A few weeks ago, Chad and I unintentionally embarked on a Brewery Crawl through downtown Kansas City. Yes, unintentionally. We’d planned to spend the day downtown, with no other agenda besides that. What started as, “We should go to one of the breweries down here,” unfolded into the best little day date.

If you open your Yelp app and type in “Brewery,” you will see the dots appear in bulk. We had absolutely no idea how many breweries had opened downtown, and how close they were in proximity! So I put together this guide for you to plan your own Crawl.

First things first, be responsible. If you don’t live downtown, you can’t walk to these places, so you’re not driving. Get an Uber, Lyft, cab, DD, whatever…but leave your car at home. Chad and I actually booked a room at a hotel in the Crossroads, so we were set! Everything is walkable once you’re in the Crossroads, but you could also easily grab a Bird scooter to get you from place to place.

(I’m giving you $2 off each of your first 3 Uber rides. Just use code ‘mollyb6344ue’ to sign up.)

Start your day at Torn Label. (It is the furthest in distance, so you can start there and work your way back.) Tucked back from the road, this little hideout is cozy with a fantastic shaded patio area. They are dog and kid-friendly, and although they don’t serve food, they’re cool when you bring your own. Get yourself a Monk & Honey and thank me later.

Next you’ll head over to City Barrel. Their taproom is large and very high energy. They also win the prize for most entertaining beer names. I settled on the Sunshine Radler, which was the perfect compliment to a hot summer day. They also have a killer food menu, and I highly recommend the Local Cheeses Board for a mid-Crawl nosh.

After you finish at City Barrel, walk around the corner to Double Shift. If you’re a fan of sours, this is your spot. Chad and I decided to share a flight so we could get a small sampling of a lot of flavors. (This is also just a smart endurance move for a crawl of this sort.) Bonus points that their flight trays are shaped like hops. Double Shift’s taproom also features some of the best wall art!

Next Door is Border Brewing Company, and they have a great beer selection. The taproom isn’t large, but they have a fantastic deck that offers a lot of outdoor seating. I’m a dark beer girl, so their Pecan Brown Ale hit the spot.

Wrap up your tour of the Crossroads at Brewery Emperial. This is one of our favorite places, so we were excited to revisit. Not only is their beer delicious, they have some of the best food in the city. I have dreams about one of their dark seasonal beers, but today it was their Maibock, which is also perfect malty sweetness.

If you’re up for it, jump on the Street Car and get to the River Market area for one last stop at Strange Days. Their taproom is family friendly, a great place to watch the game, and they have a beer selection to meet any affliction. We had a blast playing with their giant Connect Four while sipping their Le Petit. I’ll spare you the details on who won every game. (Me. It was me.)

By now you’re starving, and there’s no better place to end your beer-filled day than Il Lazzarone for the best Neapolitan pizza in the city. They have a great local beer selection, but if you’re ready for a change, their Froze is exceptional. Their Cavolo Riccio side salad is big enough for two people, but delicious enough to devour on your own. Same goes for the pizzas—we shared the Bruxelles, but you know I ate the leftovers.

Sometimes the best days are the ones that have zero plans, and that was this for us. I hope you try out a crawl of your own and share with me when you do.

XOXO,

Molly B.