Kansas City Beer – A History of Brewing in the Heartland
Westbound immigrants, pioneers and entrepreneurs alike arrived in Kansas City with a thirst for progress and beer. Breweries both small and mighty seized opportunity in a climate of ceaseless social change and fierce regional competition. Muehlebach Brewing Company commanded the market, operating in Kansas City for more than eighty years. Built in 1902, the iconic brick warehouse of Imperial Brewing still stands today. Prohibition made times tough for brewers and citizens in the Paris of the Plains, but political “Boss” Tom Pendergast kept the taps running. In 1989, Boulevard Brewing kicked off the local craft beer renaissance, and a bevy of breweries soon formed a flourishing community.
Food and beer writer Pete Dulin explores Kansas City’s hop-infused history and more than sixty breweries from the frontier era to the twenty-first century.
About Pete Dulin (Kansas City, Missouri & Kansas Author)
Pete Dulin is the author of Exploring Breweries, Distilleries and Wineries Across Central Kansas and Missouri (University Press of Kansas), Kansas City Beer: A History of Brewing in the Heartland (The History Press), KC Ale Trail, and Last Bite: 100 Simple Recipes from Kansas City’s Best Chefs and Cooks.
Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Pete is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience covering food, beer, wine, spirits, and business.
His work has appeared in The Kansas City Star, Flatland, Recommended Daily, Feast Magazine, Visit KC, River Front Times, The Boston Globe, and many other publications.
