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the first brewery and taproom in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, founded by owner-operator Eric Martens, a former chemical engineer who turned a basement homebrew habit into a neighborhood institution. Independent and locally owned; assessed Tier 1 on the owner-operated + Crossroads-pioneer editorial case.

Description

Border Brewing Company is a craft brewery and taproom in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, located at 512 E 18th St.1 It holds the distinction of being the first brewery and taproom to open in the Crossroads, a status repeatedly cited in local coverage.23

The brewery was founded by Eric Martens, a former chemical engineer who applies an engineer’s discipline — precise recipe testing and quality control — to his brewing.24 The taproom describes itself as a community-driven space “bridging the gap between beer drinkers and beer lovers,” with the tagline “Fresh. Local. On tap.”1 It offers craft beers, ciders, seltzers, and cocktails in a bright, open room with communal seating and a patio.3

Border has built a reputation as a trendsetter in the local scene. Martens leans into German brewing heritage — for one Oktoberfest he buried a Marzenbier lager underground in March and unearthed it for the September celebration, honoring a pre-refrigeration tradition.5 In December 2024 the brewery launched Baseline, marketed as the metro’s first hometown non-alcoholic beer, debuting in Pale and Amber styles after roughly a year of development.2 The company also produces Kin Seltzer, described in coverage as the first Black-owned hard seltzer.2

Ownership and history

Eric Martens founded Border Brewing Company in 2014 and opened its taproom in 2015, making it the first brewery in the Crossroads.24 Martens holds a chemical-engineering degree from Kansas State University and spent roughly six years as a process engineer at Kansas City engineering firm Burns & McDonnell before going full-time into brewing; the brewery grew out of homebrewing experiments in his basement.4

Border originally operated from 406 E 18th St. In spring 2021 the company purchased and moved to a larger ~6,483 sq ft space at 512 E 18th St — two to three times the size of the original — to expand its brewing system and add a canning line; the new taproom opened November 12, 2021.67 The original space is now occupied by Red Sash Brewing Co.4

YearEvent
2014Eric Martens founds Border Brewing Company
2015Taproom opens at 406 E 18th St — first brewery in the Crossroads
Spring 2021Buys larger 512 E 18th St space; expands brewing + adds canning line
Nov 12, 2021New 512 E 18th St taproom opens
Dec 2024Launches Baseline, the metro’s first hometown non-alcoholic beer

The business remains independently and locally owned by Martens, with no corporate parent.2

See also

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Border Brewing Company — official site. https://borderbrewco.com/. Asserts: address 512 E 18th St KC MO 64108; “Fresh. Local. On tap.” positioning; craft beer/cider/seltzer/cocktail taproom. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Startland News — “Trendsetting Crossroads brewer taps another first: KC’s only locally-owned non-alcoholic beer” (Dec 2024). https://startlandnews.com/2024/12/kc-non-alcoholic-beer/. Asserts: founder/owner Eric Martens; first brewery and taproom in the Crossroads, established 2015; independently locally owned; Baseline launch (Pale + Amber) as metro’s first hometown non-alcoholic beer; ~1 year development; Kin Seltzer as first Black-owned hard seltzer. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. Visit KC / Crossroads Arts District listing. https://www.visitkc.com/listings/border-brewing-company/; https://kccrossroads.org/explore-the-crossroads/border-brewing-company/. Asserts: 512 E 18th St KC MO 64108; Crossroads Arts District; community-driven taproom, communal seating, patio. ↩ ↩2

  4. “The Story Behind Border Brewing: A KC Local Craft Beer Journey” — borderbrewco.com blog. https://borderbrewco.com/the-story-behind-border-brewing-a-kc-local-craft-beer-journey/; corroborated by Eric Martens LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-martens-3900433b/. Asserts: Martens chemical-engineering degree (Kansas State University); ~6 years process engineer at Burns & McDonnell; basement homebrew origin; outgrew original space now occupied by Red Sash Brewing Co.; founded 2014. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. KSHB 41 — “Border Brewing Company keeps German tradition alive with a twist.” https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/border-brewing-company-keeps-german-tradition-alive-with-a-twist. Asserts: owner Eric Martens; German brewing tradition; cave/buried Oktoberfest Marzenbier practice; local independent ownership. ↩

  6. Feast Magazine — “Border Brewing Co. will move to a new space in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District this spring” (2021). https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/border-brewing-co-will-move-to-a-new-space-in-kansas-citys-crossroads-arts-district/article_21e9a758-8cee-11eb-a6a9-2b5a65e99e2e.html. Asserts: move from 406 E 18th St to 512 E 18th St; ~6,483 sq ft; new taproom opened Nov 12, 2021; expanded brewing + canning line. [Source title/URL captured via search result; full-text fetch returned HTTP 429.] ↩

  7. Craft Brewing Business — “Kansas City’s Border Brewing buys a retail spot to expand operations.” https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/news/kansas-citys-border-brewing-buys-a-retail-spot-to-expand-operations/. Asserts: purchase of larger retail space, 2–3x bigger than original; expanded brewing capacity + canning line. ↩

  8. Crossroads Arts District directory — phone listing 816-469-5287. https://kccrossroads.org/explore-the-crossroads/border-brewing-company/. Conflicts with seed phone (816) 900-0700; confirm. ↩

See also

Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Crossroads