International Stout Day is getting crazy!
If you don’t yet have it marked on your calendar, be sure to pencil in the International Stout Day celebration set for Nov. 3 at TapWerks. This promises to be an exciting night of stout indulgence, complete with many varieties of stout and stout-infused food offerings. For example, here’s a rundown of some of the stouts and stout-foods that have been confirmed:
-Redbud Brewing will bring two casks of Arbor (the new 10% ABV Imperial Chocolate Stout) blended with a 13% ABV barrel-aged barley wine.
-Marshall Brewing will bring a coffee-infused Big Jamoke. (Technically a porter, but Marshall’s Wes Alexander points out that stouts were originally called “stout porters.”)
-Choc was experimenting with different versions of its new Winter Stout seasonal, and it looks like the leader in the clubhouse is a chocolate-infused version.
-COOP Ale Works will bring three firkins: A barrel-aged Imperial Stout, an Imperial Stout with raspberries added and an Imperial Stout blended with kriek.
-Tapwerks is collaborating with Prairie Thunder Bakery on a Rogue Chocolate Stout cupcake with espresso-infused icing.
-Food offerings will include Guinness beef stew, stout beer-battered fish and chips and other items to be determined.
This. Will. Be. Awesome.
Big 12 (Lack of) Power Poll: Week 7
Apparently winning by double-digits on the road against a top-25 team is only good enough to get you slammed by the national media as a massive failure. Makes perfect sense.
1. Kansas (2-4, last week — lost to Oklahoma 44-17): Kansas unleashed its devastating fake-botched-fourth-down-option-pitch-for-touchdown play against OU. Alas, it was not enough.
2. Iowa State (3-3, last week — lost to Missouri 52-17): Iowa State isn’t on Kansas’ level of bad, but this three-game losing streak does not look good and doesn’t look to get a lot better.
3. Texas Tech (4-2, last week — lost to Kansas State 41-34): Tech’s record against cupcakes: 4-0. Record against everyone else: 0-2.
4. Texas (4-2, last week — lost to Oklahoma State 38-26): Longhorns need to establish a legitimate deep threat passing game if they’re going to compete in the Big 12 this year.
5. Missouri (3-3, last week — beat Iowa State 52-17): Missouri is awful close to being 5-1 at this point, and then even the one loss was a good effort at Norman.
6. Baylor (4-2, last week — lost to Texas A&M 55-28): New season, same old story at Baylor. Defense optional.
7. Texas A&M (4-2, last week — beat Baylor 55-28): What happened to A&M in the second halves against OSU and Arkansas? Imposters took over at the half? Coaches let the players call the game?
8. Kansas State (6-0, last week — beat Texas Tech 41-34): Kansas State still has to play OSU, OU, Texas and Texas A&M, and it’s quite possible they could end up losing all of those games. It’s also quite possible they could win three or four of those. Nobody knows. To me, this is still a mystery team at this point. But you can’t argue with 6-0.
9. Oklahoma State (6-0, last week — beat Texas 38-26): Seriously, what’s with the hate for Oklahoma State? They didn’t play that well against Texas, everyone agrees, yet still won by 12 on the road against one of the marquee programs in college football. That somehow spawned at least one national column saying OSU is not a legitimate contender and at least one national column that essentially said Mike Gundy is a total failure in life and OSU shouldn’t even consider winning the title this year because they’re a bunch of chokers. I’d hate to see what everyone would have wrote if OSU actually lost the game on Saturday.
10. Oklahoma (6-0, last week — beat Kansas 47-17): The Sooner overcame a sluggish — OK, extremely sluggish — first half to put the Jayhawks away. The lesson: OU’s defensive line can be pretty dominating when it wants to be.
Mustang to release new winter seasonal
Mustang Brewing Co. will unveil a new seasonable beer this fall/winter. Winter Lager will join the ranks, and I asked Mustang brewmaster Gary Shellman for a rundown of this latest offering. Here’s what he had to say:
“Our Winter Lager will be a smooth amber lager style beer — all grain, mildly hopped and easy to drink. I revised this recipe to make it more drinkable, with a caramel richness that rivals the likes of Yuengling and Sons — the oldest continuously owned family brewery in the U.S. Of course, Dick Yuengling may have to resort to changing names soon, given there are no more Sons in the family line – he has four daughters, and two of them are working in the brewery.
“This beer will go really well with recipes made for the upcoming holiday season – won’t weigh you down. We expect this beer to step in at about 5% ABV and have about 25 IBUs, for a crisp and refreshing taste that fits the session beer model our Mustang beer fans love to drink.”
