boulevard brewing company
boulevard brewing company, kansas city: hours, address, boulevard brewing company reviews: 4. 5 / 5
see the boulevard brewing company’s new brewing and packaging facility on google street view .
company: boulevard brewing co. contact: julie weeks email: jweeks @ urltoken
boulevard brewing company expands its operations in kansas city’s urban core while quadrupling beer production .
the boulevard brewing company, based in kansas city, mo. , produces a wide variety of beers under its own name .
about boulevard brewing company boulevard brewing company has grown to become one of the reputable specialty brewers in the midwest, dedicated to the craft of producing fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. in 2014, boulevard became part of the world - renowned duvel moortgat family of breweries. for more information, visit urltoken, urltoken, or follow us on twitter at urltoken .
about boulevard brewing company boulevard brewing company has grown to be the largest specialty brewer in the midwest, dedicated to the craft of producing fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. boulevard’s portfolio of year - round and seasonal beers is available in fourteen states, primarily in the midwest, with select offerings distributed in an additional six states. for more information about boulevard visit www. boulevard. com, urltoken or follow us on twitter at urltoken
the gist citing continued growth in demand, particularly in the midwest, boulevard brewing company is embarking on a significant expansion to dramatically increase its output of canned beer .
pingback: boulevard brewing co. opening new markets in june, new packages coming this summer | urltoken
founded in 1989, boulevard brewing company has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in the midwest. our mission is simple: to produce fresh, flavorful beers using the finest ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques .
“our goal is to make boulevard a more sustainable company and a more sustainable business citizen in kansas city. ”
founded in 1989, boulevard brewing company has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in the midwest. our mission is simple: to produce fresh, flavorful beers using the finest …
a kansas city landmark may be changing hands, but not changing in spirit. in a deal that was just announced, the duvel moortgat brewery of belgium acquired boulevard brewing company, a much - admired kansas city institution. boulevard owner and founder john mcdonald said that he had spent the last few years looking at the future of his company, but had been very careful to find a partner that would share the values and ideals that had come to define boulevard brewing company .
boulevard brewing company is already a kansas city success story. founded in 1989, the local brewery grew rapidly to become a significant and recognized brand across the midwest and beyond. famously committed to sustainable initiatives, boulevard’s founder and owner john mcdonald also co - founded ripple glass, a successful local glass recycling company. he says that with the acquisition by duvel moortgat, boulevard brewing company has a chance to expand while still honoring the basic principles that made it what it is today .
boulevard brewing, a popular kansas city company that’s grown to be one of america’s largest craft brewers since its founding in 1989, is being sold to a belgian brewer, duvel moortgat .
continue south on washington, past west pennway. when you get to southwest boulevard, turn right. just after you pass under the railroad tracks, turn left on 25th street and stop. the building at 2501 southwest boulevard is boulevard brewing company. its chapter begins on page 270 .
1970s: the company begins to make major inroads in the european beer market .
boulevard brewing company is the largest specialty brewer in the midwest, dedicated to the craft of producing fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. for more information, visit urltoken or follow us on urltoken, urltoken and urltoken .
boulevard brewing company has grown to be the largest specialty brewer in the midwest, with full or partial distribution currently in 39 states. since 1989 our brewery has remained dedicated to the cr ...
project engineers with boulevard brewing company based their coating selection on a careful review of case studies involving other projects that used tnemec’s perma - shield family of products, which are specifically designed for wastewater immersion environments .
the company currently produces its canned offerings under contract at cold spring brewing co. in minnesota and at california’s firestone walker, which is also owned by duvel usa .
founded in 1989, boulevard brewing company has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in the midwest. our mission is simple: to produce fresh, flavorful beers using the finest ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. click the link to learn what drove boulevard founder john mcdonald, and how we got where we are today .
boulevard brewing company needs no introduction to those in the kansas city area. anyone who has driven in downtown kansas city will recognize the distinctive smoke stack and holding tanks of the brewery, and just about any local craft beer aficionado has a favorite boulevard flavor or two .
1990: boulevard wheat joins the lineup. while many others have joined the lineup, wheat and pale ale remain the company’s strongest sellers .
as european interest in american craft beers begins to mirror the mania for them stateside, the duvel moortgat brewery of belgium on thursday announced a deal to buy the boulevard brewing company, a craft brewery in kansas city, mo .
sales of boulevard brewing’s canned beer have grown considerably since the aluminum packages were first introduced in 2014, and now the kansas city - based company is making a multi - million dollar bet that more sales are on the way .
