Jonathan Bender

Stories by Jonathan Bender

SnapBack Hazy IPA,

Tap List | An Avengers Beer and Sandhills Brewing Opens Friday

Sandhills Brewing Co. is set to open its taproom in Mission, Kansas, this Friday. Sandhills has a sister location, the original, in Hutchinson, Kansas. It’s a joint project from brothers Jonathan and Charles Williamson, and Joe Cizek (who will run the Mission brewery with Jonathan). Sandhills launched with three brews: Chickadee (Berliner weiss), Sparrow (dark…

Alma Mader Brewing Co.

Tap List | Alma Mader Brewing is Open & Servaes Brewing is Super Close

Fresh hops and a new spot to hop to on Easter. The local brewery map will have two new pins by the end of this week. Alma Mader Brewing Co. (2635 Southwest Blvd.) opened last Thursday and Servaes Brewing Co. — after a sneak preview for Kickstarter supporters and ticket-holders — will debut to the…

Dolce Bakery's Orange Roll

Cinnamon Rolls, Agave Cocktails & Other Weekend Possibilities

Going to a farmers’ market is like a hall pass for the weekend. Once you’ve filled your vegetable crisper, what you actually eat and drink doesn’t count. Stock up on vegetables, eggs and meat at the opening day of the Brookside Farmers’ Market (63rd and Wornall) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The Boulevard…

Taco Bell's Churro Donut

Taco Bell’s Churro Donut is Only in Kansas City. We Ate One. Let’s Talk.

The corner of the bag was the first spot to soak through with grease. Next, the table where we shot the photo began to glisten as I slid the dense circles around. My fingers came away slick within seconds of touching the cinnamon-sugar dusted rounds. Welcome to a many napkin affair. This is the Churro…

Get some heat with Prairie Fire Saison or a "Prairie Mary," beer cocktail at Border Brewing Co.

Tap List | Prairie Mary Will Add Some Pepper To Your Step

Put this one in your burn book. Border Brewing Co. is bringing some heat to the bar with Prairie Fire Chile Saison (7.5% alcohol by volume) on Saturday, April 13. The farmhouse ale is made with fire-roasted poblano and chipotle peppers. It’s a spicy play on the calm universe that is red beer. Fancy a…

coffee pouring into a cup over ice

5 Coffee Drinks to Get a Cooler Dose of Caffeine

We all have a day in spring when a barista asks if you’d like a coffee drink iced and you take a moment as the sun hits the counter and then you say yes to the espresso reborn as an iced Americano. With a slate of new cold brew offerings in cans and iced creations…

strong beer illustration

Tap List |Are You Ready for “Strong Beer” and Sport Beer?

Beers, like Americans, have been on a seemingly never-ending march toward getting bigger. More booze. More glitter. Just more. But this week could signal drinkers’ desire to press pause on that trend. Boulevard Brewing Co. dropped Easy Sport Recreation Ale ( made with tangerine peel) yesterday. The lower calorie (99 on the nose), lower alcohol-by-volume…

Burnt ends piled high.

Sushi burritos, BBQ Pizza & Other Weekend Possibilities

Dip it all in butter. Krab Kingz — which has a location in Westport — is holding a grand opening for a second spot at 320 SW Blue Parkway in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, at 11 a.m. Saturday. Krab Kingz serves all the pieces of a traditional seafood boil with crabs, shrimp, potatoes and corn available….

A flight of four beers.

Tap List | Red Crow Brewing Co. Is Open in Olathe

A little over a year after relocating from Spring Hill, Kansas, to Olathe, Kansas, Red Crow Brewing Co. is now open. Red Crow (1062 W. Santa Fe Drive)  is initially serving three beers: Louise (an IPA), Isabelle (a Belgian blonde) and Donna (wheat). Chris and Mistie Roberts, along with Joe and Loretta Fisher (Mistie’s parents) opened…

Donuts

Girl Scout Cookies & Wine, Donuts & Beer & Other Weekend Possibilities

Just like a friend with a pick-up truck, mezcal is a spirit you should know. Sample mezcal from Bozal, a small-batch Mexican distillery, from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Mitch e Amaro (306 Armour Road, North Kansas City, Missouri), a new spot with a built-in bar dedicated to spirits from independent producers and cocktail…