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The Goat Brewing Co. is an independent, owner-operated microbrewery and taproom in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, opened in March 2021. Its name and branding are a deliberate homage to Kansas City history — the “Goats,” the political faction of Boss Tom Pendergast that defined the city’s “Paris of the Plains” Prohibition-era nightlife.

Description

The Goat Brewing Co. is a small-batch microbrewery and taproom at 817 NE Rice Rd in Lee’s Summit. The brewery operates up to 22 taps, brewing American, Belgian, and German beer styles alongside ciders, meads, and seltzers, with signature releases such as the Irish Red Ale and “The Cartel,” a gose finished with lime and house-made salsa.12 The taproom is a casual, community-oriented space with indoor seating, outdoor picnic tables, large TVs for sporting events, and a short menu of in-house food including paninis, flatbreads, hot dogs, nachos, waffle fries, and soft pretzels.1 The brewery’s tagline — “Paying Homage to Those Who Crafted this Great City by Crafting Great Beer” — ties its identity directly to Kansas City’s history.1

Ownership and history

The Goat Brewing Co. is locally owned and independently operated by Jeremy Kneeland and his wife Sunni.13 The business grew out of Jeremy’s homebrewing hobby: Sunni gave him a homebrew kit around 2010, he began brewing seriously around 2014, and competition success and demand from friends pushed the hobby toward a commercial venture. The brewery opened its doors in March 2021 (March 6, 2021).13

The name is a deliberate reference to Kansas City civic history. In the 1920s–1930s, political bosses Tom “Boss” Pendergast and Joe Shannon controlled Kansas City; to help voters identify candidates, Pendergast’s faction marked its candidates with a goat symbol and Shannon’s with a rabbit — the origin of the “Goats and Rabbits” factional split. Pendergast’s machine kept the city’s nightlife running through Prohibition, earning Kansas City the nickname “Paris of the Plains.” The brewery adopts the Goat symbol in tribute to that era, and carries the theme into its “Goat Famiglia” loyalty tiers (Associate, Soldier, Capo).1

In 2024–2025, owner Jeremy Kneeland publicly disclosed a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer; local news (FOX4 KC) covered the community’s rallying support around him and the brewery.4

See also

  • lees-summit
  • Registry

Sources

Footnotes

  1. The Goat Brewing Co. — official “About.” https://thegoatbrewingco.com/about — asserts: owners Jeremy & Sunni Kneeland; opened March 2021; 817 NE Rice Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO 64086; name origin (Pendergast “Goats and Rabbits”); “Goat Famiglia” loyalty tiers. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. TripAdvisor — The Goat Brewing Co. (Lee’s Summit). https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g44588-d23510885 — asserts: open/active (2026 reviews); 817 NE Rice Rd; signature releases. ↩

  3. Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce — The Goat Brewing Co. directory listing. https://gz.lschamber.com/directory/Details/the-goat-brewing-co-2557281 — asserts: locally owned microbrewery, Lee’s Summit. ↩ ↩2

  4. FOX4 KC — “Lee’s Summit brewery owner battles stage 4 cancer, finds strength in community.” https://fox4kc.com/ — asserts: owner Jeremy Kneeland’s cancer diagnosis + community support. ↩

See also

  • Registry
  • lees-summit
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Lees Summit