By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
June 3, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Spirits will soon be high at the City Market.

Because of the success local wineries have experienced success selling their product at the City Market, city officials are going to expand the ordinance to include distilled spirits and micro-brewery beverages to be sold by authorized vendors.

At recent city meetings — the Public Safety Committee meeting and city council meeting — council members unanimously approved the ordinance that would allow distilled spirits or micro-brewery beverage manufacturers with a Missouri retail liquor-by-the-drink license to apply for and receive a caterer’s permit to sell their own products at the City Market. Vendors would be allowed to sell only the type of alcohol that they manufacture. This provides an opportunity to those who reside in or around Kansas City to purchase locally manufactured spirits and micro-brews.

On July 10, 2014, a similar ordinance was passed which now allows an authorized vendor to sell wine at a leased space at the City Market, 20 W. Fifth St. Jim Ready, manager of the city’s Regulated Industries division said the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Advisory Group supported the idea and suggested it be expanded as a logical extension. The changes only apply to the City Market.

Council member Scott Taylor, who represents the Sixth District, noted this ordinance change provides more flexibility for local businesses, and because of that, creates a thriving market not just at the City Market, but in other areas of the city such as Waldo with KC Beir Company and the Martin City Brewing Company in south Kansas City.

“Providing this kind of flexibility is important,” Taylor said. “I appreciate the inclusion of this. A couple of times we’ve amended our ordinances to make it easier for microbreweries to start within city limits. This simple change will make it easier for a company to start small and hopefully expand into a microbrewery.”

The ordinance will go into effect by the end of the month.