I am sure most people who know me know that I love a great craft beer and exploring breweries. When you get to turn this into a special vacation each year with amazing friends, then that is truly when it becomes a beercation! My wife and I have so much fun with our friends Kristi and Paul.
Big Hair Brewhaus - Grand Opening day in June of 2021
It all started back in the summer of 2021, when I got an invitation to the grand opening of Big Hair Brewhaus in Hartington, Nebraska. To make it an even better weekend, Kristi and Paul joined my wife Gina and me on the journey. Our original plans to travel to Norfolk and stay there fell through, but we found an Airbnb south of Hartington. It turned out to be the perfect place to stay! If you are interested in this fun journey, you can read our story.
Our next journey was to head west across our great state of Nebraska, where we would enjoy incredible craft beer and see Chimney Rock near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. As a child, I always wanted to go there, but my parents didn’t feel the same way I did. It was so cool to see it in person, and maybe the most remarkable part of the visit was that my wife Gina got to see her first rattlesnake as you walked up the sidewalk to the visitor’s center. For more on this fun trip that took us to some of the best breweries in West Central Nebraska, you have to read this story!
Pals Brewing in North Platte is a great destination while traveling I-80
Gil’s Pils side pour at Lua Brewing in Des Moines
Our third trip together took us to the Amana Colonies in Iowa. It had been over 20 years since any of us had been there. Des Moines was a great stop on the way for lunch and the famous Gil’s Pils from a side pour at Lua Brewing. Millstream Brewing in Amana was a great place to hang out for a couple of days. Paul and I could sneak away while the wives were shopping.
Field Day Brewing in North Liberty, Iowa, had great Czech and German lagers. Other highlights of this trip included a wicked windstorm one evening at the Airbnb, in which we still wonder what was in the basement. A bit haunting!
You can find the complete story here.
Award wining German Pilsner
In 2025, Gina and my oldest, Jae, moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a visit. This trip was so much fun, exploring parks and breweries alike. Our longest hike (because we got lost) was around the historic Fort Snelling. It was a very hot day in the upper 90s.
We enjoyed great European-style beers at Utepils Brewing. Getting to spend a couple of hours with the owner and his wife was a very special experience as I learned about the brewery's history and their beer. The other brewery we really enjoyed was Arbeiter Brewing Company. During our stay, there was a speed painting competition. And speaking of competition, Carbles (aka Aggrevation) was the game that got heated, and then a random water incident cooled us off.
You can find the rest of the story here.
Beercation #5 - Destination: Kansas City, Missouri
Over the years, KC was about summer trips for BBQ and Royals baseball. This time, our focus was on breweries, the WWI Museum, and the streetcar. The drive is about 3 hours from Omaha, so we needed a place on the way to grab lunch and stretch our legs. Weston, Missouri, would be our first stop!
Stop #1 - Weston, Missouri
Our first stop in Weston was Pirtle Winery, where Kristi had gotten wine before. It was a very cool place that was an old church in a former life! Now it was time for lunch, so we went across the street to Weston Brewing Company. My curiosity was around O'Malley's Pub, which I have heard about from friends over the years!
The Irish pub has multiple levels, descending to the lowest level, which is 60 feet underground. The original use of this space was to lager beer from Weston Brewing Company. The limestone walls add to the charm of the building. I would love to be there when there is live music! As we came back outside, Paul used his photography skills to help a group capture the moment!
Stop #2 - Crossroads Art District, KC
I received many recommendations from friends, and at the top of the list was BKS Artisan Ales. We found our way to the taproom at the Crossroads, and I was looking forward to my first KC beer of the weekend. I was told they have great hazy IPAs and Lagers. Kristi had the current B-Side Fermentations Blueberry Lemonade Honeywine Cooler, which was a very unique beverage. Wildflower honey, blueberry juice, and lemonade.
Here is a quick rundown on what I had:
Pivo Project Bohemian Pils - This Czech Pils is light and crisp with nice bready notes. The head is nice and creamy, and the finish is a light hop bitterness to balance out this 5% ABV Pilsner. This is one of my top Czech Pilsners I have ever had.
Circles Around Citra (DDH Simcoe) - This hazy 7% ABV IPA has an extremely soft body with citrus and stone-fruit notes. The finish is a nice, balanced earthy, pine hop finish.
Repetitions on Citra - This hazy DIPA has tangerine and pineapple notes. There is a nice hop buzz in the finish of this 8.5% ABV double hazy IPA.
After a short walk, our second stop of the night was at Torn Label Brewing Company. It was nice that they had food available, which Paul and Krisit enjoyed the tacos from Tacos Valentina, who has a kitchen at the brewery.
