The 19 Best Kansas City Breweries [2023 Brewery Guide] Imperial Brewery in Kansas City Katie Sgroi (Used with Permission) The imposing brick building watching over Kansas City's 1-35 is a remnant from the city's golden age of brewing. The oldest brewery in Pennsylvania is also the oldest running brewery in the US: . Where: 842 E 65th St, Indianapolis, IN 46220 The website leads to an historical information site created by Dean Realty, the company has owned the building since 2007. Yuengling is the only family owned brewery in America that can best Minnesotas oldest brewery when it comes to continuous longevity. Where: 2323 Defoor Hills Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 The oldest continuously running brewery in Michigan is. To this day its one of the only US breweries that uses a fire-brewing process to caramelize flavors in the beers. That includes the Alaskan Amber recipe, alder-smoked malts, and Sitka spruce tips. Another Imperial Brewery popped up on Southwest Boulevard in 1933. I sat out here in this parking lot one day and watched a man walk across here, and he went over to the mule barn, the horse stable next door and knocked on the door and someone opened it like it was his home, Miller said. Heim Brewing closed. Weeping Radish Farm Brewery & Butchery was founded by Uli Bennewitz, an immigrant from Bavaria, in the early 1980s. The oldest brewery in Texas started in 1909 to satisfy Bohemian immigrants in the area with fresh beer produced right there in Shiner, Texas, rather than being shipped in from San Antonio or Houston. Theres a long list of staple year-round beers from an IPA to an amber ale to a milk stout, as well as innovative beers you wont find anywhere else, like the Orogenesis thats an imperial red ale aged in ex-bourbon barrels from Nevadas Frey Ranch Estate Distillery. It was gone by 1938. When it started: 1985 A few years after the Heim family came to KC, Jacob Rieger arrived. There's a reason to cheer in Kansas City this Wednesday. Descendants Brewing Company (formerly The Ship Inn) is technically New Jerseys oldest craft brewery with an opening year of 1995. In 2010, the brewery changed its name to Red Brick Brewing Company after its original and popular Red Brick Ale. Originally conceived as Vino's Pizzeria in 1990, it quickly converted to a brewpub once Arkansas legalized them in 1993. George Muehlebach Brewing Company - in Kansas City, purchased by Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company in the 1950s, discontinued in 1973. Today, its also the most award-winning brewery in Nashville. They named it Anchor and turned it into a full-fledged brewery. The three brewpub locations in the city offer classic pub food and a selection of beers (including Kentuckys original bourbon barrel aged beer made using Four Roses barrels) and a mead called Luna de Miel thats always on tap. Beer was on the minds of the first colonists who landed on what is today Massachusetts, and Boston itself had more than two dozen breweries in the colonial era. You can find Yuengling in many states in the South and along the Eastern seaboard. One stands out on the buildings faade a special German character of a crescent and the number 11. Traditional German-style beers are what youll find at Millstream Brewery, Iowas oldest brewery. Theres also the modern line up of a variety of IPAs, amber ales, seltzers, and limited edition porters. The states modern beer reputation, however, starts with. Green Room is the oldest brewery in Kansas City and it honors its traditions and brews in small batches. 816-673-3027, bksartisanales.com. What to order: Amber Lager. Until coming to. was the first brewery to open in the state since Mississippi enacted a statewide alcohol prohibition in 1907 more than a decade before nationwide capital-P Prohibition. wasnt always the beer powerhouse it is today. The conglomerate purchased Imperial Brewery in an auction for $99,500, plus the mortgage on the building. When Spoetzl died in 1950, his daughter, Cecilie, became the only woman brewery owner in the country, and she helped build on the brewerys legacy. Daily tours with various times. Another break came in 1967, and when the brewery started up once again in 2011 (after many changes in ownership, obviously), it was centered in Cincinnati. Dunedin opened in 1995 and is a laid back and spacious brewery. The brewery has won the Great American Beer Festival Small Brewer of the Year award numerous times, as well as more than 30 medals for its beers. Beer lovers can toast a new lager this weekend, or stock up in time for March Madness. When it started: 1986 T-Shirts; Tank Tops . It still makes the classics that it started with (a lager, pilsner, porter, and brown ale), as well as a few seasonal and limited offerings, like a Belgian-style tripel. Brewings & Eats the states first