Brewery Q&A: Hidden Trail Brewing

It’s rare for anyone to talk to me for more than a few minutes before I find a way to mention that I’m originally from Kansas. I’ll be honest, there are a lot of Kansans that leave the state and shy away from mentioning where they’re from. Maybe they’ve heard “You’re not in Kansas anymore” one too many times. Me? I shout it from the rooftops, telling everyone how underrated the state is, and that includes the craft beer scene. It’s hard for me to get many cans from Kansas here in New York, but I still keep track of new breweries that are opening around the state. When I heard that a new one called Hidden Trail Brewing Co. was in the process of opening up in Garden City, the place where my dad has lived for many years, I had to reach out to them directly and get the scoop!

I was so happy to have the opportunity to speak with the owner/brewers of Hidden Trail. These guys are opening up what looks to be an amazing taproom in a beautiful barn on the East side of town. The pandemic and red tape has obviously caused some delays, but they have persevered. They recently got their fermenters and brite tanks delivered and are still on track to open this summer! Garden City may be a long drive from the Denver or Kansas City airports, but with multiple breweries, and an open road to see the plains of America, it’s worth the trip.

Location: 2010 E. Schulman Ave., Garden City, KS 
Opening Date: Summer 2021

First, I think it’s best to start with who is behind Hidden Trail Brewing Co. and what role do you each play?
We are Michael Cole, Cody Cundiff and Colin Williams. We are co-owners and all serve multiple purposes with Hidden Trail, including brewing and running the bar. Cody teaches psychology at the local college, Colin has worked in the restaurant industry for over 20 years, and Mike has a background working in Human Resources. Cody and Mike have been brewing commercially together for almost two years. At that same brewery, Colin worked as a kitchen supervisor. Our pairing felt inevitable as Colin’s interests continually pulled him away from the kitchen and into the brew room with Cody and Mike.

How did you first get into brewing?
Cody and Michael have been homebrewers for about a decade and commercial brewers for about two years. Colin is new to brewing and excited to dive deeper into the world of brewing. Cody became interested in brewing while in college after watching the documentary Beer Wars. Michael used homebrewing as a way to stay connected with friends who were living in different states.

When and how did you decide that you wanted to open your own brewery?
The year 2020 taught us many lessons, mainly, that nothing is guaranteed. We got the push we needed and decided to finally pursue our dream together. We have felt Garden City has been ready for a taproom style brewery for some time now. So far, the community has been extremely supportive of us. We cannot wait to open our barn doors and bring our vision to the city we love.

How did the name “Hidden Trail Brewing Co.” come about?
We are located on a walking trail that spreads throughout most of the town. We kicked around a few names before Cody’s wife threw out the idea of Hidden Trail.

What has been the most unexpected part of getting to this point?
How supportive people have been throughout the process. We have already met many new people who walk in when they see us working and ask when we are going to open or tell us that they are excited for us. It’s humbling and motivates us to create a welcoming space that people can be excited to visit.

What styles of beer will you be brewing? Have you chosen your year-round beers and do you plan to do seasonal releases?
We have an idea what our year-round beers will be, but we want to let the customers dictate the flagship beers. We are planning on having 10 taps brewed on our commercial system and will focus on all styles from light lagers, imperial stouts, IPAs to ciders and seltzers. We do plan on doing seasonal releases. We will also have 4 taps of five gallon experimental brews released once a month.

Will Hidden Trail brew just for your taproom or canning for distribution?
We will send a few kegs out to bars in our surrounding area, but mainly we will focus on our taproom.

The barn you’re moving into is beautiful. What are your plans for the building? Is it a production facility/taproom, or will there be a food component as well?
We will brew on-site in the barn as well as serve in our taproom. As for food, we will have rotating food trucks provide the food. This will offer the opportunity for guests to experience different foods in the same week. As Hidden Trail, we will offer snacks. People can also have food delivered to them at our location.

What should craft beer enthusiasts expect from Hidden Trail Brewing Co.?
Owners who are very hands-on. Guests are likely to be served beer from an owner/brewer. If they have ideas for brews they can bounce them off us and hopefully see them on the experimental tap in the future. We are also available to discuss the brewing process with guests who are interested. We also will offer the most “Kansas” atmosphere you can hope for, drinking beer in a barn!

Check out Hidden Trail Brewing on Facebook and on Instagram at @hiddentrailbrewing!