We've profiled some of our favorite brew pubs in order to give you an up-close look at a few of America's best local brewers and eateries. After each brew pub's profile, we rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. If you would like to submit a review/profile of your favorite American brew pub for addition to this section, send us an email.
Free State Brewing Company
Free State Brewing Company (Lawrence, KS) was established in 1989 as the first legal brewery in the state of Kansas in over 100 years. Free State is located in an historic building that once housed a trolley station, on Massachusetts Street, in the heart of Lawrence. The building's ambiance and historical charm is apparent the minute you walk past the patio area and through the front door.
Free State has several dining areas tucked in different sections spread out over two floors, as well as an outdoor patio area. They stay pretty busy, so calling ahead for a table is a good idea, but not necessary. You can expect some waiting time on weekends, or on KU game days, but you can always enjoy a beer while you're waiting. While Lawrence is a college town, you'll find the crowd at Free State to be quite diverse, and the atmosphere is comfortable, even if you're wearing the logo of a KU rival. Monday nights are 1/2 price beer nights, which can get a bit raucous, but otherwise, the crowd is fairly tame. When they have live jazz playing in the back room, it just adds to the atmosphere.
The menu includes many pub staples with Free State's own twist, plus a few surprises. Many items on the menu, such as the Bourbon Barrel Strip Steak, Fish and Chips, Copperhead Chicken Tenders, Onion Rings, and their famous Cheddar Ale Soup, include their beer in the recipe. As it says on Free State's T-shirts, "Because without beer, things didn't seem to go as well." Entrees range in price from $9.75 to $19.45 and nightly specials vary.
Free State's brew master has a repertoire of over 80 beers (including some cask style beers) and they offer as many as 10 of them at any given time. Their most popular beer is the Copperhead Pale Ale, which is an American IPA style beer. I really like the Old Backus Barleywine, which is an American Barleywine style beer. (At 10.5% abv, you might want to limit yourself to one pint of Old Backus.) Like most brew pubs, Free State offers sampler glasses so you can give every beer a try before settling on your personal favorite. While there are some Free State beers I prefer more than others, I've yet to find one I thought was bad. Typically speaking, you can find 6 to 8 of their fine brews available on tap, which rotate, as new batches are ready for consumption. The ever-changing beer variety makes going back on a regular basis well worth it. Don't forget to take home a growler of your favorite beer...they're cheap!
*Free State now bottles their beer for sale in local liquor stores.
If you're anywhere near Lawrence, KS make sure you stop by The Free State Brewing Co. The food and service are very good. The ambiance and beer are great. Overall, we've rated Free State 5 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it.
