JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --- Benjamin Franklin once said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” When a deceptively simple list of ingredients—grain, malt, water and yeast—is combined with skill and precision, liquid magic happens. And that magic is created every day in microbreweries and brew pubs across Missouri. A large variety of beers and ales are produced in the Show-Me State, sure to please even the most discriminating palette.
Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City. www.BlvdBeer.com Founded in 1989, Boulevard offers six beers year-round, along with seasonal beers such as Nutcracker Ale, offered at the holidays, and Irish Ale, which is brewed in early spring. Free tours of the brewery are offered Wednesday through Sunday, but they’re popular, so a reservation is required. Three areas are available for private parties, including the Muehlebach Suite, which accommodates up to 225 guests and offers terrific views of downtown Kansas City.
McCoy’s Public House & Brew in Kansas City. www.McCoysPublicHouse.com Located in the heart of the historic Westport District, McCoy’s has won awards for its suds. Brewmaster Keith Thompson handcrafts more than a dozen styles of ales and lagers every day, and they can be served up with lunch, dinner, and Happy Hour snacks. Brewery tours are available and parties of up to 50 can be accommodated.
Buckner Brewing Company in Cape Girardeau. www.BucknerBrewing.com This brewhouse turns out 441 gallons of beer at a time, including crisp Clyde’s Ale, robust Pilot House Porter and medium-bodied River Street Honey Wheat, made with locally produced honey. The third-floor River View Room offers a sweeping view of the Mississippi River and accommodates 175 people.
Augusta Brewing Company in Augusta. www.AugustaBrewing.com Located on the Katy Trail, visitors here can enjoy a lunch of locally produced sausages and artisan cheeses in the beer garden, washed down with a Tannhauser Pale Ale or an Alpen Brau Pilsner. Dinner offerings are paired with brews like the traditional Hyde Park Stout or the unfiltered, fruity Augusta Hefeweizen.
Tin Mill Brewing Company in Hermann. www.TinMillBrewery.com Established in 2005, Tin Mill is located in an historic grain-processing plant downtown. The barley is grown and malted in Germany, and all beers are brewed in the old world German tradition. Samples are offered on tap, and beers also are available to take home.
Buffalo Brewing Company in St. Louis. www.BuffaloBrewingStl.com Located in the heart of Midtown St. Louis and within two blocks of St. Louis University’s new Chaifetz Arena, Buffalo Brewing Company offers a diverse menu, full bar and specialty beers including Chill Beer, Buffalo Drool and Vanilla Brown Ale.
The Stable Brew House in St. Louis. www.TheStableStl.com If you have a short attention span, this is the place for you. The brew pub and micro-distillery located in the Benton Park area of St. Louis has 24 beers on tap and more than 50 in bottles, which change weekly. The Stable was once the home of the draft horses that delivered Lemp Falstaff beer (hence the name). A full kitchen serves pizza and grinders, and live music is featured on the weekends.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour, St. Louis. www.BudweiserTours.com/TourSTL.htm Missouri’s most famous beer, Budweiser, has been brewed in St. Louis since 1876. Anheuser-Busch now offers a St. Louis Beermaster Tour, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing of Budweiser, and Beer School—an interactive and informative, half-hour class that takes visitors through the brewing process and introduces them to a variety of brands and styles of beer. “Students” also learn pouring techniques, food pairings, and the different ingredients used for brewing. Reservations are required.
Springfield Brewing Company, Springfield. www.SpringfieldBrewingCo.com Springfield Brewing Company is one of the few breweries in the world built, operated and owned by a brewery equipment fabrication company. Founded in 1997 by Paul Mueller Company to showcase its stainless steel processing equipment, Springfield Brewing Company features a computer-automated brewhouse designed and custom built in Springfield. Open for lunch and dinner, Springfield Brewing Company features an expansive menu, award-winning hand crafted ales and lagers, banquet facilities, outdoor dining, pool tables, a cigar lounge and live music Wednesday through Sunday.
Bull Rock Brewery near Jefferson City www.NativeStoneWinery.com This is actually a brewery and winery combined in an historic setting that Lewis and Clark explored in 1804. The pair wrote about a rock formation that was named “Bull Rock” in honor of their discovery. Bull Rock, located on Highway 179, about nine miles northwest of Jefferson City, sits on a 300-acre estate owned and operated by Cara and Larry Stauffer. A 19th century farmhouse has a tasting room, gift shop and restaurant.
Other Missouri breweries to explore include:
O’Fallon Brewery, O’Fallon www.OFallonBrewery.com
Charleville Winery & Microbrewery, Ste. Genevieve County www.CharleVilleVineyard.com
Weston Brewing Company, Weston www.WestonIrish.com
Crown Valley Brewing & Distillery, Ste. Genevieve www.CrownValleyBrewery.com
Prison Brews, Jefferson City www.PrisonBrews.com
Flat Branch Pub & Brewing, Columbia www.FlatBranch.com
To find out what’s brewing in Missouri and to get a free copy of the 2009 Official Missouri Vacation Planner, log on to www.VisitMO.com or call toll-free 800-519-4800. |