Alma Mader Brewing

 

Geez Louise; according to BA, I haven't written a place review in 12 years. And it took Alma Mater to blow the dust off my BA account to speak up for this establishment.

When i see a pilsner on a beer menu, I usually try it as the style is just hard to brew. It'll either be too malty, or a hop bomb, or just really heavy. Anyone who can pull off the nuance of a pilsner has figured out brewing at large, so it's my go-to style when I see it on the tap list at a brew pub I've never been to. Basically to calibrate my expectations.

And Alma Mader had 4 on tap.

I was intrigued and quickly ordered 7 oz of each of them with a healthy dose of skepticism and a dash of trepidation. Long story short, I was floored. Each offering was wildly different from the others; clean, light, nuanced, and just wildly impressive.

I have only been to a handful of other breweries of this caliber. Russian River, Wicked Weed, Hill Farmstead, and now I add Alma Mader to this list. Ho-lee-shit.

Just a wonderful place. The vibe is kinda boring, to be frank. It's a place one can go to drink beer in peace. The server seemed to -really- like his job, and it showed.

I will return to Alma Mader each and every time I'm in KC from now until death.

See ya again in 12 more years! ;)

 

Compact taproom with an industrial feel. Off white/cream painted walls, high open ceiling, and a polished concrete floor. Wood panel accent on the wall behind the couch and low chairs area. Seven stool bar and ordering station. Other seating at high tables and secondary bar stations. All wood tops appear to be polished oak. Eleven beer tap selections, with a majority being pale ales or IPAs. Other selections include ciders and seltzers. Big cooler has cans to go. View of brewing equipment behind the coolers. Efficient and friendly staff. Small parking lot out front. Can get busy and loud with lots of noise echos. Cool spot overall.

 

 

 

Not pretty on the outside, but very little on Southwest Blvd is. Inside is industrial and clean. No TVs which was nice because it was a KU B-ball game day. Interesting selection that day: Kolsch, Pils, NE Pale, 2 NEIPAs and 2 Imperial Milk Stouts. Everything I tried was really good. I brought home a couple nice cans, too.

 

Low-key atmosphere, clear and clean decor, and most important, the beers are all superb and accessible. Strongly recommend - the owner knows beer like nobody in KC.

Exterior doesn't reveal much, being a shared brown brick building in an industrial area, it would be easy to assume what goes on inside is strictly business - but that would be wrong. Inside is a spotless, minimalist taproom with high ceilings, white washed walls, and smooth concrete floors. Windows in the back showcase the brewery equipment. While the white walls are a little startling with the fluorescent lighting and very little natural light leaking into the place. A few plants resting on shelves well above the head help give it a slightly cozier vibe. It feels welcoming in the summer, but maybe a little too 'institute' from Fallout 4 like during the winter to be welcoming. Tap list is projected above the bar and is legible from almost anywhere in the taproom space. Below the tap list is a stainless steel tap set - very clean. Clean is the name of the game here. Bar is short with a half dozen or so seats, with high top 6 seat tables and low 2 seaters available, but a majority of the space is standing room. Staff is very friendly and helpful in selecting a beer. Selection spans mostly hoppy offerings with a pilsner and a stout to break up the hops. Not the most diverse of selections across their 8 in-house beer taps, but the beer rotates well throughout the weeks. Well worth a stop on your way to or from Boulevard, although the stark interior may be a bit stale for some. To Alma Mader's credit, it deviates well from the dark, hardwood and exposed brick driven tap rooms all across the nation.