EP-175 Brian and Mary Rooney of BKS Artisan Ales

To some, vacation prep can feel almost as time consuming as act of being away itself, sorting through an endless number of online suggestions and guides with what you simply can’t miss in whatever location you may be visiting. And like so many other beer lovers, I’ve got the process down to a science. When I’m off to visit someplace new, I love tips of where to and what to drink. On a recent stop in Kansas City, I was thrilled to have seen one small up-and-comer pop up several times over. BKS Artisan Ales - like so many other breweries in the City of Fountains - is helping to establish a new era of beer in Kansas City. Boulevard Brewing has long been an attraction, but there are more and more small producers catching the eye and taste buds of beer enthusiasts, with BKS being a prominent one. Best of all, BKS is still growing. After opening toward the end of 2017, the neighborhood taproom has been forced to expand its hours - from one day to two - as owners Brian and Mary Rooney find ways to strike work-life balance with a passionate local fanbase eager to line up for their New England IPAs, saisons and more. They haven’t even been open for a year, but have already considered what small changes to their space can mean in terms of production, efficiency and quality. It’s amazing what a canning machine can mean for saved time and sanity. Having navigated local laws to finally get open, the business has set itself up for an exciting future in Kansas City. All you have to do is check online message boards to follow along, but maybe the cat’s out of the bag now.