The Monarch in the Press

2. THE SHOPPING

No trip to Kansas City is complete without shopping at Country Club Plaza. You'll find everything
from high-end labels like Tiffany & Co., Kate Spade and Burberry to J. Crew and Urban Outfitters.
Looking for the perfect addition to your home? Stop by Williams-Sonoma or West Elm.
3. THE COCKTAILS

Once you've throughly shopped 'til you dropped, get refreshed with "The Raven" cocktail at The
Monarch Bar. Based off Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem, it's concocted with Four Square (the
world’s best) Criterion rum, roasted pineapple Campari, freshly squeezed lime-tangerine juice and
barrel-aged Demerara Gomme. This $32 cocktail is available exclusively via reservation at The
Monarch Bar’s intimate Parlour Room.

If the sleek, high-end design has you craving more, The Monarch Bar also offers seasonal small plates
such as Negroni Cured Lox, unique desserts and Osetra Caviar service. Beauty by design. Polish without
pretension. Seamless, classic service. Intimate, inviting and highly social. This is The Monarch.

4. THE THEATER

Located in the Power & Light District, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland has hosted well-known
artists since 1927. The best part? You can rent a loge suite on their exclusive loge level balcony
and watch your favorite show from the comfort of your premium, plush seat with up to 12 guests.
5. THE ARCHITECTURE

Founded in the 1850s at the confluence of the Missouri and Kaw rivers, Kansas City includes major
works by many of the world's most distinguished architects and is widely known as one of the 10
best examples of art deco architecture in the United States. Municipal Auditorium, the Kansas City
Power and Light Building, and Jackson County Courthouse have all been called "three of the
nation's Art Deco treasures." Today, One Kansas City Place, is the tallest building in Missouri.

December 20, 2017
Circulation: 23,300

@Tripveel | Instagram

We’re feeling quite smitten over “The Raven”—Concocted with Four Square (the world’s best) Criterion
rum, roasted pineapple Campari, freshly squeezed lime-tangerine juice + barrel-aged Demerara Gomme.
Based off Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, this $32 cocktail is available exclusively via reservation at
@TheMonarchBarKC’s intimate Parlour Room.

January 25, 2018
Circulation: 65,000

Bar Talk: Center Stage in KC

Alia Akkam

Brock Schulte oversees the cocktailing at newcomer The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge, which
positions itself as “a social setting for the cocktail curious and drinks connoisseur.”

Beverage Media Group: You worked at the Rieger, a place that has significantly shaped Kansas
City’s drink culture. What was one of your most important takeaways?

Brock Schulte: Learning that the guest may not always be right but they can leave your establishment
feeling like they had the right answer the whole time.

BMG: What do you want The Monarch to bring to the city’s cocktail scene?

BS: We wanted a vast bar program, with bartenders always the center of the show. The menu is
organized around the different migratory paths of monarch butterflies, so anyone unsure of where to
start can simply pick a path to try spirits and flavors from that part of the world.

BMG: One of The Monarch’s highlights is the Bar Cart, featuring half a dozen renditions of the Negroni.
What inspired that?

BS: My favorite experience in bars is sitting in front of the bartender. It’s something special to watch
them juggle, taking care of guests and tickets all the while maintaining their station. The Bar Cart was
meant to bring a bartender to the guest.

BMG: Bars have become decidedly more democratic in recent years. Is The Monarch’s private,
invitation-only lair Parlour an attempt to bring something exclusive back into the mix?

BS: In the 18th and 19th centuries, a parlor room was where one would enjoy the comforts of life and
company of guests in their own home. We designed the main bar based off a living room, so it was
natural that with wanting to curate a vintage and rare spirit selection we build that idea around a parlor.
In that respect it’s exclusive.

BMG: The design of the space encourages openness. Does that mirror your approach to hospitality?

BS: It is inevitable that not everyone who walks through the door of a bar has had a good day or is
looking to have a good time, but if you are respectful and cognizant of their boundaries, and acquiesce
to their needs, they can still leave happy.

“This cocktail is basically a Black Manhattan with a whiskey drinker’s rum for a backbone. The key is
balancing layers of smoke, from the inherent smokiness in arrack to the slight peat notes in the
Scotch.”
From Jura to Java
Ingredients:
½ oz Jura Superstition Single Malt Scotch Whisky
1 oz Foursquare 2004 Single Blended Rum
¾ oz Batavia Arrack
¾ oz Lazzaroni Amaro
2 dashes The Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters
Method: Stir all ingredients. Serve over a large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass. Express lemon
peel on rim and discard. At The Monarch, the garnish includes a black garlic financier.

October 23, 2017
Circulation: 13,561

The Monarch Bar Takes Flight in Kansas City with a Double-Smoked Cocktail

Amy Cavanaugh

Kansas City has a thing for monarch butterflies. Huge numbers of the butterflies migrate through Kansas
City each fall on their way to Mexico, and the name is attached to a coffee shop, Monarch Coffee; a former
baseball team, Kansas City Monarchs; and The Monarch Bar, a cocktail bar that opened this summer. Led
by Bar Manager Brock Schulte (The Rieger), the menu gets inspiration from the butterfly migration, as each
section traces various flight paths and uses that geography to inspire the “flavors and seasonality” of the
ingredients in each cocktail.
One cocktail representing the Heartland Path, which includes the Kansas City region, is Silver Dollars and
Half Light Skies, made with applewood-smoked J. Rieger & Co. Whiskey, Yunnan black tea-infused
Tabacal Rancio, barrel-aged cream soda reduction and No. 22 Boondock bitters. The drink uses multiple
ingredients from the area, and is presented with a sugar disc across the top of the glass that traps smoke
in the glass. Upon service, Schulte breaks the sugar with a tiny hammer so it shatters into the drink and the
smoke wafts across the bar. He spoke with us about how it comes together, his perspective on cocktails,
and the ingredients he's excited about now.

What’s your drink-making philosophy?

