Oklahoma Craft Beer Fest called a success
The Thirsty Beagle at the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival.
The Thirsty Beagle and crew had a great time at the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival on Saturday. I went in to the fest with two goals. First was to try Choc’s dry-hopped 1919. Mission accomplished. The beer was substantially different than your standard 1919, as you would probably expect, but that’s not to say it wasn’t good, because I thought it was great, and went back for several refills. The flavor imparted by the hops was excellent, and since there are no plans to mass-produce this version of 1919, I’m happy I had the chance to try it. If Choc does a firkin in the future and offers this up, make plans to get yourself a taste.
My second goal was to try Marshall’s Big Jamoke filtered through coffee. This plan was slightly derailed after Marshall was unclear if it could bring the filtering machine to the fest. Instead, they offered a Big Jamoke infused with coffee. I really enjoyed this one. On an aside, my son – I think he was about 4 at the time – once declared that the only things I drank were coffee, beer and water. As Marshall’s Wes Alexander pointed out on Saturday, since there is water in coffee and beer, my son was 100 percent right. And since there was coffee, water and beer in the Big Jamoke on Saturday, I was able to knock out all three of my drinks at once. Needless to say, coffee is a super addition to Big Jamoke. I would definitely recommend this one if Marshall offers it up at a special event.
I was at the festival’s evening session, and the crowd was pretty good. Not overwhelming, and you never had to wait more than a few seconds to get a beer sample, but still a solid turnout. I spoke to festival organizer and Tapwerks general manager Greg Powell today to get a few more details:
-Final numbers were not yet crunched, but The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma should receive a nice donation, Powell said.
-Organizers sold 641 tickets, and Powell estimates that when you include pass-list guests and volunteers, about 800 probably attended in total.
-There was a lot of positive feedback from guests and brewers/beer folk, and a second OCBF is being planned for next year to coincide again with American Craft Beer Week.
-Powell said they will change their operational model for next year, thus allowing more and different specialty beers.
All sounds good to me. Thanks to Greg for getting the ball rolling on the festival, to the brewers who brought their beverages and the good people of Oklahoma who bought tickets to support the Food Bank and celebrate our growing craft beer industry.
Beer news and links
-Redbud Brewing reports that 800 bottles of Cuvee Two will hit the market Wednesday, and a keg will find its way to Republic. The Cuvee Two — a Belgian strong ale aged on whiskey barrels — was another big hit at the fest. Mrs. Beagle described it as “a vacation in a cup.” If that doesn’t make you want to try it, perhaps nothing will.
-Bricktown Water Taxi announced over the weekend that they have added COOP Ale Works Native Amber and Horny Toad Cerveza to their bar boat offerings. Set sail on the canal with 16 oz. of refreshment.
-Another McNellie’s OKC pint night is at 5 tonight. Tall Grass Brewing Halcyon Wheat.
-Mustang Brewing president Tim Schoelen announced today that he was leaving his day job to focus on his beer company on a full-time basis. Good luck Tim! Fortune favors the bold!
-President Obama. Ireland. Guinness. Check it out.
-A look at the forces behind the rising price of beer. Boo.
What’s your take on session beers?
I read a very interesting article in Advertising Age the other day about craft beer and, specifically, a new wave of session-style beers in that market. What are session beers? They are beers that are generally defined as being in the 4.1% to 5.0% alcohol range. They garnered the name “session” because you theoretically could drink several of them — during a session of drinking or social event — and not become highly intoxicated.
We here in Oklahoma are no stranger to session beers. Mustang Brewing features the 4.5% ABV Amber Lager, and while the rest of their beers exceed the 5.0 % target, Mustang President Tim Schoelen once told me sessionability factors into their decision-making process on new brews.
While Choc Beer Co. has gained attention in the past couple years for its bigger brews (Read: Dubbel and GABF Gold), several of Choc’s flagship story beers fall into the session range. Same with a few offerings from Tulsa’s Marshall Brewing Co. On the other side of the equation, both Choc and Marshall have beers near or over 10% ABV, and COOP Ale Works’ lineup ranges from the 5.3% ABV Horny Toad Cerveza to the 10% DNR.
The main question I came away with after reading the article, which you can see right here, is this: Is session-style beer good for craft brewing? After all, most of us probably got addicted to craft because the beers were bigger, bolder and more flavorful than anything we’d had before in Oklahoma.
But there are two sides to the story, of course. You can spend $8 per glass on two 9% beers, and you’ll be out $16 — probably more than you paid for your dinner – and likely already pushing the limits of intoxication after only two beers. But the beers will be really good, of course, and savoring a really good beer is an experience to behold on its own. Or you can spend $4 per glass on a 5% beer, get twice as much beer — probably enough to last throughout your dinner — and most likely not need to call a cab to get you home. Although, while the 5% beer may be pretty flavorful, it’s likely not going to take on the complexity and the wow-factor of a bigger beer.
