When I shot this photograph of The Big Rip Brewing Company co-owner and head brewer Bri Burrows in May of 2019, I didn’t know the importance of the image. Burrows and guest brewer Damon Arredondo worked on a collaboration beer that day. I visited and chatted about industry news, just another day in the brewhouse. Fast forward six years later. Big Rip closed on July 26, 2025, ending its 12-year run. The photograph reminded me: Writing about history both documents and provides context to the story of people and the times they lived in, a main goal of Barons, Brewers, and Bootleggers: A Social History of Beer in Missouri.
The Big Rip Brewing Company founders Josh Collins and Kipp Feldt broke ground in KC by opening a neighborhood-style craft brewery and taproom with a two-barrel brewhouse. Based in North Kansas City, Big Rip was the first modern craft brewery to open in Greater Kansas City. Several dozens followed over the next 15 years. Big Rip was a launch pad for home brewers like Bri and other people in the industry. No one knew where craft brewing might lead in KC, but Big Rip helped to build and nurture the community.
Hired in 2016, Bri Burrows worked her way up at Big Rip from bartender to assistant brewer. By 2019, Burrows advanced to head brewer and a year later became one of four co-owners as Collins and Feldt divested themselves of ownership.
In Barons, Brewers, and Bootleggers, I devote a chapter to the story of Big Rip. I interviewed Bri, conducted research, and wrote the chapter in early 2024, one of the first written for the book. At the time, we had no idea about the future status of the brewery. Big Rip’s role as a foundation in Kansas City’s craft brewing community was important to document. More specifically, similar to other chapters, I focused on telling the story of a person – Bri Burrows.
Bri grew and excelled at her craft as a brewer. She also devoted herself a first-time business co-owner. Notably, Bri leaned into her identity openly as a woman and lesbian to guide Big Rip’s direction. Signaling that the brewery and taproom was a safe space for all was bold but necessary for her and others. Doing so created an inclusive destination for both the LGTBQ community and craft beer lovers from all walks of life. Bri, her mother and fellow co-owner Kathy Burrows, and staff worked hard to establish a welcoming place for everyone to gather and relax over craft beer and other beverages.
The brewery’s closure after 12 years in business left a gap in the city’s brewing scene. The regulars and community who gathered there have dispersed, leaving a void that won’t be replicated. The aftermath underscores the importance of marking a place and time and the people who made a difference; otherwise, memories become dust that scatters.
Instinctually, I knew that telling the story of Big Rip’s history and Bri’s role would matter when I began writing my book. Nothing and no one lasts forever. Remembering people, places, and events is only sustainable if stories are shared, moments documented in some form, and effort given to preserve the past and guide the future. Hopefully, the content and context of the chapter about Bri and Big Rip will resonate years from now.
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Book Update
Here’s an update about Barons, Brewers, and Bootleggers: A Social History of Beer in Missouri. I spent 18 months researching and writing the book throughout 2023-2025, working past personal and professional obstacles along the way. As noted in a previous post, I met my July 2025 deadline to submit the 82,000-plus word manuscript.
My editor spent about a month reading and reviewing a significant portion of the manuscript. He added notes on developmental edits and suggested revisions. In early August, I received his response and notes. In a nutshell, the book needed more work to strengthen the storytelling and structure of the chapters.
Initially, I was disappointed and frustrated. I’m human, after all. Despite having written and published four prior books, Barons, Brewers, and Bootleggers is a different beast. It’s far more narrative driven than my other books – a cookbook, collected profiles of regional breweries, a chronological history of Kansas City breweries, and a regional travel guidebook.
Barons, Brewers, and Bootleggers is a more ambitious project by design. I intended to dive into more storytelling focused on people with breweries, beer-related topics, and events in the backdrop. I wanted to grow as a writer and deliver a scholarly book that added to the canon of Missouri history as well as inform and entertain readers.
Essentially, the editorial feedback challenged me to do exactly that. Setting ego and emotion aside, I refocused on the writing and suggestions. I saw how the stories and manuscript could be improved. Was I ready to dig in and devote more months to research and write a compelling narrative history? Well, yes. The editor and I agreed on a mutually-agreeable vision and direction. Now it’s up to me to get back to work.
This sort of editorial back-and-forth with delays isn’t uncommon. Now I understood why some authors take years to complete a fiction or nonfiction manuscript. It’s hard work. Publishing a book in the 21st century is a rare achievement, a calculated risk, a dedicated effort and belief that what’s contained in the pages matters. After all, we live in an age where fleeting online communication is prevalent. Images and videos command far more attention than the written word. Now, AI absorbs and distills information in ways that people are still grappling with as the world changes rapidly.
So why do the work of writing and rewriting a book about history? Simple – the stories of people like Bri Burrows, Carry A. Nation, Jerry Grider, Henry Armstrong, and so many others famous and little-known still matter. It’s important to tell the stories well, and tell them in a manner that will inform and influence other writers and historians generations from now.
The work continues. Cheers.