Personally, I think that if you’re coming up with a
brand new cocktail, you’re kind of crazy. People
have been making cocktails for the last 250 to
300 years, and punch even longer; to say you’re
going to make a brand new cocktail that nobody
has ever had before is insane to me. I think that
you can change cocktails or do different
techniques to make a cocktail yours. I believe
you should have some type of cocktail in mind,
whether it’s a Manhattan or Collins, or old
fashioned, a jungle bird. Is it tiki, is it stirred?
From there, we try to incorporate seasonality or
the type of spirits we want to use. From there on,
it’s really about texture. Once we have a
balanced cocktail, we’re going to try to alter the
texture at least once, to give the impression of
layers of flavor that aren’t there, or add layers of
flavor that you couldn’t get before, such as the
smoke on top of the Silver Dollars and Half Light
Skies. The smoke on top is to give that three-
square-foot area around the glass barbecue
smoke. But also, as the sugar falls into the glass,
it melts into the cocktail, so as it warms up, the
cocktail becomes thicker. Other texture things
we use are fat washing, carbonation, aquafaba
instead of egg whites, the list goes on. Basically,
we try to add as many layers of flavor and
different textures as we can without making the
cocktail seem silly or have a thousand
ingredients in it.

How did the Silver Dollars and Half Light Skies come together?
In Kansas City culture, smoked liquor has always been super popular. We have a few different smoked
liquors on the menu. Applewood-smoked whiskey is one of my favorite flavors. It’s a sweeter smoke, so it’s
hard to overdo. With hickory or cedar, over-smoking makes it unpalatable. So this cocktail is good for
anyone who likes Manhattan-style cocktails or anyone who wants to try a smoked cocktail for the first time
because it can be light or heavy depending on how much smoke we put on top. We pre-smoke the entire
cocktail beforehand, and the garnish is fresh applewood smoke that we trap with the isomalt glass on top.
Julie Ohno, who works at the Rieger, makes No. 22 Boondock bitters, which are toasted pecan and walnut.
Because we use J. Rieger & Co. Kansas City whiskey, which has two percent 15-year oloroso sherry added
to it, I wanted to play off that sherry a little more, so instead of vermouth, I use rancio. It doesn't have overly
amontillado sherry-like flavors, but it’s really rich with a nice body. I infuse it with Yunnan black tea, which
lightens it up a bit. It brings everything together, including the sherry finish on the whiskey and toasted
walnut and pecan bitters.

The sugar glass across the top traps the smoke, and you mentioned that it also changes the texture of the
drink. How do you make it?
We were just making basic hard candy, but that’s a little tougher to regulate. So I talked to a pastry chef
here and he turned me onto isomalt. Basically, you have to have a sugar and an inverted sugar to create
what we’re trying to do, and isomalt is an inverted sugar that allows us to make these way faster and more
consistent. [The sugar] makes the drink just a touch sweeter. It would have to sit there for a long time to
notice a lot of sweetness. We serve the drink neat and as it warms up, the sweetness kind of dies a little
since bitter flavors can come out. It becomes a little bolder; now that the smoke is all gone away, the smoke
in the cocktail plays a bigger part.

What’s an ingredient or spirit that you’re really into right now?

I really enjoy black garlic. We have black garlic in the Wobbly Line
[which is made with three different styles of rum and madeira]. I first
tried black garlic in an aïoli with a Wagyu steak at the American… I was
really confounded by it and loved how deep and umami and rich and
salty and savory it was. I tried to put it in cocktails for a year and a half
and failed. I went back to the original way he served it, as an aïoli. An
aïoli is rich in oil, so fat. I was thinking, 'What do I like to use that’s rich
in fat?' Greek yogurt kind of dinged. So I tried it and it was delicious. If
you think about sour-style cocktails and add cream or milk to it, it would
make it richer. It wasn’t too far a stretch to use yogurt. I garnish the
drink with black lemon, which we grate over the top. I really like citrus
ash in cocktails. It’s sustainable—we use the fruit for peels for a garnish
then juice it and put the juiced hull in the oven at 400 degrees for an
hour. It completely burns out and then we put it into a Vitamix and get
this nice citrus ash that’s super fragrant. You can do it with Buddha’s
hand, grapefruit, Meyer lemon, key limes. You can use anything with a
rich oil content that won’t bake away but will concentrate.

January 2, 2017
Circulation: 80,000
New Cocktail Trends Certain to Take Off in 2018

Audarshia Townsend

There’s one thing you can say for certain about cocktail culture: It never gets old. Coast to coast, talented
bartenders constantly seek inventive new ways to punch up classics as well as improve techniques for
efficiency’s sake.

In 2018, get ready for an influx of new trends, a few of which have been utilized at some of the country’s
top specialty cocktail bars. The Monarch, for example, has been wowing guests since debuting last summer
in Kansas City, Mo.

At the helm of this ultra-glam watering hole is bar manager Brock Schulte, who’s credited as a major
influence on the city’s cocktail culture scene. He’s garnered all sorts of accolades, from making it to the
finals in the Diageo World Class Competition (2015) to winning the Paris of the Plains national bartending
competition (2016).

For Schulte, whose expansive menu at The Monarch spans the globe, classic cocktails serve as a guide
and inspiration for new elixirs. He’s a fan of the new crop of aged rums on the market, particularly when
they’re applied in non-traditional fashion. He’s especially fond of the Barbados-based Foursquare rum.

“PEOPLE ARE FINALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT DRINKING PLAYS INTO A MEAL OR A
NIGHT OUT INSTEAD OF A MEANS TO AN END. THIS IS A MORE MATURE, EDUCATED WAY
TO APPROACHING ALCOHOL.”
- DANIEL SABO, BEVERAGE DIRECTOR THE HOTEL FIGUEROA (LOS ANGELES)

“It’s a whiskey drinker’s rum,” Schulte explains. “It’s barrel aged. It’s rich. It is dark. It’s a little bit higher
proof. It’s easier to mix in a Manhattan or El Presidente-style cocktails.” He also features Foursquare in a
few tiki-style cocktails on draft, including his version of the classic Planter’s Punch.