In the end, you probably could go either way, depending on where you are, what you’re eating and how you’re feeling that night. The Ad Age article delves into the issue a little more deeply in terms of the marketing and sales side of it. What’s your stance on session beer? Cast your vote in the poll below, or sound off in the comments.
Beer lineup set for Oklahoma Craft Beer Fest
The other day I told you which beers Oklahoma brewers were bringing to Saturday’s Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival. I’m taking it a step further today. How about a list of all the beer at the festival? I thought you’d like that. Here we go! (Remember, proceeds from the fest support the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, so go to www.tapwerks.com to get your tickets now.)
Anchor
-Steam Beer
Anderson Valley
-Boont Amber
-IPA
Battered Boar
-Ultimo Hombre Wheat
-Heartbreak Hefeweizen
-Briarpatch Amber Ale
-Coconut Cream Stout
-405 Lager
-Company Man Pale Ale
Bear Republic
-IPA
-Hop Rod Rye
Big Sky
-IPA
-Moose Drool
-Trout Slayer
Blue Moon
-Wheat
Boulevard
-Unfiltered Wheat
-S.S. Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
-Boss Tom’s Golden Bock
-Amber
-Single-Wide IPA
Bricktown Brewery
-Red Brick
-Copperhead
-Dark Horse Brown Ale
-Bison Wheat
-Blueberry
-Kolsch
Bridgeport
-Hop Czar
-Kingpin
-Cafe Negro
Caldera
-IPA
-Pale Ale
-Ashland Amber
Choc
-1919 (dry-hopped)
-Last Laugh
-Summer Blonde
-Dubbel
-Biere de Garde
COOP Ale Works
-Zeppelin German Wheat
-Native Amber
-Gran Sport Porter
-F5 IPA
-Horny Toad Cerveza
Great Divide
-Hercules
-Titan
-Seasonal
Hubert
-Wheat
-Porter
-Pale Ale
Laughing Dog
-Dogzilla Black IPA
Left Hand
-Milk Stout
-Mystery Keg
Leinenkugel
-Summer Shandy
Lost Coast
-Brown
-Indica
-Tangerine Wheat
Marshall Brewing
-Big Jamoke (filtered through coffee)
-Sundown Wheat
-Old Pavilion Pilsner
-Atlas IPA
-Revival Red Ale
Moylans
-Kilt Lifter
-Tipp
-Hopsickle
Mustang Brewing
-Washita Wheat
-Golden Ale
-Harvest Lager
-Pawnee Pale
Redbud Brewing
-Pale Ale
-Cuvee Two
Red Stone Mead
-Nectar of the Hops
-Black Raspberry
Rogue
-Dead Guy Ale
-Mocha Porter
Royal Bavaria
-Weizen
-Oktoberfest
Sam Adams
-Rustic Saison
-Light
-Latitude 45
Shiner
-Light Blonde
-Bohemian Black
-102
-Ruby Redbird
Sierra Nevada
-Tumbler
-Summerfest
-Glissade
Stegmeier
-Summer Stock
Tallgrass
-Oasis
-IPA
-Mystery Keg
Beer news and links
-The Main Street Tavern in Broken Arrow has four COOP beers and four Marshall beers on tap. Who says Oklahoma City and Tulsa can’t get along?
-Tapwerks is hosting a double pint night today featuring Rogue and Anchor.
-Excellent tweet from Mustang Brewing yesterday: “We don’t need silly, blue lines to tell you our beer is cold. Touch the can. If it’s cold, drink it.”
-As I type, COOP Ale Works is aging its 2011 Oak-Aged Imperial Stout in Jack Daniels barrels. FYI.
-Looking for some motivation to support American Craft Beer Week? Check this video:
Choc, Marshall spicing things up for OCBF
The inaugural Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival is Saturday, and last week I wrote about the types of beer Oklahoma’s craft brewers would bring to the fest. A couple submissions stand out for me: a dry-hopped version of Choc 1919 and a coffee-filtered version of Marshall’s Big Jamoke porter. I spoke to Choc and Marshall to learn a little more about these special offerings.
Dry-hopped 1919
Dry hopping, generally speaking, is a process of adding hops to the beer late in the brewing process. Typically the practice adds hop flavor and aroma without adding significant additional bitterness to the finished product. For Choc’s dry-hopped 1919, they used cascade hops. Choc reports drinkers should expect a big grapefruit and floral note right up front.
Choc’s Zach Prichard said, “We have experimented with many of our beers. However, this is the first time we have shared the dry-hopped 1919 with everyone.”
Yet another reason to snap up those OCBF tickets if you haven’t yet.
