12 minute read
CRAFT BEER
Bees Knees is located in Versailles.
THE craft beer revolution
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AT THE LAKE BY DAN FIELD
He is a wise man who invented beer.
Plato, the originator of that quip, was indeed a wise man. He parsed those words some four centuries before Christ was born. Yet, he must have been a wise, wise man to have such love for beer.
Beer is one of the oldest drinks humans have produced. The first chemically confirmed barley beer dates back to the 5th millennium BC in Iran, and was recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and spread throughout the world.
Beer is a common staple among an estimated 244 million people in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Judging from a typical weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks, most of those brewski enthusiasts hang out here to toss back a few.
So, we aren’t surprised that several Lake-based bars, pubs and brewhauses make their own or carry some of the most flavorful brews known to our tastebuds. In support of that love for beer, we offer some insight into a handful of those brew houses.
As always, drink responsibly. Designate a sober driver. Find alternate modes of transportation with any of the many cab companies here, with Uber or Lyft. Make good decisions.
Of course, these bars also offer some type of food or snack. Some to compliment the beer, others to help fill your belly. Some have kids’ menus.
GEORGE DENNY PHOTO
BEES KNEES BREWING COMPANY
Location: 106 W. Jasper St., Versailles Downtown southwest of the Morgan County Courthouse On the web: www.beesknees.com Phone: 573-539-2525 Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; FridaySaturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Bees Knees sports a family-friendly venue offering pizza, pasta and sandwiches as well as eight on-tap craft beers brewed on site. Locally made craft beer brewed by Brewmaster Chris Byars.
BEER BY THE PINT
LOW VOLTAGE
The little sister to the Electric Nectar Honey Blonde Ale displaying all the flavor with a lower ABV to make for an easy drinking pint. $4
ELECTRIC NECTAR HONEY BLONDE ALE
The Honey Blonde Ale is crafted with a Midwestern malt to be crisp and smooth. This is the most refreshing beer with a mellow maltiness and light hop bitterness. $4
HAZY HIVE HEFEWEIZEN
Hazy Hive Hefeweizen is a pale, refreshing German wheat beer with high carbonation, dry finish, a fluffy mouthfeel and a distinctive banana and clove character. $4
COLONY AMERICAN PALE ALE
The Colony American Pale Ale is a traditional Northwest pale ale with notes of citrus and pine and a solid malt backbone. $4
SIX FEET AWAY IPA
India Pale Ales are popular for their hoppy bitterness and rich malt character. With a deep golden color, full malt flavor and aggressive bittering hops, it will not disappoint. $4
I’LL BEE BOCK
I’ll Bee Bock is on the smaller side and is a dark American Lager with copper hues. It boasts a rich, malty flavor with a low hop profile. $4
SWEAT BEE STOUT
You don’t like stouts? Your perceptions may change after trying ours. It has converted quite a few naysayers because of its rich taste, creamy mouthfeel and sweet finish with notes of chocolate and coffee. $4
LAKE OF THE OZARKS BREWING COMPANY
Location: 6192 Osage Beach Pkwy., Osage Beach West of Rt. KK on Old U.S. 54 On the web: www.lozbrewingco.com/menu Phone: 573-693-1993 Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 2-9 p.m.; Saturday, 12-9 p.m.; Sunday-Tuesday, closed
LOZ Brewing Co. is a locally-based microbrewery serving craft beer by the glass and growler offering each customer knowledge of the area with unique beer names and descriptions.
Here is a sampling of their offerings. Served to you by the pint, in flights or growlers h 4-Beer Flights $8 h 6-Beer Flights $12 h 32-oz. Growler fill $10/$12 h 64 oz. Growler fill $20/$24
ON TAP
GOLD NUGGET JCT. GOLDEN ALE
This golden ale is named after the 1970s Osage Beach amusement park, Gold Nugget Junction. This old-time amusement park featured an authentic 1890s country music show, can-can dancers, famous western gun fights and much, much more! The Gold Nugget Jct. has a light, yet crisp flavor to quench your thirst.
DAMSEL (IN DISTRESS) BLONDE
AKA Double D Blonde. She’s sweet and light and surprisingly not very bitter! This ale is brewed right in the original town named Damsel. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, Damsel established a post office in 1885 and remained in operation until 1920.
19TH W’HOLE WHEAT
With more than 10 golf courses in the Lake area, there is plenty of opportunity to play 18 holes -- but only one place you can have a 19th W’Hole Wheat. Whether you had a great day or bad day on the course, you can always count on this ale to be nice and refreshing at 5.9 percent brewed with Valencia Sweet orange peel to give a great citrus flavor.