That’s already, of course, a potent drink with three different rums, but Schulte says adding the barrel-aged
Foursquare gives it depth, thus modernizing it. The Monarch’s Planter’s Punch also contains offbeat
ingredients, including house-made tepache (a fermented beverage made from the peel and rind of
pineapples), banana mango-chile de arbol and Crane Brewing Seasonal Gose for “a bit of acidity,” explains
Schulte.

As a dedicated coffee drinker, Schulte frequents Kansas City’s trendiest coffeehouses. Naturally, he’s
onboard with the nitro (i.e., nitrogen infused) cold brew coffee movement that is all the rage with Millennials.
“I feel personally that cold brew is the most popular buzzword surrounding coffee,” he says, adding that the
trend inspired him to make his own creations—with booze. “I don’t like super acidic coffee and cold brews
are typically less tannic and less acidic. They tend to have a fruitier mouthfeel and flavor. When you put it
on nitro it is smooth and creamy and really, really good.”

The Monarch features several nitrogen-infused cocktails, which Schulte, which Schulte also describes as
“rich and smooth and creamy.”

“The nitrogen bubbles are much like the texture of a Guinness, compared to a Miller High Life,” he
describes. His favorite cold brew cocktail contains vanilla-infused Buffalo Trace bourbon, cold brew and a
bitter cream float.

Additional Trends to Watch in 2018:
Cocktails on Draft
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them because any bar that understands their value and able to execute
them well knows that you can get out so many drinks to so many people so much faster. And, as a bar
manager, you can maintain that consistency and make sure that each of those drinks is perfect. Those new
to the concept should do flat, stirred drinks before getting into anything that needs carbonation or agitation
before serving. I highly recommend the Negroni, Manhattan, Boulevardier and Old Fashioned.”
– Daniel Sabo

Batching Spirits
“When we’re pumping through and working at such a high volume, it helps speed service while still
maintaining that quality that I expect. It’s mainly for efficiency and getting the drinks out, but it also saves
space so you don’t have all these individual spirits sitting in your well.”
– Ken Pritz, beverage director at River Roast (Chicago)

Low Alcohol By Volume (A.B.V.) Cocktails
“One of the things bartenders have struggled with concerning low A.B.V. cocktails is that people feel like
they’re not getting their money’s worth. There’s this idea that there must be a higher-proof spirit as the base
because customers want to ‘feel it.’ People are finally understanding that drinking plays into a meal or a
night out instead of a means to an end. This is a more mature, educated way to approaching alcohol.”
– Daniel Sabo

Non-alcoloholic Beverages
“We are a family restaurant and we wanted to offer something the entire family could participate in. We
launched flavored limeades, a traditional Brazilian non-alcoholic drink, in mango, strawberry and passion
fruit. We add purees of strawberries, mangoes and passion fruits. They’re freshly made and non-
carbonated.”
– Rodrigo Davila, director of wine and spirits for Texas de Brazil



December 22, 2017
Circulation: 50,000

The Monarch Winter Cocktails | Design & Local Ingredients Inspire 2018

The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge! Zagat just named Kansas City as one of the most exciting food and
drinks scenes to follow. We’re thrilled to have contributed to the “buzz” and are happy to share our winter
menu, as well as new drinks and interior images.
Designed by globally renowned Architect David Manica in collaboration
with a creative bar team led by Bar Manager Brock Schulte, The Monarch
opened in late August 2017 and is Manica’s first cocktail bar (other
projects include the Las Vegas NFL Stadium and the new home of the
SF Warriors at the San Diego Convention Center).
Our winter food and cocktail creations include a full pairing menu
designed by Schulte and Executive Chef Theresia Ota to provide a range
of stylish options from Negroni-cured lox to winter warmers. Our new fireside cocktails are inspired by the
chic, library lounge and fireplace. Highlights from the cocktail list include the Harvest (imprinted with a
custom arbor stamp), Dreams of Iliad (a twist on a French 75, pomegranate reduction and framboise), and
the Brocksop Cider (an all-local drink, made with Earl Grey-infused Rieger’s KC Vodka, St. Louis’ Big “O”
Ginger Liqueur, and Louisburg Apple Cider). More details on the winter menus, cocktails and design can
be found in the links below.
Winter Main Menu: Here (Fireside Cocktails, on page 20)
Winter Parlour Menu: Here
Winter Food Menu: Here
Winter Cocktail and Food Images: Here
The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge Interiors: Here

September 5, 2017
Circulation: 1,750,000

Fall food trends: From Jura to Java and miso-corn soup

Dave Eckert

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If your summer was so busy that you didn't have a chance to keep up with the latest
trends in KC cuisine, don't worry, Fox 4 food scout Stewart Lane has you covered. From cocktails to soup,
Lane looks at what local restaurants are doing to to change their flavors for fall.
From Jura to Java
Ingredients:
.5 Jura Superstition Single Malt Scotch Whisky
1 oz Foursquare 2004 Single Blended Rum
.75 oz Batavia Arrack
.75 oz Lazzaroni amaro
2 dashes Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters
Directions:
Stirred, Served on a large cube, Expressed Lemon oil and discard

















August 25, 2017
Circulation: 10,000

Jazz History Tour & Other Weekend Possibilities

Jonathan Bender

The Jazz History Tour ($25) begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Chuck Haddix leads the walking tour in two parts
that revolve around spots that were instrumental in jazz icon Charlie Parker’s life. There’s also a 2 p.m.
chicken feed featuring fried chicken, Parker’s favorite food, at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage
Center.

The Lawrence Beer Co. (826 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence, Kansas) hosts its opening night party tonight at
5 p.m. It features a concert by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and a collaboration beer made with Ska Brewing
in the Warehouse Arts District.

