2023 Wicked Brew Tour
If you have yet to hear or if you aren't from Wichita, every year, Visit Wichita does a brewery and coffee shop passport called Wicked Brew Tour. All you have to do for the tour is visit a participating location to get your passport and get a stamp at each location when you order a drink! To complete the tour, you need to get 10 stamps total out of the 20+ locations! This summertime classic grows each year and invites everyone (21+ for the Alcohol portions) to explore Wichita's amazing breweries, coffee shops, cidery, and kombucha place (kombucharia, kombuchery?). When you complete the passport, you can get a free limited-edition T-shirt! The Wicked Brew Tour is going on from June 2 until September 5.
I started my Wicked Brew Tour at the Hopping Gnome Brewing Company. Yeah, I know, big surprise, but I didn't start the big day at The Gnome; I got my passport there and then slacked for a while. I had fantastic beer there, as usual! The Blood Orange Pale Ale they had on tap at the time is probably my favorite seasonal beer they make. Sadly, as I write this, I know they are tapped out of it for the year; I got insider information. If you stop in soon, I would check out their Victor Street IPA, a hazy IPA that is brand new this year! If you aren't reading this soon, I always recommend my two favorite flagship beers, the Earl of ESB and the Sepia Amber.
First Stop
I had a Friday off from major responsibilities, so I decided to have a day out, go to some of my favorite places, and visit others I hadn't been to in a while. So, I started my day at Reverie Coffee Roasters for some coffee. Reverie has been a long-time favorite coffee shop of mine since they were at their original location next to Moler’s Cameras on Douglas Ave. I went with a summertime favorite of cold brew with vanilla and milk. I ordered Hannah a Raspberry Limeade Matcha Spritz. My cold brew with vanilla was terrific, as usual. Reverie makes its own syrups and has perfected the ratios that aren't overly sweet, which is perfect for my preference. I tasted Hannah's Raspberry Limeade Matcha Spritz while driving to deliver it to her at work. It was delicious, but my brain wasn't ready for the sparkling aspect of it after sipping cold brew. The Raspberry Limeade Matcha Spritz was a really cool-looking pink and green layered drink when it was first on the counter. I didn't get any baked goods this trip. Still, they have a fantastic bakery with various pastries, including vegan and/or gluten-free options. My favorites are the lemon poppy seed muffins, but I haven't seen them there.
After Reverie, Hannah and I went to Spektrum Muzic to peruse the vinyl selection on her lunch break. I bought a Flaming Lips album, a Waylon Jennings album, a Willie Nelson album, and a Willie Nelson AND Waylon Jennings album.
Wichita Public Library, and went for a walk by the Keeper of the Plains since it was still before breweries opened, but you guys aren't reading this blog to hear about that.
I got “Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger” by Stephen King, from the library, for the two readers that might be interested.
Second Stop
Around 1 pm, I was ready for lunch and beers. I started at Tor Brewing since the Smashburger I saw on Facebook looked phenomenal. I was planning on getting their regular menu Smashburger, but they had an Oklahoma Smashburger on special. The burger was cooked on thinly sliced onions with American cheese, crispy onion strings, pickles, and homemade black truffle mayo. Bruh, lemme tell ya what, this burger is definitely toward the top of my list of burgers in Wichita. Anywho, the beer. Tor is still working on getting their brewing system so the beers they had on tap were collabs with other breweries and guest taps. I started with a delicious hazy IPA, Wicked Haze, from Pathlight Brewing Company which is out of Shawnee, KS. Tor also had a collab beer with Norton's Brewing, where Tor's owner got his start with a beer called Noob Lord, a Doritos and Mountain Dew Cream Ale. I had to try it. It was actually surprisingly good and easy to drink. It definitely had hints of Doritos and Mountain Dew but not in a bad way. One of my favorite things about Tor Brewing is the décor; it is very inviting and includes multiple Lord of the Ring references, which I love!
Third Stop
Next, I decided to walk over to Norton's Brewing Company. I got there pretty close to opening time, so I went up and easily found a seat at the bar. I ordered the Juice Cult, another delicious juicy hazy with notes of berries, tangerines, and grapefruit. Noticing a trend yet of what I was in the mood for that day? They also had two alcoholic slushy options, a sour orange flavor, and a cotton candy flavor. I tried the orange, and it was delicious. If I had planned on staying for another drink, I would have gotten a pour and sat in the beer garden.
Fourth Stop
After Norton's, I walked about a block down Douglas Ave. to Third Place Brewing. I have been to Third Place multiple times but don't go as often as I would like to. That’s going to have to change. I ordered the Redheaded Stranger; I thought it was funny because I had just bought 2 Willie Nelson Records. The Redheaded Stranger is an Irish Red that is a delicious balance of malty and hoppy. The conversation was great between the other patrons, the bartender, and me. I decided to stick around for a second beer. For my next beer, I ordered their Knucklehead, which is a, wait for it, a Hazy IPA. Every time I go to Third Place, the vibes are mellow, and the conversation is great.
Fifth Stop
After my second beer at Third Place, I decided to make my way over to PourHouse ICT to get my fifth Wicked Brew tour stamp for the day. I got there around 5 pm and had worked up an appetite from all the walking, around 12,000 steps total. I planned to stay for dinner and ordered a Wayward Sun, an American wheat beer with hints of tropical fruits. As soon as I get my beer and before I can order any food, Hannah calls me and tells me she and her friend wanted to go eat before they went to go see Hamilton. I easily convinced Hannah to go to the Eastside Wichita Brewing Company. It’s easy to convince her with a Cooperstown Pizza.
Sixth and Seventh Stops
I finished my beer at PourHouse ICT and headed over to Wichita Brewing Company. We all went with Cooperstown Pizzas, which has cream cheese, sriracha, chicken, bacon, and mushrooms. It's delicious! For my beer with my pizza, I ordered the Belgian Dubble, a very old style of beer originating from monks in the middle ages! This beer and pizza was a great way to finish my day and almost finish my Wicked Brew Tour.
When I went to pay at WBC, I realized I didn't have my debit card. Right away, I knew it had to be at PourHouse ICT, so I went back. I walked straight up to the bar, and the bartender recognized me. I could see it on her face. She knew exactly why I was back. After I got my card back, I decided to stop to bring beer home and get one more stamp. I decided to swing by Central Standard Brewing to get a growler to bring home. I decided to get a growler of Girlfriend, a Hazy IPA (yup, I know, big surprise!)
I didn't complete the Wicked Brew Tour that day, but I still got seven out of ten stamps needed, bringing my total to eight. The next morning, I decided to get one more stamp with a stop at Reverie Coffee Roasters Express since it is right near home. To finish the Wicked Brew Tour, I made my last stop, The Donut Whole, with a vanilla latte about a week later.
The Wicked Brew Tour is a great way to get out and visit many great breweries, coffee shops, and more around Wichita. You may discover a new favorite spot or revisit an old classic! Stop by any participating location to pick up your passport and get started! Let us know if you did the Wicked Brew Tour and your favorite stops!
Included locations:
Breweries
Coffee Shops
The Donut Whole