Go West Young Posse, Part I: Holiday Brews In Weston

We Posse folk have established yet another habit, er, tradition of gathering to celebrate group goddess Kiko on her birthday weekend and we kicked  it off with another holiday shopping excursion at Weston, Mo this year.  As K and I missed out on sipping local brews at Weston Brewing Company last year, we decided to bookend this visit over assorted nibbles and sips at WBC.  Weston Brewing Company was established in 1842 as a lager brewery and still produces some stellar suds today. While waiting for Kiko at WBC, we strolled around the frigid grounds taking in the admirably odd environment. The quirkiest touch must be the Guinness World Record-appointed largest ball of string on the patio. The large building housing the America Bowman restaurant opens out into an impressively vast beer garden complete with outdoor stage and multiple tables.  The courtyard area connects to O'Malley's Pub which may be one of the coolest joints I've ever nursed a Black and Tan in...but more about that later.

Lunch in the rustic environs of the America Bowman restaurant was the first order of buisness and tasty bit of buisness it was.  We split a sampler of WBC brews including the bright IPA, the tasty Drop Kick Ale, the hearty Stout and the smooth O'Malley's Cream Ale.  I ordered a cup of the rich and savory Cheddar & Ale Soup and an appetizer for the table called a Rasher Horseradish Dunk; a delicious bacon, cream cheese and horseradish dip with crackers.  Among the other specialties at the table were a tangy pumpkin soup and a filling Ham and four-cheese "Pye".

We strolled on down the ever-charming Main street of Weston, in and out of personable shops like Black Shutter with its intriguingly chic goods, Nelson and Taylor Interiors with its way-cool wall diver figurines and imperious feline watching over the store and of course, at McCormick's Spirits store where we sampled Glazed Donut vodka.  Big thumbs up also to the creative candle shop 5B & Co. with its hysterical votive fragrance names (Put On Your Big Girl Panties; The Bottom of Mom's Purse and the sandalwood-scented Your Brain On Drugs) and truly fabulous scents. After we finished our retail excursion (not therapy; retail is NEVER therapy for me, unless its a bookstore), we returned to the clearly popular Weston Brewing Company and headed for the other smallish building that housed O'Malley's Pub.  I would soon find out that "smallish" was a misnomer of sorts...

Once we walked in, we started slowly walking down ever-spiraling hallways, winding and banking, with offshoot tunnels branching off, until we landed, finally, several stories down.  The call this the "tallest building in Weston"...it just heads beneath ground instead of above it.  The main bar was just a few cozy tables surrounded by a wraparound overlook with more tables and a central stage.  A guitarist was crooning a tune while I sipped that righteous Black and Tan made with O'Malley's Cream Ale and Guinness Stout with the birthday girl, the K-Man and Deb.The stage is apparently a busy one by the looks of the website performance schedule, so O'Malley's earn extra kudos for being such a supporter of live music. The setting was almost medieval: it felt as if we were in a secret, stone-laden underground lair where magic elixirs were served, sweet harmonies floated by and dark secrets were held. The day ended on a perfect note at the Farmer's House Market, a non-for-profit retail space utilized as a training ground for young people with developmental abilities where they specialize in apple butter created on property at historic Vaughn's Apple Orchard.

Weston remains the setting for my kind of Christmas shopping.  Hey, maybe I can achieve retail therapy.