Rochester Brewing and Roasting Company – Kansas City

Rochester Brewing and Roasting Company combines craft beer and specialty coffee in Kansas City’s Crossroads neighborhood. Its name recalls the Rochester Brewery, which brewed in the same neighborhood during the 1800s. The idea took shape over a few beers at a Fourth of July party in 2017 among three friends, Philip, David and Marshall. Philip, an educator, had roasted coffee as a hobby for years, starting with a popcorn popper and moving up to a small garage roaster. Marshall, who had an engineering background, built custom homebrew systems, and one of his beers won a High Plains Brewer of the Year award. David earned a professional brewing certification and spent evenings and weekends learning at breweries in Texas. With support from the Crossroads and Parkville communities, the friends opened a business pairing freshly roasted coffee and beer, and the menus also include tea, food and cocktails.