McCoy's Public House

Beer KC

2011-03-01T16:42:00.002-06:00

We've moved! This page will automatically redirect you to our new home at beerkc.blogspot.com.

Cheers!

Now on Tap - Citra DPA

2011-01-03T14:47:00.002-06:00

Introducing the fifth release in our series of single-hopped Double Pale Ales / Imperial IPAs. This batch was hopped exclusively using Citra hops, a relatively new American hop variety bred for its intense tropical fruit & juicy citrus characteristics. Citra hops were originally grown on a small, 3-acre plot of land in the Pacific Northwest developed primarily by Sierra Nevada Brewing for use in their Torpedo Extra IPA back in 2008. We also added 50lbs. of locally-sourced honey to the boil to provide some residual sweetness; while primary fermentation was done with our house ale yeast, we also pitched champagne yeast to give the beer a bit of a drier finish & bubbly effervescence. This is an excellent example of the recent trend in Double IPAs showcasing the sweeter, fruity & juicy flavors of American hop varieties. We tapped this beer at midnight on New Year's Eve as a way to ring in 2011 with a great beer instead of cheap 'champagne' at all 3 of our BeerKC restaurants. We hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Brewer's specs:

Malt: 85% Pale 2-row, 10% Vienna, 5% malted white wheat

50lbs. of honey added to 105 minute boil

Hops: Citra, added at 10 different times from start to finish

Fermented 7 days at 19C with McCoy's house ale yeast, finished with champagne yeast

SG 23.6 Plato
90+ IBU
11% ABV

Introducing BeerKC

2010-12-29T14:17:00.005-06:00

As one door closes, another one opens. Beginning in 2011, we'll be doing away with this blog and transitioning to one all-encompassing site known simply as BeerKC. This transition will allow for a single resource of information regarding the Westphal-Kelpe Restaurant Group's three beer-centric bars & restaurants in Kansas City's historic Westport district. Most of you are already familiar with these three establishments, but for those that aren't, BeerKC will cover McCoy's Public House & Brewpub, The Foundry, which is located next door to McCoy's and features 40+ taps and over a hundred bottles, as well as our latest beer-inspired endeavor, Beer Kitchen. Beer Kitchen, which opened in September, is located across Westport Road from McCoy's/the Foundry and specializes in unique, rare & high quality beers. BeerKC will become your 'one stop' resource for daily specials, Brewmaster's Dinners, rare beer releases, suggested pairings, homebrew recipes and much more. We're looking forward to turning the corner of Westport Road & Pennsylvania Avenue into BeerKC!

Cheers to 2011 - the year of beer.

Now on Tap - Ursa Major

2010-12-22T15:30:00.003-06:00

Last night we celebrated the annual release of Ursa Major, our tough-as-nails Russian Imperial Stout. This beer is always a customer favorite and last night's Ursa Major Fest was the first time we've brought the beer out in such style. From 5:00 - 8:00, on the shortest day of the year, guests were offered full pours for $5.50 complete with a commemorative glass, or for an extra $1.50 you could add an additional 9 oz. pour of either 2009 or 2008 vintages. The 2008 was aged on oak briefly, right after it was brewed, then keg-cellared for 2 years; the 2009 was bottled last year and kept in our icehouse until they were all sold out around 5:30 last night. For one night only we offered 30 oz. growlers of all three vintages so you could enjoy this beer at home. It was a great time celebrating a great beer with great people - Nightlife KC even showed up to take some pictuers. We've still got some 2008 on tap, along with plenty of 2010, so come get warm with this bad-ass brew!

Brewer's specs:

Malt: Pale 2-row, Crystal, Roasted, Chocolate & Black

Hops: English East Kent Goldings

Brown Sugar & Belgian Candied Sugar

Fermented with McCoy's House Ale Yeast

85 IBU
10.5% ABV

Cheers!

New Year's Eve Party!

2010-12-18T14:38:00.006-06:00

Yo! Tired of spending a ton of money to celebrate at some lame New Year's Eve party? We've got you covered: $10 gets into any of the 3 BeerKC restaurants - McCoy's, The Foundry or Beer Kitchen - and includes DJ Boyfriend at McCoy's, DJ Leo Night Us (and his crew of B-Boys, poppers & lockers) at the Foundry & DJ Praxis at Beer Kitchen. Not only can you bounce between bar to bar, but we're releasing a very special beer to celebrate the closing of 2010 - a 100% Citra-hopped Double IPA fermented with champagne yeast. Whoa! Rather than toasting cheap "champagne" at midnight, we'll be raising glasses of this exciting new beer instead. $10 gets you entrance, food specials, midnight toast and the ridiculously huge selection of beers from all 3 restaurants. And be sure to stop in Beer Kitchen for brunch on January 1st for some delicious food (and maybe a little bit of the 'hair of the dog') from 10a - 4p.

Cheers & Happy New Year!

Ursa Major Fest

2010-12-14T13:25:00.003-06:00

Join us next Tuesday, December 21 from 5:00 - 8:00 as we release the 2010 batch of our Ursa Major Imperial Stout. We're celebrating the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, by offering commerative glassware for only $7 which are, of course, filled with this rich and complex imperial stout. We'll also be selling 30oz. growlers of 2010 Ursa Major for only $12, and just a few bottles of 2009 Ursa Major for $15 each. We'll only have a few bottles available so get there early!

2009 Brewer's Specs:

Malt: Pale 2-row, Crystal, Roasted, Chocolate & Black

Hops: English East Kent Goldings

Brown Sugar & Belgian Candied Sugar

Fermented with McCoy's House Ale Yeast

85 IBU

10.5% ABV

See you here - cheers!

Now on Tap - Winter Warmer

2010-12-08T15:33:00.002-06:00

Now on tap: the 2010 release of our annual Winter Warmer. Typically maltier & sweeter than most releases, and flavored with seasonal herbs & spices, Winter Warmers are usually higher in alcohol, hence the "warming" aspect of these beers. This year's batch has big fruity malt flavors to restrain the alcohol presence, with a light hop regimen of American, English & German varities. We also added 40 lbs. of Italian plum puree during fermentation, which allowed more fermentable sugars to achieve the higher ABV, as well as provide some citrusy characteristics to the beer's already complex flavor. It was then gently spiced with whole Tellicherry peppercorns to add a hint of spice and further the beer's complexity. Considered to be the finest pepper in the world, these Indian peppercorns have a full, robust flavor often described as nearly fruity.

Brewer's specs:

Malt: Pale, Vienna, Caramel, Melanoidin & Crystal

Hops: Horizon, Hallertauer & East Kent Goldings

Fermented with McCoy's house ale yeast

SG 20.4P
8.3% ABV

Pics - Feast of Samichlaus

2010-12-06T15:37:00.007-06:00

Last night was the twentieth in our series of monthly Brewmaster's Dinners. December's "Feast of Samichlaus" was held at Beer Kitchen across the street from McCoy's; guests seem to prefer the larger venue & dedicated service rather than the smaller, yet more intimate, Cigar Lounge located between McCoy's & the Foundry. Perhaps this relocation was due in part to the desecration of the Cigar Lounge by the group of foul-mouthed drunks ironically known as GentsKC...

Smoked salmon rillettes - a pâté-like dish of smoked salmon, salmon poached in Pernod anise-flavored liquer, shallots, chives & crème fraiche mixed together and stored in a mason jar sealed with butter. Served with Bateman's Rosey Nosey winter warmer - 5% ABV.

The namesake of the dinner - Brauerei Schloss Eggenburg's Samichlaus Bier. The strongest lager in the world at 14% ABV, this doppelbock is brewed only one day of the year (St. Nicholas' Day - Dec. 6th) and cold-stored for a year before being released. Given the time difference between us & Belgium, there was a decent chance the 2010 batch was being prepared concurrently with our enjoyment of the 2009 vintage.

Salad of duck confit, apples, figs, potatoes & toasted hazelnuts with blood-orange vinaigrette. The savory confit, salty hazelnuts & slightly tart dressing made for an excellent compliment to the rich & sweet Samichlaus.

Mikkeller's Red & White Christmas ale - a blend of a British-style red ale & a Belgian wit, then loaded with orange peel & American hops. A remarkable beer only available to the United States in 1.5L magnums - 8% ABV.

Locally-made veal Weisswurst sausages poached in a spiced Mikkeller Christmas ale broth, served with braised red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, smoked bacon & hops-infused apple-mustard. This dish was the wurst! Actually, it was really damn good.

Corsendonk's Christmas ale - Belgian strong dark ale - 8.5% ABV.

The main course - slow-cooked crown roast of pork with garlic-herb mustard rub, mashed rutabagas & Norwegian lingonberry demi-glace served with Corsendonk's Christmas ale. Delicious.

Risalamande - a traditional Danish dessert of rice pudding, whipped cream, vanilla & chopped almonds with warm cherry compote & almond tuille cookie. Paired with the very rare Mikkeller's Ris a la M'ale - a brand new "liquid version" of the dish brewed with rice, vanilla, sugar, salt, cream, cherries & almond extract...very unique!

The Sugar Plum Tree - bite-sized balls of ground spices (anise, fennel, cardamom, & caraway seeds), ground almonds, dates, figs, raisins & currants rolled in sugar; served with Gouden Carolus Noël, a Belgian strong dark ale - 10.5% ABV.

We're taking January off as it falls so close to the holidays but we'll be back in full force for February's Valentine's Day dinner. More info on that as it develops.

Cheers & happy holidays!

Now on Tap - Belgian Dubbel

2010-12-02T11:44:00.005-06:00

Now on tap: the 2010 release of our Belgian-Style Dubbel. A rich malty beer with some spicy/phenolic and mild alcoholic characteristics. Traditionally a Trappist ale, many breweries creat similar "Abbey Dubbels" in an attempt to emulate originals like Westvleteren 8, Westmalle Dubbel & Chimay. Spicy Belgian yeast and a dark malty body compliment notes of dried fruit and mild charred oak. There are plenty of flavors to pick out on this one!

Brewer’s specs:

Malt: Pale, Brewer’s, Munich, CaraPils, Chocolate, Vienna & Biscuit

Hops: Hallertaur, Perle & Styrian Goldings

OG. 21 Plato
8.8% ABV

Now on Tap - California Uncommon

2010-11-23T16:35:00.002-06:00

Back on tap for a very limited time is our California Uncommon - imperial steam beer. We've been cellaring this keg for over a year since it was first brewed and the results are definitely worth the wait. This is a big, hoppy beer perfect for cold November nights like this. Click here for a brief history of steam beers.

Brewer's specs:

Malt
90% Pale
5% Crystal
5% Munich

Hops
75% Northern Brewer
25% Cascade

Fermented at 18°C (64.4°F) with McCoy's house lager yeast

OG: 23.3 Plato
10.2% ABV

A postmodern twist on a modern revival of a classic American beer

Now on Tap - Broadway Toddy Stout

2010-11-18T10:20:00.002-06:00

Oatmeal stouts are generally medium to full bodied & have a remarkable smoothness to them due to the addition of oats to the mash. The oats not only add a lot of smoothness to the mouthfeel, but give a touch of sweetness that is unlike any other type of stout. Ours is a very smooth and delicious, malt forward stout that is nitrogenated to make it even more smooth & creamy. This time around our good friends at Broadway Cafe put together a very special cold-extract Toddy blend to compliment and enhance our oatmeal stout with a burst of coffee.

Brewer's specs:

Malt: Pale, Carapils, Munich, Roasted, Black, HoneyOats

Hops: Bravo & Willamette

Fermented with McCoy's house ale yeast
Cold extracted Broadway Cafe Toddy added after maturation

OG 15.5 Plato
45 IBU

6.1% ABV

Feast of Samichlaus - Dec. 5

2010-11-17T15:36:00.003-06:00

It's almost that time again - Sunday December 5th at 6:30 is the next installment of our monthly Brewmaster's Dinners. This time we're offering 6 beers from 5 European countries paired with their respective regional holiday dishes. Some of these beers are particularly rare so this is a great opportunity to try some hard-to-find beers carefully matched with chef-inspired small plates. Here's whats on the menu:

- Belgium: smoked salmon rillettes & herb garlic crostini with Fantôme Spéciale De Noel - 10% ABV

- Denmark: warm duck confit salad with apples, figs, roasted potatoes & red ale vinaigretter with Mikkeller Red & White Christmas ale - 8% ABV

- Austria: wood-roasted weisswurst sausage, braised red cabbage & apple mustard chutney with Samichlaus Bier - 14% ABV

- Norway: crown pork roast with garlic-herb mustard, mashed rutabaga & lingonberry demi with Nogne-0 Special Holiday Ale - 8.5% ABV

- Denmark: traditional risalamande with cherry compote & almond tuille cookie with Mikkeller Ris a la M'ale - 8% ABV

- England: hand-made sugar plum Christmas tree with Criminally Bad Elf Barleywine 10.5% ABV

Tickets are available for only $50 including tax & gratuity so come by McCoy's, the Foundry or Beer Kitchen, or call us (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations ASAP.