Here are the two beers I had while visiting.
Oro Especial Mexican Lager - This bright Mexican Lager was light, crisp, and easy drinking, coming in at 4.5% ABV.
Monk & Honey Belgian Ale - This Belgian Ale was delightful! It had apple and pear notes with a light touch of spiciness. This ale features local honey, a soft sweetness, and just the right touch of spice from the yeast. I was very glad to select this one, which was 6.1% ABV.
As we went back to our vehicle, Casual Animal Brewing Co. was right across the street where we parked. I picked up the Shuttlecock Lager to take with us. It is a nice light Lager with a splash of lime juice coming in at 5.4% ABV. The vibe was very cool with a younger crowd. The staff was fun and swapped one of their cool stickers with mine!
Stop #3 - WWI Museum
The first day was definitely a lot of fun! On Saturday, our goal was to visit the WWI Museum in the morning, then take the streetcar for lunch and to explore. As we approached the museum, we quickly found that security had been enhanced and that we could not park in the museum parking lot. We never got a definitive answer as to whether it was due to the FIFA Fanfest experience on the property or something else.
We were able to get parking at the Union Station parking garage and made it over to the museum property, where we were escorted up in a golf cart. I was excited to explore the museum because I am a huge history buff! I didn’t expect how I would feel over the next two hours as we relived WWI month by month, year by year. It was a sad but great experience.
The Liberty Memorial Tower is 217 feet above the main courtyard and provides an incredible view of downtown Kansas City! I love how our couple’s pictures turned out from the top of the tower. This was a great start to our Saturday, and now it was time to find lunch!
Stop #4 - City Market
It was time to make our first trip of the day on the streetcar. I found out quickly that you cannot trust Kristi with a new phone, who is trigger-happy to snap pictures. I would entitle this collection "Oblivious," "Aware," "Talk to the Hand," and "I Surrender!" The streetcar arrived, and we were on our way. The City Market was vibrant and busy. We ended up going to lunch at Minsky's Pizza, which was very good, then off to explore!
River Bluff Brewing wasn’t on our list, but Paul searched on his phone and found out it was a couple of blocks away from the City Market. While the wives were looking to do some shopping, we were off to find this brewery!
It was hidden in a very cool old building in the River Market area. Paul said that several years ago he had been to the main brewery in St. Joseph, Missouri. The beer menu had a good variety of styles, but we could only have one, and we were in on the Maibock!
Mai Savior is the first time River Bluff Brewing had brewed a Maibock, and it was excellent! Coming in at 7.7% ABV, it had slightly sweet, malty notes up front and was so smooth, with just a hint of warmth from its bigger ABV. It was so good, and I want to go back someday to try more of their other styles!
Stop #5 - Westside/West Bottoms
Our next stop would be Alma Mader Brewing, a quick drive from Union Station. It was late Saturday afternoon, and we found the taproom to be very busy!
I was on a mission not only to try a couple of beers but also to bring some back to Omaha! Pictured above are the ones I tried, including:
Premiant Czech Lager - A nice Czech Lager with bready notes that was crisp, bright, and ended with a good hop finish, coming in at 5.0% ABV.
Pattern Variation NEIPA - This hazy beer features Simcoe Cryo, which is on the dank side, with grapefruit and lime notes, coming in at 6.8% ABV.
Content Creation Double NE IPA - This double hazy, coming in at 8% ABV, has strawberry and citrus notes in an excellent soft body. The hop profile consists of Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin hops.
I was able to get four different beers in a four-pack to go. I can attest that the two West Coast IPAs were very good! On to the Stockyards!
With the fact that Omaha Stockyards meant a lot to me because of my grandfather working in the meat-packing industry, Stockyards Brewing Co. was a must-visit! The vibe of the photos and the woodwork made it feel like traveling back to when it was the Livestock Exchange.
We were able to meet some local patrons and other travelers like ourselves, which is always fun. I earned the name "Omaha" in a short time. It was early evening, and it was time for just one more beer, and it was going to be a difficult decision. I went with the Fox Trotter Scottish Ale, which has toasty bread notes and a dry, spicy finish. It was named after Missouri's state horse and was an easy-drinking ale.
We left Stockyards Brewing to go back to our Airbnb for the battle royale known as Carbles! Last year, Paul and I got crushed, so this year revenge was in the air! We began to play, and I have to admit the cards were in our favor! Sorry, Gina and Kristi; maybe next year.
The beercation haul wasn't as big as in previous years, but it was a good representation of the fun visit we had in KC. Stay tuned for next year, as there is big news on the way!
Cheers!