both mcdonald and the owners of duvel moortgat are quick to say that there won’t be a big immediate change in the day - to - day operations of boulevard brewing company. michael moortgat, one of three brothers who own duvel moortgat, said that none of the employees at boulevard would lose their jobs, and that the kc - based sales and management team would grow to around 60. the boulevard brewing company’s famous downtown brewery already has the capacity to produce up to 240, 000 barrels a year, and could be expanded to produce as much as 600, 000 with additional infrastructure and fermentation tanks. the owners of duvel moortgat say that they’re planning to invest heavily in the boulevard brewing company, and, as they’ve done with their acquisitions in the past, continue to respect boulevard’s specificity, traditions, and authenticity .
earlier this year, boulevard added wisconsin and tennessee to its distribution footprint, making the company’s beer available in 39 states and washington, d. c .
since the completion of a multi - million - dollar expansion of its cellar five fermentation building, kansas city - based boulevard brewing company has been busy rolling out barrels of its popular craft beers into new major markets across the united states and overseas .
the company plans to be packaging cans out of the new facility in the first quarter of 2018 .
free state brewing co. 636 massaschusetts st. lawrence, ks 785 - 843 - 4555 urltoken
first beer brewery tour, enjoyed it! !! learned a lot about brewing, kc, and boulevard brewery. free samples included, highly recommend .
to that end, when the new canning line is up and running, pauwels says there' s potential—depending on demand and brewing capacity—to grow boulevard’s canned output ten - fold. and there are a number of different routes the company can travel to get there .
late 1960s: company develops a unique tulip - shaped glass that holds a full 33 - centilitre bottle .
once installed, the canning line will take up the majority of the space within the new building. however, the company is leaving room in the building for a future replacement of the company’s existing kegging line .
tallgrass brewing co. 5960 dry hop cir. manhattan, ks 66503 785 - 537 - 1131 urltoken
( kansas city, mo) – with the completion last summer of the latest in a series of plant expansions, the folks at boulevard brewing company thought they had bought themselves a little breathing room. but growing demand and a host of new brands and packages compelled the company to accelerate its expansion timetable. instead of breaking ground on a new building, boulevard will literally rip the roof off its original cellar, removing six 105 - barrel fermenters and replacing them with eight specially designed 300 - barrel vessels from the paul mueller company of springfield, missouri .
sales representative in northern california (alameda county and other delta pacific territory) - barley forge brewing co .
from the days boulevard hauled its first products around town in an isuzu panel truck, the company has grown to become the 12th ranked craft brewer in the nation with 125 employees .
boulevard also is the latest household name in kansas city to be acquired by foreigners. sprint corp. is now controlled by a japanese company and amc entertainment by a chinese venture .
1963: the company contracts with the maredsous abbey to brew its beers. one variety has 10 percent alcohol content .
american craft beers have been growing in popularity not just across the country, but also in europe. the acquisition of boulevard brewing company by duvel moortgat will allow the kansas city brewery to expand into european markets, as well as up - and - coming craft beer markets like china and japan .
like boulevard brewing company, duvel moortgat is a family - owned and operated enterprise. they own several breweries in belgium, and also already own and operate one craft brewery in the united states, brewery ommegang in cooperstown, ny, which they acquired in 2003. they bring a substantial history of craft brewing experience to the table, and also an international distribution footprint that only partially overlaps with the 25 states and washington d. c. where boulevard’s craft beers are already distributed .
boulevard brewing company has grown to be the largest specialty brewer in the midwest, with full or partial distribution currently in 37 states. since 1989 our brewery has remained dedicated to the craft of producing fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. our selection of fine ales and lagers include the midwest' s best - selling craft beer, boulevard unfiltered wheat beer, our flagship boulevard pale ale, and the smokestack series line of artisanal beers. we are proud to be kansas city' s beer .
it was the summer of 1984, and john mcdonald was thirsty. on vacation in europe, the future founder of boulevard brewing company wandered into a bar specializing in belgian beers. he tried one, then another and another, amazed by the variety, the aromas, and the flavors. he was hooked .
“mueller is extremely excited and honored to be the chosen equipment supplier for this major project, ” said ashton lewis, staff master brewer and brewing market manager for the paul mueller company in springfield, missouri. “mueller first began working with boulevard in 1989, and it’s been very gratifying to watch boulevard – an innovative missouri brewery producing exceptional and highly regarded beers – continue to grow. this project means a great deal to me and the paul mueller company. we are delighted to be part of the team. ”
crb provided concept design, detailed design, and construction administration services for boulevard brewing company’s fermentation facility expansion project. the expansion project, called cellar five, included construction of a 3, 600 - square - foot fermentation structure and an 8, 400 - square - foot, two - story utility and process building .
kansas city has already seen an increase in small businesses and startups in recent years, and the acquisition and possible expansion of the boulevard brewing company should mean a new influx of capital into the metro area, which can only mean good things for local businesses, any one of which might be the next big kansas city success story .