Big Jamoke through coffee
This version of Big Jamoke will make a return appearance for some. Marshall’s Wes Alexander reports they’ve done the Jamoke through coffee for “a couple of firkin events.” Alexander offered this description of the process (note the local source for the coffee beans):
“We have adopted a technique popularized by Dogfish Head Brewing whereby beer flows from the keg into a diffusing device filled with an aromatic media. Dogfish calls the device “Randall” and they are famous for using a finishing/aromatic hops for infusing. The concept is that the cold beer passes through the infusing device and strips away essential oils from the media and slightly flavors the beer and provides for an amazing aroma. We are using freshly roasted coffee beans that will have a very coarse grind from our friends at Topeca Coffee in Tulsa. They are a seed-to-cup company that owns their own plantations in San Salvador, imports and processes their coffee fairly and roasts small batches. They are to coffee what craft beer is to beer, small batches , amazing quality and craftsmanship.”
I can tell you what Nos. 1 and 2 are on my list of beers to try on Saturday.
Beer news and links
-Speaking of Choc and Marshall, here’s a video that features the two breweries. Love this quote from Eric Marshall: “At the end of the day… we’re making beer and that’s a lot cooler than a lot of other things.” Well said, sir.
-I learned today that Amstel Light will make a new advertising push. Expect commercials that emphasize the flavor of the beer and the brewing process compared to other light offerings.
Who’s pouring what at Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival?
Next week is American Craft Beer Week, and as you’ll see by clicking on this link, all 50 states are holding some sort of celebration. In Oklahoma, the centerpiece of the week will be the inaugural Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival, set for May 21 in Bricktown.
If you’re like me, and aren’t you lucky if you are, you’ve been wondering just what types of beer our Oklahoma breweries will pour at the OCBF. Fear not, beer fan, I’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Here is what you can expect in terms of local beer:
Battered Boar
-Ultimo Hombre W heat
-Heartbreak Hefeweizen
-Briarpatch Amber Ale
-Coconut Cream Stout
Choc
-1919 (dry-hopped)
-Last Laugh
-Summer Blonde
-Dubbel
-Biere de Garde
Marshall
-Big Jamoke (filtered through coffee)
-Sundown Wheat
-Old Pavilion Pilsner
-Atlas IPA
-Revival Red Ale
Mustang Brewing
-Washita Wheat
-Pawnee Pale
Redbud Brewing
-Pale Ale
-Cuvee Two
I hadn’t received word as of this morning about what COOP Ale Works will bring, but hopefully they’ll have something snazzy on tap. (I’ll update this post if I find out)
The dry-hopped 1919 and coffee-filtered Big Jamoke sound especially interesting; I’ll have more on those two brews specifically next week on the blog.
Beer news and links
-Marshall Brewing will be at McNellie’s Tulsa at 5 p.m. Monday for a pint night; at TapWerks at 6 p.m. Thursday for a Firkin; at the Empire Bar in Tulsa at 5 p.m. May 20 for Firkin; and at McNellie’s OKC at 6 p.m. May 20 for another Firkin. (Is this the first two-city synchronized Firkin?)
-Did you know COOP Ale Works offers tours of its brewery two Saturdays each month? The next tour is May 21. They ask that you call to make reservations at 842-2667.
-Mustang Brewing Co. will be at BREWTOPIA at the S OKC Hooters from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Beer tastings, food, girls in tall socks, you know, the regular stuff. Tickets have to be purchased in advance at Quicker Liquor, 9109 S May Ave.
2011 Wild Brew features twists
Well, wasn’t yesterday interesting? Yesterday was supposed to be an off-day for the blog, but then FestGate broke loose, and I had to spring into action. Now, we return to your regularly scheduled blog content. Today’s topic: Wild Brew.
Choc Beer and the Tulsa-based homebrew club Fellowship of Oklahoma Ale Makers (FOAM) joined up this year to brew the 2011 version of Wild Brew Belgian-style IPA. The brewing took place April 16 at Krebs. I’m told that the 2011 version will be different than the inaugural brew last year. This year’s Wild Brew features different hops, and the beer was dry hopped. It has also been fermented at a different temperature. The beer is expected to be available in 22 oz. bottles in early June.
The beer was created in celebration of the annual Wild Brew beer tasting fundraiser, scheduled this year for July 30 at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Exchange Center.
Choc’s Zach Prichard reported that the brewery will continue to brew Wild Brew each year. Choc teamed with Marshall Brewing Co. to create the beer in 2010, and Prichard said he hopes Choc, FOAM and Marshall can team up next year for a three-group collaboration.
From left, Hillary Parkhurst, director of development for the Sutton Avian Research Center, Jeff Pursley, president of FOAM, Michael Lalli, Choc brewmaster, and Zach Prichard, Choc sales/maketing director, celebrate the brewing of 2011 Wild Brew.