brewpub. When it started: 1985 Oregon is a craft beer state through and through. Originally conceived as Vinos Pizzeria in 1990, it quickly converted to a brewpub once Arkansas legalized them in 1993. When it started: 1993 Top 5 Kansas City Barbecue Joints - TripSavvy Kansas Breweries | KS Brewery Map And Directory When it started: 1988 For more information read our privacy policy. Rieger & Co. made a name for itself as the largest mail-order whiskey producer in the country, while Muehlebach brewed 100,000 barrels in 1911a far cry from its initial capacity of 3,000 per year less than 50 years earliermaking it the second largest brewery in the city. When it started: 1993 is Arkansass oldest continually operating craft brewery. What to order: Bourbon Barrel Stout. North End Brewing opened in 1997 using equipment from Cardinal Brewing, which had just closed. What to order: 206 IPA. If youre looking for the oldest brewery in Oklahoma that operates as people commonly expect today, that brewery is Choc, which helped change the law to allow full-strength craft brewing in 1995. Genesee Brewery in Rochester opened in 1878 but thanks to a nearly $50 million renovation project its one of the most modern looking breweries in the state. Today the company has a chain of brewpubs in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas. The oldest continuously running brewery in Michigan is Bells Brewery in Kalamazoo, which you likely know thanks to the flagship Bells Two Hearted Ale. Waldo's 75th Street Brewery to close, allowing - The Kansas City Star barleybus.com. Oliver Brewing opened in 1993 with the goal to make English-style ales on equipment from the UK. That was the year that Greg Schirf, whos originally from Milwaukee, started Wasatch Brewery. It opened in 1985, putting it at the forefront of craft brewing for the entire country and not just Iowa, and has an attached German-style beer hall called Millstream Brau Haus that was added to the building in 2016. It wasnt until 1989 that Kansas City began its brewing and distilling revival. Its still running strong today, though the focus isnt solely on the English anymore. When it comes to drinks, the Aloha State is more famous for fruity cocktails with umbrellas than for beer. Three to six beers are made each month, and the flagship Roedys Red has won some local awards. Founded in 1989, it has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in Midwestern America. That same year, the Ferd Heim Brewing Company and the Rochester Brewing Company merged to form Kansas Citys Breweries Company. As the brewery grew, so did the movement of prohibition across the country. The craft beer side of Milwaukee, and the rest of Wisconsin, brewing came when Sprecher Brewing Co. opened in 1985. If youre looking for the oldest brewery in Oklahoma that operates as people commonly expect today, that brewery is Choc, which helped change the law to allow full-strength craft brewing in 1995. Traditional German-style beers are what youll find at. At the time, it was illegal for breweries in the state to sell beer directly to customers, and Bennewitz successfully campaigned to change the law. opened up in 1989, it was reviving a brewing tradition Kansas hadnt seen in more than 100 years. Palmetto Brewing merged with Catawba Brewing Company in North Carolina, and today the two work collaboratively together with beers from both offered at each respective tap room. Empyrean Brewing Co. opened in Nebraska in 1990. Kansas City is known as a good beer town. And theres a new brewery in the Crossroads called Brewery Emperial. Fargo Brewing Company takes the title with its opening date of 2010. kcbeertour.com. Whether youre looking for a taste of where a states brewing and beer culture all started or youre interested in building out a bucket list, these are the breweries to know on your travels. The onset of the 18th Amendment, which instated a federal prohibition on the sale of alcoholic beverages, caused many legal brewing and distilling operations to shutter their doors. Most recently, Empyrean broke ground for a new brewery and taproom in the South Haymarket area. Schells Brewery was opened by a German immigrant to New Ulm, Minnesota, in 1860. Jim Koch started the company with a family recipe and a beer he called Samuel Adams Boston Lager. . Theres also the modern line up of a variety of IPAs, amber ales, seltzers, and limited edition porters. The original brewery has been transformed into a 100-seat brew pub, and the brews are well loved in the state and elsewhere both for drinking and for cooking. Then Portland Brewing Co., which opened in 1986, closed in early 2021. When you think of Missouri beer, you likely think of what is arguably the most famous beer made in America: Budweiser. Yuengling is the only family owned brewery in America that can best