By Colette Panchot
Transparent Brewing Company and The Chive Simply Good Café & Market will be holding their first ArtFest featuring local artists and live music on Saturday, October 1, from 10 am to closing. Live Music begins at 11 am. The two businesses share the same space in the southern tip of Grandview, off 150 Hwy.
Visual artists include John Knell, Mark Freeman, Aimee Fresia, Jerry Hirt, BJ Bringham-Tripp, and Amy Brown. Musicians include Miki P, Rich Hill, Greg Martin, Jared & Jolynn, and Laura Fotovich. The event is free.
Transparent Brewery and The Chive are a destination for handcrafted beer, locally sourced cuisine, and outdoor fun for all ages and their pets. Located at 14501 White Avenue, across from Gail’s Powersports in Grandview, the custom-built complex is a joint effort of the mother-son duo of Michelle Brown and Nolan Brown. A large green space with a dog park and picnic tables, as well as a rotating exhibit of local art inside, sets the tone for a casual foodie and brewery-hopping experience.
“We have developed a real community here, and people appreciate that we don’t serve your everyday bar food,” says Michelle, who owns The Chive. She sources food grown by local farmers and from her own garden to create seasonal pairings with Nolan’s 10 tap beers. For example, the leaner ‘bison biker burger’, sourced from KC Buffalo Company in Belton, pairs well with Plain Jane, an ordinary-bitter-style beer. She and her culinary team prepare 95 percent of the food from scratch, including soups, breads, desserts, and made-to-order sodas.
Michelle Brown attended the Hospitality and Culinary Arts program at Johnson County Community College and honed her craft at Chez Panisse, the renowned restaurant of Alice Waters, the founder of the organic farm-to-table movement. The Chive’s seasonal creations depend on the availability of fresh produce, so customers regularly choose from new menu options. The downside is that their favorites may not always be available. Each month, the chefs prepare a food-and-beer-pairing dinner for a group of 10 to 20. A recent Paella Party concluded with homemade smores over a fire pit.
As lead brewer and owner of the microbrewery, Nolan applies his degree in biology with a minor in chemistry to the creative art of brewing beer. He honed his craft at microbreweries and national brands before opening Transparent Brewing Company in 2020.
“We offer a really diverse tap list, from a Kolsch to a Baltic Porter,” says Nolan. He brews most of his beer styles with less than 7% alcohol by volume so that his customers can enjoy more beer styles and still get home safely.
He chose the name transparent for his brewery based on his commitment to educating his customers. The company’s website even features home-brew conversion recipes. More beer lovers will be able to try Nolan’s creations since four of his beers are now distributed in Missouri. They include Sock Hop, a seasonal vanilla cream ale; Kickstand, a Kolsch; Oui Bit Fancy, a French Saison; and Lucent Galaxies, a pale ale.
The Green Restaurant Association has awarded The Chive a Level 1 certification for its environmental accomplishments and sustainability practices. The Chive Box eliminates packaging by using reusable containers, for example, and their building is built of recyclable materials.
Michelle and Nolan sponsor many outdoor events including their first ArtFest 2022 .
The Chive serves breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, and lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday. The brewery is open every day except Monday. Online orders for food or beer are available for pick-up. The brewery’s temporary hours are listed on their website, transparentbrewingcompany.com. The Chive’s temporary hours are also on their website, thechivesimplygood.com.