Very exciting times in Missouri. Just over a month ago, Firestone Walker come to my fair state, and in a few days, Stone Brewing will be hitting Kansas City, St. Louis, and cities in-between. And hitting it hard. Here’s what they have to say about it -
Just weeks after entering the Minnesota marketplace with a week-long string of epic kick-off events, San Diego County’s well-respected Stone Brewing Co. is set to do it all over again for the fine folks of Missouri. Stone is known far and wide for its bold, flavorful beers such as Stone IPA, Stone Ruination IPA and the highly revered Arrogant Bastard Ale.
For eons, devoted Missouri Stone fans needed to mule bottles in or beg friends/family/strangers to trade a Stone Imperial Russian Stout or Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale for a Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale or a Schlafly Dry Hopped APA. Not any more! Starting April 18th, Missouri will become the 35th state where Stone Brewing Co. beers are distributed, making the entire line-up no farther than a stone’s throw away. (Bad pun intended.)
“There’s a fantastic craft beer scene in Missouri; of that, there is no doubt,” explains Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder of Stone Brewing Co. “The St. Louis chapter of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas invited me out to speak to their group last year, and I made sure to stop by the Schlafly Tap Room afterward. Besides having some amazing beer, I got to meet some great people who were very passionate about getting Stone in their hometown.”
Koch is happy to be headed back to the Show Me State, and he’s planning quite a fiesta.Close to 20 events are scheduled throughout Kansas City, St. Louis, and Columbia from April 19-23, including bottle signings, Total Tap Tower Takeovers, and more. “Expect to see some extra-special beers. Vintage selections, barrel-aged variations…the stuff beer dreams are made of.”
Brian Dix, beer director of Major Brands, Stone Brewing Co.’s chosen distributor, exclaims, “I can’t express how excited we are to represent Stone Brewing Co. in the state of Missouri. When we are able to represent a brewery with such a strong combination of incredible beers, staff and standards it raises the bar for all of us. It will be Christmas in April for Missouri beer lovers!”
More information and the entire list of Stone Week: Missouri events can be found at http://www.stonebrew.com/stoneweek
YES! While I’m no stranger to their brews, it’s always been somewhat of a struggle for me to get them, either bringing them back from a trip, or receiving some bottles in trades with my fellow brew maniacs. Having them come to me is like a dream. A dream filled with Arrogant Bastards, Ruination, and some one-offs that they’ll be bringing with them. Here’s a list of beers from their Total Tap Tower Takeover at the Foundry
Stone Pale Ale
Stone Smoked Porter
Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans
Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers
Stone Smoked Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels
Stone IPA
Double Dry Hopped Stone IPA
Arrogant Bastard Ale
Arrogant Bastard Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels
OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale
Stone Levitation Ale
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA
Stone Ruination IPA
Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
Double Dry Hopped Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA
2010 Double Bastard Ale
2011 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
2010 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
2009 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
2007 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
2010 Stone Imperial Russian Stout
2008 Stone Imperial Russian Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels
It’s a mighty impressive list. This is all extremely exciting to me. Sure, there’s always a little bit of a thrill when a new brand comes to town, but few come out strong with such fanfare, taking over the town.
I’ll be attending as many of the events that I can, trying as many beers as I can. So if you’re in the area, look up some of the events at http://www.stonebrew.com/stoneweek/, and make it a point to get in on the fun. It’ll be a great opportunity to meet CEO & Co-Founder Greg Koch, along with a chance to try some beers you might not see anywhere else. Oh, and I’ll be there, so say hi. If you’re not able to make it, don’t worry. I’ll document as much as I can, taking pictures, writing notes from the stops, and ideally having a nice big summation at the end of the week. Be sure to follow me on twitter (@rod_leviathan), I’ll tweet my location and what’s happening throughout the week. If I can figure it out between now and then, I’ll also send them to our site’s account (@brewmaniacs).
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