Happy Holidays!

Now on Tap - Rye Pale Ale

2010-11-15T10:23:00.002-06:00

Now on tap - the second batch of our Rye Pale Ale. This hop-forward ale is smoothed out by the addition of flaked rye malt, which provides subtle hints of grain and fresh-baked bread while adding some viscosity for a slightly thicker mouthfeel & fuller body to this refreshing English-style pale ale.

Full Brewer's specs coming soon - 5.8% ABV.

Pics - Lagunitas Dinner 11.07.10

2010-11-08T13:44:00.005-06:00

Last night's dinner was the first of our updated series of monthly Brewmaster's Dinners now held on Sunday nights at Beer Kitchen

Lagunitas taphandles at Beer Kitchen - Czech Pils & Fusion IV

Chicago resident & Lagunitas midwest sales rep Karen Hamilton; Karen is the sister of brewmaster/owner Tony McGee, who started the brewery in the small California town of Lagunitas in 1993. Since then the brewery has expanded to Petaluma with a capacity of 100,000 barrels annually, making them the 25th largest craft brewery in the US.

Czech-style Pilsner paired with pastry-wrapped brie & lingonberry-apple compote

Lucky 13 "mondo large red ale" - 8.56% ABV. This keg was cellared in the Foundry cooler for nearly 1 year allowing the hops to mellow and the rich maltiness to proceed to the fore

Lucky 13 served with butternut squash & patty pan soup

India Pale Ale paired with roasted acorn squash & apricot-walnut compote. Lagunitas' IPA was the first to be brewed & bottled in California and remains the #1 selling IPA in the state for over 15 years

Little Sumpin' Wild - their Little Sumpin' Sumpin' hoppy wheat beer - fermented with Westmalle Belgian yeast. Little Sumpin' Sumpin' was so well-recieved that it will become their latest year-round brand in just a few months. Also be on the lookout for Little Sumpin' Stoopid in mid 2011...

Little Sumpin' Wild paired with venison loin in a wild mushroom demi with spaghetti squash & miniature twice-baked potato

Fusion IV paired with a trio of pumpkin brulee, ginger spice cake & salted caramel ice cream. This beer - a blend of lager & ale brewing techniques - is very rare and limited to select markets. Kansas City is now one of those markets.

Tickets are on sale now for December's Bremaster's Dinner, "Feast of Samichlaus", which will feature 6 traditional Christmas dishes from around the world carefully paired with beers from their respective country. $50 including tax & gratuity. More info on that very soon...

Now on Tap - BBB

2010-11-06T15:15:00.002-05:00

Back on tap for a very limited time is our 13th Anniversary Ale known as Triple B. We hopped this badboy with a blend of Pacific Northwest (Chinook & Horizon), English Fuggle & German Hallertauer hops for a dominant hop profile, while creating a balance of the citrusy American hop qualities and the spicier, more floral notes of European varities. It's then dry-hopped for an even stronger hop aroma. Clean malty sweetness is found in the background, while some fruitiness, either from esters or hops, is also prevalent. This big, bold & beautiful beer defies classification sitting somewhere between an Old Ale, ESB & Barleywine.

Brewer's specs:
Malt: 78% Pale 2-row
9% Crystal
9% CaraPils
4% Melanoidin

Hops: Whole leaf Chinook added to mash

Fuggle added to first wort

Horizon & Hallertaur for 90 minutes

Fuggle & Hallertaur for 60 minutes

Hallertaur for 10 minutes

Fuggle & Hallertaur at whirlpool

Dry-hopped with Fuggle

OG. 23 Plato
90+ IBUs

11% ABV

Now on Tap - Farmhouse Ale

2010-11-02T12:05:00.003-05:00

Join us in welcoming back our extremely popular Farmhouse Ale. This is only the second-ever batch of the cloudy Belgian-style ale featuring bold earthy yeast flavors, a mild hop profile and just a touch of sweetness. It is dangerously easy to drink considering it weighs in at 7.1% ABV. Cheers!

Lagunitas Dinner - Nov. 7

2010-10-18T14:04:00.008-05:00

We're very excited to announce the first in our updated series of monthly Brewmaster's Dinners which now take place at Beer Kitchen on the first Sunday of the month. Sunday, November 7th we'll be offering a 5 course dinner featuring chef-inspired small plates paired with beers exclusively from Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Hosting the dinner is Chicago resident & midwest Sales Rep for Lagunitas, Karen Hamilton. Karen is the sister of owner & brewmaster Tony McGee. Tony, also a Chicago native, moved to California over 20 years ago to sell printing supplies. In his free time he started brewing beer at home, and as it turned out he made some pretty damn good beers. He started Lagunitas Brewing Co. in the small city of Lagunitas, before demand quickly forced him to expand and relocate to Petaluma, where they maintain operation today. In 2008 the brewery added a $4,500,000 expansion and has brewing capacity of 160,000 barrels annually.

Lagunitas is best known for their quirky attitude and their takes on highly hopped & notoriously citrusy west coast-style ales - particularly Hop Stoopid and IPA; in their words, "Lagunitas Brewing Company is emerging as a battle-tested brewery capable of making great beer out of goat's milk, brambles, and asphalt on the surface of the Moon, if need be."

Karen is bringing in some beers that are unavailable in the Kansas City market, one of which has only 1 review on BeerAdvocate. Beer Kitchen is closed Sunday nights so we'll have the entire restaurant - and staff - reserved just for us. Here's what's on the menu:

- Czech-style Pils with pastry-wrapped brie & lingonberry-apple compote

- Lucky 13 American amber with duo of butternut squash & patty pan soup

- American IPA with roasted acorn squash & apricot-walnut compote

- Little Sumpin' Wild with venison loin with wild mushroom demi, spaghetti squash & mini twice-baked potato

- Fusion IV with trio of pumpkin brulee, ginger spice cake & salted caramel ice cream

Tickets are $50 per person, which includes tax & gratuity. These dinners are always a ton of fun: great food, incredible beer & generally awesome people. Come by McCoy's, the Foundry or Beer Kitchen, or call us at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations ASAP.

Cheers!

Pics - Amerisports Beer Dinner

2010-10-06T15:39:00.014-05:00

Amerisports' Half Court Light - an American wheat lager

Brothers in beer - Amerisports head brewer Stacy Payne & McCoy's head brewer Keith Thompson hosted the dinner

Watermelon & feta salad paired with the Half Court Light

Knock Out Blond Munich-style helles lager; Amerisports is a particularly "lager-centric"

Baked bean cassoulet with coffe-rubbed braised pork shoulder. Yum!

The Red Zone amber lager

Chile-marinated hickory-smoked jumbo prawn wrapped in bacon with roasted red pepper BBQ sauce and pineapple-cilantro salsa.

Faceoff Pale Ale - the only ale of the night

Applewood smoked wild boar ribs with chipotle BBQ sauce, cole slaw & white cheddar jalapeno corn muffin

The Hard Ball Dark - a Munich-style Dunkel lager

Hard Ball Dark paired with chocolate pecan pie & house-made burnt molasses ice cream courtesy of the "Gelato 3000"

Beginning in November, we're moving these dinners across the street to BeerKitchen - and switching to Sunday nights. Tickets are sale now for the next Brewmaster's Dinner on Sunday, November 7th: say "LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS" More info soon. Cheers!

Brewmaster's Dinner - Oct. 5

2010-09-28T11:46:00.002-05:00

Yo! It's almost that time again - our next Brewmaster's Dinner is Tuesday, October 5th at 6:30 pm. This time we're doing things a bit different as we feature beers exclusively from the Amerisports Brewery inside the Kansas City Ameristar Casino. This will be a chance to try some relatively obscure brews with a 5 course pairing. 5 beers & 5 dishes for only $35 including tax & gratuity... We still have some seats open so come by or call us at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations asap! Here's what's on the menu:

- Watermelon & feta salad with Half Court Light ale

- Baked bean cowboy cassoulet with Knock Out blond ale

- Chile-marinated hickory smoked jumbo prawn with Red Zone red ale

- Applewood smoked wild boar rib with Face Off pale ale

- Chocolate pecan pie with molasses ice cream & Hard Ball dark ale

This one's gonna be good!

Wee Willy takes Silver at GABF 2010

2010-09-18T21:44:00.007-05:00

Our Wee Willy Scotch Ale just won the silver medal at the 29th annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO! The GABF is the largest beer competition in the United States - this year there were over 450 breweries & brewpubs competing and nearly 50,000 people in attendance. Needless to say, we're pretty damn proud to take home another medal! Check out the full list of winners here.

Cheers!

Now on Tap - Ancho Brown

2010-09-15T16:22:00.003-05:00

This ancho daddy's beer! We are proud to announce the second batch of our Hogpound Brown ale spiced with smoked & dried Poblano peppers - aka Ancho chiles. Poblanos are a mild Mexican chile pepper popular in mole sauces, or stuffed with cheese as chile rellenos, but when dried the Poblanos become known as Ancho chiles. We took 2 kegs of Hogpound Brown and loaded them with Anchos to give the beer a substantial pepper flavor with just a hint of heat due to the malty sweetness of the ale. The resulting beer is a unique balancing act of peppery spice & caramely sweetness. An excellent beer to be enjoyed on a rainy day like this or paired with spicy foods - particularly our Big Cheese hamburger with pepper jack cheese - this is a very limited experimental batch that won't last long! Coming soon: Oktoberfest.

Pics - Mikkeller Yeast Series

2010-09-08T16:02:00.009-05:00

McCoy's/Foundry owner James Westphal welcomed guests and suggested they check out the newly opened BeerKitchen. More info on that soon.

McCoy's brewmaster Keith Thompson hosted the dinner alongside Shelton Brothers' rep Brent, who managed to elude the camera all night. Not only did Brent describe the beers and the idea behind them, he also informed us that a keg of Cantillon Iris is on its way to Westport...

The tasting plate. From left to right: Maytag cheese puffs, sliced pears with thyme honey, breseola with hops infused mustard, white chipotle cheddar blocks and prosciutto-wrapped honeydew & watermelon.

Herb-roasted cornish game hen with white cheddar bread pudding. For this course guests chose their favorite of the Yeast Series to pair with the dish.

The elusive Texas Ranger chipotle porter paired with mango sorbet. Apparently, the name of this beer was contracted to a chain of grocery stores in Texas, and if sold outside the state it is to be referred to as simply "chipotle porter".

Last night's dinner was one of the most delicious and educational we've had yet. For many of the attendees these nights are something to look forward to each and every month and we invite you to join the fun. Tickets are on sale now for October's dinner featuring 6 small plates paired with beers exclusively from Amerisports Brewpub for only $35 including tax & gratuity. Come by or call us at (816) 960 -0866 for reservations. Cheers!

Now on Tap - Broadway Toddy Stout

2010-09-06T12:06:00.003-05:00

Oatmeal stouts are generally medium to full bodied & have an unreal smoothness to them due to the addition of oats to the mash. The oats not only add a lot of smoothness to the mouthfeel, but give a touch of sweetness that is unlike any other type of stout. Ours is a very smooth and delicious, malt forward stout that is nitrogenated to make it even more smooth & creamy. This time around our good friends at Broadway Cafe put together a very special Toddy roast to compliment and enhance our tasty stout with a burst of coffee.

Brewer's specs:

Malt: Pale, Carapils, Munich, Roasted, Black, Honey
Oats
Bravo & Willamette hops
Fermented with McCoy's house ale yeast

Cold extracted Broadway Cafe Toddy added after maturation

OG 15.5 Plato

45 IBU

6.1% ABV

Sorachi Ace Randall Hopped Pale

2010-09-03T15:32:00.007-05:00

Introducing the second edition of our "Randall" hopped Pale Ales. This is our regular Lunch Pale Ale brewed, fermented & filtered as normal, but just before it hits your glass it's passed through a device commonly known as a Randall. A Randall is a cartridge filter loaded with hops - in this case Sorachi Ace - which gives the beer a bold hop characteristic. Sorachi Ace hops, developed by Sapporo, are a relatively new Japanese variety known for their intense citrus flavor and lemony aroma. The end result is a remarkably crisp & hoppy sessionable Pale Ale. We plan to release several different Randalled variations of this beer over the next few months so it will be interesting to see how the beer changes with each variety.

Brewer's specs:

Malt: pale 2-row, Vienna, biscuit & crystal

Hops: East Kent Goldings & Styrian Goldings

SG: 10.5 Plato
45 IBU

4.4% ABV

The Randall: from the tank, through the hops and straight into your glass. Cheers!