The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge’s grand opening at 4808 Roanoke Parkway is tonight at 5 p.m. You’ll
find mixologist Kenny Cohrs behind the bar, and Theresia Ota is the executive chef. Both were most recently
at Jax, the seafood restaurant just next door. The drink menu is a mix of classic, like signature Negroni,
and inventive, like Kansas City Ice Water (a carbonated gin cocktail on draft). There are also bar bites, a
lobster summer roll, caviar service and boozy ice cream sandwiches.

The Roasterie will open its doors today at the Lenexa Public Market (8750 Penrose Lane, Lenexa, Kansas).
The new food hall in the Lenexa City Center will hold its grand opening Sept. 1. and counts Chewology, a
dumpling shop; Foo’s Fabulous Cafe, Marilyn’s Mad Treats, and Topp’d Pizza among its tenants.

Roost Market is a craft shopping event with cocktails, Boulevard beer, and makers on Saturday and Sunday
at Union Station. On the food side, look for Strongwater (shrubs and bitters) and Jojo’s Sriracha out of
Denver. Tickets are $7 and good for both days. It’s free for kids under 12 years old.

The Arts & Crafts Film Fest is in full swing this weekend at the Screenland Armour. Consider checking out
“Another Wolfcop,” which stars an alcoholic werewolf cop. That’s not a typo. The movie runs Saturday at
9:50 p.m.

Speak Sandwiches (1000 W. 25th St.) and its sister company Uncommon Stock are slated to close this
Saturday. The sandwich shop and soup company are co-owned by Todd Schulte and Tracy Zinn, who also
own and operate the Genessee Royale Bistro. You should strongly consider a pastrami sandwich before
that happens.

August 24, 2017
Circulation: 1,050,000

The Monarch holds public grand opening Friday

The Monarch is aspiring to be a world-class setting for the cocktail-curious and the drink connoisseur. Bar
manager, Brock Schulte and executive chef, Theresia Ota talks about how they are teaming up with
Manica Architecture and the Kansas Art Institute to help Children’s Mercy.

The Monarch/Children’s Mercy Butterfly Project is Friday, August 25 at 5p.m.

August 21, 2017
Circulation: 13,100,000
Metamorphosis complete: High-end cocktail bar The Monarch opens
Adam Vogler
The Monarch Cocktail Bar and Lounge hopes to bring a world-class cocktail experience to the Country
Club Plaza.
The vision of Kansas City architect David Manica has a soft opening Monday with a grand opening
planned for Friday.
Drinks at the bar, 4808 Roanoke Parkway, are inspired by the migratory patterns of the monarch butterfly.
Check out the accompanying slide show to see Manica's creation emerge.



August 21, 2017
Circulation: 140,000

What happens inside the luxury-minded Monarch — opening today on the Plaza — may well affect
KC’s whole cocktail scene
April Fleming

The Monarch is not coy about its extravagance. The new bar — nestled between the rich Polsinelli building
and the Plaza-posh Jax Fish and Oyster House — basks in its own gilded-lily glow, from the showpiece
terrace outside to the Italian-marble centerpiece bar indoors to the 1,500 handmade plexiglass butterflies
that hover overhead. Set to open August 21, following months of insider conversation, thanks to the names
behind it, the Monarch is meant to be KC’s first true luxury drinking establishment — luxury price tags
included.

The bar is the vision of local architect David Manica, known internationally for his work designing large-
scale projects such as the VTB Arena Park in Moscow and the new Chase Center in San Francisco, which
will be home to the Golden State Warriors starting in 2019. He has said that, as his job took him abroad,
he would return to KC remembering the high-end bars he’d visited in Europe and Asia. About a year and a
half ago, he decided to design and build his own. In a kind of reciprocity with the tony destinations that
inspired it, the Monarch’s fanciest fancy is its hyper-masculine private room. The Parlor, as it’s called, will
serve vintage and rare spirits and wines (along with the bar’s regular menu) to high-rollers — “ballplayers
and dignitaries,” Monarch folks say, with little discernible irony — who arrive via a private entrance.
Internationally renowned bartenders, Manica says, will be flown in for special engagements.

In that space and in the main room, Monarch’s pristine design is also surprisingly practical. For example,
cocktail servers will not ring in tickets to be filled at that big marble bar. A separate, mostly unseen prep
area — Monarch calls it a “remote service well” — is where cocktails are mixed for patrons sitting anywhere
but the bar. This is supposed to free up the bartenders on the floor to focus on service and showmanship
for the customers directly in front of them.

That notion comes courtesy of Monarch’s formidably experienced bar and management team, Liquid
Minded Concepts, whose partnership with Manica was announced in April. (Manica retains majority
ownership.) Liquid Minded Concepts is an all-star squad of KC cocktail players, including Brock Schulte
(formerly of the Rieger), serving here as bar director; Kenny Cohrs (Jax and Manifesto), Monarch’s
hospitality director; and Mark Church (Grünauer and Julian), the general manager. LMC’s Brandon

Cummins has also been working as a consultant. “Mark, Brock and I have all been part of teams opening
spaces,” Cohrs says, “but we’ve been here since this was a concrete box.”

In addition to overseeing construction alongside Manica’s team, Schulte, Cohrs and Church have also
brought on another big-name talent to helm the kitchen: Theresia Ota, formerly of Jax Fish and Oyster
House. Ota, who left Jax in June, says she’d been planning to leave Kansas City because nothing here
aligned with her goals. Monarch changed her mind.

“I am so excited about this concept because I get to create a small, seasonal menu of food that I want to
eat, in a style that I like to eat,” says Ota, a native-born Hawaiian whose German- and Japanese-American
heritage further diversifies her culinary influences. Among other items, her menu will include tonno
arrabbiata (small, crispy risotto cakes with tuna tartare seasoned with lots of lemon, caper and calabrian
chile), quail Scotch eggs (a riff on the classic dish that substitutes hens’ eggs and uses pork belly in place
of sausage), and a caprese spiedini (essentially a caprese grilled cheese). The plan is for food prices to
generally stay at less than $20 a plate. (Cohrs describes the dishes as “napkin in hand” items. He says:
“Think of going to a great cocktail party in Mission Hills.”)

