By Pete Dulin
Kansas City Bier Company and Rizoma Liquid Creations release their collaboration beer Neoxmexicanus Wit on Tuesday, March 19, 3 pm, at KC Bier Co., 310 W. 79 St. Available on draught and in six-pack bottles to go, the limited-release beer combines classic German brewing techniques with flavor inspired by Hispanic tradition.
The beer’s name refers to native neoxmexicanus hops that grow in the Southwest desert and acknowledges Hispanic heritage. Hops are an essential ingredient in all beer that adds bitterness, flavor, and aroma to varying degrees.
Rizoma Liquid Creations founder and brewer Damon Arredondo chose to use this distinctive hop in wit, a style in German and Belgian brewing known for its floral aromatics and hint of herbal spice. Unlike a traditional wit, this version does not use orange peel or coriander to contribute those sensory characteristics. Instead, Arredondo chose German malt and the New Mexico hop to develop a beer that honors Hispanic culture and takes the European beer style in a fresh direction.
“Wit is a good gateway style that works well for people who don’t generally drink craft beer,” says Arredondo. “I wanted to play with a recipe that I have had great success with at previous breweries. I want to eventually have a wit as a possible flagship beer for Rizoma.”
Arredondo established Rizoma as a Latinx-focused brewing concept and brewery in planning. As Kansas City’s first Hispanic beer company, he has collaborated with established area breweries to produce and launch beers such as Latin American Ale El Sol and Amber Ale La Luna.
Regarding the beer’s cultural ties, Rizoma creative director Edwing Mendez says, “Neomexicanus has been here for half a million years before European colonization. Latin identity is a constant push and pull between European and Native American roots. So a German wit brewed with a hop from the American Southwest might be an unlikely mixture. As Latinos, we are a weird mixture too and that’s something we learn to embrace.”
For Neoxmexicanus Wit, the collaborators tapped into KC Bier’s large-scale production capacity and German-inspired brewing expertise complemented by Arredondo’s craft brewing experience and creative vision.
“I really aim as a brewer for drinkability and consistency which is what KC Bier is best at,” says Arredondo.
KC Bier Company’s staff knew about Rizoma’s emergence as a brewery concept and were already eager to work with Arredondo when he contacted the Waldo-based brewery.
The collaboration offered an exciting opportunity “to help uplift minority voices in the brewing community, who are so underrepresented,” says KC Bier Co. marketing manager Katie Camlin.
“We brewed a 15-barrel batch, so it will be roughly forty cases of beer. It will likely be available beyond release day, but we can’t guarantee for how long,” adds Camlin.
The launch event features a vibrant atmosphere with food specials, music by the local reggaeton/hip-hop duo Sin Tope from 6-7:30 PM, and the chance to meet the creative minds behind Rizoma Liquid Creations. A portion of proceeds from the beer’s sales will be donated to the Latinx Education Collaborative, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the representation of Latinx professionals in K-12 education.
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