Washington stands at the top of the five states in the US, per the Brewers’ Association for craft breweries, producing over 560,000 barrels of beer each year, per the 2023 figures. The state’s production of 3.0 gallons for adults over the age of 21, however, ranks 21st and is rather close to the 20th-ranked state for breweries, Missouri.
Of course, Missouri is the home of one of the biggest beer brands in the world, and yet, its outsized production of 2.1 gallons per adult only factors in the over 306,000 produced by craft beer brewers. In this regard, Missouri punches above its weight, and given how brewers follow similar patterns to those here in Washington, it’s easy to see why.
Success When Craft Brewers Grow into Gathering Spots
One of the great success stories of the Missouri brewing scene to emerge in 2025 comes by way of the Trail Stop Brewery. As reported by Komu8, the brewery in Columbia has greatly expanded its operation in recent years. Now, what was once a vacant floodplain has become a hip gathering spot in a prime location.
April 1 marked its official opening, but it was five years in the making, needing to endure and work around all of the inherent issues that come with building in such a location. Still, it’s now a grand community center for beer, food, and some pickleball located just off the MKT trail and in the middle of Columbia’s main area for growth.
It’s a very similar premise and angle to the Trackside Beer Garden in Bellingham, Washington. Every summer, the vast plaza of great craft beer and activities opens to the public. The scenic spot that welcomes beer lovers from across the Evergreen State opens its doors on May 2 this year, celebrating its fifth anniversary.
Infusing the State’s Love of Sports into the Brews
Being the home of the only recently dethroned Kansas City Chiefs, Missouri naturally likes to play into the vast sports fandom present across the Show-Me State. Naturally, the biggest brewery gets in on the action often, with Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based brewer of Budweiser, kicking off last season with special Chiefs beers.
It makes sense to go big on the major league angle, especially given the momentum of all things surrounding sports in the state. In the coming years, the state is expected to launch its fully-fledged sports betting industry. There are bet365 offers for Missouri bettors available to get the sector rolling right off the bat.
Once it goes live, would-be bettors could land a $100 bonus bet or even a $1,000 first bet safety net with the bookmaker that’s keen to showcase its sports offering to Missourians and, especially, Chiefs fans. It’ll be a big year for the state’s premier NFL team, especially with Travis Kelce confirming that he’ll play despite his dip into brewing.
Indeed, the legendary tight end who has dazzled the nation with his dynamic play on the field has flipped some of his millions in earnings into powering up a craft beer producer. Garage Beer from Ohio won over the NFL star, so he and his brother, Jason, opted to become majority shareholders.
In Washington, the love of football is showcased often and in different ways. Late last year, that was put on show when Dru Bru and Savage Brewing came together to host a party with three Seattle Seahawks legends. Not only was the Party of Legends a blast, but Kam Chancellor, Lofa Tatupu, and Walter Jones all got their special beers.
While leagues apart in terms of the count of craft breweries, the approach to expanding the appeal of the beers in Missouri and Washington isn’t too dissimilar. Down the line, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a Missouri craft brewer bring in the likes of Patrick Mahomes or Chris Jones for an event with special brews in their honor.