“It feels like the pressure and the eyes are on the cocktails,” Ota says. “The level that these cocktails are
bringing is serious. They don’t need serious food. I’m not trying to detract from the focus — I’m trying to
bring an element of play. Success for me will be seeing customers calling off their dinner reservations
elsewhere.”

The seriousness of the cocktails depends some on where you’re seated. In the main bar, you’ll see a menu
of approximately 40 cocktails, including four on draught and another four bottled and sealed with wax tops
(displaying, of course, the Monarch monogram). Schulte, Cohrs and Church mean for this broad selection
to showcase a variety of spirits, seasonal ingredients and preparations. Also in the main bar is a specialized
negroni cart — a tip of the cap from Schulte, Cohrs and Church to Manica, whose favorite drink is the
classic cocktail and who has talked about tableside drink service at bars he likes in West London. Expect
riffs on the negroni centering on a house version that runs its proprietary mix through an ultrasonic
homogenizer prior to serving. (This, the teams says, is KC’s first bar homogenizer; the idea, naturally, is to
achieve superdeluxe smoothness.)

If you’re on the terrace, you can order anything on the bar menu but also have three outside-only draught
options. The Watermelon Crawl, for example, features Russell’s 10-year Bourbon, Keemun tea syrup,
lemon, watermelon agrodolce, South African Chenin Blanc and mint. The Wanderlust Julep is a blend of
Appleton Signature, Château Arton Armagnac Fine Blanche, smoked Grand Marnier, cascara-infused Caffe
Amaro and Cinzano 1757.

Inside and out, Schulte says he’s excited about the Monarch Planter’s Punch, which returns the rum
punch to its Caribbean origins with Foursquare Rum 2004 and, among other ingredients, house-made
tepache and Crane Brewing Company’s Orange Gose.

Cocktails outside and in start at around $12 apiece, with most $15-$20. Spendy, perhaps, but a fire sale
compared with what can be had in the Parlor. Back there, people who love good booze and hate their
money can really let loose; cocktails start at $30 to $40 apiece, thanks to a generous use of rarer spirits
and wine. (You’re also paying for privacy and exclusivity.) “If someone wants Pappy van Winkle 20 and
we have it, that’s just what it goes for,” Cohrs says.

The Monarch will probably have it. Schulte, Cohrs and Church enjoy good relationships with an array of
suppliers, and among the Monarch’s vendors are distillers and vintners earmarked just for the Parlor.
“We have an opportunity to bring in something to KC that right now we can’t get,” Schulte says. The
results will reveal who in Kansas City, besides Manica himself, has been waiting — and saving up — for
a place like the Monarch.

August 21, 2017
Circulation: 180,000

Eclipse-related parties, Lawrence Beer Company's opening party is Friday, the
Monarch opening and more: your food and drink events: August 21-27

April Fleming

Monday, August 21

In big cocktail news, the Monarch Bar (4808 Roanoke Parkway) opens its doors today at 4 p.m. on the
Plaza. The luxury-minded cocktail bar features the combined efforts of architect David Manica, alongside
Liquid Minded concepts, itself helmed by well-known cocktail and hospitality specialists Brock Schulte,
Kenny Cohrs and Mark Church. Read more in our profile of the Monarch here, also featured in this
month's print version of our magazine.
And oh yes, the eclipse. Should you still be in the mood after all this hype, there are events all over town
to celebrate. Here are just a few offerings, diverse in location and in theme: a watch party with specials at
Bon Bon (804 Pennsylvania Street, Lawrence), a Founders Brewing company "Blackout" party at Barley's
Kitchen + Tap (11924 West 119th Street), a patio wine party at Belvoir Winery and Inn in Liberty (1325
Odd Fellows Road), a cheap pizza and beer party at Up Down (101 Southwest Boulevard), and an after
party at Bier Station (120 East Gregory Boulevard).
Thursday, August 24
Dog and cocktail lovers should head to Char Bar (4040 Pennsylvania Avenue) tonight from 5-11 p.m.
Tito's Vodka for Dog People and Char Bar are hosting a "Yappy Hour" benefiting KC Pet Project. Enjoy
complimentary Tito's dog swag, specialty cocktails and yard games.

Friday, August 25

Lawrence Beer Company (826 Pennsylvania Avenue) is having its opening day block party today
beginning at 5 p.m. The highly-anticipated restaurant itself (which will feature the talents of chef Ken
Baker, formerly of Pachamama's) will only be open with a limited menu for the event (it should be open
for full service within a couple of weeks), but look for some collaboration beers from Lawrence Beer
Company and other local breweries, food trucks and a performance by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance here.

Johnson County Community College Hospitality and Culinary Program (12345 College Bouleis hosting a
Harvest Dinner tonight featuring the talents of Calvin Davis of Freshwater, and chef Aaron Prater from
JCCC's hospitality program. The menu will be based on ingredients grown in the Culinary Institute's
campus farm. Tickets are $55 a person and $440 for a table of 8. $25 of the single ticket purchase and
$200 of a table purchase will benefit JCCC students. Purchase tickets here.

Screenland Armour (408 Armour Road) is hosting an Arts & Crafts Beer and Film Festival begins today
with its film festival; the beer festival is tomorrow, August 26 from 6-11 p.m. Participating breweries
include Crooked Stave, Founders Brewing Company, Stem Cider Company and Oskar Blues, among
many other local and national breweries. For more information on the films, participating breweries, arts
and music components, visit the festival's website; tickets are available here.

Saturday, August 26

Enjoy a Tequila Ocho dinner tonight at Webster House (1644 Wyandotte Street). The five-course meal
begins at 7 p.m.; all courses include a tequila cocktail or serving of neat tequila. Start off with Missouri figs
with mustard greens and a Green Dirt Farms fresh cheese flan with a chestnut honey vinaigrette. Next up
is a serving of crisp beef tongue with hominy and a huitloacoche mole, with pickled onions and blistered
peppers. The third course features Missouri bass served with smoked eggplant puree, garlic-glazed
potatoes and a tomato agrodolce, followed by a dish of pork belly with shoyu broth, purple stick rice and
varitel beans. Dessert is a bruleed foie gras torchon served with grilled pound cake, fermented beach and
blackberry caramel. The dinner is $65 a person. Call 816-221-4713 for reservations.

