Winners of the Golden Tappys for 2017

The votes have been tallied. The pie charts have been examined. We have winners for the awards that recognize the absolute best of Kansas City beer as voted by the absolute best readers of Kansas City beer (that’s you!). These are the winners of the prestigious Golden Tappys.

All the best award shows allow the winners to say a few words of appreciation to the voters who put them there. We felt that our winners deserved the same opportunity. So for the first time, we have acceptance statements from (most of) our winners.

Alright. Cue the orchestra. Let’s do this.

The Best of Kansas City Beer in 2017

Golden Tappy for Best Beer Brewed in KC

Counterculture IPA
BKS Artisan Ales

BKS Artisan Ales burst on the scene in late 2017 just around the corner from my house. Counterculture is their fresh, hoppy, cloudy New England-style IPA. Juicy, opaque, and mildly bitter, it’s a winning example of its style as well as a Golden Tappy winner.

We’ll hear from Brian and Mary Rooney in a moment to accept their Golden Tappy.

BKS Artisan Ales is located at 633 E 63rd St #120, Kansas City, MO. That’s the southwest corner of 63rd Street and Holmes Rd. The taproom is open Saturdays, noon to 7:00 pm, and Sundays, 1:00 to 5:00 pm.

Golden Tappy for Best Beer Festival

Strong Ale Festival
Beer KC

When a beer festival is outdoors in Kansas City in November, there better be something to keep the attendees warm. While Beer KC (the team behind McCoy’s, Beer Kitchen, and Char Bar) rolls out heaters and supplies warm food options for their Strong Ale Festival, it’s really the 8%+ alcohol-by-volume samples keeping the people toasty. Or maybe toasted.

Accepting the Golden Tappy on behalf of Beer KC and the Strong Ale Festival is Randyl Danner:

Westport Strong Ale fest is a fest for all of the Kansas City hardcore beer lovers. We appreciate the continued support of this niche beer fest! Cheers to you, KC beer drinkers!

The Strong Ale Festival usually takes place the second Saturday in November, outside McCoy’s Public House, 4057 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, MO.

Golden Tappy for Best Brewery in Kansas or Missouri (Not in KC)

Mother’s Brewing Company
Springfield, MO

We have been enjoying Three Blind Mice from Mother’s Brewing for longer than we’ve been writing KC Beer Scouts. We love their Towhead. They’re definitely a MILF (with all their barrel kinks). And most of their other bottled and canned offspring are friends. They have established themselves as a quality and adventurous outstate brewery. We are proud to present Mother’s Brewing Company with a Golden Tappy for 2017.

Mother’s Brewing Company resides at 215 S Grant Ave, Springfield, MO. Their taproom is open 4:00 to 8:00 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 1:00 to 10:00 pm Friday and Saturday. And 2:00 to 8:00 pm Sundays. It’s well worth a visit if you’re ever in Springfield.

Golden Tappy for Best Bottle Shop

Brookside Wine & Spirits

How is it that most of the nominees for best bottle shop don’t even mention beer in their name? Where’s the pride, package stores? Rant over. Brookside Wine might have a good wine selection, but I’d never know because I tend to walk past those racks and into the walk-in beer cave to find a wide selection of the best, always-cold beer. There’s a wall of Boulevard. KC Bier around the corner. Always Torn Label, Crane, and Piney River, too. Brookside Wine has beer tastings every Friday, a friendly staff, a crowler station, and soon: pizza.

Brookside Wine & Spirits sits at 600 E 63rd St, Kansas City, MO, that’s across the street and one block west of BKS Artisan Ales. They are open Monday through Thursday 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, 9:00 to midnight-thirty Friday and Saturday, and 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Sunday.

Golden Tappy for Best Beer Bar

International Tap House

Like BKS Artisan Ales, iTap in the Crossroads is new to the area. And they bring it strong. Situated on what might be one of the strongest craft beer blocks in the Midwest, iTap has no food to distract you from the wall of taps and coolers of craft. A friendly and very knowledgeable bar staff will guide you to the beer that fits your mood and tastes.

Here to accept the Golden Tappy for International Tap House is Jon Whitaker, general manager of iTap Crossroads.

Not much to say here other than a massive thanks to our customers, and Kansas City as a whole for embracing us like you all have. We had our eye in Kansas City for sometime and could not have been happier to find a little corner of the street in the Crossroads Arts District when we did, over a year and a half ago. The reception from the beer community, Crossroads neighbors and the local breweries we partner with could not have been more positive. We try to make sure we constantly remain a beer destination that’s always welcoming to both the beer novice and the beer nerd, alike, and we are happy to see how much you all have been receptive to that mindset. So thanks again for letting us come in and be a little piece of your downtown KC beer scene.

International Tap House in the Crossroads sits at the heart of the beer block in the Crossroads Arts District at 403 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO. They are open 3:00 to midnight Monday through Thursday, noon to midnight-thirty Friday, 11:00 am to midnight-thirty Saturday, and 11:00 am to midnight on Sunday.

Golden Tappy for Best Small Brewery

BKS Artisan Ales

BKS is back for another award. Brian and Mary Rooney are serving up some mighty fine IPAs, tropical-inspired sours, farmhouse ales, and interesting variations of classic styles from their tiny all-electric brewery on 63rd Street. Hours are short, and the lines might be long, but the crowds are waiting for Golden Tappy-winning beer.

Here to accept both Golden Tappys awarded to BKS Artisan Ales are Brian and Mary Rooney.

We want to thank all the craft beer drinkers in the Kansas City area for selecting BKS Artisan Ales for both awards. With so many great local breweries making outstanding beers, it’s an honor to even be nominated, much less selected for Best Beer and Best Small Brewery. Counterculture IPA has quickly become our most popular beer and it’s awesome to receive the feedback that it was selected for Best Beer in KC. We also want to say thank you to all the fun people that show up in our tasting room every weekend to support what we do. Many thanks to everyone in KC who makes our craft beer scene great.

BKS Artisan Ales is located at 633 E 63rd St #120, Kansas City, MO. That’s the southwest corner of 63rd Street and Holmes Rd. The taproom is open Saturdays, noon to 7:00 pm, and Sundays, 1:00 to 5:00 pm.

That’s a wrap, folks!

I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate their favorite beers, breweries, bottle shops, and bars. And thanks to everyone who voted. You make these awards special and worthwhile.

And for 2018 … I see Good Things

It takes two hands to tally the number of breweries slated to open in KC this year. The scene here is, amazingly, still getting better. And I’m glad we are all here for the ride. Check out this year’s winners if you aren’t already familiar with them. And maybe last year’s while you’re at it. Or the winners from the year before that. Support the people who brew, package, pour, and sell the amazing craft beer in Kansas City.

By jimmywags

I began the path through good beer in college. Exploring different sixers and bombers based on packaging and label design (art student, mind you), I weaved my way around the continental lagers and Colorado craft ales. My knowledge and interest exploded upon receiving a homebrewing equipment kit as a graduation gift from my parents. Twelve years later, I've brewed most styles, experimented between them, and hunted for the perfect pint.