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Kansas City Bier Company (KC Bier Co.) is an independent, locally owned brewery in the Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, specializing in authentic German-style biers brewed under the German Beer Purity Law of 1516, with a Bierhalle taproom and a large outdoor Biergarten.123

Description

Kansas City Bier Company is a German-style brewery founded by Kansas City native Steve Holle, billed as Kansas City’s largest locally owned brewery.3 The brewery produces authentic examples of German bier styles using imported German malt and hops and traditional methods including decoction mashing and two-tank cellaring for fermentation and conditioning, brewing only with malt, hops, water and yeast in accordance with the German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) of 1516.4

The Waldo location at 310 W 79th St houses a Bierhalle taproom styled after a German neighborhood bar and a large outdoor Biergarten that is family-friendly and suited to large groups.5 All retail-market production takes place at the Waldo brewery.6 The brewery’s beers are distributed across the Kansas City market.7

KC Bier Co. has earned national and international recognition for its German styles, including multiple Great American Beer Festival medals and a European Beer Star award.48 In 2025 the brewery announced a second, much larger Bavarian-style Biergarten and brewery in Lenexa, Kansas, expected to open in 2026; the original Waldo brewery and taproom remain open without changes.69

Ownership and history

KC Bier Co. was founded by Steve Holle, a great-grandson of German immigrants who studied German and International Marketing at Northwest Missouri State University and first experienced locally brewed German bier during a junior year abroad in Hamburg.7 Over a 30-plus-year career in banking and commercial real estate investment, Holle became an avid homebrewer and beer writer, earned a Diploma Brewer designation from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London (2003), and attended the Doemens Brewing Academy in Munich (1997).7 He retired as Regional Director of Northwestern Mutual Life’s real estate investment office in Dallas in 2013 and returned to his hometown to open the brewery.7

Holle founded the company with Bavarian native Jürgen Hager (now Missouri Sales Manager and Partner, instrumental in the design of the Bierhalle and Biergarten) and the backing of approximately 45 mostly local investors.107 Wanting a German-trained brewer, Holle recruited Karlton Graham — who completed the Siebel Institute Master Brewer Program with a practicum at Doemens in Munich — as Head Brewer and Partner; Graham set up the brewery and has overseen its expansion since late 2013.710 KC Bier brewed its first batches in mid-December 2013 and opened for business in February 2014.1011

Sources

Disputes

  • Some general descriptions place KC Bier Co. near “Martini Corner / Waldo,” but the verified street address (310 W 79th St) and all listings place it firmly in the Waldo neighborhood of KCMO. Martini Corner reference treated as imprecise.

Footnotes

  1. KC Bier Co. official site — https://kcbier.com/ — asserts: German-style beer brewery in Kansas City; “We put the i back in Bier.” ↩

  2. Visit KC, Kansas City Bier Company — https://www.visitkc.com/listings/kansas-city-bier-company/ — asserts: address 310 W 79th St, Kansas City, MO 64114; Waldo neighborhood; German-style brewery with beer garden; current hours; events through mid-June 2026. ↩

  3. Waldo KC business listing — https://www.waldokc.org/businesses/kansas-city-bier-company/ — asserts: Kansas City’s largest locally-owned brewery; authentic German-style bier; taproom and beer garden. ↩ ↩2

  4. KC Bier Co., “KC Bier Co Wins Two Medals at Great American Beer Festival” (2025) — https://kcbier.com/2025/10/24/kc-bier-co-wins-two-medals-at-great-american-beer-festival/ — asserts: 2025 GABF Gold (Kölsch, German-Style Koelsch) and Silver (Dunkelbock, German-Style Doppelbock/Eisbock); German methods and 1516 Purity Law. ↩ ↩2

  5. Yelp, Kansas City Bier Company — https://www.yelp.com/biz/kansas-city-bier-company-kansas-city-3 — asserts: updated June 2026, 371 photos, 226 reviews, 310 W 79th St; active brewery, taproom and beer garden. ↩

  6. Kansas City Magazine, “KC Bier Co. Is Opening An Authentic Bavarian-style Biergarten In Lenexa” — https://kansascitymag.com/kc-bier-co-is-opening-an-authentic-bavarian-style-biergarten-in-lenexa/ — asserts: original Waldo brewery/taproom remains open without changes; all retail market production stays at Waldo; Lenexa second location. ↩ ↩2

  7. KC Bier Co., “Our People” — https://kcbier.com/our-people/ — asserts: Steve Holle founder/managing partner bio, German training (Doemens 1997, IBD London 2003), KC native, returned 2013; Jürgen Hager Bavarian native, partner; Karlton Graham head brewer, Siebel/Doemens trained. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  8. Feast Magazine — https://www.feastmagazine.com/kansas-city/article_80db0ba0-43ee-11ec-9fd8-df491ba883b2.html — asserts: KC Bier Co. won a silver medal at the European Beer Star Awards. ↩

  9. Startland News, “KC Bier Co building new 30,000-square-foot urban beer garden” (Feb 2025) — https://startlandnews.com/2025/02/kc-bier-co-lenexa/ — asserts: founder building new Lenexa Bavarian-style biergarten; expansion plans. ↩

  10. Craft Beer & Brewing, “Breakout Brewer: KC Bier” — https://www.beerandbrewing.com/breakout-brewer-kc-bier — asserts: founded with CFO Juergen Hager and ~45 mostly local investors; Karlton recruited via Doemens; first batches late 2013. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. The Pitch, “KC Bier Co. founder Steve Holle reflects on a year in beer” — https://www.thepitchkc.com/kc-bier-co-founder-steve-holle-reflects-on-a-year-in-beer-and-looks-ahead-to-year-two/ — asserts: brewery opened February 2014. ↩

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Waldo