January 07, 2018
Circulation: 210,000

What does 2018 have in store for local food and drink? Chefs Carlos Falcon, Vaughn Good,
Theresia Ota and others weigh in
April Fleming

So 2017 was nobody’s idea of a good time politically. But at least the food was good. In fact, there seems
to be an inverse relationship between whatever’s going on in Washington (and in Jefferson City, and in
Topeka) and what goes on among KC’s chefs and mixologists. The past year gave us Lawrence Beer
Company, Messenger Coffee downtown, Swordfish Tom’s, the new Rye, Corvino Supper Club and Tasting
Room, the Mockingbird Lounge, the Monarch, Sully and Hank’s, Urban Café and Freshwater (here, then
gone, but soon to come back again). All feel essential now.

The good news keeps coming. Set to open in the new year: the resurrected Golden Ox, Jonathan Justus’
Black Dirt, the Myers Hotel, and the soon-to-come Crossroads location of Novel.

I asked some of KC and Lawrence’s brightest culinary minds what they loved about 2017, and what they’re
hungry for in 2018.

Theresia Ota, executive chef, the Monarch

The year really flew! I’m grateful for the continued excellence of restaurants like the Rieger and Novel, and
new kid on the block the Antler Room — congrats and love to all for their continued success and maintaining
a level of actual cuisine in KC! I’m also excited that Sam Hefter and Clark Grant are back on the Plaza. I
can’t wait to see what else they do, and to eat more of their food.

I absolutely loved Ça Va’s Sunday dinner series over the summer. Anakaren Ibarra of Happy Gillis did a
phenomenal dinner there on July 9. She did a regional Mexican braised pork in a yeast dough, steamed in
a corn husk that was basically the equivalent of Mexican bao buns — maybe the best and most memorable
thing I ate in KC in 2017.

There was also the bittersweet farewell to Julian (how I celebrated the Fourth of July). Then of course the
Monarch Bar opened.

Hands down the highlight of my year was participating in the Les Dames & Jazz event that chef Debbie
Gold and the American Restaurant hosted. What an honor to be included, and to have the time of my life
cooking alongside some of the best lady chefs in KC: Katee McLean, Remy Ayesh, Celina Tio, Renee Kelly,
Debbie Gold, Allison Reed, with special guest appearances from Abbey-Jo Eans and Anakaren Ibarra.

I am really looking forward to seeing how the political and social climates affect the restaurant industry in
KC. From a livable minimum wage, to realistic hours for salaried employees, to not tolerating sexism or
sexual harassment or sexual assault in the workplace — really every workplace, not just within the
restaurant industry. It feels like we are on the brink of real change for the better, and I look forward to being
an ally or a catalyst for that change.

Vaughn Good, owner, Hank Charcuterie

I have really enjoyed Brewery Emperial. I really like the vibe of the place — it’s somewhere I want to hang
out. They have good beer and a solid menu. The food is interesting, and I love that it comes from a wood-
burning hearth, which adds character to the food and makes the space smell awesome and inviting.

I’m looking forward to the Myers Hotel Bar reopening in Tonganoxie. It only just closed last summer, but
Kate Frick was able to purchase it and will be restoring the old hotel. She hopes to turn it into a music
venue, coffee shop and bar. It was a great bar, and the building has so much potential. I am very excited
to see what Kate will do.

Christina Corvino, co-owner (with Michael Corvino), Corvino Supper Club and Tasting Room

To be honest, since we opened in April we don’t go out too much! When we do, we stick to our favorites —
the Rieger, Ça Va, Novel, Bluestem.

We definitely see a growth in local family-owned farms — what they’re offering and the standards they set
with how they grow or raise their products. New farms that Michael is working with include Stirring Soil and
Woodland City. Working with the farmers to plan out what they will grow, based on what the chefs want to
cook with, is a really satisfying partnership to have. Additionally, our local heritage pigs were formerly being
shipped to the best restaurants in New York. Now, through a partnership between Arrowhead Meats,
Paradise Locker and specialized pork farmers, this incredible meat is available in KC.

Personally we’re looking forward to incredible growth in the Crossroads with the completion of multiple hotel
and condo and apartment buildings, along with the addition of more restaurants. Novel will be moving in
closer to us, and there are other cool restaurants on the horizon. Kansas City needs this area of
concentrated living spaces, businesses and chef-owned restaurants. A rising tide lifts all boats.

Carlos Falcon, owner and executive chef, Jarocho Pescados y Mariscos

It was shocking for me to learn that the American was closing — such a great institution. Obviously the
opening of Corvino soothed that feeling. He’s a great chef, and it’s a great restaurant. The Antler Room —
I’m a big, big fan. With the Rieger, we are seeing recognition on a national level. It’s good for all of us. Colby
and Megan [Garrelts, of Bluestem and Rye] continuing their great tradition by expanding their new [Rye]
location. I’m nothing but thankful for the year that we had. I’m so grateful to know all of these wonderful
people that work in this industry.

In 2018, I really want to complete this whole dream of mine of opening another location, completely
unrelated to seafood. I want to continue the Mexican tradition and do more elevated Mexican cuisine.
Hopefully we can move into the Crossroads to make this dream happen.

Joe West, owner, Kusshi

The Antler Room was my favorite restaurant of 2017 because the food is so good, the service is always
friendly and it’s like they have their own little world tucked away on Hospital Hill. I also love Corvino Supper
Club & Tasting Room — Michael does an amazing job with Asian flavors. It’s always super fresh, bright
and delicious. Columbus Park Ramen Shop and Shio are both doing great ramen, and I really want to see
the city embrace it more. I really enjoyed going to either one during the summer nights in KC.

