Pour decisions: Craft beverage enthusiasts add Sunday tasting event to KC’s pregame cart

Kansas City’s roster of craft beverages — from rookies to veteran players on the scene — come to the field in a wide range of uniforms, said Jason Burton, noting there’s no better time to checkout the lineup with thirsty friends than as the Chiefs return to Arrowhead Stadium this weekend.

The play: showcase Kansas City’s top makers in coffee, beer, wine, kombucha, and spirits.

Founders of Local Liquid — an online marketplace for KC-made beverages — and Caffeine Crawl — a showcase for local coffee hot spots — are teaming up to present the first Pregame Pour. The goal is a new event mixing local craft drinks, playful competition, and community spirit, all before the Chiefs’ battle against the Detroit Lions kicks off.

Set for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Local Liquid’s warehouse on 65th and Troost, guests can sip, sample, and stock up for their evening watch parties while competing in carnival-style games and ping-pong tournaments. 

Expect a lineup that’s varied and local, from Vine Street Brewing and Lifted Spirits to Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters and Amigoni Urban Winery, said Jason Burton, founder of Caffeine Crawl, who previously collaborated with Local Liquid founder John Couture on coffee-beer concoctions at the former craft beer bar Bier Station.

“We just want people to play a game, get some giggles out of it, and have a good chat with that brand,” he added. “We need that more than ever.”

Jason Burton, founder of Caffeine Crawl, and John Couture, founder of Local Liquid, outside Local Liquid at 6500 Troost Ave; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Connecting over sips

Couture’s Bier Station gained a following with its community-centered events and creative collaborations, he said. Now, his Local Liquid online marketplace builds on that same spirit, allowing customers to order local beer, coffee, spirits, kombucha, and more for delivery.

Reconnecting with Burton for Sunday’s event lets Couture to pour himself back into the in-person experience — where fans can cheer on local brands and explore makers they might not already know. (Couture said he’s on a mission to help Kansas Citians discover and support local beverage brands that aren’t necessarily found on big-box shelves.)

“If you live in a different part of the city, you might not know about Oddly Correct or Kinship Cafe,” he said. “We want people to find fun, different beverages and experience what’s local.”

Adding to the fun, Couture and his team created their own competition for the Pregame Pour called “Shopping Cart Archery.”

“You push a real shopping cart from across the room and try to get it into the rack for points, it’s really goofy,” he said.

 

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Keeping local drinks flowing

Burton, who’s been running Caffeine Crawl events across the country since 2011, said the goal of Pregame Pour fits right in with his mission to keep local drinks flowing.

“Our whole thing — being not a roaster or shop — we’ve always been what I consider Kansas City’s top resource to unite consumers and the industry,” Burton said. “We do crawls from San Diego to Portland, Maine, but locally, it’s about getting more people to support these roasters and makers here.”

Events like Pregame Pour can create a ripple effect, he added.

“If you’re throwing a rock in the water and it’s just a little rock, the ripple effect of how it stands out, that’s been a big part of our brand,” Burton said. “I want people to walk out of there excited for the game, supporting those brands, and talking about what they discovered.”

 

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Sunday’s gathering also aims to remind Kansas Citians that drinking local can be both fun and meaningful, Couture said.

“Kansas City is one of the best coffee cities in the country,” he explained. “We’re really proud of that, and if we can help that scene grow, that’s exciting to me.”

From a chocolate coffee martini collaboration between Lifted Spirits and Thou Mayest to the city’s most playful “field goals,” Pregame Pour promises to keep spirits high and cups full, the duo said.

“We just want people to have a fun time where they can leave with a smile on their face,” Couture said. “And maybe buy some local makers to take to their Chiefs watch party.”