Now on Tap - Mexican-style Cerveza

2010-08-25T14:39:00.004-05:00

Perfect for the summer heat - the 2010 batch of our Mexican-style Cerveza. This birra is made in traditional cerveza fashion using corn as a starch adjunct and clocking in around 4% ABV. An excellent beer to pair with lighter summer dishes or great by itself on our patio. Light, crisp & refreshing, this is a beer to drink before the sun goes down...

Mikkeller Yeast Series - Sept. 7

2010-08-18T10:34:00.004-05:00

Join us Tuesday September 7th at 6:30 for what should be one of the most exciting and interesting Brewmaster's Dinners yet. September's edition will feature Danish nomadic brewer Mikkeller's innovative "Yeast Series", which takes their strong pale ale recipe and doses it with 5 different yeasts to create 5 wildly different beers. According to Mikkel, "“the Yeast Series will be similar to the Single Hop Series. Identical beers – only difference is the yeast. It will be a strong pale ale – 8%, pretty well hopped but not over the top. Malt, hops and water are identical. Only difference is the yeast. I am sure it will be even more educational than the Single Hop Series. They will turn into very different beers. Planned are a lager, regular US ale, Belgian ale/Trappist, Weiss and Brettanomyces.”

Not only are we going to sample all 5 of these particularly hard to find (aka expensive) beers, but we'll be closing the night out with Mikkeller's Texas Ranger chipotle porter. Only a few kegs of this beer made it to the States, and while most of them were designated to Texas, we secured one just for this dinner. Tickets are only $45 including tax and gratuity. Seating is limited to fewer than 30 people so come by or call us at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations as soon as possible!

Daily Specials - McCoy's & Foundry

2010-08-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

Check out our new daily specials! We're now offering half-price beer bites/appetizers from 4-6 Monday through Friday at McCoy's & everyday from 4-6 at the Foundry. Wednesdays are now "IPA Day" so pints of our GABF Award Winning IPA are only $3 every Wednesday at both McCoy's & the Foundry. All American Mondays & Truckstop Tuesdays remain unchanged (thank goodness!) but there are some other nice updates you'll be interested in. Click images to enlarge:

Pics - Wild Ale Dinner

2010-08-04T15:48:00.003-05:00

Dinner was hosted by McCoy's brewmaster Keith Thompson

Chilled sorrel & split pea vichysoisse paired with Jolly Pumpin's E.S. Bam

Jolly Pumpkin's E.S.Bam: hoppy farmhouse ale with Brettanomyces - 4.7% ABV

Grilled radicchio salad with Maytag blue cheese, candied pecans & maple balsamic vinaigrette served with New Belgium's Fall Wild Ale: Abbey-style dubbel spiced with Schisandra berries, then fermented with Trappist yeast & brettanomyces - 8.5% ABV

Roulade of sole, crab and spinach with a cucumber-tomato beurre blanc with Mikkeller's It's Alive! This dish was out of control...

Mikkeller's It's Alive! Strong Belgian pale ale with brettanomyces; Mikkeller's tribute to Belgian Trappist beer legend/Kansas City collaborator Orval - 8% ABV

Goat cheese & sour cherry ice cream with Italy's Panil Barrique - triple fermented Flanders red ale (first in the tank, then in Bordeaux cognac barrels, then bottle conditioned) - 8%ABV. Yum!!!

Tickets are on sale now for the September edition of our monthly Brewmaster's Dinners which will be on Tuesday, September 7. We're keeping things interesting as we sample Mikkeller's innovative Yeast Series - the same beer made 5 times with 5 different yeasts - Belgian, hefeweizen, lager, US ale & brettanomyces. Not only are we sampling the complete yeast series, but we've got one of the only kegs in the United States of Mikkeller's Texas Ranger chipotle porter! Tickets are only $50 including tax & gratuity. Come by or call us at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations ASAP. Cheers!

Aug. 3 - Wild Ale Dinner

2010-07-21T16:30:00.007-05:00

Yo! It's almost that time again (already?!) for the next installment of our monthly Brewmaster's Dinners. Tuesday, August 3rd we'll be tasting some funked-up beers with chef-inspired small plates. Tickets are on sale now and are only $35 including tax & gratuity. Here's what's on the menu:

- Chilled sorrel, pea vichyssoise with Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere (named in Men's Journal's Best 25 Beers in America)

- Grilled radicchio salad, maytag blue cheese, walnuts & maple balsamic dressing with New Belgium's Fall Wild ale (dubbel spiced with Schisandra berries, then fermented with Trappist yeast & brettanomyces)

- Roulade of sole, crab & spinach, cucumber-tomato ver blanc with Mikkeller's It's Alive wild ale (dosed with brettanomyces / a tribute to Orval)

- Goat cheese/sour cherry ice cream with Panil Barriquee Flanders Red ale (triple fermented: steel tank, cognac barrel & bottle)

Come by or call us at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations ASAP!

Now on Tap - Belgian Witbier

2010-07-14T14:17:00.003-05:00

Introducing our first ever Witbier. A Belgian style that's very pale & cloudy due to it being unfiltered and the high level of wheat that's used in the mash. Always spiced, generally with coriander & orange peel (we used Grains of Paradise as well), ours is crisp with a slight twang from the wheat and the unique Belgian ale yeast used for fermentation. This is refreshing and thirst-quenching with tons of juicy flavor with a hint of spice. It's delicious!

Brewer's specs:

Malt: Pale 2-row, biscuit, malted white wheat & unmalted wheat

Hops: German Hallertauer & Czech Saaz

Spices: Coriander, orange peel, Grains of Paradise

OG 10.8 Plato

4.7% ABV

Now on Tap - St. Elizabeth Belgian DIPA

2010-07-09T22:44:00.005-05:00

Introducing our first ever Belgian double IPA. We took our hefty double IPA and dosed it with Belgian yeast for an incredible balancing act of bitter, sweet, fruity & earthy. Clocking in at 10% ABV, this beer is hoppy as hell without being overpowering thanks to the hefty malt backbone and addition of honey to the boil. This beer is exactly what it sounds like - if you're a fan of hoppy Belgians like Houblon Chouffe or Tank 7 you're really going to enjoy this!

Brewer's specs:

Malt: pale 2-row, Vienna, malted white wheat

Hops: Colombus (added at 10 different times from start to finish)

50 pounds of local honey added to boil

Fermented with 2 different Belgian ale yeasts

SG 23 Plato
10% ABV

Pics - Brewmaster's Dinner 7.06.10

2010-07-07T15:37:00.005-05:00

Oysters on the half-shell w/ Hawaiian pink sea salt & Tabasco tomato water

Ace Pear Cider - made from a base of 100% apple juice with pear juice added

Beef carpaccio with zucchini, yellow squash, horseradish cream sauce & microgreens with Wittekerke Framboise

Wittekerke Framboise - a blend of Wittekerke's regular wheat beer, Petrus oak-aged pale ale & pure raspberries

Brouwerij Van Honsebruck's St. Louis Peche lambic

Prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin with apricot glaze

Puff pastry with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate-covered cherry with Kasteel Rouge (oud bruin aged with sour cherries)

Cheers!

Come by or call us at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations for August's Dinner: "wild ales" featuring beers from Mikkeller, New Belgium, Jolly Pumpkin & more. Tickets are $35 including tax & gratuity.

Now on Tap - Lunch Pale Ale

2010-06-21T15:15:00.002-05:00

Introducing our new "Lunch" Pale Ale, a delightfully hoppy, yet highly quaffable pale ale. Pale 2-row, Vienna, Biscuit & Crystal malts create the sturdy backbone for this well-balanced ale which is hopped using only English East Kent Goldings & Styrian Goldings. If you're a fan of our Newcomb's IPA, but looking for something just a little a bit lighter, this is the beer for you.

OG 10.5 Plato
45 IBUs
4.5% ABV

Now on Tap - BBB

2010-06-18T13:05:00.003-05:00

In celebration of 13 years of McCoy's Public House we're proud to present a new batch of our popular Anniversary Ale known as Triple B. We hopped this badboy with a blend of Pacific Northwest (Chinook & Horizon), English Fuggle & German Hallertauer hops for a dominant hop profile, while creating a balance of the citrusy American hop qualities and the spicier, more floral notes of European varities. It's then dry-hopped for an even stronger hop aroma. Clean malty sweetness is found in the background, while some fruitiness, either from esters or hops, is also prevalent. This big, bold & beautiful beer defies classification sitting somewhere between an Old Ale, ESB & Barleywine.

Brewer's specs:

Malt:
78% Pale 2-row

9% Crystal

9% CaraPils

4% Melanoidin

Hops:
Whole leaf Chinook added to mash
Fuggle added to first wort
Horizon & Hallertaur for 90 minutes
Fuggle & Hallertaur for 60 minutes
Hallertaur for 10 minutes
Fuggle & Hallertaur at whirlpool
Dry-hopped with Fuggle

OG. 23 Plato

90+ IBUs
11% ABV

Now on Tap - Farmhouse Ale

2010-06-10T23:03:00.003-05:00

Introducing our first ever Farmhouse Ale. Traditionally brewed in the winter to be enjoyed in the summer months, this is a cloudy Belgian-style ale with a bold earthy yeast flavor, mild hop profile and just a touch of sweetness. It is dangerously easy to drink considering it weighs in at 7.1% ABV. See you on the patio!

Brewmaster's Dinner - July 6

2010-06-08T15:03:00.003-05:00

Join us Tuesday July 6 for the next installment of our monthly Brewmaster's Dinners. July's dinner will be a showcase of beers made with fruit & chef-inspired small plates. Sounds fruity, but this menu looks awesome. If you've been to one of these dinners you know how much fun they are and this one's not to be missed. Here's whats on the menu:

- Oysters on the half shell with Hawaiian pink sea salt & tabacco tomato water served with Ace Pear Cider

- Beef carpaccio rolls with Wittekerke Framboise (a blend of wheat beer, raspberry puree & pale ale)

- Pork tenderloin with apricot glaze and arugula with St. Louis Peche (peach lambic)

- Puff pastry with dark chocolate mousse w/ Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck's Kasteel Rouge (Castle brown ale aged with sour cherries in the kriek tradition)

Tickets are only $35 including tax & gratuity. Come by or call us today at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservations today. Seating is limited to 25 so reserve your seat ASAP!

Pics - Saison Dinner

2010-06-02T13:18:00.004-05:00

Yet another great night of good friends, incredible food & remarkable beer. Last night's Brewmaster's Dinner was a showcase of four different Saisons, also known as Farmhouse Ales (read the full story here), matched up with four summer-inspired small plates. These dinners continually impress and are something to look forward each month; last night was certainly no exception. Once again, many thanks to those of you who made it out, but for those that didn't here's what you missed:

Scallop ceviche with wonton crisps served with McCoy's first ever Farmhouse Ale. Brewer's specs & photo coming soon!

Green tea smoked duck breast with radish & broccoli sprouts paired with Brasserie Dupont Foret. 7.5% ABV.

De Proefbrouwerij's Saison Imperiale - a unique interpretation of the style being much darker, sweeter & spicier than others on the menu. 8.5% ABV.

Roasted rabbit sausage with butternut squash gratin & Saison Imperiale. Amazing.

Fresh summer berries & orange wedges with sabayon served with Boulevard's 2009 Saison-Brett - currently the second highest rated Saison in the world on BeerAdvocate & rated 99/100 on RateBeer. 8.5% ABV.

Cheers - see you in July!

June 1 - Saison Beer Dinner

2010-05-25T11:01:00.003-05:00

Join us Tuesday, June 1 at 6:30 PM for the latest installment of our monthly Brewmaster's Dinners. If you've been to one of these events before you know how much fun they are, but if you haven't, this is a great opportunity to sample some delicious food paired with incredible beers. I really cannot speak highly enough of these dinners. Here's what's on the menu:

-Scallop ceviche with wonton crisp paired with McCoy's Farmhouse Ale

-Green tea smoked duck breast with Brasserie Dupont Foret

-Roasted rabbit sausage & butternut squash gratin with DeProef Saison Imperiale

-Fresh summer berries & sabayon with Boulevard Saison-Brett

Reservations are only $35 including tax & gratuity. We've scaled back these dinners in regards to attendance - seating is limited to 25 guests - so please call us at (816) 960-0866 or come by to make your reservations ASAP. See you next Tuesday!

KC Beerfest

2010-05-24T17:46:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday marked the 4th annual Kansas City Beerfest which was held in Westport this year. The intersection of Pennsylvania & Westport was jam-packed with thirsty beer enthusiasts on one of 2010's hottest days so, as you can imagine, cold beverages were in high-demand. While it was definitely unfortunate that most of the selection was picked over well before the end of the event, in the end it was a great day to be outside drinking beer with a few thousand people, all while supporting a charitable organization.

