Full Sail - Hood River, OR)

I love beer. It's one of the pillars of civilization, and as varied as the human imagination. I will go get one now.

seeing that bahua had to make a big list here's a list of my favs.

1. free

2. goat's breath when speedy's on 9th st. has them for 2 bucks a six

anything after that is according to everyone's individual taste. i'm not too choosy if, you're buying!

[Tosspot]

Schafly Oatmeal Stout is nasty. NASTY. N-A-S-T-Y.

[mean]

Now I have to try some.

Do you like other oatmeal stouts?

[chingon]

schlafly beers' family ties to phyllis schlafly (the woman ann coulter calls her "hero") make me physically ill.  i know she is not technically involved with the business, but i have a sneaky suspicion that some of the money you spend on schlafly beer winds up in the coffers of the extreme right wing religio-political machine that she advocates...

also, estrella galicia is right up there with corona on my list of worst beers ever.  its funny how a foreign name on a bottle of piss water fools some people.  when i was in mexico, bud light was THE drink for locals, and when i lived in spain i ran with these irish girls who were embarrassed when i ordered guinness at one of the ubiquitous celtic pubs in northern spain...they paid twice as much for bottles of budweiser and raved about it.

[beautyfromashes]

75th Street beer is terrible!  I don't know what they are doing but it is never cold, usually skunky tasting depending on the day of the week, and almost never have a good condition. 

My favorite American beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale followed by Avalanche and Negra Modelo.  Boulevard Nutcracker and Pale Ale are great as well.

[bahua]

75th Street beer is terrible!  I don't know what they are doing but it is never cold, usually skunky tasting depending on the day of the week, and almost never have a good condition. 

I have found the exact opposite to be the case. I think their beers are exceptionally fresh and full of flavor, and with a couple of exceptions, always based on how busy the place is, I have received excellent service when I've eaten/drank there. I think 75th makes some of the best beer in the region.

Beer isn't meant to be ice cold. That line of thought comes from the big three(AB, Miller, Coors), because if their beers are warm, they taste horrible. If they're ice cold, you can't really taste them. The same is true of good beer: if it's ice cold, you can't really taste it. Good beers, especially darker beers, are much better when served at a higher temperature. The flavor is really brought out that way. Unfortunately, some people, too well-indoctrined by the big three, still can't get over this, and are grossed out by warm beer.

[mean]

Well, I'm not a huge fan of "warm" beer necessarily, but a nice 52F will do me right. Certainly, a beer right out of the fridge is a beer that needs to warm up for several minutes before drinking, excluding macrobrews and MAYBE certain ultra-hoppy microbrewed double-IPA types, which can be so bitter that they're more refreshing cold. Breckenridge 471 could arguably fall under that category. But that's because they have SO MUCH FLAVOR that they're more palatable when toned down, rather than the macros, which have to be cold otherwise they taste faintly like sour, moldy hay.

[warwickland]

has anybody tried the schlafly coffee stout? i had a half pitcher in st. louis a couple weeks ago, and i don't know if they ship it out here or not. i loved it.

[Robafurd]

I am a big fan of Hoegaarden white beer.  I had it for the first time in Belgium on my 21st birthday so I guess it holds a special place in my heart.

Does anybody know of a place in KC where you can get Strongbow Cider?

Who thinks a Flying Saucer would be a good fit in the P&L?  I go to the one in Nashville frequently and I had no idea it was a chain until somebody told me.  not a bad bar at all.

[warwickland]

hoegaarden rules, i don't know why so many people don't like it.

damn, i swear i've seen strongbrow around. in dont think it's harlings, but they do have a cider on tap.

i thought flying saucer was going to be in it, but i don't keep up with the power and light insanity.

speaking of harlings...damn the crowd really sucks sometimes. guess i'll have to wait until all the colleges are back in session or only go during the week...

[Robafurd]

what/where is harlings? 

[warwickland]

harlings is a nice jazz era esque bar basically across the street from the eastern terminous of westport road on main. it's near the 39th and Main intersection in an upstairs area and theres a neon sign above the downstairs entrance. sometimes it has a huge influx of frat kids, like on the weekends especially during breaks. but it's at its best when there is a mixed crowd of kcai students and locals of all ages, sizes, shapes, colors, etc. unfortunately, i can't really tell you with certainty when it's going to be like that or when it's westport east...

[Robafurd]

oh ok, I think i have heard of that before.  Its right near CLINTS, one of my favorite stomping grounds as a nerdy preteen. 

[warwickland]

yep.