2006: $ 25 million expansion opens that includes a new banquet hall and increases brewing capacity to 700, 000 barrels annually .
with several large craft players offering low - cost 15 - packs — new belgium and founders brewing among them — krum said he doesn’t foresee boulevard trying to compete for those sales opportunities by lowering its price point .
boulevard / az wilderness / creature comforts collaboration no. 7 oak - aged lager
2003: boulevard moves into minnesota, expanding its range to 11 midwestern states .
“doing business close to home has been a longstanding priority for boulevard” said mike utz, boulevard’s director of engineering. “mueller built the very first fermenters for boulevard, and the long history between our two companies made the new decision an easy one” .
we have to hand it to our design / build team and the good folks at boulevard. we have to hand them a boulevard pale ale, that is .
despite the size and scale of the cellar five project, the company is already planning for future expansion, which might not be that far away. the company still has available space on the property and is considering expansion of its packaging and bottling system and maybe even addition of a canning line .
june 6, 2017 – kansas city – boulevard brewing company today announced it will soon break ground on a $ 10 million expansion of its kansas city brewery. the project, consisting of a 24, 000 square foot, single - story structure to be built on land immediately adjacent to the brewery, will house a canning line designed to fill 350 12 - ounce cans per minute, providing boulevard with years of runway for its rapidly accelerating can business .
earlier this year, boulevard announced it had reached a sponsorship deal to become the “official craft beer” of the kansas city royals. the beer company’s unfiltered wheat beer is available in 16 oz. single - serve cans inside the stadium .
did you know: boulevard also has four unique event venues available for rental. picturesque views of downtown kansas city make boulevard the perfect place for weddings or corporate events .
built adjacent to boulevard’s original plant as a “model of efficient urban land use, ” the new facility includes a two - story, state - of - the - art brewing and packaging facility with skylights that illuminate the atrium .
october 23, 2015 – kansas city – weeks away from celebrating its 26th birthday, boulevard brewing company unveils plans to update its iconic logo and packaging in the coming year. the goal for the kansas city brewery’s evolution is to provide better visibility for the boulevard brand at retail, more consistency within brewery’s much expanded beer portfolio, and refresh the brand’s overall visual identity. boulevard will begin using the new imagery on signage and point - of - sale merchandise in the early part of 2016 with bottle and packaging changes beginning to roll off production lines in march .
though duvel sees its purchase of boulevard as an opportunity to grow in the u. s. , there are no plans to brew its products here or boulevard products in belgium .
duvel moortgat was represented by mcdermott will emery. first beverage group was adviser to boulevard .
2007: boulevard introduces its smokestack series, artisanal beers sold in. 750 ml bottles .
the facility is in a prominent location on the industrial edge of downtown kansas city. with a brick and stone facade punctuated by storefront glazing and glass blocks, the new brewhouse respects the local context while inviting views into boulevard’s meticulous brewing process .
boulevard brewing has announced a $ 10 million expansion to add a canning line to the kansas city brewery. sales of boulevard' s canned offerings have grown substantially since they were first released three years ago. unfiltered wheat, heavy lifting ipa, ginger lemon radler, tropical pale ale and american kolsch are currently being canned at coldspring brewery in minnesota and boulevard' s sister brewery, firestone walker, in california; but demand for boulevard cans has outstripped the capacity of those two facilities necessitating a dedicated canning line in kc .
about paul mueller company paul mueller company manufactures stainless steel equipment and performs on - site construction and repair / maintenance in over 100 countries worldwide in a wide variety of industrial applications, including food, dairy, beverage processing, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, chemical processing, water distillation, heat transfer, hvac, heat recovery, and process cooling .
soon after the news of the boulevard sale hit social media, the reaction was mostly negative .
together, the new brand system aligns the full boulevard portfolio, lays groundwork for efficient and effective design for future beers, and ensures a cohesive brand identity that drinkers—old and new—recognize as unmistakably boulevard .
southwest boulevard is a remarkable kansas city street–a mess of storage facilities, lumber yards, candy - apple red nightclubs and mexican restaurants serving sunday morning menudo. right before the boulevard crosses under the railroad tracks and enters the crossroads, you’ll find one block of fully intact, turn - of - the century brick warehouses, stepping up and down before sprouting muscular stainless steel tanks and a lone smokestack. this is the home of the boulevard brewing company: tenth largest craft brewery in the u. s. ; largest american - owned brewery in missouri; and the source of untold thousands of empty bottles in our recycling bins over the years .
boulevard, however, won’t look to add new sizes or styles to its can lineup until 2018 .
the third floor houses boulevard’s offices, two large hospitality rooms and an outdoor terrace overlooking downtown. this venue has generated additional revenue for boulevard by becoming one of kansas city’s most popular small - event spaces .
