New brewery to open in metro
Everyone knows about the Choc brewery in Krebs, and around Oklahoma City, the Bricktown and Belle Isle breweries. Well it looks like we’ll be getting another brewery in the metro area. I received an e-mail the other day from Tim Schoelen, an Oklahoma City man who wanted to let me know that after two years of development, he is starting up a brewery called Mustang Brewing Co. The brewery will be in Mustang, and the flagship beer, Mustang Golden Ale, should be available within the next couple months. The Thirsty Beagle is giving you the latest scoop on this development, folks, and over the next couple weeks I’ll provide you with a running conversation with Schoelen. Here’s Part 1 in our conversation:
The Thirsty Beagle: Are you a native Oklahoman?
Tim Schoelen: I grew up in Stillwater and Oklahoma City. After graduating from OU, my work relocated me to a number of different cities including San Antonio, TX, Charleston, SC, Charlotte, NC, Milwaukee, WI, and Dallas, TX. My wife, two kids and I moved back to Oklahoma in 2005.
TTB: Are you getting into beer from another line of work?
TS: My background is in healthcare consulting. I’ve been lucky to work for some great companies such as GE, Ernst & Young, and Accenture.
TTB: Why are you opening a brewery?
TS: Because of my work, I’ve traveled to cities all over the country. A favorite thing to do when I go somewhere new is to sample the local beer. It sounds kind of hokey, but a local brew says a lot about a place. Whether you are sipping a Palmetto Porter in Charleston or an Old Style at Wrigley Field, you get a sense for the people and their tastes. I have always been really proud to tell people that I am from Oklahoma. The people, the open spaces, and all the growth we have seen in the past 10 years make OKC one of the best places in the country to live, work and raise kids. With all that’s going on here, I always wondered why we didn’t have a local beer. My dad is an avid homebrewer and passed his skills along to me. One hot, summer day we were sipping one of his newest creations — a Belgian Wit, if I recall correctly — and talking about the Oklahoma economy. I told my dad, “We need a local beer.” That night I called some of my closest friends to get them on-board. We agreed to a general concept, and started working on getting our brewery off the ground. Almost two years later, we’re just a few months away from launching our first beer.
Check back for new entries as I bring you more about Mustang Brewing Co. You can also see more about the brewery by going to www.mustangbrewing.com.
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