Beer Tuesday: Crane Brewing

Of all the traditions my family has, Beer Tuesday is a certain favorite. It acts as a weekly champion to celebrate getting through the first part of the week and adds a little something to an otherwise boring Tuesday. In honor of National Beer Day (on April 7th), I decided to spend the month of April championing a few breweries in Kansas City who bring a little something to the area. This week, we raise a beer to the team at Crane Brewing in Raytown.

All photos by Grace Pritchett.

Like many breweries popping up in Kansas City, a love of craft beer and homebrewing is what brought the Crane Brewing team together. Co-founder Chris Meyers has a background in veterinary medicine but was attracted to beer because of the science that goes into it. Having a different background before coming to the beer industry isn’t an anomaly, according to Meyers. Some people come with a full understanding of the science while others have had enough trial and error to know how to brew. The team at Crane put together their passion and know-how to make beers they hoped their community would love. “Ultimately, getting to make something that is shared and enjoyed is really great.”

When it comes to brewing, Crane focuses on farmhouse ales and sours. They’ve become one of the few breweries in town known for their sours and that’s no mistake. “We liked brewing sours when we were homebrewing and it was a huge void in the market when we started. There were lots of sours in the country but not as many in KC,” Meyers recounts. That laboratory knowledge comes into play when they brew their sours. They choose to leave their beers “live,” which allows the beer to get as sour as it wants.

Crane Brewing’s distribution has reached a multi-state level but they’re happy to stay at home in Raytown. “We still want to stay a Midwest brewery. We will continue to grow in distribution but we’re happy where we are in location.” Their Raytown location was chosen due to the real estate prices and to the uncharted brewery territory in the area. “The city worked really hard to get us in here and the local businesses have been supportive.” Crane Brewing has repaid the favor with local collaborations with JC Gregg of Covet Bakery and Hugo Tea.

Crane Brewing has a lot to look forward to in their spot as the Katy Trail will get extended right through their parking lot, adding lots of bike traffic in the years to come. Additionally, Crane is in the process of adding a kitchen and a local bbq pitmaster (Tyler Harp of Harp Barbecue) to their taproom. With all the opportunities and sunny days ahead, Meyers stays grateful for the industry and the community. “I’m really excited about the way the market has changed in the last couple years; the amount of breweries that have opened up and the amount of people who are getting into local beer.”

Visit Crane Brewing:
6515 Railroad St, Raytown, MO 64133
Tuesday - Thursday 4 pm - 9 pm | Friday 2 pm - 10 pm | Saturday 12 pm - 10 pm | Sunday 12 pm - 6 pm