After more than a decade serving local beer fans and homebrewers, Grains & Taps in Lee’s Summit is getting ready to turn the lights off in its taproom. The brewery and bar at 310 SW Blue Parkway will pour its last pints on Aug. 1, while the attached home-brew supply shop in the same building will stay open for now.
The owners say they are actively looking for someone to take over the supply side of the business. Founder Brad Boehm told customers he is "so proud of what we’ve built" and "just really grateful" as the countdown to last call begins.
As reported by The Kansas City Star, the business announced the shutdown on social media, asking anyone interested in buying or partnering on the home-brew supply store to reach out directly. The Star noted that owners Brad Boehm and Brian Bixby started Grains & Taps more than a decade ago and that the retail shop still has enough interest to keep operating. In the same announcement, the owners said they are "searching for the next owner or partner" of the supply store.
Boehm and Bixby launched Grains & Taps in 2013 as a home-brew supply store that eventually grew into a brewery with two taprooms, according to The Kansas City Star. They closed their downtown Lee’s Summit taproom last year and consolidated operations at the Blue Parkway location. Boehm told the paper he felt the brewery "has run its lifecycle" while emphasizing how thankful he is for the friendships and families that formed around the business.
Taproom Role in Local Brewing
Grains & Taps has long been a go-to spot for Kansas City-area homebrewers looking for ingredients, advice, or just a place to swap notes over a pint. It has also served as a low-key neighborhood hub for the local beer crowd, with regional brewery guides frequently listing it as part of the metro’s craft-beer circuit.
That web of taprooms and homebrewers helps smaller producers float new ideas and keeps demand alive for specialized hops, yeasts, and grains that homebrewers rely on. Visit KC includes Grains & Taps in its roundup of area breweries that connect hobbyists and professionals.
According to the Brewers Association's 'Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report' (15-Apr-2025), craft brewers produced 23.1 million barrels of beer in 2024, a 3.9% decrease from 2023, and craft's market share by volume dropped slightly to 13.3%. The Brewers Association also reported that the number of operating U.S. craft breweries fell to 9,578, a 2.9% net decline from 2024. The U.S. Census Bureau's County Business Patterns is an annual data series that provides subnational statistics on establishments and employment by industry, which can be used to track brewery openings and closures over time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the QCEW program uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to assign establishments to industries and report industry data, which is the basis for counting breweries under NAICS codes.
What’s Next
The taproom is scheduled to close after service on Aug. 1, and the owners are encouraging regulars to come in for a final round before the doors shut. The home-brew supply store will stay open while they look for a buyer or partner. According to the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, all licenses issued by the Division expire on the thirtieth day of June following the date they were issued, which can affect timing for transfers or renewals. According to the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, liquor licenses normally expire each year on June 30 and renewal applications must be filed by May 1.
Anyone with questions about the retail shop or interest in a potential deal can find contact information and current hours on the business’s website. Grains & Taps lists the address and phone number for the Lee’s Summit location.