LITTLE NIANGUA PALE ALE
Not really into bitter beer, but curious about IPAs? Try the Little Niangua, not as “hoppy” as its older brother, Big Niangua IPA. This pale ale is brewed with Cascade hops and offers a nice, smooth flavor -- just like the float trips you can take on the river.
BIG NIANGUA IPA
Every little bro needs a stronger older bro to look up to. The Big Niangua is just that at 6 percent, the perfect big brother. FYI, The Big Niangua River runs about 13 miles from Tunnel Dam to Ha Ha Tonka State Park.
DRAGON LAKE IPA
Are you a hophead and in search of bitterness? With double the hops and a large grain bill, this double has the bitterness that will explode your tastebuds but with a smooth silky touch. Lake of the Ozarks gets its nickname Dragon Lake from its serpentine shape. With 1,150 miles of shoreline it has more shoreline than the California coast.
Brewmaster Chris Byars.
GEORGE DENNY
LEFT: A beer flight at Lake of the Ozarks Brewing
Company. AL GRIFFIN
And the list goes on – so, put LOZ Brewery Co. on your Lake of the Ozarks Bucket List.
OZARK BREWERY
Location: 1684 Highway KK, Osage Beach Take Highway KK at the west end of Osage Beach, then about two miles toward Margaritaville. On the web: www.ozarkdistillery.com/ ozark-brewery By email: ozarkdistillery@gmail.com By phone: 573-348-2449 Hours: Sunday-Monday, closed; TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tap Room is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; Due to production schedules tours are only offered on Saturdays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Lake of the Ozarks Brewery is located at Ozark Distillery. Owners Dave and Tiffhany Huffman started the brewery because at the time there were not any open at the Lake. Dave wanted to reuse their Bourbon barrels to create a Stout beer. This beer is unique as they dump the bourbon from the barrels in the distillery, roll them into the brewery and immediately fill them with an Imperial Stout beer he’s brewed. It ages for six months before it winds up in a keg. Stop in for a flight or pint and a pizza. The current selection of beer includes with prices ranging from $2 for 4-ounce drafts to $18 for 64-ounce growlers.
PATIO PILSNER
Pilsner or Pale Lager. With a nod to the European pilsners, this selection offers a slightly sweet, pleasant flavor profile with little bitterness. Think Stella Artois but with an Ozark twist. This is the most approachable beer on tap. Light, crisp and low alcohol. American hops and German pilsner malt combine to make the brewery’s version of a light beer.
BEACH BLONDE ALE
Traditional Blonde Ale, light and easy with low bitterness. A great starter beer if you are new to craft beers. If you like Michelob Ultra or Miller/Bud Lite this is your beer.
CRAZY DAIZY ALMOST HAZY IPA
Juicy IPA with hops in the boil, hops in the whirlpool, and double dry hopped. Balanced flavor profile with fruity notes balancing the malt and bitterness. Not quite hazy but not clear, unfiltered. Don’t let the flavor fool you, it will sneak up on you.
GATEWAY PORTER
For those of you who don’t think you like darker beers. Nice malty flavor with hints of chocolate and coffee. Balanced hop profile to complement the malt. Not too heavy, but enough to let you know your drinking something.
BOURBON BARREL STOUT
A big beer. Everything you’d expect in a stout with more. Chocolate and coffee notes combined with Ozark Distillery Bourbon gives this a complex flavor profile that evolves as you head to the bottom of the glass. Aged 6 months in a fresh Ozark Distillery Bourbon Barrel, this beer is in a class of its own.
More craft beer offerings depending on season.
PAPPO’S PIZZERIA AND PUB
Location: 4705 Osage Beach Pkwy., Osage Beach Just off the Jeffries Road intersection across from Casey’s. On the web: www.pappospizzeria.com Email: alex@pappospizzeria.com Phone: 573-693-1092 Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Owner Chris “PaPPo” Galloway had many years of pizza experience and a desire to produce exceptional pizza at a higher level. His first foray into the pizza business was in 2012 in Springfield. Expansion began in 2014 at the Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach. PaPPo’s has since opened a second location in Springfield and at the end of 2019 opened a location in Columbia. The company’s first franchise opened in Quincy, Ill., in 2020.
But what’s good pizza without good craft beer?
Available in flights, snifters and pints from $5-10; growlers $18-$32.
Their beer menu changes frequently and PaPPo’s also gets tap takeovers occasionally from the breweries.
A flight from PaPPo’s in Osage Beach.
