Two Kansas City brewers barreled through the competition earlier this week, earning the first-ever, statewide “Brewery of the Year” honors for local favorites Boulevard and BKS Artisan Ales. It’s a feat fermented through years of dedication by the teams behind the labels, both brewers said.
Missouri Beer Cup medals and “Brewery of the Year” trophy for BKS Artisan Ales; courtesy photo
“From the day we opened, we have kept balance with what a brewer-driven brewery wants to produce and what our customers want to drink,” said Mary Rooney, co-founder of BKS Artisan Ales, alongside her husband, Brian. “Keeping an open mind with beer styles and brewing techniques and an open ear to customer feedback has helped us become a better brewery each and every year. We continually focus on the small details and sourcing the best possible ingredients to create the best beer we can dream up.”
BKS scored the Brewery of the Year title for the Under 1,000 Barrels category at the Missouri Beer Cup — a competition debuting this year from the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild — as well as six medals in multiple hoppy beer categories and the English Dark Mild, Bohemian Style Pilsner and American/German Pilsner categories.
Rooney credited the brand’s wide range of beer styles, as well as the team at BKS for the win.
“It’s hard to believe we just celebrated our eighth anniversary,” she said of the business’ launch as a nano-brewery in Brookside East. “When we started in 2017, it was just the two of us with help from a few friends. Over the past eight years, we’ve been fortunate to add very talented people to our team, especially on our brewing team. Today we have a brewing team of four people cranking out a lot of beer in our small brewery. This award is a testament to the skills, efforts and care that our brewing team puts in day in and day out.”
BKS Artisan Ales brewery in Brookside; courtesy photo
Just up the highway, Boulevard Brewing Co. earned the Brewery of the Year nod for the Over 1,000 Barrels category, along with nine additional medals. Boulevard also hosted the two-day guild conference and award ceremony, which saw attending breweries from across the state of Missouri.
“We are absolutely thrilled and deeply honored to be named Brewery of the Year at the inaugural Missouri Beer Cup,” said Greg Garrity, innovation brewer at Boulevard. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, from our brewers to our packaging and sales teams. To take home nine total awards, including four gold medals for incredible beers like Tank 7 and Space Camper, is an outstanding achievement. We’re proud to be part of the vibrant Missouri craft beer community and look forward to building on this success in the years to come.”
Missouri Beer Cup medals and “Brewery of the Year” trophy for Boulevard Brewing Co.; photo courtesy of Boulevard Brewing Co.
BKS and Boulevard brews competed among 181 beers across 36 categories in the first-of-its-kind event. Beers were awarded medals by category based on quality, style, and craftsmanship.
“The Missouri Beer Cup is about more than medals,” said Sherry Wohlgemuth, executive director of the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild. “The craft brewing industry is driven by collaboration and centered around building community. This new annual competition is aimed to help breweries grow, showcase our state’s craft beer talent, and give beer lovers a chance to discover their new favorite Missouri-made beers.”
Brian and Mary Rooney, BKS Artisan Ales; courtesy photo
The competition comes amid a series of sour mash headlines for brewers in Kansas City with multiple news outlets reporting on a string of closings this year.
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BKS has been fortunate to build a loyal customer following within Kansas City and the greater Midwest region, said Rooney, noting they’ve come to trust the quality and consistency of the brand’s wide-range of craft products.
“Our size and set up allows us to be very nimble and respond quickly to changes in the market,” she said. “And our tank sizes and set up enables us to produce a ton of diversity.”
The brewery also is in the final stages of launching a second tasting room in the Crossroads Arts District. An opening date has not yet been set, but is expected to be announced soon, Rooney said.
