Boulevard Brewing Company: Kansas City, MO

Before I begin the more in-depth descriptions, please read and remember this one thing: Volunteer. When your tour guide asks for volunteers, do your part. You will not be sorry.

Boulevard Brewing Company started in 1984 after founder John McDonald had a “beer-piphany” during a trip to Europe. Until 2006, the entire operation was run out of a 35-barrel brewhouse. In 2006, the company spent tens of millions of dollars to build a new 150-barrel brewhouse.

Boulevard remains an iconic KCMO hotspot of pride, economic stimulation, and recognition. The brewery is not on a small scale. The bottling line can pump out 500 bottles per minute. For the 2017 calendar year, the portfolio of beers produced included 45 unique recipes.

The tour and beer hall facilities at Boulevard are state-of-the-art. It was newly minted in 2016 to accommodate larger groups. Tours begin in this building, the beer hall takes up the second floor, and the gift shop is available for merchandise. The layout of the building is unique in that it offers a tour-goer to learn more about the process of making beer before beginning the tour. Typically, that is covered in the tour, but this makes it a more hands-on experience, helping to absorb more of the information.

In 2014, the brewery joined the Duvel Moortgat family. Though the company has been sold, they still retain full 100% creativity power. At press time, the campus was further expanding to build a canning line on site. Once that project is completed, the brewery in Kansas City will bottle, keg, and can all on this one property.