Name: Boulevard Brewing Company
Location: Kansas City, MO
Website: http://www.boulevard.com
Type: Production brewery
Available in DC Market: Yes
What you need to know: Kansas City's Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to have a much bigger presence in DC thanks to area representative Matt "Heff" Heffernan, longtime #dcbrews mainstay. Boulevard is slated to have even more of a presence now that it's in the Duvel Moortgat family. Known for making a wide variety of styles, including the easy drinking Pop-UP IPA (part of a series of IPAs that includes Single Wide and Double Wide) and Tank 7 (a saison), as well as complexities from their Smokestack Series, Boulevard has something for everyone. Saison-Brett is a desert island beer for me, and I hope SAVOR Week brings some of that into town, hint hint.
Beer #1: Grainstorm Black Rye IPA (Black rye IPA / 7.7%)
In Their Own Words: "Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the root cellar, along comes Grainstorm, a big, wet wallop to the senses. In the glass, dark and turbulent clouds gather. A high-pressure system of pungent hops collides with a stationary front of barley, wheat, and rye. The forecast: a veritable monsoon of flavor, with surges of roasty malt, microbursts of hops, and a chance of golfball-sized hail. The extended outlook calls for unseasonably pleasant enjoyment."
Food Pairing: Venison Shoulder Prepared Kansas City Burnt Ends-Style and Apple Salad
Our Thoughts: The addition of rye to a black IPA is a welcome one for me. Anything with Simcoe, Bravo, Amarillo, and Citra couldn't possibly be bad, could it? Apple and rye are a classic combination, and burnt ends are like manna from heaven, so this should be a pretty popular stop.
Beer #2: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (Saison / 8.5%)
In Their Own Words: "Most breweries have at least one piece of equipment that’s just a bit persnickity. Here at Boulevard we have fermenter number seven, the black sheep of our cellar family. Ironically, when our brewers were experimenting with variations on a traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale, the perfect combination of elements came together in that very vessel. You could call it fate, but they called it Tank 7, and so it is. Beginning with a big surge of fruity aromatics and grapefruit-hoppy notes, the flavor of this complex, straw-colored ale tapers off to a peppery, dry finish."
Food Pairing: Duo of Compressed Melon with Yuzu (Honeydew and cantaloupe melon pressed sous vide with yuzu and lemongrass)
Our Thoughts: A tremendous saison, one of the best American examples of the style. If you somehow haven't had Tank 7 yet, for shame. You should get on that as it pairs well with a wide range of foods (and also packs a punch). You can readily get Tank 7 in the DC market, but the food pairing here is a pretty neat concept and worth stopping for. Nice and refreshing. Get some fruit in your diet. Your mom will be happy.
This profile is a part of the DCBeer.com SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2014 SAVOR participants.
