McCoy’s brewer Keith Thompson, Part Two: Deviled eggs and IPA

Much as Kansas City’s recent brew history has flowed through McCoy’s brewer Keith Thompson, he has drawn inspiration from craft brewers around the country. Yesterday, he talked about getting his start in glassware at the Free State Brewery, and on Monday he’ll share exactly how the root beer at McCoy’s was created.

What are your brewing inspirations? I like to draw. I always have my favorite beer discoveries of the year. A couple of years ago, it was Bell’s Hopslam. I was amazed by it, the freshness of the hops and the balance. I had this great opportunity to talk to [Bell’s production manager] John Mallett when we were hosting a cask of Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale. He’s the right-hand man to [Bell’s founder Larry Bell]. It was out of some of our conversation that the [Calypso] DPA [currently on tap] came about.

I always use the same malt and local honey from Santa Fe Honey. We use the same yeast. The only thing that changes is the hops. It’s a great way to grow as a brewer, where you’re just changing one thing and seeing what’s happening. With the Calypso hops, you get these hints of tropical fruit. The hop bitterness is still there, though. The aroma seems kind of sweet, but it’s drier in the finish. If you like hops, you’ll absolutely like this beer. Last year, I had a chance to go to Bear Republic and try their Double Rocket. I was blown away by that beer. That’s why I came home and brewed the first Double Red that McCoy’s has ever produced. The great thing was that they [Bear Republic] were willing to sell me a growler. They just told me it would be $60, and I seriously thought about it.