Minnesotas oldest brewery when it comes to continuous longevity. founder Greg Noonan helped to change the laws to allow on-site beer sales at breweries, thus ushering in a sudsy era. Daily tours with various times. Where: 25 Cataract St. Rochester, NY 14605 KC Tap Tour Visit KC's Tap Tour guidebook runs $10 but could save you hundreds with discounts at Continue reading 5 Best Beer Tours in KC One has survived, though: Widmer Brothers, which opened in 1984 and is still going strong. Frankenmuth Brewing Company traces its roots to Geyer Bros. Brewing Co., which opened in 1874. When it started: 1849 If youre looking for an independent brewery, Mickey Finns Brewery, which opened in 1993, is the next oldest operating brewery. Where: 420 Mahantongo St, Pottsville, PA 17901 J. Rieger now has two bars, a full-scale distilling room and a barreling room. Those are noted when necessary. K&S plans to offer all the Yuengling products that will be introduced in Kansas, including the company's lager, pilsner and Flight (its light beer). By some accounts, that makes it the 122nd oldest bar in the US. Where: 300 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202 This 45-minute walking tour of the citys oldest and largest craft brewery includes a peek at the bottling lines and event spaces along with samples in the tasting room. When it started: 1991 The Best Breweries in Kansas City, MO - Bison Brew . Some of the original beers are still fan favorites, like the Burly Irish Ale, which also won a Gold Medal at the Great International Beer Competition, and one of the original East Coast style IPAs, Bombay Grab IPA. gets its name from a firehouse, as you might suspect. Promoted as the oldest brewery West of the Hudson River, the brewery sponsored the first Kansas City Royals baseball team in the early 1900's. The Weston Royal label was well known throughout the Midwest and even Europe in its heyday. But wait, there's more. Heim beer company. Where: 846 Victorian Ave, Sparks, NV 89431 In 1919, the Seaboard Milling Company purchased the Imperial Brewery building and turned it into a flour mill which operated until 1985. Fast-forward almost 100 years, and Andy Maybee, a KC restauranteer, met Andy Rieger, the great-great-great grandson of Jacob Rieger. Five-part feature article about Adolphus Busch.. Der Sternewirth. What to order: Anchor Steam Beer. Big Grove Brewery. In 2010, it moved to its current location on 14th street near Railroad Park. But as the population shifted from thirsty miners to the alcohol averse and religiously minded, beer took a backseat until 1986. The three brewpub locations in the city offer classic pub food and a selection of beers (including Kentuckys original bourbon barrel aged beer made using Four Roses barrels) and a mead called Luna de Miel thats always on tap. Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds largest beer company, purchased Goose Island in 2011 and turned it into a global brand. Visit KCs Tap Tour guidebook runs $10 but could save you hundreds with discounts at beer spots around town. But as the population shifted from thirsty miners to the alcohol averse and religiously minded, beer took a backseat until 1986. The vibe is English pub, complete with British food, cask ales, and ciders to be enjoyed under a Victorian tin ceiling. Randy Sprecher opened his brewery with his own custom-built brewing equipment right after a four-year stint at Pabst from 1980 to 1984. D.G. The Crazy Wavy Building At 9th And Paseo. Youre likely familiar with the brand if youve ever glanced at beer lists and tap handles across the country. Business was booming. Where: 2312 Clifton Ave, Nashville, TN 37209 What to order: St. Charles Porter. The brewing arm of the operation is the first oldest when you narrow it down to just breweries in West Virginia, though. What to order: Best Bitter. 5 Best Beer Tours in KC - Kansas City Magazine It opened on a gravel road in the Old Manchester District of Richmond in 1994 and served sandwiches and fries (food was required to sell alcohol at the time), but there wasnt a whole lot there in terms of what could draw people in. Find those beers on tap at the brewery today, as well as hearty food like fish and chips, poutine, and burgers. Photo: Firehouse Brewing Company/Facebook, Where: 610 Main St, Rapid City, SD 57701 Sparks, Nevada, is where youll find the original location of Great Basin Brewing Company. The cafe transformed into a full service restaurant featuring American Craft-brewed beers, and later, that concept evolved into a full brewery. Boston is also the home of one of the founding breweries of the modern craft beer movement: Boston Beer Co. Jim Koch started the company with a family recipe and a beer he called Samuel Adams Boston Lager. When it started: 1988 Another break came in 1967, and when the brewery started up once