When Friday night rolls around, you may often end up at the same happy hour ordering the same drink at the same familiar bar.
Go North KC, however, has a way to mix up the routine—and your next pint might even be free.
The free Tap Into Local Pass connects visitors with 19 breweries, wineries, distilleries, and select drinking destinations across Clay and Platte counties. Sign up on your phone, and you can unlock deals ranging from free pints and wine tastings to discounted flights while discovering local spots that you may have never tried. Checking in also earns rewards, with more available when visitors redeem offers. Those can add up to Tap Into Local merchandise including custom coasters, etched glasses, and T shirts.
“We want people to break out of their usual routine and discover some of the great local businesses we have across the Northland,” says Megan Sahlfeld, tourism and marketing manager for Clay County, Missouri. “You might go somewhere new for the deal, but hopefully you find a place you want to keep coming back to.”
Where to get your next free pint in North KC
Instead of debating where to go next, Tap Into Local offers 19 places to choose from, with a deal waiting when you get there.
It was created to turn local discovery into actual visits to Northland businesses.
“We can promote these businesses all day, but ultimately, we want to get people through their doors,” Sahlfeld says. “We want someone to try a place they’ve never been and give them a reason to come back.”
Go North KC covers the software and marketing costs, so businesses pay nothing to participate and visitors can sign up for free. By September, the pass had already reached 453 sign-ups and 235 redemptions.
Among the current options:
- 3Halves Brewing in Liberty offers a free pint with the purchase of an entrée.
- Barley & Vine has a buy one, get one free beer at check-in.
- Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery offers a free wine tasting with the purchase of another tasting.
- Parkville Wine House has a free wine flight or glass with the purchase of another.
- River Trails Bierwerks offers 20 percent off flights or a second pint for half price.
- Riverwood Winery & Whiskey Bar has a free wine tasting with the purchase of another.
- WelCo Brewing Project offers a buy one, get one free beer.
- Callsign Brewing has 50 percent off tasting flights.
- Cinder Block Brewery offers $3 off any beer or cider.
- Fence Stile Vineyards, Winery, & Distillery has $1 off a beverage of choice.
- Warbird Whiskey offers 10 percent off drinks and food.
Visitors can find all 19 participating businesses and current offers through the Tap Into Local Pass. Go North KC also highlights more breweries, wineries, and distilleries through its food and drink guide.
See where the pass takes you
Using Tap Into Local is easy. After signing up with an email address, visitors receive the digital pass on their phone, where they can browse participating businesses, see available offers, and choose their next stop. A variety of options provides visitors with the ability to have a new experience.
“Every business on the pass has its own personality and its own story,” Sahlfeld says. “We want people to discover places they may not have found otherwise.”
For example, Sail Away Wine in North Kansas City has a self-serve wine wall where guests can sample different pours. Riverwood Winery & Whiskey Bar occupies a former schoolhouse near Weston, where the old gym now hosts live music. Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery stands out as Missouri’s first green winery.
Go North KC intentionally keeps the pass focused on breweries, wineries, distilleries, and a select group of similar destinations.
“These are small local businesses started by people who had an idea and went after it,” Sahlfeld says. “We want to give each of them a chance to shine.”
Offers can change throughout the year, and new businesses may be added over time.
Your usual Friday night can wait
Tap Into Local is designed to fit into plans you’re already making. Dinner could include a free pint somewhere new, an afternoon out could end with a wine tasting, or plans with friends could take you to the brewery that you keep meaning to try.
“Being a tourist in your own [state] can be as easy as trying somewhere you’ve never stopped before,” Sahlfeld says.
Tap Into Local is available year-round, so there’s no rush to make your way through all 19 stops.
“We don’t care if you live here or you’re visiting,” Sahlfeld says. “We want people walking into these local businesses, supporting them, and discovering what makes each one worth a visit.”
So when Friday night rolls around, your new favorite spot could just be one Tap Into Local stop away.
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Go North KC and Missouri Department of Tourism. The free Tap Into Local Pass connects visitors with 19 breweries, wineries, distilleries and select drinking destinations across Clay and Platte counties in Kansas City’s Northland.