turn around and go west on 20th street to southwest boulevard. turn left. after one short block, turn left on central and stop. the building on the southeast corner of 21st and central was the depot of pabst brewing co. , constructed in 1911. it is pictured on page 79 of our book. two additional stories have been added to the south part of the building. it eventually became pendergast distributing company, which was owned by tom pendergast .
the terms of the deal were not disclosed. boulevard said the sale gives it an opportunity to expand more rapidly to keep up with demand for its products. duvel, a family - owned belgian company founded in 1871, said the purchase will allow it to expand in the united states .
backed by a new owner with fresh capital and plans to bring boulevard brewing co.' s beers worldwide, the kansas city - based brewery launched an expansion project that will boost the capacity of the operation by 40 percent, to well over 300, 000 barrels a year .
a bit more about how cellar 1 functions: the project called for eight tanks, each forty feet tall. the existing structure was only fifteen feet in height. the tanks, uniquely designed for flexibility in beer production, required free, regular access to the tops to allow the brewing staff to perform their critical functions safely and efficiently. the upward expansion makes room for the tanks and acts as a light monitor, bringing daylight into the adjacent brewing space below. the perforated screen keeps unwanted heat from affecting the brewing process .
while the end of the government shutdown has been big news, a huge beer story broke yesterday, so we' ll turn our attention to that. belgium’s duvel moortgat, makers of the famous duvel beer, has acquired boulevard brewing from kansas city, mo. with an estimated value of $ 100 million, boulevard is the most expensive acquisition of a craft brewery in beer history .
we were tapped to work with the boulevard team to strategically refine, redesign and ultimately reignite the brand .
history: the boulevard story began in 1988 when founder john mcdonald started construction of the brewery along kansas city’s historic southwest boulevard. the first batches of beer were produced in 1989 and the first keg of boulevard pale ale was delivered to a restaurant a few blocks away that fall. fifteen years of steady growth later, sales exceeded for more than 100, 000 barrels per year. in 2006, a major expansion to the existing brewery raised brewing capacity to nearly 600, 000 barrels per year .
boulevard currently cans five of its beers — unfiltered wheat, heavy lifting ipa, ginger lemon radler, tropical pale ale and american kolsch — in the 12 oz. format. the company also offers ginger lemon radler in 15 - pack configurations with a suggested retail price of $ 19. 99 .
as defined by the brewers association, a craft brewer must produce no more than six million barrels a year (a lower limit was dropped when the boston beer company, maker of samuel adams, exceeded it). any ownership stake by a non - craft alcoholic beverage company must be less than 25 percent. otherwise, a brewery cannot be a voting member of the association .
public tours are available seven days a week. this 60 - minute walking tour starts in the tours & rec center and takes guests through the production facility to learn the history, brewing process and business behind boulevard. the tour concludes back in the tours & rec center, where guests 21 and over can sample select boulevard beers. tour tickets are $ 5 each (free on wednesdays) .
boulevard engineered, fabricated and installed the process piping for the tanks, overseeing the entire construction process of the building’s inner workings. we constructed the building shell to boulevard’s exact specifications around that labyrinth of tanks and pipes .
turn left on 28th for one - half block to southwest boulevard. turn right and go north on southwest boulevard, past boulevard brewing company, back under the railroad bridge, to summit. turn left on summit and go north one block to cesar e. chavez street. turn left and drive west 6 / 10ths of a mile to wyoming. turn right on wyoming and proceed north 9 / 10ths of a mile to 12th street. turn left on 12th street and proceed straight ahead up the ramp, following it around the curve, and back down. proceed north to central avenue and turn right. drive east on central two blocks to an unmarked street, which is state line and stop .
to top it off, the expansion will afford the company the ability to explore 25 - ounce cans. “we think there might be a future there, ” pauwels says. however, he views this route through a more skeptical lens. asked what he personally sees in that future, pauwels says he doesn’t see anything. it’s more a sign of the company not wanting to be late again .
krum acknowledged that the sale of boulevard would be a disappointment to many people who’ve taken hometown pride in it .