I’ll keep you up to date in terms of the release date for this beer.
Big beer weekend on tap for OKC
Plenty going on this weekend on the Oklahoma City-area beer scene. Here’s a primer:
-The Southern Plains Craft Beer Festival will be Saturday evening at Learn To Brew in Moore. The event is sold out, but if you have tickets you’re in for a treat. All of the state’s breweries will be there, and Redbud Brewing will debut its new Arbor Imperial Stout.
-The Stocktoberfest Beer Festival is 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Stockyards City. As far as I can tell, you can still get discounted tickets through Groupon.
-Mesta Festa is Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at Mesta Park. Beer sampling is on the docket.
-The weekly McNellie’s OKC Firkin Friday this week features an offering from COOP Ale Works.
-The eighth annual ARTonTAP is set for Friday night. The event sold out this week, so if you don’t have tickets by now, no soup for you!
Did I miss anything? Feel free to post events in the comments, and I’ll re-post.
Big 12 (Lack of) Power Poll: Week 6
Kansas, we have a problem.
1. Kansas (2-3, last week — lost to Oklahoma State 70-28): You know things are bad when I can sit in the stands and legitimately feel like I could have a better chance to contribute to the game than half of Kansas’ starters.
2. Iowa State (3-2, last week — lost to Baylor 49-26): After an encouraging 3-0 start, Iowa State has come back down to Earth in a big way. And the loss to Texas looks especially bad right now.
3. Missouri (2-3, last week — lost to Kansas State 24-17): Is there some sort of correlation between flirting openly with the SEC and your season going in the tank?
4. Texas (4-1, last week — lost to Oklahoma 55-17): Speaking of coming back down to Earth. Has any team gone from planning championship parades to searching for wins on the schedule faster than the Longhorns?
5. Texas Tech (4-1, last week — lost to Texas A&M 45-40): Red Raiders come out on the short end in the Defense Optional Bowl.
6. Texas A&M (3-2, last week — beat Texas Tech 45-40): I’m surprised A&M was so bothered by Tech’s fish bait prank. After all, that’s what the Aggies smelled like in the second halves against OSU and Arkansas.
7. Baylor (4-1, last week — beat Iowa State 49-26): Da Bears will be judged by what they do against OU, OSU and A&M. Until then, the jury is out.
8. Kansas State (5-0, last week — beat Missouri 24-17): Not only am I not convinced that Bill Snyder isn’t 189 years old, I’m also not convinced that he hasn’t used some sort of wizardry to conjure up this 5-0 start.
9. Oklahoma State (5-0, last week — beat Kansas 70-28): I might have predicted a 56-7 final score in this game, but not at the half! That was a good old-fashioned whooping.
10. Oklahoma (5-0, last week — beat Texas 55-17): Speaking of whoopings, that’s what Texas got on Saturday. And next comes Kansas, with an OU team that likes to leave its starters in for extensive beatings.
Choc Winter Stout update
Hello, tasty beverages! That photo right there was shot earlier today at the Choc brewery in Krebs. That’s Choc’s newest seasonal offering, Winter Stout, almost ready to be shipped out. Choc reports the beer should ship at the start of November and then be in stores possibly as early as Nov. 4. Or you could get a sneak preview and go to the International Stout Day celebration on Nov. 3 at TapWerks in Oklahoma City. Some variation of the beer will likely be involved in firkin format, I’m told. As for the regular version that will be in stores, it will be 6% ABV and include Columbus and cascade hops on the front end and a dry-hopping with centennial and citra hops. It’ll be available in 12 oz. bottles and on tap. The beer will have a limited run from November to January.
5 Questions With… ARTonTAP
One of Oklahoma City’s coolest beer tasting events is rapidly approaching, and there’s still time for you to grab tickets. The eighth annual ARTonTAP at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art is set for Oct. 14. To bring you up to speed on the event — which has sold out several years in a row – here’s my interview with Whitney Cross Moore, associate development officer at the museum.
1. The Thirsty Beagle: For starters, how is ticket availability? Can people still purchase tickets? How do they go about doing that?
Whitney Cross Moore: As of today, we still have about 200 tickets available for sale, so interested parties can go to our website, www.okcmoa.com, or call 278-8237 to purchase tickets. We have sold out the last three years, so I recommend calling soon!
