Kansas City Beer Makes Irish Man Fat (at Lunchtime)
There’s a great article on Kansas City’s Boulevard beers and the KC microbrewry beer market in general in the Pitch.
By Ben Paynter it mostly tells the story of the launch of Boulevard’s latest beer Lunar, and of Boulevard’s main competitor, the cross-state Missouri rival Schlafly.
Boulevard and Schlafly are competing for the beers of choice in a sector that represents just 6% of the total local beer market.
It’s a great insight into the world of the people who determine what beers we might have the option of choosing at the taps.
I’m a fan of Boulevard Pale Ale, and of Boulevard Wheat, and I know many beer drinkers who rave about Bob’s 47. Nutcracker does nothing for me, and I really dislike quite strongly Boulevard’s Irish Ale (all the more so for its seasonal displacement from the taps of their Pale Ale).
But then again I also quite like Boulevard Stout, so given that the company clearly makes good beers and that even the ones I don’t take to are so distinctive, I fully intend to give Lunar its chance.
At home in Dublin I drink only Guinness. No Cork Murphy’s or Beamish nonsense for me, and in Dublin I have no need to explore the world’s great beers. Despite pasteurisation, homogenisation, and all that cooling, I see no reason not to drink the velvet greatness of Guinness.
But away from Dublin, even if Guinness is available, then I see what the locals are up to. For my money nobody comes close to the English for making great ales, but I’ve had great beers throughout Europe - most especially in the Czech Republic - and in many parts of the US also.
In the KC area, as well as the Boulevard beers I also like the O’Malley’s beers, surprising myself particularly in liking their new Emerald Lager.
I think Kansas City is very lucky to have a brewing company of the quality of Boulevard. And I say that as somebody who will drink the cheap stuff too.
The Pitch article mostly concentrates on microbrewery owners John McDonald of Boulevard and the eponymous Tom Schlafly, but there’s a great appearance by charming Dublin man, a northsider called David Colgan who “bounces into O’Dowd’s Little Dublin on the Plaza with a hint of Pale Ale on his breath” because he has just finished lunch where, for business purposes, he drank a beer:
“The average businessman wants to drink beer at lunch,” he says. “If I order a beer, maybe it will make that guy feel more comfortable and he’ll order one, too.” His goal is to create what he calls a “cultural experience” with the brand. It’s a good strategy, but Colgan admits that he has gained 10-15 pounds in the last year, primarily from drinking beer with lunch.
Still, he envisions himself as a personification of Boulevard. Everything about his look — the baby-blue waffle-weave polo shirt stamped with a subtle Boulevard logo, the thick-rimmed glasses, the carefully spiked plumage of hair — has been cultivated to help him make sales. Colgan keeps the laid-back vibe of a guy on the hunt for the next party. Born in Ireland, Colgan has an accent that sounds ideal for a beer salesman. “It’s about being around when it happens and taking advantage of it,” he says.
Apart from O’Dowd’s and the baby-blue waffle-weaved polo-shirted Mr Colgan, the Pitch article includes various references of interest to the Irish community, from beers to Irish pubs.
Today the Granfalloon kicked off some sort of I-70 series: Schlafly versus Boulevard which is being held at the Plaza and Northland locations. Through August customers will compete in head-to-head drink-offs to see which brand’s pale ale is more popular.
And the winner gets to keep the pale ale tap. Boulevard Pale Ale is a great beer - would Kansas City really vote against itself?
See Also:
• The Marketing of Irish Beer in America
• Boulevard Brewery Unfiltered Brown Ale
• The Worst Pint of Guinness in Kansas City, MO
• O’Malley’s Irish Cream Ale available Kansas side of Metro KC
• Where Can I Buy Barry’s Tea Gold Blend in KC Area
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