The entrance to Beerfest; this year's glasses were some pretty sweet snifters!

The line to get in was quite long, but moved very fast thanks to plenty of volunteers.

The view from McCoy's front door.

Our draft offerings for the event.

The Hefeweizen was quite popular given the heat.

There were lots of interesting comments about the hops & barley we had displayed, but there are definitely some new fans of lupulin in KC!

Many thanks to those of you who made it out to support the Kansas City Free Health Clinic and enjoy some damn fine beers in the process. Cheers!

Now on Tap - Scotch Whiskey

2010-05-18T12:22:00.002-05:00

Since we ran through the Ursa Major so fast, and we're still waiting on the Oatmeal Stout to finish up, we tapped a keg of another very rare blend - Scotch Whiskey. This is a blend of our heavily smoked Scotch Ale with whiskey barrel aged Hogpound Brown. The result is a slightly sweet, smokey ale with low carbonation. It should pair great with today's Truckstop Tuesday special - meatloaf & mashed potatoes or chicken-fried chicken for $7.99 all day.

American Craft Beer Week

2010-05-17T14:08:00.002-05:00

Today marks the first day of American Craft Beer Week, which lasts through Sunday, May 23. This is a week long excuse to drink more beer, or what many are referring to as the Best Week Ever. We've got some special blends on tap right now, including Winterberry & the brand new Scotch-Whiskey (our smoked-peat Scotch Ale blended with Whiskey Barrel Brown Ale - more info to come on that soon).

But if you can't get out of the house until the weekend, well, I feel sorry for you, but this year the 4th annual Kansas City Beerfest takes place on our front porch. The intersection of Westport Road & Pennsylvania will be blocked off from 1:00 - 5:00 while thousands of beer enthusiasts descend upon Westport to sample over 200 beers from local & national breweries (the Liquid Diet blog has the inside scoop). Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate - click here to get 'em.

Now get out there and drink some beer!

Farewell, Dry Stout

2010-05-12T12:47:00.002-05:00

It is with both heartache & joy that we announce the departure of Thompson's Dry Stout for good. She'll be permanently replaced by our Oatmeal Stout very shortly, but in the meantime the Ursa Major Imperial Stout will be holding down her spot in the line-up.

Now on Tap - Winterberry

2010-05-11T16:35:00.004-05:00

You're probably thinking, "what the hell is Winterberry?" Well, it's our 2009 Winter Warmer blended with our oak-aged Blackberry Lager. This is a very limited release that will not last long. Its tart, sweet, hoppy & delicious.

Pics - Bell's Dinner 5.04.10

2010-05-05T11:40:00.007-05:00

Wow, last night's Brewmaster's Dinner was incredible! Not only were all the food and beer pairings phenomenal, but guest host John Mallett of Bell's Brewery put on a beer clinic as well. John has been in the beer industry for over 25 years, working as a head brewer, brewery designer and brewery consultant. Currently, as Bell's Production Manager, he oversees all aspects of beer making at the Kalamzoo, MI brewery. Needless to say, he knows a LOT about beer and everything that comes with making and selling it. This was undoubtedly one of the most delicious & entertaining dinners we've had yet. Many thanks to all of you who made it out, but for those that didn't here's what you missed:

Guest host John Mallett of Bell's Brewery.

Cave-aged gruyere gougere cheese puffs served with Sparkling Ale.

Sparkling Ale - an "American Tripel" - 9% ABV.

Wild mushroom-gorgonzola spring roll, candy-cane beets & sherry vinaigrette served with Oberon wheat beer - 5.8% ABV. John was able to estimate how many weeks old the Oberon was by taking just a few sips.

Respect beer.

Tempura-battered pork belly over Himalayan red rice pilaf paired with Amber Ale - 5.5%

The firkin of cask-conditioned Two Hearted IPA.

Bell's regional sales rep Jim O'Connor did the honors.

Gremolata-encrusted sea bass with Spanish chorizo, potato chowder & cilantro pesto oil served with cask Two Hearted - 7.1% ABV. This dish/pairing was out of control!

McCoy's Brewmaster Keith Thompson joined John in the beer discussion. Keith was (unsurprisingly) quite inquisitive about the process & ingredients behind Hopslam...

Pretty maids all in a row.

Almond biscotti with Expedition Stout - 10.5%, caramel-banana panna cotta with Java Stout - 7.5%, Dark Chocolate Truffle with Cherry Stout - 7%. Going out with a bang!

Cheers!

Now on Tap - E.S.B.

2010-04-29T19:01:00.003-05:00

Our Extra Special Bitter, or E.S.B., is a hop-accented, copper colored ale with fresh hop flavors and a hint of sweet malt. The color comes from generous amounts of carmelized malt, while the Goldings, Hallertauer & Willamette hops provide the balancing bitterness. The 2010 E.S.B. is dry-hopped with whole leaf Centennial hops for an extra crisp flavor.

Brewer's specs:

English Goldings hops
German Hallertauer hops
American Willamette & Centennial hops

Pale malt
Biscuit malt

Carapils malt

Melanoidin malt

OG 12.1 Plato
4.9% ABV

Bell's Brewery Dinner - May 4

2010-04-22T18:24:00.005-05:00

Tuesday May 4th will be the second of our monthly beer dinners to be hosted by a guest brewery, featuring their beers exclusively. You might remember when Steven Hale of Schlafly came through back in July, which was, and still is, one of our most popular dinners, but this time we'll be joined by John Mallett of Bell's Brewery. John, a graduate of the Siebel Institute in Chicago, began working at Bell's as Production Manager nearly 9 years ago where he "manages all aspects of beer production and engineering". As if that doesn't sound cool enough, he also heads up SAAZ Brewing Equipment & Services, engineering & fabricating solutions for breweries. He's also on the Master Brewer's Association of America. Needless to say, we're excited to welcome him to KC!

- Cave-aged gruyere gougere cheese puffs with Sparkling Ale - 9%

- Wild mushroom-gorgonzola spring roll, candy-cane beets & sherry vinaigrette with Oberon - 5.8%

- Tempura-battered pork belly over Himalayan red rice pilaf with Amber Ale - 5.5%

-Gremolata-encrusted sea bass with Spanish chorizo, potato chowder & cilantro pesto oil with cask-conditioned Two Hearted Ale - 7.1%

- Almond biscotti with Expedition Stout - 10.5%, caramel-banana panna cotta with Java Stout - 7.5%, Dark Chocolate Truffle with Cherry Stout - 7%

Tickets are only $50 including tax & gratuity so come by or call us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations ASAP.

Now on Tap - Maibock

2010-04-15T10:04:00.002-05:00

Now on tap: our late spring seasonal, Maibock. Bock beers are strong lagers, though not all strong lagers are bocks. Ours is strong and smooth, with low hop bitterness and a hint of malty sweetness. Maibocks are pale versions of traditional bock beers, frequently associated with springtime and the month of May. Typically ranging from 6% - 7.5% ABV, Maibocks are less malty than traditional bocks and may be drier, hoppier and slightly more bitter, yet with low hop flavor. There is some dispute as to whether the Heller ("pale") bocks and Mai ("May") bocks are the same style, but they are generally agreed to be the same. This is a big, bright, malty lager with a clean palate and best enjoyed on our patio.

Brewer's specs:

Pilsner malt
Carapils malt
Melanoidin malt
Munich malt

German Hallertauer hops

Hersbrucker hops

Spalt hops

Fermented with McCoy's house lager yeast

OG 17.1 Plato
35 IBU
6.8% ABV

Pics - April Brewmaster's Dinner

2010-04-07T11:35:00.006-05:00

April's Brewmaster's Dinner featured hop-forward beers paired with some incredible small plates. A relatively low-key affair, last night's dinner was a great time for all who braved the crazy weather to enjoy some delicious food & drink. Sometimes pictures simply do not do these events justice, and this happens to be one of those times. Many thanks to all who made it out, but for those that didn't, here's what you missed:

The dinner was held in the old cigar lounge between McCoy's/the Foundry.

The reception course: rosemary-scented bar nuts with Sünner Kölsch - 5.4% ABV.

Tempura battered artichoke & goat cheese fritters served with Houblon Chouffe - 9% ABV.

Owner James Westphal hosted the dinner solo, which made it, to use his words, "the best Brewmaster's Dinner yet!"

Momofuku glazed chicken wing with pickled chili peppers & jalapeno cheddar grits paired with McCoy's cask-conditioned IPA (dry hopped with Summit hops and pulled off the beer engine) - 7.1% ABV.

Sweet thai glazed grilled prawns with peanut rice noodles, cucumber salad & Southern Tier's Gemini IPA - 10.5% ABV.

Candied ginger-spiced carrot cake with Moylan's Hopsickle "triple" IPA - 9.2% ABV. Looks good, eh? It tasted better.

Cheers!

Tickets are on sale now for May's dinner, which will be held at the Foundry and feature guest host John Mallett from Bell's Brewery. More info coming soon...

Now on Tap - Belgian Dubbel

2010-03-31T16:48:00.003-05:00

Back on tap is our 2009 12th Anniversary Belgian-Style Dubbel. A rich malty beer with some spicy/phenolic and mild alcoholic characteristics. Traditionally a Trappist Ale, many brew similar "Abbey Dubbels" to try and emulate the originals like Westvleteren 8, Westmalle Dubbel & Chimay. This special ale was brewed in the beginning of January 2009, twice fermented over the next month or so, aged in oak bourbon barrels for a couple of months and has been aging in our icehouse since. Spicy Belgian yeast and a dark malty body compliment notes of dried fruit and mild charred oak. There are plenty of flavors to pick out on this one!

Brewer’s specs:

Malt:
Pale Brewer’s
Munich

CaraPils

Vienna

Belgian Aromatic Malt

Malted Wheat

Chocolate Malt

Hops:

Hallertaur

Perle

German Select

Saaz

Belgian Candied Sugar added to boil

OG. 21 Plato

8.8% ABV

Now on Tap - Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

2010-03-19T18:19:00.005-05:00

This just in: we tapped our ONLY keg of nitrogenated Chocolate Oatmeal Stout! I don't have brewer's specs - or even a picture - but I wanted to let our blog readers know that it's on. The individual kegs of Toddy Porters were extremely well-recieved and gone in less than 2 days each, so hopefully this stuff will make it 'til Monday.

Come by this weekend and enjoy a pint!

Cheers!

April Brewmaster's Dinner

2010-03-11T18:09:00.007-06:00

Join us Tuesday, April 6th for next installment of our monthly Brewmaster's Dinners. April's dinner will be a showcase of heavily hopped beers paired with 5 small dishes. We'll be sampling some remarkable beers for this event: Moylan's Hopsickle ("triple IPA", rated 99/100 on RateBeer), Houblon Chouffe (a Belgian-style Tripel/IPA hybrid - check out this awesome article), Southern Tier's Gemini (98/100 on RateBeer), Sünner Kölsch and McCoy's own cask-conditioned IPA. Oh yeah - there will be some kick-ass food, too! We only have space for 30 guests so come by or call us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations ASAP. This one's gonna go quick!

This will be the 12th in our series of dinners - happy birthday Brewmaster's Dinner!

Now on Tap - Irish Red

2010-03-10T20:10:00.004-06:00

Yes sir, just in time for St. Patrick's day we present our Irish Red Ale. Deliciously malty, yet smooth & crisp, this extremely drinkable ale begs to be enjoyed on our patio - if only it would stop raining so damn much...

Brewer's specs coming soon.

Brewer's Reserve

2010-03-09T14:34:00.003-06:00

Check out the Foundry's newly installed "Brewer's Reserve" cooler! Inside you'll find such goodies as every single Boulevard Smokestack (except Tank 7 - which is on tap), Unibroue's Quelque Chose, Bell's & DeProef's Van Twee, Southern Tier's UnEarthly, Goose Island's new Demolition Ale, Schlafly's big beers, Lagunitas WTF & Lil' Sumpin' Extra, Grand Teton's Pursuit of Hoppiness and a whole lot more...

Pics - March Scottish Dinner

2010-03-04T17:57:00.011-06:00

While Tuesday night's Scottish Beer Dinner was one of the more low-key events we've done, it was definitely one of the most enjoyable. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits before the dinner began, and even moreso once the beer started flowing. The dinner featured 5 courses paired with 5 Scottish or Scottish-influenced beers. These dinners have really become something to look forward to every month, and the next few months are certainly no exception! April's dinner is only $30 and will be Easter-themed small plates with heavily hopped beers - get it? Easter bunny...hoppy beers... And May is shaping up to be one for the books as we welcome a little brewery from the south-east side of Michigan. Once again, many thanks to those of you who made it out, but for those that didn't here's what you missed:

Bagpipers!

