Beers to watch for while I am in MO

[Tim]

Given the RPPR crews location I thought I might ask a touristy question and of course others on the board please feel free to pipe up.

I am going to be in Kansas City (really Overland Park which is sort of suburban hell but what are you going to do) on some business next week and wondering about beer options in MO and KS. Been a few times last year and I have had beers from Boulevard that I have liked (think it was single wide IPA and the Pils and at least one beer from their smokestack series) but looking for any other breweries I should keep my eyes open for?

I tend to like to drink local when I can and having inside information when making choices is always useful.

Apologize if this was already covered in a previous thread.

[Cthuluzord]

If you can find a place that has Mother's Brewing Company (based out of Springfield), I'd suggest almost anything in their line. I'm actually not a big Boulevard fan, but Mother's is delicious. I'll even drink their IPA's, and I hate IPA's.

If you can get downtown you might try going to the Flying Saucer one night. They have...like...every beer ever. You'll be paralyzed by options.

[edwardian_adventurer]

I will second the Mother's. Everything they have made is great.

Another popular brand is Schlafly, which is based out of St. Louis.

[Tim]

Thanks for the pointers. I will keep my eyes out for both Mothers and Schlafly. Sadly my nights are pretty locked down so no chance to escape to downtown but maybe in a future trip I will be able to make the trip.

My honest opinion of Boulevard was they are in that space where they are big enough to no longer be a craft brewery and their line is filled with a lot of beers not taking any chances. You see that a lot with breweries that have enjoyed enough success to get pretty big but they often are not doing the most interesting beer from a region even if their beer is ubiquitous in the region.

Their IPA I enjoyed and their Pils was unoffensive and drinkable but not much else going on. I will totally drink their beers again and I am know they will be fine to good with out being fantastic.

IPAs are in general a category I enjoy although at least on the left coast we have been in the middle of a hops arms race for a number of years which has taken it out of control. I like hops flavor (really like fresh hopped beers) and also enjoy bitterness but plenty of brewers seem to want to make drinking an IPA the new version of Rosambo. This has taken some of the joy out of IPA drinking for me. 

Thanks again for the advice and if anyone makes it out to Portland or Seattle I will certainly return the favor.