American Craft Beer Week firkin lineup promises great options
We all know TapWerks is hosting the third annual Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival on May 18, but you should also know that the bar is hosting a series of pint nights and firkins leading up to the festival to celebrate American Craft Beer Week.
I’ve been tracking down information on the beer lineup for the week, and now am passing it along to you.
-On Monday, May 13, the firkin will be provided by Anthem Brewing. It will be a farmhouse ale brewed with a hint of smoked malt, tart cherries and aged on Hungarian oak spirals, brewmaster Matt Anthony said. Anthony also told me he has “something pretty exciting” that he will reveal that night.
-On Tuesday, May 14, the firkin will feature Choc’s Rosemary Biere de Garde. Choc Beer President Zach Prichard described the beer as “one of (brewmaster) Michael (Lalli’s) favorites. This beer was part of Tulsa Craft Beer Week. It was such a success that we want to share it with OKC.”
-On Wednesday, May 15, Roughtail Brewing will provide the firkin. It will be an oaked imperial black rye ale. Brewmaster Tony Tielli said the beer will be “an American-style rye ale, about 9% abv, firmly bitter with spicy rye undertones, complimented by a touch of roast, and opaque black. It will ferment on American oak soaked in rye whisky for an added rye touch.”
-The firkin on Thursday, May 16 is coming from COOP Ale Works. It will be a strawberry-banana cream ale, TapWerks General Manager Greg Powell said. The beer was brewed in a 10-gallon batch and started fermentation with 14 pounds of strawberries and 6 pounds of bananas.
-And as I reported earlier, the Friday, May 17, beer menu will feature a special Sam Adams Pint Night with a special food menu, and individual pours and flights from the Barrel Room Series — 13th Hour Stout, Stony Brook Red and New World Tripel.
Daily Pints
-Hope you’re not nostalgic about the name of COOP Ale Works’ German wheat beer. Going forward, COOP has changed the name of Zeppelin German Wheat to Elevator. COOP found out the original name may have ended up getting them in trouble in some copyright circles, and wanted to avoid the plight that Choc faced when it was sued by a Minnesota root beer maker over the 1919 brand. Elevator is a nod to the grain elevators that hold Oklahoma’s wheat harvests.
-Check out this recipe from Ales Kitchen being featured on Craftbeer.com!
-The weekly Thursday pint night at TapWerks tonight is a nod to Cinco de Mayo — Dos Equis.
-Plenty of new beers showing up on store shelves this week, or coming soon:
1. Choc Summer Blonde Ale
2. Green Flash Saison Diego
3. Mendocino Brewing Honey Amber Rose
4. Left Hand Good Juju
5. Tallgrass Ethos IPA
6. Theakston Old Peculiar
7. Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
8. Blue Moon Seasonal Sampler packs
Part 2: The state of craft brewing in Oklahoma
Yesterday I posted responses from Marshall Brewing Co.’s Wes Alexander to questions about the state of craft beer in Oklahoma and the tone of the industry coming out of the annual Craft Brewers Conference.
In part two of our look at Oklahoma craft beer, Choc Brewing Co. President Zach Prichard shares his views.
The Thirsty Beagle: How would you describe the tone of the Craft Brewers Conference this year? How was it different or the same when comparing it to the tone of the conference over the past several years?
Zach Prichard: Professional. Don’t get me wrong, the conference was a lot of fun and there was plenty of time for drinking beer. The past few years the industry has experienced tremendous growth in terms of number of breweries, potential breweries and overall interest. It was evident at the CBC. The events were crowed and despite great effort by the Brewers Association staff, somewhat chaotic. The industry was literally growing faster than the BA could plan for. When anything experiences this kind of rapid growth some amount of chaos and disorganization is to be expected. If this CBC was any indication it appears the industry is growing past this. Large craft brewers are becoming more sophisticated, and mid-sized brewers are following suit.
TTB: What were some specific points passed along from the leadership of the Brewers Association — or from other brewers — that made an impression on you?
Zach: I cannot think of any specific points. A more general impression that I can take away from other successful brewers and the leadership of the BA is the feeling that we are all dealing with the same issues. Of course the scale may be different, but issues such as ingredients sourcing, distribution relationships, production scheduling, and team building that are a daily challenge for us are the same issues challenging the best and most successful breweries. Realizing this and that the challenges can be overcome is very motivating. In general Oklahoma has so much room for growth of artisan and craft beer. It is exciting to be a part of that.
