Beer, Cocktails & Beverages


Feature Writer: Angie Rayfield
Angie Rayfield, Angie Rayfield

Welcome! Browse our pages to investigate the difference between ale and lager, porter and stout. We'll ask whether microbrews are really better than mass market beers, review the best beers (or maybe the worst), and keep an eye on what's new in craft beers. And we'll take a look at the world of home brew - tips, tricks, recipes and hints.

Try recipes for hot new cocktails as well as classic drinks. Whether you're in the mood for a martini, a margarita, a daiquiri, or just a quick shot, we'll find something for you here. We'll also keep up to date on the newest and best flavored vodka, rum, and gin, single malt Scotch and blended whiskey, and great liqueurs to sip or to mix.

It doesn't matter if you prefer your drink in a pint, a mug, a classic cocktail glass, or a shot glass - you've come to the right place!

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Angie Rayfield

Cinco de Mayo Tequila Cocktails

In: Cocktails

Traditionally, Americans have seen Memorial Day as the start of summer, but why not use these recipes to kick off the season with a Cinco de Mayo fiesta? more...

History of Don the Beachcomber

In: Cocktails

More than 50 years after the "Polynesian" restaurant fad hit its heyday, the influence of great bartender Don the Beachcomber can still be felt. more...

Traditional Absinthe Cocktails

In: Cocktails

The adventurous undoubtedly will experiment with the traditional louching, but why not try some old-fashioned cocktail recipes? more...

Irish Whiskey Cocktails

In: Cocktails

For St. Patrick's Day, or for any time a "wee drop" is in order, these great Irish whiskey cocktails will fill the bill. more...

Why is Irish Whiskey Different?

In: Liquor

It's not just for St. Patrick's Day and the wearing of the green - Irish whiskey is worth a taste any time of year. more...

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Angie Rayfield

Apr 27, 2008

Parkville MO Microbrew Fest 2008

The weather is warming up, and the summer beer festival season is taking off - it's time to enjoy the fun.


I love a good beer festival! This weekend, I got my first opportunity to attend the Parkville Microbrew Festival in Parkville, Missouri, now in its fifth year. The weather cooperated with a gorgeous Midwestern spring day, the crowd was big, I ran into old friends and made new ones, and of course, had a great time tasting beers and talking to brewers. (I love my job!)

The festival featured 20-plus local and regional brewers from Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, and more beer styles than I could shake a stick at. And I had the same problem I always have - the tasting glass that looked so small when I started out seemed like a massive amount of beer when multiplied by 20 or 30 beers that were all listed on my "try this one first" list.

There's not enough room to cover everything in one blog, but a couple of styles caught my eye. Two of the brewers had smoked beers, which didn't so much bring to mind the peat smoke flavor of Scotch so much as they did the memory of drinking beer around a campfire or at a bar-b-que.

And several brewers had rye beers, which is definitely a different flavor from the more traditional ales. The ryes received good reviews, but it seemed like the runaway crowd favorite was a one-off brew from O'Fallon Brewery. The Rye American Pale Ale was the recipe of the winner of the St. Louis Brews Happy Holidays Homebrew Competition, Augie Altenbaumer. With 20% malted rye and hopped with a ridiculous amount of Simcoe hops, it was a truly beautiful brew. The floral aroma was so incredible, I threatened to wear it as perfume. (I still think it's a good idea.)

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