When I had out-of-town guest chefs, they were so impressed with our city when I took them out for drinks
and snacks at places like Manifesto, SoT, Julep and Ça Va. With drinks on my mind, I have to say I had
some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had at Swordfish Tom’s. It’s incredible and such a chill place to hang
out. I’m thankful we have Broadway Butcher Shop. Stuart does a great job over there. Those hanger burgers
are insane.

In 2018, I look forward to taking more small road trips to Springfield, Columbia, Lawrence, Weston and
Omaha. Going a little out of the way makes it feel like you’re on vacation, and there’s some great food and
drink out there.

August 20, 2017
Circulation: 10,000

Sneak Peek: The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge Opens Aug. 21

Kate Baxendale

The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge debuts on the Country Club Plaza on Aug. 21. Owner and architect
David Manica, along with his expert team of bartenders and chefs, bring to life an elegant 3,500-square-
foot space. General Manager Mark Church, a seasoned bar industry veteran, manages all operations at
The Monarch.

The Main Bar, which is sculpted from imported Italian stone, seats 24 guests and has no back bar, allowing
for unobstructed views throughout the space. Overhead, 1,000 Monarch butterflies comprise the
chandelier, a partnership between Manica Architecture and Kansas City Art Institute graduate Nathan
Neufeld. The installation is made of laser-cut and kiln-formed material that reflects the ever-changing light
sequence from the ceiling. An additional 50 seats on banquettes encircle the room, with a fireplace on the
north side. On the south side of the Main Bar hangs a triptych by oil painter Aaron Norris. Norris painted
the hand-stretched canvases, which measure 5 feet by 9 feet each, with thick oils, using brushes and putty
knives to add dimension and texture.

A small inner bar and lounge known as The Parlour features a cocktail list exclusive to the room, along with
the rarest spirits and fine wines. The Parlour accommodates 15 guests and is equipped with a separate bar
and bartender. Cocktails are inspired by Aesop's fables, such as The Labourer and the Nightengale (Belle
Meade Cognac Cask, Blanton's The Original Single Barrel, Palo Cortado Sherry, vanilla brioche toast,
Champagne acid, Creme de violette), which is served in a single birdcage and a cup that can be played by
placing your mouth to the rim and blowing gently. The Parlour is by invitation and reservation only.

The glass-covered Monarch Terrace offers outdoor seating for up to 60 guests. This cozy area offers
beverages exclusive to the Terrace, such as the Iron Lion, the Watermelon Crawl and the Wanderlust Julep.
Each of these is available in large format, which serves up to four people.
Making its true debut in Kansas City, the bar cart has long been a staple of West London cocktail service.
Used at the bartenders' discretion, the bar cart is equipped with six handcrafted versions of the classic
Negroni. The cart also offers a wide variety of classic cocktails that may be stirred or thrown upon request.

The cocktail menu is inspired by the migratory patterns and flight paths of indigenous Monarch butterflies
from around the world. The cocktails reside along the regional flight paths from which the spirits, modifiers
and ingredients of each drink derive. The menu is divided into five sections: Mid-America ("through the
heartland"), the Pacific Coastlines ("the ring of fire"), the Atlantic Coast ("an Appalachian spring"),
Floribbean ("the easy life") and Trans-Atlantic Crossing ("the old world"). Guests can also choose from
"perfectly classic cocktails" like cosmopolitans, horsefeathers and mojitos. A generous selection of spirits,
wine and beer round out the drink menu. Bar manager Brock Schulte, along with bar consultant Brandon
Cummins of Liquid Minded Concepts, are the masterminds behind the bar.

Executive chef Theresia Ota has curated a selection of snacks, small plates and desserts, including
Caprese Spiedini, marinated olives, pigs in a blanket, and a boozy ice cream sandwich. Caviar service is
also offered. Both the food and cocktail menus will change seasonally.

A portion of the proceeds from the official grand opening on Aug. 25 will benefit Children's Mercy. The
Monarch will donate direct proceeds as well as 100 direct replicas of the butterflies from the chandelier in
the Main Bar. For more information and to purchase tickets to the grand opening, click here.

4808 Roanoke Parkway, Kansas City, Mo., (816) 437-7912, themonarchbar.com

October 6, 2017
Circulation: 10,000
A New Reign

Natalie Gallagher
The Monarch ushers in a new dynasty for Kansas City's cocktail culture

I feel like a different kind of person stepping into the Monarch. The elegant courtyard patio looks like it was
plucked from the pages of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I float through it before descending into the
below-street-level bar next to Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar on the Country Club Plaza.

The interior is divine, but that’s no surprise, given the expertise of architect owner David Manica of Manica
Architecture. There are plush jewel-toned seats, a pristine white marble bar and a show-stopping butterfly
chandelier. It all puts me in the mood to order elegant martinis — and there are plenty to be found on the
Monarch’s 60-drink menu.

There are also Tiki drinks, shim cocktails and — of course — an entire chapter dedicated to various riffs on
the classic Negroni.

I’ve never really been a Negroni girl, if I’m being honest. Campari, that gorgeous ruby-red Italian aperitif
that is the recipe’s backbone, has always been just a little too bitter and a little too thick for me; I’m reminded
too easily of cough syrup. But Bar Manager Brock Schulte gives me a wry, polite smile when I tell him this,
and he goes about preparing the drink I’ve come to see him for. Spoiler: It’s a Negroni.

Well, it’s a riff on a Negroni — Schulte calls it the Apollo. Instead of Campari, he’s using Aperol, Campari’s
sweeter, lighter cousin. He’s using a patchouli and oak moss-infused Aperol, to be exact. How does one
infuse such flavors into a liqueur? A lot of science, it turns out.

“I have an ultrasonic homogenizer,” Schulte says with a straight face. “It’s a machine that allows me to
create flavors filler, rounder and richer than they would be with just regular infusing. This uses high-
frequency ultrasonic waves. It’s used in chemistry to break open the cells in liquids.”

