Fall in Love at Vine Street Brewing Co, Missouri’s First Black-Owned Brewery

The Short Version: Vine Street Brewing Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, offers everything you could want in a brewery date night and more. The brewery is Kansas City and Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery and is revitalizing KC’s historic Vine District, which once saw jazz history and legends made. Kemet Coleman is one of the brewery’s co-founders, and he told us about the spot’s history and founding story, and what’s behind its beer menus, local food collaborations, and a variety of events couples can enjoy for a date.

Breweries offer a lot when it comes to date night. In fact, I don’t think any other singular establishment can offer as much for date night as a nice brewery. They have drinks, food, indoor and outdoor spaces, and plenty of opportunities to mingle. Breweries often host events, like trivia or live music, and it’s easy to spend hours exploring the menu, listening to music, and enjoying greenspace.

The issue is that a lot of them are pretty much the same. You may be able to find different beers, but the ambiance and general vibe of many breweries are very similar, and a repetitive date night can get old quickly.

Vine Street Brewing Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, offers date nighters a fresh and vibrant brewery spot, complete with delicious local eats and beers brewed right in KCMO.

Vine Street Brewing is housed in a 150-year-old building, one of the oldest in Kansas City. It holds numerous events each week, from Ladies Trivia Night to Groove Room Jazz. The spot is Kansas City’s — and Missouri’s — first Black-owned brewery and honors its Black Kansas City roots daily. 

Kemet Coleman is one of Vine Street’s three co-founders. He talked to us about the brewery’s story and what couples can expect from a night out in KC with Vine Street.

“Vine is a super historic neighborhood in Kansas City, and it used to be a hotbed for entertainment and culture, especially Black entertainment and culture,” Kemet said. “But everybody came down to the Vine to have a good time, and we’re trying to rejuvenate this area that’s so important to us.”

The journey to the founding of Vine Street Brewing begins with Kemet. “The idea for a brewery started with me, and in 2020 I approached my first partner, Woodie Bonds Jr., who’s a homebrewer,” he explained. “I’m a musician, rapper, music producer, and band leader, but I have experience working in breweries and loved craft beer.”

Kemet said that his dreams for a KC brewery went bigger than just making amazing local beers, but he needed the help of a brewmaster. “I had all these ideas for a brewery, what I wanted it to be and feel like and have going on,” he said. “I needed Woodie for the beer expertise, and he said he would do it if he could bring on one more brewer.”

Kemet said it was an easy decision: “I said whatever it takes to make good beer, and we asked our partner Elliott to come on.” Elliott Ivory, who was enjoying a flourishing career as a project manager at Honeywell and planning on pursuing a Master’s degree, was unsure about making the leap.

“At first, he said no, but his wife encouraged him and told him it would be a dream come true,” Kemet said. “He came back and said yes, and about a year later, we brought on Annie McGinnis, who was my manager in a restaurant, and I just always loved her management and operations style.”

With the power team assembled, the Vine Street founders decided on a beautiful historic building in the Vine neighborhood to open their brewery. The 150-year-old limestone building located on South Vine Street was going to be more than the home for Vine Street Brewing — the founders hoped it would be the start of a neighborhood revitalization.

The Vine Historic District is the Black cultural district in Kansas City and earned the name “Jazz District” in the mid-20th century as the city and neighborhood became influential players in the development of jazz music. 

“This is the neighborhood that put Kansas City on the map, it’s the neighborhood where jazz grew up,” Kemet said. “We knew this is the neighborhood we wanted to be, but the area was vacant and a little run-down when we first got there.”

Kemet continued, “We knew beer is a great way to get people together. We wanted to be a catalyst for the area and show people there are exciting development projects they can benefit from.”

Vine Street Brewing balances the historic features of its building with bright colors and accents. “It’s a very artistic space, and you have this rich architectural history, arched windows, so much natural light,” Kemet said. “We’ve selected a color palette that was reflective of inclusivity, community, and Black culture.”

Kemet said the brewery has an unmistakably warm and welcoming vibe across its several distinct spaces. The walls are filled with artwork, and couples can find a space among the brewery’s two-floor layout to spend some quality time together. “The top level is a great place for a date,” he said. “There’s such a good conversational atmosphere up there.”

When it comes to beer, Kemet said Vine Street’s most popular brew is called Life of the Party. “It’s a fruited sour, and we change up the fruit every time we brew it,” he explained. “Our most recent brew is a blood orange and rosemary, and it’s super delicious. Our fruited sours always do really well.”

If sours aren’t your thing, Vine Street has nearly every type of craft brew you could desire. That Box Fade Bro is a classic choice for IPA lovers, and the Afrodisiac chocolate coffee ale is ideal for fans of a golden ale. Kemet made sure to mention the brewery offers non-alcoholic drinks for folks who don’t consume alcohol. 

Vine Street Brewing teams up with local Black-owned restaurants and food trucks to bring the best of Kansas City eats right to the brewery. “We partner with a few different companies,” Kemet said. “We have a wing truck come, and they have so many cool flavors and veggie options. We also have a nacho truck, and they do a really imaginative spin on classic nachos.”

Beyond being the ideal all-in-one date night spot, Vine Street Brewing serves its local community in many ways. The brewery’s driving mission is inclusivity, and it was founded to give people in the area a place to meet and grow closer as a community.

The spot regularly showcases local artists and musicians and strives to be a place where all can come together and enjoy themselves.

“Whenever people enter the tap room with something on their mind, they always leave with a smile,” Kemet said. “That was something we always wanted to do: Bring people together to enjoy the city.”

Couples should check out Vine Street Brewing’s calendar before settling on a date for a night out. Vine Street has a couple of options that take place every week, like trivia and jazz night, but it is always adding new programming. 

For the next few months at Vine Street Brewing, Wednesday nights are Ladies Trivia Night with DCoop. Trivia night features delicious cocktails and nachos from Deez Nachos, the local nacho truck. Host DCoop is “one of the most entertaining fame show hosts in the Midwest” and is sure to impress.

Enjoy the Groove Room Jazz with the Isaiah Petrie Trio on Friday nights. Isaiah Petrie and his trio take to the stage for an evening of jazz vibes while Vine Street provides craft brews and food from Sauce Optional. Kemet said he was especially excited about a few events coming up at the brewery, including a movie screening.

“We’re screening a movie called ‘One Pint At A Time,’” Kemet said. “It was created to show the African and African American contribution to beer brewing and beer history. That’s coming up in April, and we’re going to do a two-day event.”

The fun doesn’t stop there. Kemet said the brewery will be hosting a Star Wars-themed event for May the Fourth Be With You, which includes costumes, live music, and outdoor fun. Whether you’re a KC local or just stopping through, Vine Street Brewing always has something fun going on. 

“Beer is a great way to bring people together,” Kemet said. “We wanted Vine Street Brewing to be something the community could embrace, and that’s exactly what happened. We’re trying to bring joy and unity to the city.”