Kansas City and
its environs today span the border from western Missouri into eastern Kansas.
Beer drinkers must pay attention to which state their favorite tap room is in
in order to determine which set of primitive alcohol laws they're subjected to.
On the Kansas side lie two establishments each named Barley's Brewhouse. Both
feature pooltables, silent TVs, Rock & Roll tunes, a dining area and a
lounge section that hosts a long wooden bar featuring 99 taps. Local beers are
well represented, with four or five each from 75th Street, Boulevard, Flying
Monkey, Pony Express and River Market. Also on draught are megas, micros,
imports and regionals. The varied selection includes wheats, IPAs, stouts and
ciders, along with some well respected bottled imports. Eight slots are
reserved for seasonals. Beer line cleanliness seems to vary depending on the
efforts of five different distributors, whereas the mouthfeel of all the beers
seems to benefit from the 70/30 nitrogen/CO2 gas dispenser mix.
And now for something completely different, an indoor
flea market with craft beer! Fitting in perfectly with this eclectic
neighborhood, the Westport Flea Market houses rows of shops that surround a bar
and lounge. Exhausted shoppers can build up their strength to continue by
sampling from the 23 taps pouring micro and imported beers. West coast micros
dominate the lineup but a few locals are also featured. Once energized you can
take on the shuffleboard table, fusbol game, dartboards or video arcade games.
On Sunday only you can even get bottled beer "to go."
A great neighborhood bar in the now trendy Brookside
district is Charlie Hooper's. The 31 taps join 110 bottled beers in offering an
excellent local selection, often being included in special happy hour pricing,
a practice illegal in the state a few miles to the west. The long bar fills
early with regulars who linger while others come and go, dining at indoor
booths and the outdoor patio. The atmosphere is enhanced by posted regulations
that read "No minors after 9 PM" and "Cigars, Pipes and Clove Cigarettes not
welcome."
While regarded as an unappreciated "chain" in some
cities, Old Chicago is a welcome sight to residents of the "burbs" west of the
state line. The 26 taps always offer at least eight quality micros and eight
imports. The 114 bottled beers serve as backup for when the 95 degree days
cause the glycol-chilled beer lines to freeze solid. The bar staff is very
beer-aware and the food and sports atmosphere are both well regarded.
With a limited, but still above average, selection for
KC is Ponak's Mexican Kitchen & Bar. The 16 taps range from Lights to
Guinness. Most customers come for the food but along with Dos Equis there are
offerings from Fullers, Harp and Tennents. Meager by west coast norms but this
is a long way from the Pacific.
The last few years have seen a flurry of craftbrewing
activity in the Kansas City metro area as well as in select cities throughout
Kansas and Missouri. The future looks brighter as the brewers guild plans a
public beer festival soon and the local AHA homebrew club, the Kansas City Bier
Meisters, continue to host nationally respected beer events. Carrie Nation my
be dead and gone but her legacy of irrational anti-alcohol sentiment and
intolerance still lives on here. Time to bury your hatchet Carrie. Proost!
Brewpubs:
75th Street Brewery
520 W 75th
Kansas City,
MO 64114
816-523-4677
Dave's Brewpub
10635 Floyd
Overland
Park, KS 66212
913-385-0003
McCoy's Public House and
Brewkitchen
4057 Pennsylvania
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-960-0866
Mill Creek Brewery & Restaurant
4050
Pennsylvania
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-931-4499
River Market
Brewing Company
500 Walnut
Kansas City, MO 64106
816-471-6300
Sports Page Brewery
9083 Metcalf
Overland Park, KS 66212
913-385-2739
Bars/Restaurants
Barley's Brewhouse
11924 W
119
Overland Park, KS 66213
913-663268-5160
Barley's
Brewhouse
16649 Midland Dr.
Shawnee, KS 66217
913-268-5160
Charlie Hooper's Brookside Bar & Grille
12 W 63
Kansas City, MO
64113
816-361-8841
Old Chicago
9720 Quiveria Rd.
Lenexa,
KS 66215
913-894-2739
Ponak's Mexican Kitchen
2856 Southwest
Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-753-0775
Westport Flea Market
& Bar & Grill
817 Westport Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-931-1986
Breweries:
Boulevard Brewing Company
2501
Southwest Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-474-7095
Flying
Monkey Beer
5151 Merriam Dr.
Merriam, KS 66203
913-722-7800
Pony Express Brewing Company
311 N Burch
Olathe, KS 66061
913-782-6699
Reviewed by Tom Ciccateri -
August, 1998
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