Boulevard Brewing Company — Attraction in Kansas City

Boulevard brewing company makes excellent beer. They always have. However, since the acquisition by Duvel Moortgat, things have begun to change. The labels on the bottles no longer stick well. They peel off and feel cheap. The designs on the bottles and cans have changed as well, for the worse, in a big way. The previously unique graphic designs which payed homage to the Kansas City area have been replaced with generic, cheap, bland, inexplicably arbitrary diamond shapes. Worse still, the names of the beers are being changed for marketing purposes. The word “America” is being slapped on as many labels as possible in a tacky and honestly vaguely insulting way. Unfiltered wheat, once packaged in a bottle featuring a unique design of a farmer bringing a bundle of wheat to the market, has been rebranded as “Hazy American Classic”. The once great bottle design has been replaced by a cheap, dull, gray diamond with the new rebranded name of the beer on full display in large, ugly font. Tank 7, once called a Farmhouse Ale on the bottles, is now rebranded as an “American Saison”. Many Americans find this kind of marketing tacky and a bit insulting, especially from a foreign company. This is no better than when Budweiser was renamed America for a time. I am not a fan. The design on the Tank 7 bottles has been updated in a way which exudes cheap tackiness as well. The labels peel off on their own, exuding yet more cheapness. The design has become yet another arbitrary diamond shape. Only the pale ale bottle still sports a real graphic design, but it is probably only a matter of time before this goes away too. Hold onto a few bottles while you still can. Boulevard still makes excellent beer, but an unfortunate person or group of people has decided to go ahead and ruin the bottle designs and even the names of the beers. It is a shame, and a major loss for the people of...

Went in my first tour back in '04, been on a number over the years since and it is truly amazing to see how far they have come. I always schedule my tours for the last available on any given day, that way there is no rush at the end (the tasting) to get us out and get ready for the next group. The tasting room and gift shop are open to the public during business hours (I believe) or at least no one asks any questions when I'm always an hour early to get a pre-tour flight or two. Way back when I started drinking, fancy imports were Guinness and Heineken, a 6 pack of Negra Modelo cost $3 as it was cheap Mexican beer, sigh, and Blvd only offered 2 styles plus a rotating seasonal, my-oh-my have they piled on the offerings since those days! It would be impossible to say they have a single best as they have so many great great beers and constantly churn out new and tasty offerings. Depending on the day I'm looking to Double/Single Wide or a Long Strange Tripel, my brothers all swear by Tank 7 and maybe it's that I married in to Deutsche blood but I gotta have some hoppyness on a warm sunny day, anyway! Come visit the Blvd, snag a couple flights and make your own call! TOURS ARE FREE That's right, free means totally free minus what you want to buy in the gift shop and beer before/after the tasting. Blvd is another KC icon that you really don't want to miss, if you are visiting and do one scheduled outing while in KC make it this tour, if you were smart and scheduled ahead or they have an opening that is. Make a day of it! You could hit up the River Market/Nelson, grab lunch where ya like (Vietnam Café in Columbus Park), take the Blvd tour, visit some of our beautiful parks/fountains (Jacob Loose Park), and still have enough day left to sit down for a nice dinner at one of our amazing local spots before heading off in to the vibrant KC...

I’ve never written a review like this, but what I experienced at Boulevard Brewery was so shockingly rude and offensive, it warrants serious attention — and I will be reporting it to the Better Business Bureau.

I arrived 15 minutes late to my scheduled brewery tour after struggling to find parking (which, by the way was full and disorganized) I was stressed, sweaty, and very apologetic, and still hoping to join the hour and a half tour or at least be met with understanding.

Instead, I was greeted with condescension, attitude, and an utter lack of professionalism. The staff spoke to me in a way that was demeaning and unnecessarily hostile, as though my minor lateness justified treating me like a nuisance instead of a paying guest. I was not spoken to — I was talked down to. There was no empathy, no courtesy, and no effort to even speak with basic respect.

I would have accepted missing the tour because I like I said I was late. What I cannot accept is the tone, attitude, and complete lack of regard for human decency that I was met with. It was genuinely humiliating.

To make matters worse, this all happened over a $17 ticket for a tour of a facility whose beer is, frankly, mass-produced and unremarkable. The arrogance I experienced from the staff far exceeds the quality of anything this place offers.

I’m disappointed, embarrassed, and frankly disturbed by how quick the staff was to belittle someone over something so minor. If this is what Boulevard considers acceptable customer service, I have serious concerns for how they treat people behind closed doors. This was not hospitality. This was bullying disguised as policy.

I plan on reporting their deplorable behavior to the Better Business Bureau and truly hope management takes a serious look at the way guests are being spoken to. Because what I experienced today was completely...