McCoy's Brewmaster Keith Thompson welcoming everyone as the first course made it's way out.

Round 1 - pickled deviled eggs with Foothill Hops Farm mustard, smoked salmon & dill paired with Belhaven's Twisted Thistle IPA. Pictures simply do not do these things justice!
Absolutely delicious...

Round 2 - traditional Gaelic crab soup with barley, double cream & a splash of whiskey paired with Williams Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale. Fraoch Heather is brewed according to a recipe from 2,000 B.C. using heather flowers as the only bittering agent, no hops used at all.

Round 3 - chicken sausage & prosciutto in Yorkshire pudding with onion marmalade & Madeira gravy with Orkney Brewing's Skull Splitter - 8.5% ABV.

Keith explaining beer and why its so great.

Round 4 - slow-braised lamb braciole, rolled & stuffed, served with Hunter’s sauce & barley risotto, mushrooms & cherries with McCoy's Wee Willy Scotch Ale - 8.3% ABV.

This beer is phenomenal! Harviestoun's Ola Dubh - a Strong Dark Ale brewed in the tradition of English stouts and porters, then aged in Highland Park single malt whisky casks - 8% ABV.

Round 5 - Scotch ale-soaked Ladyfingers with chocolate-orange mousse & Ola Dubh. Talk about ending on a high note...

Apparently Dave was the only one man enough to wear a skirt, I mean kilt... For his effort he left with each of the bottled beers we had that night - Skull Splitter, Froach Heather, Twisted Thistle & Ola Dubh. Not too shabby!

Cheers - see you in April!

Now on Tap - Ursa Major

2010-03-01T15:26:00.003-06:00

Brewer's specs:

Pale 2-row Malt
Crystal Malt
Roasted Malt
Chocolate Malt
Black Malt

Brown Sugar
Belgian Candied Sugar

20 lbs. East Kent Goldings hops from England

Fermented with McCoy's House Ale Yeast

OG 26 Plato
85 IBU

10.5% ABV

You know what's up...

Now on Tap - Nitro Oatmeal Stout

2010-02-10T13:24:00.003-06:00

Oatmeal Stouts are generally medium to full bodied stouts that have a remarkable smoothness to them from the addition of oats to the mash. The oats not only add a lot of smoothness to the mouthfeel, but also give a touch of sweetness that is unlike any other type of stout. Ours is very creamy and delicious with assertive dark malt flavors. This batch was nitrogenated to make it extra smooth!

Brewer's specs:

Pale Malt
Carapils Malt
Munich Malt
Roasted Malt
Black Malt
Honey Malt

Oats

Bravo & Willamette hops from the Pacific Northwest

Fermented with McCoy's House Ale Yeast

OG 15.5 Plato
45 IBU
6.1% ABV

March Brewmaster's Dinner

2010-02-05T13:45:00.004-06:00

Join us March 2 for our next Brewmaster's Dinner - a Scottish dinner and beer tasting! We'll have 5 courses paired with Scottish or Scottish-influenced ales, including Belhaven's Twisted Thistle, which was a "gateway" IPA for me and is still one of my favorites. A couple other noteworthy beers are on the menu as well: Willams Brothers' Froach Heather Ale, which is brewed with heather flowers instead of hops and Harviestoun's Ola dubh 12, an Old Ale brewed with "more than a nod to Imperial Porters & Stouts of the 19th century", then aged in Highland Park single malt whisky barrels. Tickets are only $45 including tax & gratuity. Come by for a pint or call us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations!

-Pickled deviled eggs with Foothill Hops Farm mustard, smoked salmon & dill with Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA - 5.4% ABV.

-Traditional Gaelic crab soup with barley, double cream & a splash of whiskey paired with Williams Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale - 5% ABV.

-Chicken sausage & proscuitto in Yorkshire pudding with onion marmalade & Madeira gravy with Orkney Brewing's Skull Splitter - 8.5% ABV.

-Slow-braised lamb braciole, rolled & stuffed, served with Hunter’s sauce & barley risotto with McCoy's Wee Willy Scotch Ale - 8.3% ABV.

-Whiskey-soaked Ladyfingers with chocolate-orange mousse & Harviestoun's Ola Dubh - 8% ABV.

Pics - February Dinner

2010-02-03T11:33:00.007-06:00

Yet another incredible evening of food, friends and beer. Last night featured some of the best dishes/pairings we've had at any of these dinners yet. Tickets are on sale now for March's Brewmaster Dinner - which be a Scottish ale pairing (including Belhaven's Twisted Thistle!). More information on that very soon. Many thanks to those of you who made it out, but for those that didn't here's what you missed:

McCoy's California Uncommon - Imperial steam lager - infused with Horny Goat Weed - 10% ABV.

Tray of smoked oyster & oyster mushroom baked in crescent puff pastries.

Owner James Westphal welcomed everyone as we took our seats in anticipation of the second course.

Brouwerij Bosteels' Tripel Karmeliet - 8.4% ABV.

Sea scallops with pink Hawaiian sea salt & flying fish roe served with carrot & basil oil over creamy marscapone-orzo risotto. Incredible... And, yes, it was supposed to look like boobs.

McCoy's brewmaster Keith Thompson explained the beers and how they were selected to pair with each course.

I love lamp.

Wood-grilled asparagus bundle with soft-poached egg, arugula, truffle vinaigrette & pickled pink onion with Bear Republic Red Rocket ale - 6.8% ABV. This was the second (and last) of the "suggestive" platings. I purposely avoided an overhead shot of the food as it was borderline hilarious...

Black pepper-coffee braised beef short rib with fig-stout glaze & celery root-parsnip puree. Paired with Baltika No. 6 Porter - 7% ABV. This may have been the best food/beer pairing we've done yet...

Good times!

Duo of warm flourless chocolate cake & frozen vanilla bean Bavarian cream, served with almond tuille, fresh raspberries & Young’s Double Chocolate Stout sauce with St. Louis Framboise raspberry Lambic - 4.5% ABV. OMG!

Yeah, it was delicious.

'til next time - cheers!

Yo!

2010-02-02T14:05:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone - just wanted to throw out a quick news update.

First, we still have a few tickets available for tonight's Brewmaster's Dinner - check out the menu here. This is the first time in several months that a Brewmaster's Dinner hasn't sold out weeks ahead of time, so if you don't already have tickets call us at 816-960-0866 to secure your spot.

Our Toddy Porter & Vanilla Toddy Porter are finishing up and should be available at McCoy's in the next week or so.

And we just put on Bell's Oarsman Ale and Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner at the Foundry.

See you there!

Single-hop Columbus DPA

2010-01-25T12:50:00.002-06:00

On our fourth batch of Double Pale Ale we used 100% Colombus hops from the Pacific Northwest for prominent citrusy hop aroma; it was also dry hopped for an additional resinous or grassy aroma. Some clean malty sweetness is found in the background, while fruitiness, from esters and hops, is also detected. Some alcohol can usually be noted, but this does not have a "hot" character. Color is golden amber to copper. An intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the big maltiness and/or deeper malt flavors of an American barleywine. Strongly hopped, but clean, lacking harshness, and a tribute to historical IPAs.

Brewer's Specs:

100% Colombus hops added at ten different times from start to finish

85% pale 2-row malt
10% Vienna malt
5% malted white wheat
50 pounds of local honey added to boil
105 minute boil

Fermented 7 days at 19 C with McCoy's house ale yeast

OG 23 Plato

90+ IBU

10% ABV

February Brewmaster's Dinner - 2.02.10

2010-01-20T15:48:00.003-06:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, this month's Brewmaster's Dinner will feature 5 food courses carefully paired with 5 craft beers - including a total of 17 purported aphrodisiacs! This dinner has been a work in progress for weeks and wasn't finalized until today so there has been a LOT of thought and effort put in - and we get to reap the benefits. Tickets are only $50 including tax and gratuity and there are still seats available; please call us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations today as this event will sell out. Check out the menu listed below:

-Smoked oyster & oyster mushroom baked in crescent puff pastry with McCoy’s California Uncommon infused with Horny Goat Weed - 10% ABV.

-Pair of sea scallops dusted with pink Hawaiian sea salt & flying fish roe served with carrot & basil oil over creamy marscapone-orzo risotto and Tripel Karmeliet - 8.4% ABV.

-Wood-grilled asparagus bundle with soft-poached egg, arugula, truffle vinaigrette & pickled pink onion with Bear Republic Red Rocket ale - 6.8% ABV.

-Black pepper-coffee braised beef short rib with fig-stout glaze & celery root-parsnip puree. Paired with Baltika No. 6 Porter - 7% ABV.

-Duo of warm flourless chocolate cake & frozen vanilla bean bavarian cream, served with almond tuille, fresh raspberries & Young’s Double Chocolate Stout sauce with St. Louis Framboise Lambic - 4.5% ABV.

Let's get freaky!

Hopslam!

2010-01-19T16:12:00.004-06:00

This Thursday - Jan. 21 - we'll be tapping our first (and only?!) keg of Bell's Hopslam. Apparently there was a malfunction at the brewery and some 400 barrels had to be discarded, greatly increasing the demand of what is already one of the most sought after beers in the country. Ranked 5th in the "Double/Imperial IPA" category on BeerAdvocate.com, Hopslam is a winter seasonal release that only hangs around for a few weeks a year - and that time is now! We'll be tapping the keg precisely at 4:00 - just in time for the Foundry's new amped up happy hour, which includes half-priced "beer bites". Once the draft Hopslam is gone, we'll release our allotment of bottles.

In other Foundry news, we're working on clearing a couple draft lines before tapping kegs of Rogue's Morimoto Imperial Pilsner and Bell's Oarsman Ale - so we've got some drinking to do!

And back on the topic of Double IPAs, today I got to sample the next incarnation of the McCoy's DIPA - once again single hopped, this time using only Columbus hops - and it is going to be incredible! Plenty of floral, citrusy hop aroma, while staying remarkably crisp, clean and entirely too easy to drink. It should be available in the next week or so.

Cheers - see you Thursday!

Now on Tap - Westporter

2010-01-12T14:49:00.005-06:00

Porter is said to have been popular with transportation workers of Central London, hence the name. Most traditional British brewing documentation from the 1700’s state that Porter was a blend of three different styles: an old ale (stale or soured), a new ale (brown or pale ale) and a weak one (mild ale), with various combinations of blending and staleness. The end result was also commonly known as "Entire Butt" or "Three Threads" and had a pleasing taste of neither new nor old. It was the first truly engineered beer, catering to the public's taste, playing a critical role in quenching the thirst of the UK’s Industrial Revolution and lending an arm in building the mega-breweries of today.

Porter saw a comeback during the homebrewing and micro-brewery revolution of the late 1970’s and early 80’s in the US. Modern-day Porters are typically brewed using a pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt. The addition of roasted malt is uncommon, but used occasionally. Some brewers will also age their beers after inoculation with live bacteria to create an authentic taste. Hop bitterness is moderate on the whole and colour ranges from brown to black. Overall they remain very complex and interesting beer.

Brewer’s Specs:

Pale 2-row malt
Chocolate malt
Crystal malt
Carapils malt
Melanoidin malt

White Wheat

American Horizon, Bravo, English Fuggle and Goldings hops

Starting Gravity: 15 Plato

Fermented at 19 C with McCoy's house ale yeast
5.9% ABV

Now on Tap - Unkle Dunkleweizen

2010-01-10T17:06:00.003-06:00

Similar to a Hefeweizen, these southern Germany wheat beers are brewed as darker versions (dunkel means "dark") with deliciously complex malts and a low balancing bitterness. Most are brown and murky from the yeast. The usual clove & fruity/banana characters will be present, some may even taste like banana bread.

Brewers specs:

40% pale malt
30% malted & unmalted wheat

Biscuit, Vienna, Munich and chocolate malts make up the rest of the grain bill.

American Bravo and German Spalt hops.

Fermented with a Bavarian Hefe-Weizen Ale yeast at 22 C

Starting Gravity: 12.5 Plato
5.6% ABV

Now on Tap - Rye of the Tiger

2010-01-08T21:00:00.003-06:00

Rye of the Tiger Pale Ale - 5.8% ABV. Brewer's specs coming soon.

