Greetings. I'm making my yearly trip to KC to judge BBQ at the American Royal. Usually I ask for a restaurant recommendation and then give a great bottle to the person whose recommendation I use. (I'm still grateful to the person who got me to Pigwich, a first stop I make every year from the airport!) This year no time to go to a lot of places and we'll be having dinner at Black Dirt, Jonathan Justice's new place who has become a friend of ours. (Justice Drugstore is closed!! Damn.) Anyway, I'm coming out with a mixed travel back of CELLADOR bottles and will gladly meet with someone (or later send them something) who can give me the best recommendation for the latest and greatest brewery or store about which I'm not aware. I want to know where I should go if I have extremely limited time and can only go to one or two places. Thanks!! You all have always given me great advice and at least a few of you have gotten some bottles from me for it. This is always a fun trip. I love your city.
Galos best me to it! I was going to suggest KC Bier Co as a place to go for: Excellent German beer selection - IMHO the Dunkel and Festbier are the staples that you must try if you go there. Der Hammer is also a must try if you’re an IPA fan. Selection of food is limited, but their German sausages and pretzels are quite tasty Biergarten is a relaxing and laid back atmosphere, especially if the weather is nice Very kid and dog friendly (not sure if this is a plus or a minus for you) In any case, enjoy the BBQ at the American Royal!
Yes! I've been at least 3 times and I very much like and appreciate that in today's insane beer world they're making a real traditional well made product. Love the place.
I work closely with someone in our company's Kansas City office, and him and I get to talking about beer sometimes. So my caveat is that these are his recommendations - I used to live there, but I moved away before the small taprooms became a thing, so I'm only familiar with Boulevard and Martin City and KC Bier Company. He said his favorite brewery in town is Colony, which is north of downtown. They apparently do a lot of different styles and small batches. It looks like a cool destination sort of place that offers a few different things to do and try. I wish I was still there so I could check it out. He also likes BKS Artisan Ales which is in Brookside. Like I said - these are his recommendations and not mine. But hopefully it at least gives you a starting point.
I'm happy to answer any Kansas City beer/food questions you might have if you'd like to PM me or email me at jdanner at boulevard dot com.
BKS is well worth a stop, but only open on the weekends. Colony is a neat little place, but I wasn't impressed with the quality of their beer during my visits. In regards to visiting BKS, across the street is Brookside Wine & Spirits, which generally has a pretty good selection of beers. The fun part is, they just opened Flying Horse Taproom, which I've heard some good things about.
