I'm headed to KC this Thur-Saturday. Looking for a few bottle shops and bars/restaurants to check out. I will have a 7mo old baby with me so no "bar" bar's. In searching some old treads I've come up this: Bottle Shops: Lukas Liquor - Overland Park Gromers - whichever is closest to me Restaurants/Bars: The Foundry - for lunch Bridge's Bottle Shop & Preservation Market - swing by and check out after the Foundry Flying Saucer - family friendly? Looks more bar than restaurant Bier Station - for lunch Barley's - for dinner Missing anything? Other recommendations? I've done the Boulevard tour in the past so will not be looking to do that.. especially carrying a baby. I've seen 1 Perennial Artisan farmhouse on tap lists when searching but would other spots or the bottle shops have any good stuff from them? Sump, Abraxas? I'm assuming the BA stuff is not going to be available. Thanks
I loved Bridgers bottle shop when I visited and that whole area is really great for craft beer bars. Dont forget to stop by OK Joes for some BBQ.
There's another Lukas at the state line between Kansas and Missouri that might be worth checking out, as it will have the MO distro which is a little different than Kansas. They had pretty good selection when I was there about 6 mo ago, although I don't know if you'll find a lot of rare stuff there.
No problem. I think the Missouri store was a bit bigger and/or better selection, at least the one time I went.
This is true if you go during the weekend and/or peak times (lunch & dinner), an hour or longer is indeed expected. When my girlfriend and I used to live in KC we would go to the Olathe location at off times (like 4:00 for dinner) and there's virtually no wait. Don't be deter away because of a long wait, their ribs are a must have. Just remember the distribution for the KS side will be different vs MO side. For instance Firestone Walker, Perennial, 4Hands and so on distribute to MO but not KS. Over the past year many breweries have extended distro into KS but MO side is really where you should go bottle shopping. KS does however have Oskar Blues whereas MO does not. I wouldn't classify Flying saucer or Bier Station as restaurants, they're definitely a bar that serves good food.
If you have not done the Boulevard tour recently, it is worth checking out. Their expansion is impressive.
Is Perennial pretty easy to find? I'd love to try Sump, Abraxas, etc but unsure if they're super rare or what the status is on PA stuff. I did see a number of spots with 1 of their beers on tap so maybe it's pretty limited overall. Any suggestions from 4hands? I haven't had anything from them either. I've tried most of the Oskar Blues stuff which i like. I'll prob have to avoid Flying Saucer and Bier Station then. I should probably avoid going to the bar with a baby. Is the Foundry a spot that i could show up with a baby or is it more the bar scene too?
Sump and Abraxas come out in the winter, Abraxas gets released in November I believe so it's coming up. Both of those guys sell out instantly. The regular "shelf" stuff from Perennial won't be hard to find but are far weaker in comparison to their stouts or sours. I've been away from KC for about a year now so the locals can fill you in on 4Hands but I always enjoyed Contact High and Bona-Fide. No idea if they're seasonals or not though. Foundry is still pretty bar-ish but probably more of a restaurant than Flying Saucer or Bier Station are. Martin City Brewing Co is another option. Awesome food (always get the daily dinner special at the restaurant) and great beer selection. Don't be confused, there are three locations side by side one another. The brewery, pizza place and bar/restaurant. Perfect time of the year to sit outside in KC.
I've heard conflicting reports ... are you allowed tasting flight without having to go on the tour???
no, draft beer is only available for sample in the context of/at the conclusion of tours at Boulevard
I don't know of it's KC availability, but if you see Ca$h Mony from 4 Hands, I'd highly recommend it. New DIPA that was just bottle the 3rd week of August. Also, should you stumble onto 4 Hands Volume #2(doubtful, but fingers crossed) buy as many as you can get. It's an amazing Barrel Aged Old Ale. Ca$h Mony - http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27870/134374/ Volume #2 - http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27870/131249/
Boulevard started allowing people to purchase a flight in the tasting room without going on a tour sometime during the summer. I think it's $5 for 4 4 oz. samples, 7 days a week between 11am-4pm.
This is correct. It's now possible to purchase flights in the Tasting Room without taking a tour. Copied and pasted from our website: " Cost: $5 for a flight of four 4-oz samples. When: The tasting room is open 11:00am-4:00pm, seven days a week. How: Flights are limited to one per person, and as always, a valid ID is required. Details: On any given day, our tap towers feature a rotating lineup of year-round core brands, seasonal offerings, a Smokestack brew or two, and sometimes brewery-exclusive test beers or other special treats. Our knowledgeable staff is on hand to answer your questions about our brands, brewing processes and culture." http://www.boulevard.com/brewery/brewery-tours/the-tasting-room/
Beer Kitchen is a good restaurant and craftbeerkc.com is a good option When your title said "babies" I was thinking "beautiful babies" like in the meaning from Swingers