Pics - January Dinner

2010-01-06T15:44:00.005-06:00

Yet another incredible evening of food, beer & friends. Last night's Brewmaster's Dinner featured 4 strong ales paired with 4 small plates. While it was a smaller offering than our usual 5 or 6 course meals, it's probably a good thing there were a few less rounds considering the high ABV of the beers. Josh at JJSinKCK wrote about his experience last night here - it's definitely worth reading. The food was incredible, as usual, and the beers were big, bold and not to be trifled with! Many thanks to those of who made it out, but for those that didn't, here's what you missed:

Pumpkin-walnut bread, P'tit Basque cheese and roasted butternut squash with Boulevard's Harvest Dance Wheat Wine - 9.1% ABV.

Smoked duck confit & pastry with sherry soaked raisins paired with Arcadia Cereal Killer Barleywine - 9% ABV.

Bourbon-braised pork with white cheddar cheese grits and McCoy's 10 year Anniversary Ale (3 year old "triple IPA"!) - 13% ABV. This stuff has pretty much aged into a barleywine and is delicious. It might still be on tap at the Foundry...

Mephistopheles. Appropriate name.

Raspberry "beer-a-missou" with Avery's Mephistopheles Russian Imperial Stout - 15.9% ABV.

Apparently I forgot to get my usual "cheers" close out picture...I am definitely blaming the beer! Information for February's dinner will be up soon and tickets are on sale now - 5 beers paired with aphrodisiac-inspired dishes. Should be interesting! Call us at 816-960-0866 to reserve your seat ASAP - you know it's going to sell out. Until next time,

Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T13:52:00.005-06:00

Join us at the Foundry Christmas night for our first annual Ugly Sweater party! Just ask for manager Candice - if your sweater's uglier than hers she'll buy a pint of McCoy's craft beer!

Things continue on New Year's Eve with DJ Charlie Burt at the Foundry & Buckoff live on stage at McCoy's. $5 gets you access to McCoy's, the Foundry & one80 and includes complimentary champagne toast at midnight. We're also giving away a $100 bar tab to the most glamorous person of the night!

January Brewmaster's Dinner

2009-12-21T15:27:00.002-06:00

Apologies for the late notice on this, but we wanted to remind everyone that there will be a Brewmaster's tasting in January. The dinner, like all other Brewmaster's dinners, will take place the first Tuesday of the month - January 5th in this case - but will be a smaller, lower-key affair. For only $25 we're featuring 4 strong ales accompanied with 4 small plates in the old cigar room at McCoy's, in between McCoy's & the Foundry . Here's a quick run down of the menu:

Pumpkin-walnut bread, P'tit Basque cheese and roasted butternut squash with Boulevard's Harvest Dance Wheat Wine - 9.1% ABV.

Smoked duck confit in pastry with sherry soaked raisins and Arcadia Cereal Killer Barleywine-style ale - 9% ABV.

Bourbon-braised pork over white cheddar cheese grits with McCoy's 10 year Anniversary Ale (3 year old "triple IPA"!) - 13% ABV.

Raspberry "beer-a-missou" paired with Avery's Mephistopheles Imperial Stout - 15.1% ABV.

Further apologies are in order as the dinner is already at capacity - we actually sold out the night of December's Brewmaster Dinner! Sorry for the taunt if you don't already have reservations... We'll be back in full swing for February and tickets will be on sale January 6th.

Now on Tap - Wee Willy Scotch Ale

2009-12-09T12:37:00.003-06:00

Scotch ales are strong ales, also known as "Wee Heavy." In the 19th century Scotland, they'd also be known as 160/-, a nomenclature based on the now obsolete shilling currency. Scotch ales traditionally go through a long boil in the kettle for a caramelization of the wort. This produces a deep copper to brown colored brew. Compared to Scottish ales, they'll be sweeter and fuller-bodied, and of course higher in alcohol, with a much more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor.

Our Wee Willy Scotch Ale uses Peated Malt in the mash. A “peaty” malt flavor is the result – kind of smokey and sea-salty. Hopping is low but malt flavor and body is pronounced. Beer lovers (or Scotch lovers!) will really enjoy this robust & smoky strong ale!

Brewers’ specs:

55% Pale malt
15% Carapils malt
10%Vienna malt
5% Munich malt
5% Biscuit malt
5% Wheat malt
3.5% Peated malt
1.5% Roasted malt

Hops are a blend of English Goldings and Fuggle, American Willamette and German Spalt

Fermented with McCoy's house ale yeast; cellared 2 months

OG: 20.2 Plato
8.3% ABV

Now on Tap - Winter Warmer

2009-12-08T12:31:00.003-06:00

These malty sweet offerings tend to be a favorite winter seasonal. Big malt presence, both in flavor and body. The color ranges from brownish-reds to nearly pitch black. Hop bitterness is generally low, leveled and balanced, but hop character can be pronounced. Alcohol warmth is not uncommon. Many English versions contain no spices, though some brewers of spiced winter seasonal ales will slap "Winter Warmer" on the label. Those that are spiced, tend to follow the "wassail" tradition of blending robust ales with mixed spices, before hops became the chief "spice" in beer. American varieties may have a larger presence of hops both in bitterness and flavor.

Ours is loosely based on the Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale. Big malt and low hopping. Big alcohol yet restrained alcoholic warmth. This year, 40 pounds of Italian Plum was added during the boil which added fermentable sugar and carried some flavor through, perceived as citrus sweetness.
We are serving it in a snifter to keep in all the yummy flavor and aroma. This beer was not filtered and has a slight haze at cold temperatures. If let to warm up a bit the haze fades and all the juicy malt aroma comes to the front.

Brewers specs:

Malt:
75% Pale malt
10% Vienna malt
10% Carapils
5% Malted wheat

Hops:
English East Kent Goldings
German Spalt

Fermented with McCoy's Ale yeast for 2 weeks at 18.5 C

OG: 23.5 Plato
9.6% ABV

Strong, semi-sweet flavor with malt & background fruit accents and a tawny color. Cheers!

"WHAT'S ON TAP:"

2009-12-07T11:54:00.004-06:00

Just to the right, you'll notice a list of handcrafted beers we currently have on tap. This can be your "go to" resource for knowing exactly what we have on tap at any given moment. Be sure to check back often to see if anything's changed. Recently we put the Belgian Dubbel & California Uncommon back on (and Ursa Major's gone...for now) - which doesn't really warrant a full post, but a quick glance to the right and you'll know what's on tap!

Cheers!

Pics - Christmas Ale Dinner

2009-12-02T14:53:00.019-06:00

Yet another incredible evening of food and beer! Last night's Brewmaster's Dinner featured holiday-inspired dishes carefully paired with 'winter warmer' style beers, holiday ales and even a little wassail. Many thanks to those of you who made it out, for those that didn't, here's what you missed:

People crowded around the Foundry bar before dinner began.

The reception course: warm Brie phyllo cup with cranberry-ginger chutney & toasted almonds paired with Delirium Noel - 10% ABV.

Owner James Westphal (left) & McCoy's Brewmaster Keith Thompson welcomed the guests as they took their seats.

Mr. Pauwels donned his fanciest outfit for the night.

Chestnut soup with Porcini mushrooms, maple glazed onions & sage croutons with Boulevard's extra-hopped "Nutsack" ale - ? ABV. Looks like a pretty happy bowl of soup...

Diners filled the Foundry for our largest Brewmaster's Dinner yet - 64 people!

Cornish game hen, spiced apple prune stuffing, maple-pecan Brussels sprouts with McCoy's Winter Warmer - 9.8% ABV.

Keith preaching the gospel of beer.

Beef Wellington with Mushroom Duxelles served with St. Bernardus ABT 12 - 10.5% ABV.

James going over January's Dinner menu - 4 strong ales paired with 4 small plates for only $25! More info very soon.

Christmas plum pudding with eggnog whipped cream & Samichlaus Bier - 14% ABV.

The first rule of Ugly Sweater Night: you do not ask about Ugly Sweater Night.

Here we go a-wassailing!

White chocolate pretzel bark with McCoy's homemade wassail: our Winter Warmer simmered with spices, port wine & cider ale. I'll be posting the recipe soon...this stuff was incredible!

Happy holidays!

Now on Tap - Toddy Oatmeal Stout

2009-11-19T09:45:00.003-06:00

Oatmeal stouts are generally medium to full bodied & have an unreal smoothness to them due to the addition of oats to the mash. The oats not only add a lot of smoothness to the mouthfeel, but give a touch of sweetness that is unlike any other type of stout. Ours is a very smooth and delicious, malt forward stout that is nitrogenated to make it even more smooth & creamy. This time around our good friends at Broadway Cafe put together a very special roast to compliment and enhance our tasty oatmeal stout.

Brewer's specs:

Pale malt
Carapils malt
Munich malt
Roasted malt
Black malt
Honey malt

Oats

Bravo & Willamette hops

Fermented with McCoy's house ale yeast

Cold extracted Broadway Cafe Toddy added after maturation

OG 15.5 Plato
45 IBU
6.1% ABV

A great way to start your day!

Back on Tap - Double IPA

2009-11-18T12:31:00.003-06:00

That's right - the 3rd batch of our big & bold Double India Pale Ale is back on tap since we polished off the Cask IPA. This keg has been resting for a few months and I think the hop bitterness has mellowed substantially and the honey flavor has become a bit more balanced, making this a sweet & smooth, big DIPA. Check out the original post with more detail and brewer's specs here.

Cheers!

Now on Tap - California Uncommon

2009-11-17T12:57:00.005-06:00

Introducing the California Uncommon - our Imperial Steam beer. Steam beer may be defined as a highly effervescent beer made by brewing lager yeasts at ale fermentation temperatures. It has two distinct but related meanings:

- Historic steam beer produced in California from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s;
- Modern California Common beer, the official name for the beer family which includes Anchor Steam beer.

Historic steam beer, associated with San Francisco & and the U.S. West Coast, was brewed with lager yeast without the use of refrigeration. It was an improvised process, originating out of necessity, perhaps as early as the Gold Rush. It was considered a cheap & low-quality beer as shown by references to it in literature of the 1890s & 1900s.

Modern steam beer, properly known in the brewing community as California common beer, was originated by Anchor Brewing Company, which trademarked the name Anchor Steam beer in 1981. Although the modern company has corporate continuity with a small brewery which was still making traditional steam beer in the 1950s, Anchor Steam is a craft-brewed lager. The company does not claim any close similarity between it and turn-of-the-century steam beer.

Explanations of the word "steam" are all speculative. The carbon dioxide pressure produced by the process was very high, and one possibility is that it was necessary to let off "steam" before attempting to dispense the beer. According to Anchor Brewing, the name "steam" came from the fact that the brewery had no effective way to chill the boiling wort using traditional means. So they pumped the hot wort up to the large, shallow, open-top bins on the roof of the brewery so that it would be rapidly chilled by the cool air blowing in off the Pacific Ocean. Thus, while brewing, the brewery had a distinct cloud of steam around the roof let off by the wort as it cooled, providing basis for the name. It is also possible that the name derives from "Dampfbier" (literally "steam beer"), a traditional German ale that was also fermented at unusually high temperatures and that may have been known to 19th-century American brewers, many of whom were of German descent.

In 19th-century California, not only ice, but even sources of naturally cold water, were probably unavailable to brewers. California brewers were forced to use lager yeast at higher ale temperatures.

Final flavors of beer are influenced by the strain of yeast and fermentation temperature. Lager yeast is best used at temperatures from 55°F down to 32°F. Classic lagering of beers takes place over a period of time from weeks to many months at a temperature of 45°F. Lager yeasts are bottom fermenting, which is to say that they ferment the wort while sitting on the bottom of the fermenter.

Ale yeast is best used at temperatures from 55°F to 75°F. Fermentation by ale yeasts produces a beer that has a distinctive ale flavor. Ale yeasts are top fermenting, in that they settle out on top of the wort after fermenting. Steam beer uses bottom fermenting lager yeasts at ale temperatures, which results in a very distinct flavor profile that includes both ale & lager characteristics.

While Steam beer is considered a specialty microbrew style of beer today, it was originally a cheap beer made for blue collar workers. Wahl & Heinus's American Handy Book of Brewing and Malting (1902) describes California steam beer as "a very clear, refreshing drink much consumed by the laboring classes." And while Anchor Steam is an all barley malt beer, additives were often used in the earlier days. According to the book, "malt alone, malt and grits,or raw cereals of any kind, and sugars, especially glucose, employed in the kettle to the extent of 33%... Roasted malt or sugar coloring is used to give the favorite amber color of Munich beer."

So...you take all of that and double it, and you have Imperial Steam Beer!

Brewer's specs:

Malt
90% Pale
5% Crystal
5% Munich

Hops
75% Northern Brewer
25% Cascade

Fermented at 18°C (64.4°F) with McCoy's house lager yeast

OG: 23.3 Plato
10.2% ABV

A postmodern twist on a modern revival of a classic American beer

Christmas Ale Dinner - 12.01.09

2009-11-11T11:57:00.005-06:00

Oh yes, back at it once again! This month's Brewmaster's Dinner features holiday-inspired dishes paired with big "winter warmer" beers from Boulevard, Delirium, St. Bernardus, Samichlaus & McCoy's, concluding with our very own wassail! Tickets are only $45 including tax & gratuity. We are already over halfway sold out so please come by or call us at (816) 960-0866 to make your reservation today!