2. TTB: This is the eighth annual ARTonTAP. How has the event grown and changed over the years?
WCM: I cannot believe it’s already the eighth year! I remember us coming up with the concept on the Museum Cafe patio and hoping that people would come to the event. I think we were hoping for 250 people the first year, but ended up selling 400 tickets! The event used to be just in the Museum’s main lobby, but we quickly learned that we needed to expand. Fast forward to 2011 — we are using every possible square inch of the Museum and still selling out at 750 guests! We use both of our lobbies, the Museum Cafe, the roof terrace, and new this year we will have some fun surprises in the second-floor galleries with artist Franco Mondini-Ruiz, who created a special series of beer related paintings that are available to buy at super-reasonable prices.
3. TTB: Last year, you guys set a goal to minimize the event’s environmental impact. How did that go, and is that something we’ll see again this year?
WCM: Our green efforts last year were so successful and surprisingly easy to execute. At the end of the night, there were only two little garbage bags in the dumpster and everything else was recycled or composted. We recycled 780 pounds of cardboard and glass, filled 23 bags full of recyclable plastics, and 12 bags of compostable materials. This year we are doing all of that, but we are cutting out the use of plastic cups – instead, each guest will get a special ARTonTAP tasting mug to hold on to and take home with them. I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year and I can say with confidence that we will never go back to filling up two full dumpsters like in the past.
4. TTB: What kind of beer should guests expect? A lot of the state breweries?
WCM: We have some really special beers this year from all over the world and as close as Oklahoma City. Our favorite local vendors like COOP Ale Works, Choc Beer, Huebert Brewing Company and Battered Boar Brewing Company will be back once again. Stella Artois will host the roof terrace and will also feature their new line of Redhook and Widmer beers. Some of the fancy-schmancy beers include Blanche de Namur, Rochefort 6, Yanjing, Grimbergen Blonde Ale, the Collesi family of beers (super-fancy), Scaldis Cuvee de Trolls, St. Feullien Saison, and so many more. We will have well over 80 different beers so I guarantee there is something for everyone!
5. TTB: What makes this event stand out in terms of beer-tasting events in general? Obviously the venue is unique. Anything else?
WCM: There are so many great components to this event — awesome beer, fun music, cool people, an amazing rooftop with an incredible view, gorgeous artwork, excellent food all wrapped up in a sophisticated venue. I think people might also enjoy coming to a party and potentially learning a little bit about art, food, beer, or recycling — it makes everyone feel less guilty for trying so many beers! Also, it’s a great cause that helps support outstanding exhibitions at the Museum — what’s not to love?
Well said, Whitney. Sounds like a very nice beer lineup and a cool night overall. The exclusive beer paintings sound highly intriguing as well!
Big 12 (Lack of) Power Poll: Week 5
Quite frankly, I was hoping we could get at least one more year of Texas sucking.
1. Kansas (2-2, last week — lost to Texas Tech 45-34): Kansas’ upcoming schedule: at Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Kansas State and at Texas. I see a 2-6 record on the horizon.
2. Texas A&M (2-2, last week — lost to Arkansas 42-38): Now A&M has proven it can’t beat the top teams in the Big 12 or the middle-of-the-road teams in the SEC. Can the Aggies get Kansas and Mississippi on their schedule so they can have a chance for a win?
3. Iowa State (3-1, last week — lost to Texas 37-14): Iowa State comes crashing back to down to Earth after its inspired start.
4. Texas Tech (4-0, last week — beat Kansas 45-34): Undefeated, yes. Consider Tech has played one of the weakest schedules in the country to this point, it’s not impressive.
5. Baylor (3-1, last week — lost to Kansas State 36-35): Bears can make some plays on offense, but they won’t be ready for primetime until they can play some defense.
6. Missouri (2-2, last week — bye): Missouri gave one away against a 4-1 Arizona State and played OU tough on the Sooners’ home field. Seems the Tigers are still primed for a good year.
7. Kansas State (4-0, last week — beat Baylor 36-35): Bill Snyder is like 176 years old, so maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he could use mystical powers to conjure up a win against Baylor.
8. Texas (4-0, last week — beat Iowa State 37-14): OK, this is clearly not your 2010-vintage Texas Longhorns football team. Just how different from 2010 are they? We’re about to find out.
9. Oklahoma State (4-0, last week — bye): Cowboys take on Kansas this weekend. It’s the equivalent of having a warm-up game to get back into the season after your bye week.
10. Oklahoma (4-0, last week — beat Ball State 62-6): I’m just saying here, Alabama didn’t get passed by anyone in the polls after they beat North Texas. Was Ball State so bad that no margin of victory would have allowed OU to hold its ground? Or are the polls all a bunch of crap? I think you know where I stand on this.
