Kansas City Beer: A History of Brewing in the Heartland

by Pete Dulin

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.

163 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2016

About the author

Driven by curiosity, exploration, and stories yet to be told, author Pete Dulin writes about food, drink, arts, and history.

Barons, Brewers, and Bootleggers: A Social History of Beer in Missouri (University of Missouri Press, Fall 2026) is my current work in progress.

Author of four books about food, drink, and Kansas City history. My most recent book is Expedition of Thirst: Exploring Breweries, Distilleries and Wineries Across Central Kansas and Missouri.

My other books include Kansas City Beer: A History of Brewing in the Heartland, KC Trail, and Last Bite: 100 Simple Recipes from Kansas City’s Best Chefs and Cooks.

Based in Kansas City, Missouri.

I was selected for the inaugural 2022 Critical Writing Initiative workshop sponsored by the Kansas Creative Arts and Industries Commission.

In 2023, I was awarded a North American Guild of Beer Writers’ Diversity in Beer Writing Grant.

Reviews

[Dan Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of information and local lore. It went beyond the dull recitation of names and dates that typify books like this one, and tied the locations to their modern-day lots. It also ends on a high note, as it lists the players in our current beer renaissance, at least up to 2016.

I consider myself pretty well informed about beer and history, but this volume expanded my knowledge. I had no idea that Berliner Weisse was brewed in KC in the early 20th century - I thought of it as a somewhat obscure geographic style to be found only Berlin back then.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I look forward to using it to deepen my experience of Kansas City history,

(Note to author - if you can edit the electronic version - I believe that, on page 35, you meant to say that the original 4-story Muehlebach brewery was at 18th and Main, not Oak.)

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and quirky history of beer brewing in the Kansas City area from the 19th Century to today. Provides a wonderful understanding of the evolution of beer styles and the backstories of many interesting product (and brewery!) names.

[Joshua Gentzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative read.