Six courses featuring:

Warm brie phyllo cup with cranberry-ginger chutney & toasted almonds with Delirium Noel - 10% ABV.

Chestnut soup with porcini mushrooms, maple glazed onions & sage croutons with Boulevard Nutcracker Ale - 5.9% ABV.

Cornish game hen with spiced apple-prune stuffing & maple-pecan Brussels sprouts with McCoy's Winter Warmer - 8.5% ABV.

Beef Wellington with mushroom duxelles & St. Bernardus ABT 12 - 10.5% ABV.

Christmas plum pudding with eggnog whipped cream & Samichlaus Bier - 14% ABV (!!!)

White chocolate pretzel bark with warm holiday wassail - our own Winter Warmer simmered with spices, port wine & cider ale.

Pics - Trappist Beer Dinner

2009-11-04T12:43:00.023-06:00

Last night was yet another succesful Brewmaster's Dinner. This month's event featured beers from 6 of the 7 Trappist breweries, which are brewed in monasteries located in Belgium and the Netherlands under the control and guidelines of Trappist monks. Each dish featured autum-inspired ingredients that paired wonderfully with each of the bigger, bolder, higher alcohol beers. Many, many thanks to those of you who made it out, but for those who didn't, here's what you missed:

Guests began pouring into the Foundry around 6:30.

First course: hazelnut encrusted Chevre goat cheese truffles with rosemary honey.

A goat cheese truffle with Chimay Tripel - 8% ABV.

Round #2: Pumpkin ale soup with sage croutons, nutmeg whipped cream and Orval - 6.9% ABV.

Onlookers watch as Guffy is about to break into the Running Man while collecting empty glasses...

Third course: roasted duck salad with sun-dried cherries, candied walnuts, Roquefort cheese and Trappistes Rochefort 10 - 11.3% ABV.

Achel Bruin prefers it with the lights down... - 8% ABV.

Seared diver scallop over butternut squash with brown butter sauce, prosciutto & Achel Bruin.

Owner James Westphal explaining how flavorful some of the Trappist beers are: "they taste THIS big!"

Westmalle Dubbel - 7% ABV. Truly a remarkable beer; available at the Foundry.

Braised beef short ribs with shiitake mushrooms & parsnip-turnip puree, paired with Westmalle Dubbel.

Double-layer butternut squash pecan pie, apricot glaze and maple whipped cream with Koningshoeven quadrupel - 10% ABV. Koningshoeven is an absolutely incredible beer - find it & drink it!

Class in a glass, baby!

'til next time - cheers!

Hey!

2009-10-29T13:43:00.004-05:00

Hey everybody - just wanted to remind you to grab tickets to the Trappist Beer Dinner if you haven't already! We've got just a few seats left and want to make sure YOU get them before anyone else. Stop by for a pint (or 4) and secure your spot on what is sure to be one of our best Brewmaster's Dinners yet! More info on that here.

A few other noteworthy items: more information on the bottling of Ursa Major coming very soon; the incredibly delicious Imperial Steam Lager will be on in the next week or so; and something I'm really looking forward to in the next couple weeks is the release of our Coffee Oatmeal Stout - our ridiculously smooth oatmeal stout infused with coffee beans from Broadway Coffee! Oh, and speaking of coffee beers, the Foundry is just dying to tap a keg of Founders Breakfast Stout once we polish off the Schlafly Pumpkin Ale...

See you soon :)

Now On Tap - Pilsener

2009-10-20T14:50:00.002-05:00

A pilsener (also "pilsner" or simply "pils") is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from being developed in the 19th century in the city of Pilsen, Bohemia (Plzen in the Czech Republic). Until the mid-1840s, most Bohemian beers were top-fermented, dark & cloudy. The taste and standards of quality often varied widely, and in 1838, consumers dumped whole barrels to show their dissatisfaction. The officials of Pilsen founded a city-owned brewery in 1839, called Bürger Brauerei (Citizens' Brewery - now Plzensky Prazdoj), brewing beer according to the Bavarian style of brewing. Bavarian brewers had begun experiments with the storage (German: "lager") of beer in cool caves using bottom-fermenting yeasts, which improved the beer's clarity, flavor & shelf-life.

The Bürger Brauerei recruited the Bavarian brewer Josef Groll (1813 – 1887) who, using new techniques and the newly available paler malts, presented his first batch of modern pilsener on October 5, 1842. The combination of pale color from the new malts, Pilsen's remarkably soft water, Saaz noble hops from nearby Saaz (since 1918 Zatec) and Bavarian-style lagering produced a clear, golden beer which was regarded as a sensation.

Improving transport and communications also meant that this new beer was soon available throughout central Europe, and the Pilsner Brauart style of brewing was soon widely imitated. In 1859, “Pilsner Bier” was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Pilsen. In 1898, the Pilsner Urquell trade mark was created to put emphasis on being the original brewery.

A pilsener is generally regarded as different from other pale lagers by a more prominent hop character, particularly from the use of Saaz noble hops. While pilsener is best defined in terms of its characteristics and heritage, the term is also used by some brewers (particularly in North America) to indicate their "premium" beer, whether or not it has a particular hop character.

Our Pilsener follows the Bohemian tradition. We use imported Pilsener Malt and a lot of Czech Saaz hops to produce a refreshing crisp, hoppy lager that you’ll want to drink all day. This beer was brewed in July and has been lagering since. It is filtered to show off its brilliant golden color.

Brewer's specs:

Malt:

Pilsener Malt
Carapils Malt
Crystal Malt

Hops:
90% Czech Saaz
10% Hallertauer (another 'noble' hop known for it's flavor & aroma)

Fermented under 50C for 14 days using our house lager yeast

OG 11.3 Plato
4.4% ABV

Random Photos

2009-10-17T12:29:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we recieved over 200 lbs. of raspberry puree for our Raspberry Wheat:

The fermentation tanks in the alley behind McCoy's (named after Brewmaster Keith Thompson's kids):

GABF Medals: Newcomb's IPA (Bronze 2002 & 2004 - English Style IPA) and Ginger Shandy (Silver 2001 & 2003 - Specialty Beer):

The Brewhouse inside the restaurant:

Have a good weekend - cheers!

Trappist Beer Dinner - 11.03.09

2009-10-14T13:42:00.005-05:00

Join us Tuesday Nov. 3 at 6:30 for our most exciting Brewmaster's Dinner yet! We'll be offering a 6 course meal paired with beers from 6 of the 7 Trappist breweries. For those of you not familiar with Trappist beer, they are brewed under the control & guidelines of Trappist monks at their monasteries located in Belgium & the Netherlands. Of the the 7 Trappist breweries, all are available in the United States with one exception - Westvleteren, which is only available at their Belgium monastery. But we've got the other 6 - Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Achel, Westmalle & Koningshoeven! These are full flavor, high alcohol brews that will go great with the cool weather and our Autumn-inspired menu. Tickets are only $50 person. Be sure to call us at 816-960-0866 or stop by to get your tickets ASAP as reservations are very limited.

Stout-oberfest!

2009-10-13T14:29:00.006-05:00

Given the recent decline in temperatures, these seasonal brews couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. It is with much pride and excitement that we announce the return of Ursa Major - our Russian Imperial Stout (which happens to be my favorite McCoy's brew), as well as our nitrogenated Oatmeal Stout. That gives us a total of 3 stouts on tap right now - Ursa Major, Oatmeal Stout & our year-round offering, Thompson's Dry Stout.

Ursa Major Russian Imperial Stout

An Imperial Stout, or Russian Imperial Stout, is a strong dark beer that was originally brewed by Thrale's brewery in London for export to the court of Catherine II of Russia; known then as "Thrale's Entire Porter". Ursa Major is a rich, intense brew with big, complex flavors and a warming finish due to the high alcohol content. At 10.5% ABV, the "Big Bear" name is certainly appropriate. This beer has been recieved so well we're going to be bottling a small amount of it this year in our 30 oz. flip-top bombers. More info on that soon - check out the label art:

Brewer's specs:

Pale 2-row Malt
Crystal Malt
Roasted Malt
Chocolate Malt
Black Malt

Brown Sugar
Belgian Candied Sugar

20 lbs. East Kent Goldings hops from England

Fermented with McCoy's House Ale Yeast

OG 26 Plato

85 IBU

10.5% ABV

Oatmeal Stout:

Oatmeal Stouts are generally medium to full bodied stouts that have a remarkable smoothness to them from the addition of oats to the mash. The oats not only add a lot of smoothness to the mouthfeel, but also give a touch of sweetness that is unlike any other type of stout. Ours is very smooth and delicious with assertive dark malt flavors. This batch was nitrogenated to make it incredibly creamy!

Brewer's specs:

Pale Malt
Carapils Malt
Munich Malt
Roasted Malt
Black Malt
Honey Malt

Oats

Bravo & Willamette hops from the Pacific Northwest

Fermented with McCoy's House Ale Yeast

OG 15.5 Plato
45 IBU
6.1% ABV

Pics - Thai One On!

2009-10-07T12:55:00.015-05:00

Wow, another great night of food & beer at the Foundry! Last night's Brewmaster's Dinner was incredible and the pairings were matched to perfection. These dinners truly are a treat and something to look forward to every month. Once again, many thanks to those who made it out but for those who didn't, here's what you missed:

Everyone gathered at the Foundry for reception drinks and conversation.

Kick-ass bartender Ethan preparing the Singha lager.

Executive Chef Mark Kelpe with a tray of Ahi tuna tartar "ice cream cone" with black sesame seeds, wasabi creme and flying fish roe.

Yum!

The dinner was hosted by owner James Westphal, who explained each food course, & brewmaster Keith Thompson, who discussed the beers.

Crispy curried crab "cannolis" with edemame bruschetta, mango relish & Hitachino Nest White Ale. The cannolis were definitely a favorite.

Nice shirt!

Hoisin BBQ pork spare ribs, rice wine cucumber slaw, chilled soba noodle salad with Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale.

Domo arigato Morimoto!

McCoy's assistant brewer Tobias explaining the Sake-cask aged Hitachino XH. That stuff was crazy!

Thai red curry with crispy roast duck, pineapple, tomato, basil and jasmine rice with the Hitachino XH. Wow!

Cheers!

On Tap Now - Oktoberfest

2009-09-30T10:33:00.003-05:00

Our 2009 Oktoberfest is rich with malt and balanced with spicy German hops. The flavor is slightly sweet, yet refreshingly crisp and smooth. During our cold lagering stage, the yeast settled nicely so this year we are serving it unfiltered to perserve all the delicious flavors available.

Style Notes:
Before the invention of refrigerators, it was nearly impossible to brew beer in the summer due to hot weather and bacterial infections. Brewing typically ended with the coming of Spring and beginning again in the Fall; thus most beers were brewed in March (Marzen). These brews were kept in cold storage over the Spring and Summer months to enjoy during the early stages of Fall and Oktoberfest. Marzenbier (or Oktoberfest), is full bodied, rich, toasty, typically dark copper in color with a medium to high alcohol content.

The Modern Celebration:
Oktoberfest is a 16 day festival, held each year in Munich, Germany during late September and running into early October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany, and the world's largest fair with some 6 million people attending every year. The festival is held on an area known as Theresienwiese (the field of Therese), often called d'Wiesen for short. Visitors from across the globe gather to celebrate Oktoberfest by drinking beer and eating huge amounts of hearty traditional German fare. Oktoberfest is a very important part of Bavarian culture. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations modeled after the wildly popular Munich event.

Brewer's specs:

Malt:
German Pilsener Malt
German Munich Malt
German Vienna Malt
Carapils
Crystal Malt
Chocolate Malt

Hops:
German Hallertauer
German Spalt
Czech Saaz

Fermented with our house Lager yeast
Unfiltered

OG 16.3 Plato
5.6% ABV

October Brewmaster's Dinner

2009-09-24T13:43:00.003-05:00

Back at it once again Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30! This month's dinner will feature 5 Asian influenced courses paired with 5 delicious beers from breweries such as Rogue, Hitachino, Boon Rawd & of course, McCoy's. Tickets are $40 including tax & gratuity. These dinners continue to sell out so please stop by or call us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations today!

