Tap List | Beer, Buns, Brilliant

It’s a solid four-pack of beer. Literally a solid. Farm to Market Bread Co. has teamed up with Boulevard Brewing Company to make Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Hot Dog Buns, which are out now and will be available until Labor Day.

“Boulevard was gracious enough to work with us,” Farm to Market Vice President John Friend said. “We wanted to do something special for our 25th anniversary.”

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Farm to Market, which opened in September of 1993, has made a bread with Boulevard in the past. Nearly two decades ago, they produced Unfiltered Wheat beer bread.

“We refresh our offerings and that was one we cut,” Friend explained.

But when it came time to think of a beer to honor the company’s anniversary, co-founder Mark Friend (John’s father), thought about bringing beer bread back. A baker was dispatched to the liquor store and the first batch included everything in a Boulevard variety pack.

“That was really strong and we didn’t want it to be overpowering,” John Friend said. “The star of the hot dog bun is the brat or hot dog.”

Farm to Market also toyed around with a rye bread using Boulevard’s Rye-on-Rye, but it wasn’t a fit for a hot dog bun. The final recipe ended up being a combination of Farm to Market’s egg dough, typically used for their hamburger buns, wheat bread dough, and Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat (in lieu of water).

“The beer is baked out but it enhances some of those fermented flavors,” Friend said. “It’s really good to have with beer or without beer.”

Rare Pairs | BKS and Heirloom Collaborate on Progressive Dinner

The dinner ($75) begins at BKS Artisan Ales (633 E. 63rd St.) at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 7. Appetizers will be served in the taproom before dinner guests walk over to Heirloom Bakery and Hearth for the main course and dessert. Each course will have its own beer pairing and you’ll get a take-home brew, as well. BKS has been serving Heirloom’s cookies on the weekends alongside its beer and Heirloom has just developed a sourdough bread using BKS’ spent grain that will be served during the dinner.

Fest Up | Westport Summer Beer Festival

The eighth annual Westport Summer Beer Festival is set for Saturday, June 9, from 5 to 9 p.m. The festival, presented by Sporting Kansas City (a few players will be in attendance), is in front of McCoy’s Public House (4057 Pennsylvania Ave.). They’ll have more than 80 beers from over 30 breweries (Funkwerks, Brooklyn Brewing, COOP Ale Works, among them), as well as a few local distilleries. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door.

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Tap Notes

Grains & Taps (10 SW 3rd St., Lee’s Summit, Missouri) collaborated with Crane Brewing Company on Oude Bruin — a brew that’s spent more than a year aging in wine and whiskey barrels. The beer is actually a “Build Your Own Beer” reward offered by Crane, and purchased by Grains & Taps, during its CrowdBrewed (crowdfunding) campaign. The beer will be tapped at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30.

Fringe Beerworks (224 SE Douglas St., Lee’s Summit, Missouri) has a new brown ale — The Bearded Lady (5.5% ABV, 31 IBUs) — made with macadamia nuts.

Cinder Block Brewery (110 E. 8th Ave., North Kansas City, Missouri) has Hop Cuddle on tap. The second iteration of the New England-style IPA is made with malt, wheat and oats. Hops (citra, mosaic, among them) are then added in to get big juicy notes of tropical fruit.

Green Room Burgers & Beer (4010 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite D) has a pair of new brews on tap. The brewery has a Belgian Table Beer (4.4% ABV) with “flavors of fresh baked bread, clove, citrus, and spice,” and a Saison (6.2% ABV) that is “malty with subtle notes of toffee and plum.”

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