2011: mcdonald receives annual brewers association recognition award. boulevard expands to pacific northwest, bringing total to 20 states .
boulevard is working with project architect finkle + williams, general contract millerstauch construction and krones ag will supply key equipment .
boulevard’s most popular beers remain its mainstay boulevard pale ale and unfiltered wheat, but its brews have expanded to a wide selection of year - round and seasonal offerings as well as its artisanal smokestack series sold in 750 ml bottles and four packs .
in 2014, boulevard became part of the duvel moortgat family, a collection of artisanal breweries dedicated to the highest expression of the brewers’ art. boulevard remains committed to its original mission, pushing boundaries and helping to re - define american beer .
this is the second u. s. brewery duvel moortgat has acquired, the first being ommegang brewery from cooperstown, ny back in 2003, which brews exclusively belgian beer. as with goose island’s acquisition by ab inbev, where some of the brewing shifted to anheuser - busch’s facilities, there is the possibility of expanding brewing of boulevard' s specialty belgian - inspired smokestack series to ommegang. but boulevard' s barrel - aged program, featuring favorites like love child, saison - brett and bourbon - barrel quad, is one of the best in the country and isn' t going anywhere anytime soon. beyond their excellent belgian - inspired brews, boulevard also produces highly drinkable wheat ales and ipas. their popular unfiltered wheat beer is even dispensed in stadiums from backpack - mounted kegs !
the boulevard brand evolved organically over their first 25 years as pioneers in craft brewing. each new beer was packaged with an independently designed label, which became a challenge for both the brewery and for drinkers as the brand grew. as the product family expanded and distribution spread it became difficult to recognize the brand in a crowded market .
earlier this week, the company announced it would break ground on a $ 10 million buildout of a 24, 000 square foot facility to host a canning line capable of filling 350 12 - ounce cans per minute. to date, the kansas city brewery has outsourced packaging of canned offerings to a number of “sister breweries, ” including firestone walker—also owned by duvel moortgat brewery—and summit brewing in minnesota, the latter of which is unrelated in ownership .
for the first year the brewery produced only draft beer. the small crew worked long hours brewing, kegging, cleaning, and then selling, convincing bar and restaurant owners to put boulevard beers on tap. still, john knew he needed bottles. but there was no money, and bottling lines weren’t cheap. rejected by bank after bank, one institution finally saw promise in his vision and made a loan that enabled boulevard to install a very small, very used bottling line .
next, proceed south to where you can turn right on 21st street. go west one block and turn right on broadway. immediately turn right on southwest boulevard. drive straight for three blocks to the bright green building on your left, at 122 southwest boulevard, and stop. this building housed imperial brewing co. from 1933 to 1938. this imperial (there were two in kansas city) is described on pages 24 and 25. unfortunately, the building has been extensively remodeled .
don’t forget: to check back in the tasting room often as boulevard will occasionally offer unique samples of brewery - exclusive test beers .
not long ago the scrappy brewery bragged it was missouri’s largest, after beer giant anheuser - busch of st. louis was sold to inbev, another belgian company. now, that title will return to st. louis and craft brewer schlafly beer .
peter desilva, president of umb bank, which financed the growth of boulevard, said he hopes that relationship will continue with the new ownership .
circa 1992: boulevard expands sales as far north as omaha, neb. , and east to columbia and springfield, and south to wichita .
annual special events: sponsored by boulevard, boulevardia is a unique beer, food and music festival held each june. created in 2014, this event attracts thousands to the historic west bottoms area for three days of fun and festivities (and plenty of boulevard brews of course !) .
furthermore, boulevard hopes to establish the can as a packaging format conducive to year - round consumption. right now, pauwels says, “they’re very seasonal for us, ” performing best in the spring and summer. meeting that seasonal demand was a driving motivation behind this expansion, he says, but the company also plans to “try everything we can” (pun intended ?) to bridge the gap between seasons .
thirsty for more? join us for an in - depth, two - hour boulevard experience including a brewery tour plus guided food and beer pairings .
mcdonald said the sale to duvel should allow it to accelerate a $ 20 million expansion of its fermentation operation at the plant campus on southwest boulevard .
“we helped put boulevard in business many years ago, and it’s been so fun to watch them grow and their great brand, ” he said .
“this is a project we’ve wanted to do for several years, ” said jeremy ragonese, boulevard’s director of marketing. “the identity wasn’t broken, but we saw an opportunity to enhance it and make it more representative of what boulevard is today. it has been nearly 16 years since we’ve made any significant alterations to our core packaging architecture, and this evolution is a way to both recognize boulevard’s growth and demonstrate our commitment to the brewery’s future. ”
i stopped by here earlier today with my wife for some afternoon drinks. boulevard brewing beer hall wasn' t originally on our list of places to visit, but whenever we had some free time in kansas city, we decided to go here. the boulevard beer complex is actually quite large and impressive. the factory has a large
boulevard
on their smokestack in case you don' t know what it is and then some large boulevard brewing signs elsewhere on the building. the beer hall and tour facility is not a part of the factory and instead is in a second building that is nearby. it is here that we spent most of our time and the beer hall is on the second floor. the beer hall itself is quite massive and has everything from a bar to plentiful seating, a photo booth and even foosball and many board games. as i often do whenever i visit a new brewery i decided to go with a flight here and chose to pick my own. i ended up with the hibiscus gose, ginger lemon radler, double dry hopped galaxy ipa (a test beer) and the calling double ipa. all of the beers were good and so i didn' t have a least favorite but the double dry hopped galaxy ipa was my favorite of the bunch as it was bright and juicy. the bottom line for me is that i would head back here again in the future. boulevard brewing has quite a nice space for their beer hall and i enjoyed all of their beers as well .
