RM | EATS America Bowman Authentic Irish cuisine in an historical setting America Bowman Kitchen Manager Felicia Donaldson shows off the eatery's signature soft pretzel with O'Malley's Cream Ale Beer Cheese, by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop ith a menu full of mouthwatering dishes, diners at America Bowman Restaurant will undoubtedly need something to wash it all down. There's plenty of soda as well as wine and spirits all made not far from the restaurant just off Weston's historic district. The restaurant is under the Weston Brewing Co. umbrella and all the draft beer - save for one tap handle - is made on-site at the brewery. " Everything we have on tap is brewed here except for Guinness. If you don't know what Guinness is, you might be in the wrong place, " says America Bowman Kitchen Manager Felicia Donaldson with a laugh. America Bowman serves up a vast menu that is rooted in Irish fl air while also offering American classics in a historical setting. The restaurant is known for its unique 32 RURAL MISSOURI | MARCH 2022 W ambiance and incorporating its freshly brewed beer into the dishes. Weston There's no shortage of history in the antebellum building that hosts the restaurant, brewery and Missouri's oldest pub. Its roots go back to 1842 when German immigrant John Georgian opened a brewery on the site. He dug more than 50 feet underground for the perfect spot and temperature to lager his beers. That subterranean location now hosts an intimate multilevel entertainment venue that is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. It's heyday was in the early 1900s as Royal Brewing Co., when it was the largest manufacturing plant in Platte County making more than 20,000 barrels annually. After Prohibition, the building changed hands multiple times and included a short-lived brewery that shut its doors in 1999. Six years later, Michael Coakley and Corey Weinfurt purchased the property and turned it