Summer Mocktails (p 20) - Healthful Elements

Liquid LanguageBeer, Brats and Batting CagesHot July weather calls for an ice-cold locallybrewed beer.illustration by Brandon BriscoeIf you have Kansasphobia and haveto stay on the Missouri side, there aretwo other amazing brewpubs withexcellent choices. A place I alwaysend up on those nights I go out isMcCoy’s Public House in Westport.For someone looking for a fruit stylebeer, McCoy’s Red Light Raspberryis very popular. It pours with yellowand pink tones, which most don’texpect, and has a light raspberry andmalty flavor. A favorite standard fromMcCoy’s is their Newcomb’s IPA.Hang out at the 75th St.Brewery on a Wednesday night andyou’ll think Ted Danson is behindthe bar. This place is one of thecity’s best neighborhood hangouts.While waiting for a growler of theirKaw Point American Pale Ale,be sure to listen for all the localgossip and recent scoring woes ofthe Royals. This hoppy and slightlybitter (this is a good thing) paleale is perfect to take home and if agrowler is too much, get a siphon(32 oz.) for only $4.50 if you bringyour jug with you. General Manger,David O’Brien, recommends theirCow Town or Weed Wacker forthose blistering outdoor activitiesand suggests, “icing the ales downso the beer keeps its refreshingcharacteristics longer.”Watching the fireworks overthe Midwest countryside wouldn’tbe complete to a true beer drinkerwithout someone bringing a classicbrew. Not necessarily a local, but PBR(Pabst Blue Ribbon) is Americana.It’s making a comeback and is worthcrediting and especially drinkingduring the baseball months. “52percent of Pabst drinkers are under theage of 35,” says Area Sales Manager,Elly Goldstein. The new beer cats arerediscovering this traditional lager,which has a clean palate with sweetand bread-like flavor. Most don’tknow but it makes an excellent batterfor fish and pork. Give it a try…andinvite me over to taste test.Keep those yards mowed andpalates quenched with some of ouryour favorite local brews. We have alot of great bars serving up everythingfrom seasonal lagers to classic ales. Getit bottled to go and be the local heroat the neighborhood block parties andover-the-hill birthday bashes.Jason Burton is the Sr. MarketingDirector for The Roasterie. Jason writesand illustrates for several nationaland regional food and beveragepublications. He is a research nut andloves experimenting with his blender,juicer or ice cream maker. If it’sdrinkable, Jason will try it. His youngson, Cooper, is his official taste tester.There’s always a debate andmisunderstanding on how hotour summers really are here inKansas City. People that are not fromhere always assume that it’s “not thatbad,” but KC-seasoned veterans knowthe truth. All of the stouts and portersgenerally hibernate this time of theyear for me, as I’m looking for a bitmore refreshment and relief from theheat. On a 98° afternoon, with not acloud in sight, an adult can’t survivewithout a cold beer in hand.Grab the fat cuts of steak, suntan lotion and search for that perfectHefeweizen or hoppy IPA to navigateyou through our city’s steamy season.Here’s a list of local brews that willkick-off your 4th of July and get youthrough the summer.Since 1989, the BoulevardBrewing Company has put KansasCity on the craft beer map. Boulevardserved up an answer to summer byintroducing ZŌN, which was theirfirst beer developed by brewmaster,Steven Pauwels. This is a Belgian-stylewitbier that embraces its lemon andspicy notes (clove and coriander).You’ll get a tang of orange on thetongue with just the right amount oflow acidity. If you want to dress it up,garnish with an orange by squeezing abit of juice into a tulip-style glass andadding a slice to the rim. ZŌN pairs14 July, 2008well with lighter fairs such as salads orfruity desserts.One of Boulevard’s most recentmedalists is Saison. This member ofthe Smokestack Series was crownedwith a gold medal at the prestigiousMondial de la Biere Festival. Thisis a farmhouse ale that Boulevard’sDirector of Marketing, JeremyRagonese, describes as, “a golden,straw-colored hue that matchesperfectly to its effervescent body,while notes of pineapple, pear andlemongrass are slightly detectible.”This ale is a must-have!We have no idea how blessed weare to have the quality of food andbeverage that we have here. One ofthe great brewpubs in the country isthe Free State Brewery in Lawrence.When they opened their doors almost20-years ago, it was the first “legal”brewery to open in Kansas in over 100years. Now that’s a drought. Locals ofall types can be spotted hovered overtheir favorite seasonal while discussingKU sports. Two summer treats that arenow available are the John Brown Aleand Big Sea ESB. The John Brown,named after Civil War abolitionist, hassweet caramel, toffee and chocolatenotes. Get a ½ gallon growler andsome sausage links to grill. If you havelots of company, it’s worth seeing ifyou can order a pony keg.