“our path for growth became abundantly clear as i got to know john and boulevard, ” michel moortgat, ceo of duvel, said in a statement .
this is the largest industry sale since goose island was bought by ab inbev for nearly $ 40 million in 2011, which is surely going to draw some comparisons, as that was also a case of a belgian group acquiring a u. s. brewery. but there' s little to worry about regarding matters of quality control — duvel, a family - run company with a 142 - year - old brewing history, is one of the largest and most respected producers of belgian beer, producing about 750, 000 barrels a year .
“it’s a shame that boulevard is being sold, but hopefully they’ll keep everything the same, ” bondon said. “duvel moortgart makes wonderful but expensive beers. ”
we are sampling some @ boulevard _ beer on this great summer day here @ llywelynspubs central west end. come on out and have a drink with us! urltoken
it’s the end of an era for the enterprising brewery founded in 1989 on southwest boulevard. in its short history it has become part of the cultural identity of kansas city
go south on southwest boulevard 4 / 10ths of a mile and turn left into the parking lot of margarita' s. get out of your car and look west. the rather imposing structure across the street and behind some buildings is the front portion of the other imperial brewing co. , which did business at that location from 1901 until 1919. its chapter begins on page 210. because of the positioning of the freeway and some of the other buildings, it is hard to get a decent view of the building, but there is one from the east side of southwest boulevard, a block south of ponak' s restaurant .
“no longer does a light american lager satisfy every beer lover, ” said julia herz, the craft beer program director at the brewers association, the trade group for the craft brewing industry. “light beer sales are down, and the majority of the top 10 brands are losing market share. ”
john mcdonald, who started the iconic brewery in a warehouse at 25th street and southwest boulevard with used equipment, said that at age 60 it was time to find a buyer .
for starters, boulevard plans to extend its canned portfolio by packaging beers that are currently only available in bottles (pauwels would not divulge which bottle - only brews might be first to see the can treatment). currently, the brewery cans five beers: ginger lemon radler (“the leader, our biggest volume… basically the one that helped us push this decision, ” pauwels says .), heavy lifting ipa, american kolsch, tropical pale ale, and the company' s flagship unfiltered wheat ale .
he said he liked the way his company could mesh with the belgian brewery and the cultural alignment between the two businesses. “i was looking to give up control of my brewery, and to do that, i had to feel really good about the people i would be giving control to, ” mr. mcdonald said .
why it matters it’s not exactly revelatory in 2017 to note that aluminum has done a complete about - face in the craft beer industry. in fact, pauwels concedes boulevard was “a little bit late” with cans, having only debuted them in its portfolio back in 2014. but despite all that, the can has become hugely important to the company, accounting now for “about 15% of our business, ” he says. “and it’s growing. it’s one of the fastest growing parts of our different packaging. ”
“i think boulevard has been part of the fabric of kansas city, and it’s not going anywhere. it’s headquartered here and i plan to still enjoy a brew from time to time. ”
we completed the boulevard cellar 1 expansion at the beginning of the summer. we served as both architect and general contractor for the building portion of the project, an exciting addition to el dorado’s
in the daylight hours, driving along southwest boulevard, the perforated screen appears to be solid. the brewery’s inner workings are visible only through the glass of the north - facing curtain wall .
the cellar five expansion included the addition of new beer filtration equipment, an effluent equalization system, a pumping station and wet well that increased the brewery’s capacity for treating wastewater produced during the brewing, fermentation and packaging of beer. wastewater produced by the brewery is treated onsite to control its ph and comply with city requirements .
that’s not to say companies like anheuser busch, molson coors and sabmiller are absent from the fray. the tenth and blake beer company, owned by a joint venture between molson coors and sabmiller, produces blue moon and leinenkugel’s, and the goose island brewery in chicago was bought by anheuser busch, owned by the giant inbev, in 2011 .
in 2014, boulevard became part of the world - renowned duvel moortgat family of breweries. currently available in more than 35 states, the district of columbia, as well as in belgium, brazil, canada, china, finland, france, netherlands, norway, sweden and the uk, boulevard has plans to increase distribution into more states and additional global distribution in the coming years .
from the west: take i - 35 n to exit 1c toward w pennway street. turn right onto w pennway and then bear right onto southwest boulevard. the brewery is on the left .
continue east on st. louis ave. three more blocks to santa fe street and turn left. go north past 9th street, to 811 santa fe and stop. the building was the office and warehouse for hamm brewing co. from 1910 to 1917, when they moved to 1323 west 9th street (no longer standing) .
