Who's brewing the most beer around KC?

By the numbers: Here's how our breweries stack up based on exclusive Axios data.

On the Missouri side:

• Boulevard Brewing Co., owned by Duvel Moortgat USA, remains KC's biggest producer, pumping out an estimated 167,000 barrels in 2024 — holding steady from last year.
• Kansas City Bier Co., the city's largest independent, brewed 11,094 barrels, down 6% from the year before.
• Martin City Brewing Co. produced roughly 3,471 barrels in 2024, with no comparison data available from the previous year.

On the Kansas side:

• Free State Brewing Co. in Lawrence remains the state's biggest craft name, with 8,282 barrels in 2024, down 10% year-over-year.
• Fields & Ivy in Lawrence and Transport Brewery in Shawnee each clocked in just over 1,200 barrels.
• Lawrence Beer Co. brewed 877 barrels.

The intrigue: Most of Missouri's biggest breweries, like Schlafly and 4 Hands, are based in St. Louis.

• In KC, small brewers like Casual Animal, Limitless Brewing, and Big Rip lean hard into neighborhood identity with local festivals that spotlight metro nonprofits, communal Thanksgiving potlucks, and taprooms turned into Queer Craft Night spaces. The beer's good — but the community is better.

The bottom line: KC's biggest breweries aren't growing fast — but they're not falling off either. In a year when beer production dipped nationwide, holding steady counts for something.