again in 2011 (after many changes in ownership, obviously), it was centered in Cincinnati. That was the year that Greg Schirf, whos originally from Milwaukee, started. It started as a way to bring the building back to life and showcase and protect that history while using the space as a brewery and taproom. Legend is the first modern brewery, and the current oldest brewery, in Virginia. It opened in 1870 and ran until 1927, then opened again in 1933 after Prohibition. Three to six beers are made each month, and the flagship Roedys Red has won some local awards. Outfield Beer Company - 611 W 2nd St, Bonner Springs, KS 66012. With that shift, a small brew pub called. The brewery became a neighborhood standard as a place not just to sit back and drink local beer, but also a spot to see concerts and events. When it started: 1989 Bayern Brewing opened in Missoula in 1987, and it gets its name from where the owner and master brewer, Jurgen Knoller, grew up: Bayern, which literally translates to the German state of Bavaria. When it started: 1986 Founder John McDonald first fell for Belgian-style beers in 1984, and he released his first beer Boulevard Pale Ale in 1989. Times vary. It opened on a gravel road in the Old Manchester District of Richmond in 1994 and served sandwiches and fries (food was required to sell alcohol at the time), but there wasnt a whole lot there in terms of what could draw people in. Kansas City; Omaha; Free Shipping Over $35! Its designed like an English pub with a fireplace, stained glass windows, and dark wood, and most of the beers are European styles, like English-style ales and IPAs, German-style lagers, and Irish-style red ales. A lot of them would transition over into other products.. What to order: Longboard Island Lager. Boulevard Brewing Co. was among the largest craft breweries in the country before selling to the Belgian brewing company Duvel Moortgat in 2014, bringing the Belgian influence full circle. What to order: Ad Astra Ale. Throughout all of the changes, the brewpub has remained a standby for craft beer and pub food in Idahos capital city. When Spoetzl died in 1950, his daughter, Cecilie, became the only woman brewery owner in the country, and she helped build on the brewerys legacy. She dabbled Nick and Andrea Martinkovics fourteen-seat restaurant, Noahs Cupboard, is the We love Kansas City like family. is Alabamas oldest and largest brewery. By 1905, Imperial Brewery was in financial trouble and was forced into involuntary bankruptcy. A few other craft breweries started around the same time, but Goose Island is the oldest left standing. Other notable breweries in the area included the Kansas City Breweries Company, which operated as a conglomerate, allowing it to become the largest brewer in KC for a time, as well as the Imperial Brewing Companya well-known regional brand in the early 1900s thanks to its Mayflower and Imperial Seal lagers. It's a release customers and ownership alike are excited about. Kansas City Breweries: A Historic Driving Tour.. Adolphus Busch: King of Beer. . By 1997, the brewing part of Brewery & Grill became big enough to split off into a separate business. But theres a new old guard thats led by Bluegrass Brewing Company, which opened in Louisville in 1993. What to order: Soul of the City pale ale. What to order: German Pilsner. That meant that when. What to order: Zonker Stout. Shakeout in the Brewing Industry. All of this is to say that while Frankenmuth Brewing Company has a storied background, its had fits and starts with years of closures in between openings. is a regular series on Central Standard in which we investigate odd storefronts, architectural oddities and other mysterious landmarks around the Kansas City area. North End Brewing opened in 1997 using equipment from Cardinal Brewing, which had just closed. Phone +1 913-722-3366. Production for each company steadily increased leading up to Prohibition. Boston is also the home of one of the founding breweries of the modern craft beer movement: . Now based in the East Bottoms, the J. Rieger & Co. team looks to expand on the regions heritage by reviving Electric Park as a destination neighborhood and establishing an newhospitality center in 2019in the former Heim Brewery bottling house, of all places. visitkc.com/taptour. That doesnt mean its easy to run a brewery for decades on end, though. If youre looking for an independent brewery, Mickey Finns Brewery, which opened in 1993, is the next oldest operating brewery. Dating all the way back to 1986, the Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau was started by two 28-year-olds: Marcy and Geoff Larson. Youre likely familiar with the brand if youve ever glanced at beer lists and tap handles across the country. When you go, theres also a food menu with upscale versions of typical bar offerings.