AL GRIFFIN
HERE’S JUST A SAMPLING OF THE MORE THAN 30 CRAFT BEERS:
h 4 Hands Ripple h Traditional Belgian-style white ale h Boulevard Chocolate Ale Spiced Beer h The perfect harmony of chocolate and malt h Boulevard Steep Drop Coffee-Stout h Creamy with notes of honey, molasses and coffee h Elysian Space Dust IPA h Hopping outta this world h Bur Oak Cooper’s Landing IPA h Tug of war between the citrus and fruity notes h Boulevard Ginger Lemon Raddler h Zesty, refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage h Ace Pineapple Cider h The worlds original pineapple cider h Sudwerks Small Town Hustle IPA h New England-style IPA h Founders All-Day IPA h Easy drinking IPA h Piney River Black Walnut Wheat Beer h Made with hand-harvested black walnuts h Six-Mile Bridge Pilsner h Made with true German malts and hops h 21st Amendment High or Hell h Brewed with real watermelon h Schlafly Tropical Saison Farmhouse Ale h Sour, fruity and funky h Oskar Blue’s Dale’s Pale Ale h Critically acclaimed American pale ale h KC Bier Hefeweizen h Pale, hazy, wheat le with malt flavors h Leaky Roof Gandy Dancer Mead h Sweet and light with wildflower honey h Flying Monkey Red h Sweet, smooth and malty h Guinness Draught Stout Irish Dry h Pure beauty; Pure Guinness h Firestone Nitro Merlin Stout Milk h Smooth, creamy roasted stout
TAP & GRILL LAKESIDE BREW HAUS
Location: 31959 Dunwandrin Rd., Gravois Mills By water near the mouth to the Gravois Arm of the Lake on the north side of the Main Channel at about the 6.5 mm; by land toward the end of O Road in Laurie. Watch for the signs on the right as you’re headed down O Road. On the web: www.tapandgrillatthelake.com Phone: 573-207-0029 Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-close
OPEN YEAR ROUND
1932 RESERVE Upscale Casual Dining Lakeside.
Menu is a chef inspired New American Farm to Table style restaurant. Featuring dishes for everyone to enjoy. Offering a fun, whimsical wine list and cocktail program.
Lakeside bocce ball courts will be available to enjoy long summer nights. Best Whiskey and Bourbon Selection at The Lake! (573) 693-9197 • 1202 Proctor Road Osage Beach, Mo. 65065 17.5 Mile Marker
CN-550414 www.1932Reserve.com
Tap and Grill offers more than 60 craft beers, and is possibly the only waterfront brew haus.
Check out any of these beers separated into Draft-Craft Beers and Can-Craft Beers, available by the glass for $6. DRAFT-CRAFT BEERS
h Tap and Grill (seasonal) h Tap & Grill IPA h Tap & Grill Ale h Tap & Grill Lager h Tap & Grill Wheat h Logboat Bobber h Logboat Snapper h Stella h Shock Top h Sweet Bee Stout h Sweet Bee Blond Ale h Deschutes IPA h Michelob Golden Light h Angry Orchard h Boulevard Wheat h Can-Draft Beers h Space Camper IPA h Kona Long Board h Kona Big Wave h Leinenkugel Summer Shandy h Land Shark h Goose Island Next Coast IPA h Goose Island 312 Wheat h Corona Premier h Truly (assorted flavors)
The taps at Tucker’s Shuckers on the Bagnell Dam Strip.
GEORGE DENNY
TUCKER’S SHUCKERS OYSTER AND TAP
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Location: 1339 Bagnell Dam Blvd., Lake Ozark Midway on The Strip in Lake Ozark, next to the Malted Monkey. On the web: www.tuckersshuckers.com Phone: 573-365-9769 Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight, 7 days a week.
The claim to fame for Tucker’s Shuckers, one of the newer restaurants/bars in Lake Ozark, is that it is located on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip. It features oysters flown in daily –and 28 beers on tap.
The fact that it offers oysters makes it unique among the standard fare restaurants on The Strip.
HERE ARE A FEW CHOICES
h Kona Big Wave Golden Ale h Sudwerk Solar Haze h Elysian Space Dust IPA h SweetWater 420 Strain G13 IPA h Deschutes IPA h 312 Lemonade Shandy h 4 Hands Single Speed h Boulevard Wheat h Boulevard Space Camper IPA h Sea Dog – Blueberry h Leinenkugel Summer Shandy h Logboat Snapper h Logboat Neon Blonde h Blue Moon Shock Top h Golden Road Mango Cart
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