As far as I’m concerned, Wild Brew is a beer that needs to be on your to-pick-up list. The Belgian-style IPA is a style that’s not talked about enough. I was lucky enough to sample some of the 2010 version straight out of the fermenter last year. Can’t wait to see the new spin for 2011.
And I’ll have more on the Wild Brew festival as the event draws nearer.
Beer news and links
-Mustang Brewing Co. is a sponsor for Fondue Fandango, an event benefiting the Harn Homestead. The event is Thursday at 6 p.m. For more information, call 235-4058.
-Reminder: The McNellie’s OKC Pub Run is Saturday. Pre-race registration is now available only at Red Coyote at Classen Curve.
-Marshall Brewing will take part in a Firkin Friday on May 20 at the Empire Bar, 1516 S Peoria Ave., in Tulsa. The event is set for 5 to 8 p.m.
-Also on the Firkin front, Choc will take part in a Firkin Friday at 6 p.m. May 27 at McNellie’s OKC.
Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival is saved!
This just in from TapWerks general manager and Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival organizer Greg Powell:
“The event is saved! The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma has agreed to use their special event license for the event. We will have ticket sales back up on www.tapwerks.com as soon as possible. The ABLE Commission was extremely helpful today, as well as the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.”
So there you have it folks — a pretty wild day on the beer news front. Even more notable, we had a private business, a local charity and the government work together for the betterment of beer fans in Oklahoma.
You know what to do now: Grab up those tickets to support the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in a big way.
Prospects improve for Oklahoma Craft Beer Fest
I’ve been in contact with the ABLE Commission this afternoon, and it appears the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival still has a chance to survive.
The OCBF now apparently hinges on the festival’s charity of choice — the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma — requesting a charity beer tasting event license from ABLE. This has to be done within the next day. If that’s done, ABLE has agreed to expedite the normal 20- to 30-day wait period for such a license.
I will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Update on Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival
Well folks, I’m not a liquor laws lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, and it’s looking like an extreme long shot that the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival will be held May 21.
I spoke to Greg Powell, TapWerks general manager and OCBF organizer, to get some clarity on the ABLE Commission decision that the festival is illegal. As far as I can tell, the problem here is that TapWerks had certain legal hoops to jump through and regulations to abide by, and did not do that.
Before I get into some of the technicalities, let me preface this by saying that Powell has always been accommodating in terms of providing information about the festival, and kudos to him for taking on this massive event, which by the way, was set to benefit the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Unfortunately for Powell, local breweries and beer fans, this year’s fest will likely merely be a hard lesson learned in advance of a possible event next year.
Here’s the nitty gritty from Powell:
-TapWerks has to have an ABLE Commission special event permit to serve strong beer at any location other than inside TapWerks. However, TapWerks cannot purchase a special event permit because the bar already has a strong beer license.
-TapWerks would have had to find an outside entity to purchase the license and all the beer for the event, but it takes at least 20 to 30 days to obtain the license, putting the bar in a time crunch even if it could orchestrate something.
-TapWerks asked if it could change the event to be completely not-for-profit, and have all of the beer donated. ABLE said that only 501-3C charitable entities can accept donations for beer or liquor. Even then, the 501-3C would have to obtain the same special event license that takes 20 to 30 days to obtain.
-TapWerks faced another major hurdle in terms of pricing for the event. Because of its license, the bar cannot charge a different price inside for a beer than it would charge outside for it. So, in order to be legal, every sample of beer would have to be paid for individually.
To get over this hurdle, TapWerks has proposed to ABLE that all of the beers available both outside and inside sell for $4 per pint, or $0.25 an ounce. That would lead to punch cards that would be punched with each sample. However, Powell said he feared that plan likely wouldn’t be legal either due to rules about how many strong beer specials a bar can feature at one time.
ABLE apparently has yet to respond to TapWerks’punch card idea, but my impression is that even TapWerks views that as a long shot. I’ve asked Powell about the refund process, and if it comes to that, I’ll share the information here.
Breaking beer news: Oklahoma Craft Beer Fest in doubt
Big-time breaking beer news this morning: The Oklahoma Craft Beef Festival is not likely to go ahead as scheduled, organizers have said.
The state’s ABLE Commission apparently has informed organizers that the event as set up is illegal. Here is a statement from the OCBF:
“Attention Craft Beer Lovers: The ABLE Commission has informed us that our event is illegal. We are trying to figure out a way to keep the event on track, but so far it is not looking very good. They made us suspend tickets sales last Friday. Hopefully we are able to figure this out today. If not, then we might have to postpone until next year. Stay tuned…”
This is not good news folks. I will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