Bartending is another kind of chemistry, though, and one with broader appeal. In inventive infusions — like,
say, patchouli Aperol — the homogenizer makes it possible for Schulte and the rest of his team to have
several layers of flavor with one fluid texture.

The rest of the Monarch team, by the way, includes a lot of familiar faces. Schulte is one of the partners in
the bar, as is General Manager Mark Church and Hospitality Director Kenny Cohrs. These are also the
names behind the Kansas City beverage consulting agency Liquid Minded Concepts. With such star power
making the gears behind Monarch’s gleaming scene work, it’s no wonder the drinks impress.

Attention to detail is perhaps the most prevalent theme at the Monarch, which takes some inspiration from
local history — the Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's
Negro Leagues — and its namesake from the monarch butterfly.

“The monarch is a fantastic creature,” Schulte says. “It travels 3,000 miles a year, from Canada all the way
to central Mexico. They follow different migration paths all across the world. Their cousins on other
continents do the same thing; they make a 5,000-mile trip from the tip of northern China to Indonesia. We
start tracking these paths and taking not only spirits found and made along those routes, but also the
ingredients. What’s really been great about the menu is that we’ve been able to incorporate a worldwide
flavor that’s seasonal and unique to different areas. We’re having a lot of fun.”

The butterflies may travel widely, but Monarch patrons won’t have to migrate too far to find kindred spirits.
The 24-seat bar is designed so that guests can converse with each other from any vantage — even if
they’re sitting on opposite sides of the room. This is largely thanks to the storing of bottles and products
below the bar surface, rather than on racks in the center of the station.

“One of the most important things was the sense of community,” Schulte says. “Everyone’s sight line is very
clear. We wanted to create an experience between guests that is unique here.”

As he says this, Schulte pours a sunset-colored liquid into a rocks glass and over a large ice cube. He takes
a heavy stamp and presses it onto the cube; it leaves a butterfly imprint.

Of all the cocktails at the Monarch, this may be the simplest presentation (trust me — there’s one drink that
comes garnished with a cupcake). But the Apollo is anything but simple; I feel like I’m sipping on a secret
garden, something wild that’s flourished on a sunny patch of earth somewhere along the Adriatic. The
Apollo may be a riff on an old classic, but it’s made a true believer out of me. Maybe I’m a Negroni girl, after
all.

4808 Roanoke Parkway, Kansas City, Mo., (816) 437-7912, themonarchbar.com

ANATOMY

The classic Negroni is an Italian cocktail composed of equal parts gin, Campari and red vermouth. It’s
named after Count Camillo Negroni, who ordered this drink — itself a variation on the classic Americano
cocktail — from a bartender in 1919.

Strong: Gin has always been the strongest element in the Negroni, making it a powerful — and powerfully
boozy — cocktail. In the Apollo, Schulte instead uses a house-made aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit similar
to gin, and enhanced with cardamom, caraway and bronze fennel.

Bitter: Campari and the Negroni go together like brunch and mimosas, but in the Apollo, Aperol, an Italian
orange liqueur, provides a softer alternative. Schulte infuses Aperol with patchouli and oak moss, which
works even when it sounds like it shouldn’t.

Sweet: A traditional Negroni uses a sweet red vermouth, but Schulte uses two: a delicate floral domestic
from Imbue in Oregon and another called Dopo Teatro from Italian spirit powerhouse Cocchi. There’s also
a white Italian bitter liqueur from Luxardo. These give the drink added depth and flavor.

August 17, 2017
Circulation: 10,289
Social Post | Ink KC Magazine Instagram Story





August 17, 2017
Circulation: 1,000

Social Post | @msbloch

Behold the @themonarchbarkc. Main bar, parlour room, and terrace. From branded ice cubes and an old-
fashioned cart, to a private room, creative cocktails, a nicely curated wine list and small plates, they have
thought of everything. Even the bathrooms are stunning!

December 21, 2017
Circulation: 5,400,000

Zagat names Kansas City one of America’s ‘exciting food’ cities

Joyce Smith

Kansas City is on Zagat’s new list of the “30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America 2017” — but just barely.
It ranked No. 28, just ahead of Baltimore and Asheville, N.C.
Zagat said: “Kansas City has had quite the year. After garnering five James Beard nominations, the oft-
overlooked Missouri metropolis took home some major awards: The Rieger Hotel’s subterranean Manifesto
added Outstanding Bar Program to its list of accolades, fine-dining destination Bluestem, helmed by French
Laundry vet Andrew Longres, picked up an Outstanding Restaurant nod (as well as a Zagat 30 Under 30
National honor for bar manager Andrew Olsen); Best Chef: Midwest went to Patrick Ryan of Port Fonda
fame.
“Other noteworthy openings included world-class cocktail bars like the epically swank Monarch Bar and
Swordfish Tom’s, a speakeasy-style cocktail den from seasoned barkeep Jill Cockson; EJ’s Urban Eatery,
a hit meat-and-three by chef John Cedric Smith, who cut his teeth at Tom Colicchio’s Craft in NYC; and ex
American Restaurant executive chef Michael Corvino’s highly regarded brasseries and music venue,
Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room.
“And with new places opening every month, KC is moving away from its rep as a BBQ mecca and into the
spotlight as one of America’s most exciting up-and-comers.”
Zagat, which collects and analyzes ratings and reviews from diners across the country, said chefs from
cities like New York and Chicago are moving to smaller markets, spurring growth. It looked at the number
of new openings, award recognitions and national media attention in selecting the top 30 cities. Los Angeles
was No. 1 on the list, followed by Austin, Texas.









August 16, 2017
Circulation: 50,000

Chow Town Live at The Monarch

Jill Silva

Jill Silva hosts Chow Town Facebook Live from The Monarch. I'll talk with architect David Manica about his
vision for this extraordinary space opening next week. I'll also get a first taste of cocktails and food. (Yes,
the ice is embossed and there's a bar cart....) You don't want to miss this.