it was the summer of 1984, and john mcdonald was thirsty. on vacation in europe, the future founder of boulevard brewing company wandered into a bar specializing in belgian beers. he tried one, then another and another, amazed by the variety, the aromas, and the flavors. he was hooked. back home, john couldn' t stop dreaming about those beers. but dreaming was all he could do, because american beers of the time were homogenous and unremarkable. he started homebrewing. he put together a business plan, sold his house to raise money, and set out to find the rest of the resources he would need to start a brewery. it took more than a year and every bit of the money he' d raised to retrofit the building, find the equipment - including a vintage 35 - barrel bavarian brewhouse - and get everything up and running. finally, in november 1989, the first keg of boulevard pale ale was ready. john loaded it into the back of his pickup and delivered it to a restaurant just a few blocks away .
in a nod to american creativity, duvel three years ago started a fruit beer made from things like strawberries, raspberries and elderberries. the company wanted to suggest serving it over ice to make it more refreshing, mr. moortgat said, but was worried “that the whole industry would be shouting at us — ‘you can’t put ice cubes in beer. ’ ”
boulevard brewing was a great addition to our trip to kc! it wasn' t in our initial plans, but after our flight was delayed 5 hours we squeezed this place right in! we first planned on taking a tour of the brewery but once we arrived, the next open tour was not for another 2 hours. no worries though. we skipped the tour and headed upstairs to the tasting room. it was a sunday around 11 when we visited and my first reaction was, hot dang this place is packed. we ordered a flight of beer to sample and found a seat. we soon realized that boulevard has bingo every sunday! and its fo free. we grabbed a couple of bingo cards and played while we drank our flight. it was a blast! really the icing on the cake. we also ordered two rounds of the pretzel bites. so good. you can choose between beer cheese or mustard to accompany your pretzel bites. we tried each and preferred the cheese. boulevard is also a green company! when asking for a trash can, one of the employees politely let us know that we can compost our trash and pointed us in the right direction. super rad! overall great place that you should definitely check out. we can' t wait to come back and try the tour !
mcdonald said the current management team at boulevard would remain intact. a year ago, the firm hired mike magoulas, a former regional vice president of millercoors, to take over the ceo position from mcdonald .
2012: boulevard moves into washington d. c. , and also quietly begins selling its smokestack beers in norway, finland and sweden. brewer also ranked 10th - largest craft brewer in u. s .
we began by leading a strategic survey of boulevard’s brand history, equity and identity. with new insight into the brand, we developed a system that simplifies the brand identity while amplifying brand impact and voice. a refined color palette, consistent typographic choices, and a uniform illustration style allows boulevard to consistently stand out while preserving the down - to - earth, humble wit and light - hearted personality of the brand .
to get an idea of how steep this bluff is you might want to drive west three blocks to delaware street and walk down the brick street towards the river. we do not recommend walking beyond the gate in the fence. the beautiful building at what would be 304 delaware was once the depot of george wiedemann brewing co. of newport, kentucky .
jack bondon, the owner of the berbiglia liquor - store chain, was surprised by the sale and wondered whether if that meant changes ahead. he knew mcdonald when he worked as a carpenter before starting boulevard .
from the north: take i - 35 south to exit 1d. turn right on w 20 th street then turn left on summit street. turn right onto southwest boulevard and the brewery is on the left .
the acquisition of boulevard will give duvel, pronounced doo - vel, ownership of a large united states craft brewer that is well known in the midwest and produces a wide variety of beers under its own name and others. boulevard’s brands range from 80 - acre hoppy wheat beer, described as citrusy with a slightly sweet flavor and light bitterness, to dark truth stout, an “inky” beer with hints of chocolate, coffee and fruits .
the buildings to your left, on both sides of oak between 3rd and 5th street, were the george muehlebach brewing co. , whose chapter begins on page 36. unfortunately, the brewhouse, which was on the southwest corner of 3rd & oak, has been torn down. check out the pictures on pages 47 and 50 - 1 to help you get oriented .
however, for those of you that are in the mood for a little more adventure, check out the following: a building occupied by frank j. quigg brewery from 1913 to 1915 is located at 1700 madison (five blocks west of broadway). a building occupied by lion brewing and bottling co. in 1903 is located at 2940 fairmont (one block east of southwest boulevard). a faded sign advertising heim beer can be seen on the sign of a building on gillis (four blocks east of cherry), just south of missouri avenue (one block south of 5th street) .
get straight to the sampling at the beer hall, open seven days a week. featuring a rotating lineup of brews available in full pours, tasters and flights—perfect for sampling a wide variety of boulevard’s offerings, including test flavors .
