For Barnyard Brewing, it was a night governed by Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code.  “It’s our code of ethics,” Mike Hummell said, who was wearing a cowboy hat like his business partner and brew master Heath Hoadley.  The event was a celebration of the community and everything a good cowboy stands for.

2^nd Commandment: “He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.”  The guys posted on twitter.com/barnyardbeer at 2:48 p.m. Aug. 15, “Rain or not we’re tasting beer.”  Social media, including Twitter, has been a huge boost to the local following of Barnyard Beer.  “It got us this big crowd tonight, in a thunderstorm,” Hummell said.  “We’re very excited about having new followers pop up.”

In addition to reaching out to She Swings, She Sways, Barnyard Brewing gave the Pieroguys a chance to showcase their pierogies.  Former University of Kansas students Frank Gazella, Jr. and Andrew Misak run the operation out of Independence, Missouri, but still do plenty of business in Lawrence.  The Pieroguys make eight different varieties of the boiled dumplings, stuffing them with potatoes, cheese, and meat or vegetables.  Although the pierogies are often fried after boiling, on this night they were not.  The Pieroguys have worked with Barnyard Brewing before, and the pierogies were a great snack between beers.

Of course, there was hardly a moment when I was between beers.  My first experience with Barnyard Beers confirmed everything I had heard or read about them:  they are fantastic.  Like many of the guests, when I emptied my cup I jumped back in line for a refill.  Every beer in Barnyard Brewing’s arsenal was on tap – Bonfire chocolate porter, Irish red (Barnyard’s “flagship beer”), Kansas Gold Ale, “Peachy Gene” (a beer fortified by fermented peaches), and Dunkelweizen.

The two beers I kept coming back to were the porter and Irish red.  The porter has an incredible balance – strong enough for one to appreciate its chocolaty essence, yet drinkable to the point that imbibing a bunch of porters wouldn’t be impossible.  The Irish red also blew me away.  I heard numerous people say it was the best Irish red they’ve ever tasted.  If you’ve ever tasted Killian’s Irish Red and thought, “I’ll never try any more of this,” don’t worry – Barnyard’s Irish red will change your opinion of the style.

As I was leaving the party, satisfied to no end by the music of She Swings, She Sways, and happily filled with pierogies and beer, I asked Mike Hummell for a final word on what the future holds for Barnyard Brewing.  “Someday soon,” he promised, “Heath and I will stand atop a vast alcohol empire.”  Judging by the quality of beer, generosity as hosts and commitment to the Cowboy Code, the future looks bright for Barnyard Brewing.  Gene Autry would be proud.

Tags: beer tasting

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