Boulevard Brewing Company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boulevard Brewing Company | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Owner | Boulevard Brewing Company |
| Year opened | 1989 |
| Annual production | 103,000 US barrels (2005) |
| Active Beers | |
| Pale Ale | Pale ale |
| Unfiltered Wheat | American wheat beer |
| Bully! Porter | Porter |
| Dry Stout | Stout |
| Zōn | Belgian witbier |
| Irish Ale | Irish ale |
| Bob's 47 | Lager |
| Nutcracker Ale | Spiced beer |
Boulevard Brewing Company is a regional craft brewery located in Kansas City, Missouri. Boulevard's beers are available in eleven Midwest and Great Plains states.
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[edit] History
Boulevard was founded in 1988 when founder John McDonald started construction of the brewery in a turn-of-the-century brick building on Kansas City’s historic Southwest Boulevard. A vintage Bavarian brewhouse was installed, and the first batches of beer were produced in the fall of 1989.
Based on the historic example set by the local and regional breweries that were once common throughout the United States prior to Prohibition, the brewery has a focus on providing locally-brewed beer for the Kansas City region. The brewery's first half-barrel was delivered personally by McDonald in his pickup truck to Ponak's Mexican Kitchen, located nearby. The brewery is now the largest craft brewer in the Midwest. Boulevard's beer is available throughout Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, North Dakota and parts of Illinois.
[edit] Tours
The brewery conducts free tours on Saturdays, at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 4:00 PM, or by special arrangement. Tours are very popular, and reservations are highly recommended.
[edit] Expansion
Boulevard underwent expansions in 1999 and 2003, but in March 2005, Boulevard broke ground on a $20 million expansion project that increases brewing production capacity by an estimated 700,000 barrels/year. The new brewing and packaging building was constructed adjacent to the existing plant.
Designed by 360 Architecture, the new addition is 68,500 square feet and includes a two-story state-of-the-art brewhouse and a kegging/bottling facility with a skylit atrium. The third floor, in addition to housing Boulevard Brewery offices, has two large hospitality rooms, with a terrace overlooking downtown Kansas City. A glass skywalk links both pedestrian circulation and beer piping between the old and new brewhouses.
The completed expansion facilitates the brewing of Boulevard's Unfiltered Wheat and Pale Ale beers, which together comprise more than 90 percent of Boulevard's sales. All other beers will be produced in the present facility. With the expansion, Boulevard hopes to continue to grow at its historical rate of 15-20 percent per year.