Now on Tap - Blackberry Lager

2009-09-18T17:18:00.006-05:00

It's been several years since we brewed this and we're proud to say it's back on tap. This is a clean, crisp lager with a bold blackberry presence. While some breweries may use extracts, syrups or processed flavors, we used over 150 lbs. of fresh Oregon blackberries for this bottom fermenting lager. The malt flavor is hidden with a low hop bitterness to allow the fruit to dominate.

Made with American 2 row malt, German Hallertauer & Spalt hops.

150 lbs. of blackberries added in fermenter.

Fermented with our house lager yeast; lagered for 6 months.

4.8% ABV

Pics - Smokin' Brews 9.01.09

2009-09-02T11:19:00.006-05:00

Wow, another amazing night of great food and beer! This was one of the more adventurous dinners we've had and I really think it was a success. The pairings were executed wonderfully as each dish, and accompanying beer, were interesting & bold enough to stand on their own, but together they complimented each other wonderfully. Many thanks to those of you who made it out and for those that didn't, here's what you missed:

The dinner was hosted by owner James Westphal & brewmaster Keith Thompson (pictured). James discussed the ingredients and ideas behind the food dishes, while Keith explained the beers.

Ducktrap River smoked trout on wild rice blue-corn flapjacks with horseradish creme fraiche & Fort Collins Brewing's Z Lager.

Smoked gouda, spinach & chorizo sausage stuffed mushrooms with smoked tomato sauce & Mexican queso fresco. Paired with Aecht Schlenkerla's Urbock rauchbier.

O'Fallon Smoke braised osso bucco pork shank with cowboy beans, 4 pepper coulis, Longhorn cotija corn & blue cornmuffin paired with O'Fallon Smoked Porter.

Smoked almond chocolate tart with "burnt" honey ice cream & carmelized orange slice with McCoy's Oak Aged Wee Willy Scotch Ale (which will be on tap at McCoy's very soon!).

Our next Brewmaster's Dinner - Thai One On - will be October 6, 2009 featuring beers from Singha, Rogue, McCoy's & Hitachino.

On Tap Now - Double IPA

2009-09-01T14:11:00.006-05:00

Double India Pale Ales are a relatively recent innovation, reflecting the trend of American craft brewers 'pushing the envelope' to satisfy the need of beer aficianados for increasingly intense products. The adjective "double" is arbitrary and simply implies a stronger version of an IPA; "imperial", "extra", "extreme" or any other of variety of adjectives would be equally valid. This ale is an intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the big maltiness and/or deeper malt flavors of an American barleywine.

The aroma showcases a prominent hop nose that was derived using 100% Bravo hops from the Pacific Northwest; a remarkable citrusy hop character is at the forefront. We also dry-hopped for an additional resinous, or grassy, aroma. Some clean, malty sweetness is found in the background, while slight fruitiness, either from hops or esters, is also detected. 50 lbs. of local honey was added during the boil to reduce some of the bitterness and impart a more balanced, sweeter characteristic. Some alcohol can usually be noted, but this does not have a "hot" character. Color is golden amber to copper.

Brewer's specs:

Malt:
85% pale 2-row malt
10% Vienna malt
5% malted white wheat

Hops:
100% Bravo hops added at ten different times from start to finish

50 lbs. of honey from a local beekeeper added to boil

105 minute boil

Fermented 7 days at 19C with our house ale yeast

OG 23 Plato
10% ABV; 90+ IBU

On Tap Now - Broadway Stout

2009-08-26T12:53:00.004-05:00

The coffee lover's consummate beer! Cold infused with a special roast of naturally processed Brazilian Moreninha Formosa, Guatemalan Huehuetenango Finca El Injerto, Java Jampit Estate and Ethiopian Harrar Boldgrain – Grade #4 beans from Broadway Café Coffee Production Plant (in the firehouse). This stout has an intense fresh roasted java nose topped with a frothy head that goes forever and balances well with our Mother’s Milk Stout (the base beer).

Brewer’s specs:

Malt:
Munich
Vienna
Chocolate Malt
De-Bittered Black Malt
Flaked Oats
Acidulated Malt
Crystal Malt

Hops:
Horizon
East Kent Golding
Hallertaur

Lactose Sugar added to kettle during Boil; fermented with our house Ale yeast.

Sweet malt, dark roasty malt, and freshly brewed coffee aromas. The flavor is smooth and silky with nice mocha note and a round finish.

OG 17.8 Plato
6% ABV

Boulevard!

2009-08-22T16:16:00.002-05:00

Boulevard Brewing Company - the largest craft brewery in the midwest - offers free tours of the brewery which include several new videos that you watch at various stops throughout the tour. When you get to the bottling line there's a segment featuring Boulevard's head of quality assurance Elizabeth Belden, and just behind her left shoulder there's a growler of McCoy's beer!

Pretty cool!

Clarification

2009-08-20T18:39:00.004-05:00

I apologize for any confusion, but we will not have Great Lakes Brewing Co's Burning River Pale Ale at the Smokin' Brews dinner on Sept. 1. In it's place we'll have another smoked beer: Fort Collins Brewery's Z Lager (which I'm pretty happy with!).

Again, sorry for any confusion.

Smokin' Brews!

2009-08-18T12:48:00.002-05:00

Join us Tuesday Sept. 1 for an evening of smoked beers paired with smoked food! We'll enjoy a 4 course dinner while sampling beers from Great Lakes, O'Fallon, Aecht Schlenkerla (the original German smoked beer!) & McCoy's very own Oak Aged Scotch Ale. This event will sell out so please contact us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations today.

We hope to see you here!

Pics: Latin Fever Dinner 8.04.09

2009-08-05T08:31:00.015-05:00

Another very impressive Brewmaster's Dinner last night - we had yet another sold-out crowd and the beer and food were phenomenal. I can't seem to say enough about these monthly dinners, other than get your reservations in now! Many thanks to all of you who made it out, but for those that didn't, here's what you missed:

The first beer of the night: Argentina's "favorite beer", Cerveza Quilmes, sampled with pork and potato empanadas. They went down easy...

Guests await the arrival of the first course while finishing off the Quilmes & empanadas...

Acapulco Seafood Cocktail of jumbo shrimp & fried calamari in our house-made cocktail sauce of avacado, cilantro, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers w/ fried plantain garnish, with McCoy's own Mexican Cerveza.

Miniature pork carnitas tacos with cotija cheese, fire-roasted corn & avacodo relish with Rogue's spicy Chipotle Ale.

Hosts Brewmaster Keith Thompson (center) and owner James Westphal (left) discuss the intricacies of the beer and food to the sold out crowd.

Carne asada with chimichurri sauce, tortilla strips & fajita peppers over Southwestern desert rice with fried tomatillo skin, served with Negra Modelo.

Chocolate-chipotle lava cake in cajeta caramel sauce with Xingu Brazilian Black Lager.

Beers!

These events have really become something to look forward to, and September's "Smokin' Brews" dinner should be no exception - smoked beers & smoked food...more info on that very soon!

On Tap Now - Mexican Cerveza

2009-08-03T19:24:00.003-05:00

Well, to be completely honest, it's not on tap yet. It will be tomorrow (8.04.09). But I was lucky enough to get a sample today and it is a wonderful example of the popular Mexican-style known as Cerveza - it's even brewed in typical Cerveza style with an adjunct: corn. While the corn does not play a significant role in the flavor of this beer, it is remarkably crisp & refreshing, and will go down great in the summer heat. Be sure to join us tomorrow as we sample this excellent beer with an Acapulco Seafood cocktail as part of the Latin Fever Brewmaster's Dinner!

Latin Fever Dinner - Aug. 4

2009-07-27T11:24:00.005-05:00

Join us next Tuesday - Aug. 4, 2009 at 7:00 PM - for the next installment of our increasingly popular Brewmaster's Dinner series. This month's dinner will feature a line-up of Mexican-style or influenced beers carefully matched with a 4 course meal. We'll be sampling beers from Rogue, Xingu, Negra Modelo, Quilmes and even our own McCoy's version of the Cerveza-style lager. These events have sold out in the past so please call us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations today.

We hope to see you there!

Left Hand Brewery Night at the Foundry

2009-07-23T15:43:00.005-05:00

Join us tomorrow night - Friday, July 24th - for an evening with Left Hand Brewing Company's Mike Walters. Mike will be with us from 5:00 - 7:00 at the Foundry as we offer $5 pints of Left Hand's Sawtooth Amber Ale with $3 refills - you keep the glass! Also, Milk Stout bottles are only $5 and you keep the Left Hand glass as well. Mike will also be tapping a keg of the popular St. Vrain Tripel promptly at 5:00.

The weekend starts here...

http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/

On Tap Now: Hefeweizen

2009-07-23T12:15:00.008-05:00

Hefeweizen is a cloudy wheat ale that originated in Bavaria/Germany. The direct translation is: hefe (yeast) & weizen (wheat). Yeast in the name refers to the fact that this beer is unfiltered and remains cloudy thanks to the suspended yeast. This yeast also contributes to the unique banana & clove qualities to the aroma and flavor of Hefeweizen.

Ironically enough, Hefeweizen, one of the most popular Reinheitsgebot-breaking beers styles, was born in Bavaria and survived despite the law due to a bureaucratic loophole that was intentionally introduced by the rulers of Bavaria, the Dukes of Wittlesbach. Apparently, the royals had a taste for Weissbier ("white beer"), a refreshing style also known as Weizenbier ("wheat beer"), that was brewed using malted wheat in addition to the usual malted barley. So in 1520, they mandated that a single brewery, overseen by the Dukes of Degenberg, would be allowed to brew Weissbier. The Degenbergs continued as the exclusive Weissbier brewers - and paid a hefty fee for the privilege - until 1602, when the final Duke of Degenberg died without an heir and the family's assests were given to the ruling Wittelsbachs under feudal law.

Brewer's specs:

Malt:
Pale 2-row malt

Vienna & Munich malts
Lots of malted & unmalted wheat

Fermented with a German Hefeweizen Yeast strain

5% ABV

You Should Be Here!

2009-07-14T20:52:00.012-05:00

Available on tap now at McCoy's & the Foundry: McCoy's Mother's Milk Stout!

Milk stout (also referred to as "sweet stout" or "lacto stout") is a stout containing lactose, a sugar derived from milk. Because lactose is unfermentable by beer yeast, it adds sweetness, body and calories to the finished beer. Milk stout was once claimed to be nutritious, and was even given to nursing mothers.

Brewer's specs:

Malt:
Munich
Vienna
Chocolate Malt
De-bittered Black Malt
Flaked Oats
Acidulated Malt

Crystal Malt

Hops:
Horizon
East Kent Golding
Hallertauer

Lactose sugar added to kettle during boil

Fermented with our house Ale yeast

Pours a rich, black color with light-brown head. Features a sweet, dark roasted malty aroma with some fresh ground coffee. The flavor is smooth & silky with a nice mocha middle followed by a soft finish.

OG. 17.8 Plato

7.1% ABV

Now available in bottles and coming soon on tap: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout!

Also available on tap: Boulevard's extremely popular "farmhouse ale" - Tank 7!

One of the best IPAs available year-round to the Midwest: Bell's Two Hearted Ale!

On Tap Now: Kölsch!

2009-07-13T12:48:00.006-05:00

Originally brewed in Köln, Germany, this is our take on the traditional, yet relatively obscure, German style ale. Typically less bitter than German lagers, our Kölsch is light to medium bodied, very pale in color and finishes crisp, dry and refreshing. Very faint notes of sweet grape round out this unique beer that pairs perfectly with the summer heat.

Brewer's specs:

Malt:
Pilsner malt - 86%

Munich malt - 7%

White wheat - 7%

Hops:
German Hallertaur & Spalt

Fermented using German Kölsch yeast

OG. 14 Plato

5.5% ABV

Schlafly Brewmaster's Dinner - 7.07.09

2009-07-08T06:19:00.012-05:00

Wow, what a night! The turnout, the food, and of course, the beer, were all fantastic! Many thanks to those of you who made it out last night, for those who didn't, here's what you missed:

Seared salmon with blackberry compote & fennel-apple-celery slaw paired with Grand Cru - 9% ABV.

Prosciutto, gorgonzola & fig jam flatbread with arugula paired with Tripel - 10% ABV.

French-style cassoulet with duck sausage, tomatoes & white beans served with Quadrupel - 12% ABV.

Schlafly brewmaster Steven Hale discussing his beers, his kilt & the lyrics to "MMMBop"...

Flourless chocolate torte with caramel ice cream & almond brittle paired with barrel-aged Imperial Stout - 10.5% ABV.

Phyllo beggar's purse filled with sun-dried apricots, dates & figs served with Oak-aged Barleywine - 10.5% ABV.

More images from the dinner can be found here - http://s619.photobucket.com/albums/tt271/mccoyspublichouse/Schlafly%20Dinner%2007-07-09/

Cheers!