the expansion will do more than satisfy boulevard’s growing canned needs, too. pauwels says the goal is to make the equipment available to its duvel - owned sibling breweries firestone walker and ommegang, depending on their respective needs and capacities .
mcdonald said boulevard’s marketing arrangements with sporting kansas city at its stadium sporting park and the kansas city royals at kauffman stadium also would remain unchanged. the firm will continue to be involved with its ripple glass recycling program and other local commitments .
boulevard, the 12th - largest craft brewer in the united states, has distribution approaching 180, 000 barrels this year. the acquisition will give it access to wider distribution in the domestic market and an avenue into international markets using duvel’s worldwide system .
choose from a wide selection of top quality apparel, barware, and all things boulevard! please note: some items sold at our tours & rec center gift shop such as beer, neon signs and tin tackers are not available for online purchase .
back in 1984, one of the beers that so captivated john’s imagination was duvel, among the most famous and iconic beers of all time. so when john was approached by michel moortgat, president and fourth generation leader of duvel moortgat, he listened. in 2014, boulevard became part of the duvel moortgat family, a collection of artisanal breweries dedicated to the highest expression of the brewers’ art. boulevard remains committed to its original mission, pushing boundaries and helping to re - define american beer .
“this is the accumulation of all of our collective knowledge that we’ve gained over the last 25 years in the industry, ” boulevard’s director of engineering mike utz told the kansas city business journal. “it’s state of the art, flexible and efficient. ”
when you are finished in this area, proceed south to 20th street and drive east (turn left) to mcgee and stop. at 215 east 20th street sits the beautifully restored depot of wm. j. lemp brewing co. of st. louis, built in 1895. this building is now the home of the mckay, bell and byerely law firm. the chapter on the lemp brewery begins on page 194 .
i would have kicked myself if i didn' t make time to visit boulevard brewing. it was one of the many things on my kansas city
bucket list
in my short three days there. after getting some work done at a coffeeshop, i decided to spend a few hours here before my flight home. for a monday, i was surprised the brewery was open and that there were a decent amount of people here. that' s kansas city, i guess! i wanted to come earlier, but boulevard closes relatively early at 8pm. my events ended after than that. this place is massive. it seems like there' s two main buildings in the area, and i went to the one that has tours. actually i' m not sure what the difference is. this one also had a gift shop. there' s a ton of seating inside and outside. it makes me wonder how crowded it gets during peak hours. i ordered a flight of mostly ipas, then later got the pretzel bites with beer cheese as a snack. both were so good! the bartender was helpful when it came to choosing beers for the flight, though i' m sure he was annoyed at my indecisiveness. i found a seat near a coat hook and electrical outlet so i could answer emails while enjoying my mini meal. later i migrated to the outdoor patio to cool down in the beautiful, breezy weather. this was the kind of atmosphere that made me want to stay in kansas city a little longer. next time i will and definitely come back to boulevard brewing !
he said duvel would continue to invest in boulevard. “one of the things we have come to realize is that american craft brewers are more creative, more daring than we are in europe, and we don’t want to change that, ” he said.
boulevard brewing company is a brewery located in kansas city , missouri . the brewers association currently ranks the american arm of boulevard 's parent company , duvel moortgat usa , as the 12th largest craft brewery , and the 18th largest active brewery in the united states based on 2014 sales volume . before the sale of anheuser-busch to inbev in 2008 , boulevard was the largest independent american brewery in the state of missouri . boulevard 's beers are available in select markets across the country . in 2013 , boulevard was acquired by duvel moortgat brewery . terms of the deal were not disclosed , but industry publication beer business daily estimated the sale price exceeds $ 100 million . 
boulevard brewing company is a brewery located in kansas city, missouri. the brewers association currently ranks the american arm of boulevard's parent company, duvel moortgat usa, as the 12th largest craft brewery, and the 18th largest active brewery in the united states based on 2014 sales volume. before the sale of anheuser-busch to inbev in 2008, boulevard was the largest independent american brewery in the state of missouri. boulevard's beers are available in select markets across the country. in 2013, boulevard was acquired by duvel moortgat brewery. terms of the deal were not disclosed, but industry publication beer business daily estimated the sale price exceeds $ 100 million.
boulevard brewing company is a brewery located in kansas city, missouri. the brewers association currently ranks the american arm of boulevard's parent company, duvel moortgat usa, as the 12th largest craft brewery, and the 18th largest active brewery in the united states based on 2014 sales volume. before the sale of anheuser-busch to inbev in 2008, boulevard was the largest independent american brewery in the state of missouri. boulevard's beers are available in select markets across the country. in 2013, boulevard was acquired by duvel moortgat brewery. terms of the deal were not disclosed, but industry publication beer business daily estimated the sale price exceeds $ 100 million.