By Pete Dulin
Pairing different styles of beer with food is fun and easy with a little practice. From IPAs to saisons, beers from local breweries are available in Kansas City restaurants and pair well with dishes for complementary or contrasting flavor.
At The Farmhouse, the Hatfield burger is made with local, grass-finished ground beef, topped with extra cheese and bacon and served with house fries. Enjoy it with Dunkel, a dark, medium-bodied Munich-style lager from Kansas City Bier Company. Slightly sweet malt flavor and mild hops cuts through the rich, juicy beef, tangy cheese and salty-sweet bacon.
Belgian IPA, a highly hopped West Coast-style brewed by Mickey's Hideaway with prominent hops aroma, is a natural partner with beer-battered fish and chips. For dessert, drink Oatmeal Stout with the ice cream sandwich, a combination of homemade peanut butter ice cream, oatmeal stout chocolate brownie, and hot fudge.
Cinder Block’s Northtown Native, a California common similar to lager, is light with a crisp finish. It’s perfect for savoring with steamed mussels in mildly spicy green curry or washing down fried calamari with mango-chile mojo and lime aioli at Jax Fish House.
Summer heat and humidity equates to lighter eating and imbibing. Crane Brewing’s Grapefruit Gose, a tart citrusy beer, complements Le Fou Frog’s briny raw oysters or tuna tartare with wasabi cream.
Try a light KC Pils from Boulevard with Rye’s hearty, homestyle fixings like the pulled pork sandwich with slaw and fries or famous fried chicken. Boulevard’s Tank 7, a farmhouse saison with floral aroma, is versatile enough to pair with Bluestem bar menu items such as whipped ricotta with peas, fava beans, lemon and herbs; the charcuterie board, or hanger steak with chimichurri and fries.
Martin City Brewing Company’s Hard Way IPA is an East Coast-style IPA with prominent citrus flavor and aroma and toasted malt balanced by hops. Enjoy a pint at Charlie Hooper’s with shrimp and lobster mac-and-cheese, Buffalo chicken wings, or BLT with smoked Gouda and sriracha aioli on triple-stacked farm-to-market sourdough.
Tapcade in the Crossroads rotates taps but regularly offers locally brewed beers on draft. Torn Label’s Hang’em High IPA with piney hops and smooth malt holds up to the poutine, New Mexican burrito with Hatch green chilies, and even spinach-artichoke quesadilla.
Unsure about your beer-and-food pairing palate? Ask a server for tried-and-true recommendations before exploring the possibilities of flavor one pint at a time.
Kumar Sanu & Sadhna Sargam
The Midland Theatre
Umphrey's McGee LIVE @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Marca MP: Simplemente Marca Tour
The Midland Theatre
Outdoor Concert Series
City of Lenexa, Kansas
Real Estate: Infinite Jangle Tour
The Truman
Jammin’ on the Green: A Summer Concert Series
Shawnee Town 1929
Summer Socials
Kansas City Power & Light District
Pepe Aguilar
T-Mobile Center
Brody Buster's Blues Fest Vol. 2 @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Outdoor Concert Series
City of Lenexa, Kansas
Brit Floyd: Pulse Tour
The Midland Theatre
Outdoor Concert Series
City of Lenexa, Kansas
Metallica Tribute Show @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Grinders KC Presents: The Four Horsemen - A Celebration of Metallica
Grinders by STRETCH
Lionel Richie
T-Mobile Center
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Treaty Oak Revival
Kansas City Power & Light District
Greensky Bluegrass @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Drew Green: Presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum
PBR Big Sky Bar
Burning Spear - Reggae Uprising @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Tim McGraw
T-Mobile Center
Outdoor Concert Series
City of Lenexa, Kansas
Goose
The Midland Theatre
Chris Stapleton
T-Mobile Center
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Niko Moon
Kansas City Power & Light District
Outdoor Concert Series
City of Lenexa, Kansas
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Warren Zeiders
Kansas City Power & Light District
QUINN XCII
Kansas City Power & Light District
Flatland Cavalry LIVE @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Summer Socials
Kansas City Power & Light District
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Pecos & the Rooftops
Kansas City Power & Light District
Dark Star Orchestra @ Grinders Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Kenny Chesney : Sun Goes Down Tour with Zach Brown Band
Arrowhead Events
Tubular LIVE @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Mitchell Tenpenny
Kansas City Power & Light District
Yelawolf & Prof LIVE @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Bowling for Soup: Sick 50 Tour
The Truman
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Randall King
Kansas City Power & Light District
Olivia Rodrigo
T-Mobile Center
The Last Dinner Party
The Truman
Charley Crockett
The Midland Theatre
Summer Socials
Kansas City Power & Light District
Morgan Wallen : One Night At A Time
Arrowhead Events
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Alexandra Kay
Kansas City Power & Light District
Orville Peck w/ special guests Jamie Wyatt & Gold Star @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Morgan Wallen : One Night At A Time
Arrowhead Events
Peso Pluma
T-Mobile Center
The Revivalists w/ special guest Flipturn @ Grinders KC Event Venue
Grinders by STRETCH
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Conner Smith
Kansas City Power & Light District
blink-182
T-Mobile Center
Switchfoot, Matt Nathanson, Blue October
Grinders by STRETCH
Luke Bryan
T-Mobile Center
Zach Bryan
T-Mobile Center
Zach Bryan
T-Mobile Center
European Tour Send-Off Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Travis Denning
Kansas City Power & Light District
Dierks Bentley
T-Mobile Center
Franco Escamilla
The Midland Theatre
Summer Socials
Kansas City Power & Light District
Hank Williams Jr.
T-Mobile Center
Sublime with Rome Farewell Tour
Kansas City Power & Light District
Summer Socials
Kansas City Power & Light District
Dionne Warwick with the Kansas City Symphony
Kansas City Symphony
Chromeo & The Midnight: Chrome Nights North American Tour
The Midland Theatre
The Dead South
The Midland Theatre
Sammy Rae & The Friends
The Midland Theatre
Disney's Hocus Pocus™ In Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Disney's Hocus Pocus™ In Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Disney's Hocus Pocus™ In Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Creed
T-Mobile Center
Home Alone™ In Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Home Alone™ In Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Home Alone™ In Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Home Alone™ In Concert
Kansas City Symphony
Handel's Messiah
Kansas City Symphony
Handel's Messiah
Kansas City Symphony
Handel's Messiah
Kansas City Symphony
The Texas Tenors: Deep in the Heart of Christmas
Kansas City Symphony
Christmas Festival
Kansas City Symphony
Christmas Festival
Kansas City Symphony
Christmas Festival
Kansas City Symphony
Christmas Festival
Kansas City Symphony
Christmas Festival
Kansas City Symphony