TTB: When you think about the direction the craft beer industry is going in Oklahoma right now, what do you feel? Is Oklahoma a good reflection of what’s happening on the national scene right now?
Zach: I’m excited. Oklahoma is not a reflection of the overall industry as much as it is like looking into the past. In much the same way the big “domestic” brewers and imports dominated every U.S. market 20 or 30 years ago, they still do in Oklahoma. We are still in the early, early stages in Oklahoma. Our products have been well received by many beer fans but there is still a lot of room for growth. That growth keeps me excited.
TTB: I’ve heard the argument that a lot of new brewers are getting into the game because it seems fun or cool, and that they’re more interested in making money than they are in making good beer — and that may diminish the quality of what’s out there on the market. Playing devil’s advocate here, I’ve also heard it said that that argument is being made by established brewers who don’t want new guys cutting into their sales, market, etc. Where do you stand? Bring it on as long as they’re dedicated to making good beer?
Zach: I haven’t heard that criticism very often. I don’t see a lot of people that are getting into this business solely to make money. Truthfully if that is your motivation you will not enter this business. It doesn’t take very long once you start crunching numbers to realize that when compared to the risk and start up cost this is not a particularly lucrative business. Regardless of people’s motivation the market will decide what brands prosper. That’s why we try to focus on crafting great beer and marketing it appropriately.
TTB: One point that’s not up for debate is that the craft beer industry is growing fast. People have said this could cause problems for brewers trying to secure grains, hops and equipment — all of which are becoming more scarce; or that it could cause liquor store owners and bar managers to drop old standards so they can stock the latest flavor of the month. Are these real problems everyone is dealing with, or will have to deal with?
Zach: These all concerns. We have been concerned about sourcing ingredients for years now. We haven’t had to deal with any disaster situations though. While the growth creates these problems it also helps to solve it. As the craft and artisan beer industry grows, suppliers can more confidently produce raw materials. Also new suppliers will enter the market. We saw this at CBC this year. There were over twice as many vendors at the trade show as last year. Generally speaking, people in this industry should not be afraid of change. After all the industry is really just one big change. A generation ago people laughed at the idea of craft beer. The industry is dynamic. That creates challenges but it also creates opportunity. As long as we are mindful of this we will be fine.
TTB: Lastly, what advice would you offer to new brewers or those wanting to get into the business?
Zach: Don’t.
The state of craft brewing in Oklahoma
Each spring, the American craft beer community converges for the annual Craft Brewers Conference. It’s a chance for all brewers to get together and hear from some of the movers and shakers in the industry, to learn about new trends and to assess where the craft beer world is going.
Following this year’s conference, discussions sparked up on beer forums about the current state of craft beer in the country. The idea was floated that perhaps the industry is growing too fast for its own good. I’ve touched on the state of craft brewing in Oklahoma. From a consumer’s standpoint,things seem to be looking good here; we’ve got a bigger selection of craft beer than ever before, our brewers are pushing creative and flavor boundaries to places no one in these parts has seen, and we even had pro-beer legislation pass through the state Capitol this year.
But I thought it would be good to get the opinions of those closest to the scene — Oklahoma brewers who regularly attend the Craft Brewers Conference. What was the vibe at the CBC this year? Can craft continue to grow at such a feverish pace? Where do we go from here? I formulated a series of questions to address the issue. Part 1 features the responses from Marshall Brewing Co.’s Wes Alexander.
The Thirsty Beagle: How would you describe the tone of the Craft Brewers Conference this year? How was it different or the same when comparing it to the tone of the conference over the past several years? Also, what were some specific points passed along from the leadership of the Brewers Association — or from other brewers — that made an impression on you?
Wes Alexander: Craft beer for the first time has captured a double digit portion of the U.S. beer market in terms of dollar sales, at 10.2% for 2012. The gain represents an increase by 17% for 2012 over 2011. These statistics are certainly positive, but the statistic that sparked the most interest and debate was that there are currently in excess of 1,200 breweries in planning according to the Brewers Association. Brewers Association director, and presenter of the state of the industry, Paul Gatza, cautioned that the growth in our industry could be attracting entrepreneurs more interested in profitability than making quality craft beer. Further Kim Jordan, founder of New Belgium Brewing Co., cautioned “I am worried for all of us. We need to have a plan. We need to be intentional.” Her concern echoes Gatza’s in that so many new breweries will be competing for ingredients and market share that growth could be inhibited for everyone. The BA figures for all craft breweries including brewpubs is 2,300. It has taken over 30 years for our industry to reach this point, and the tone of the Craft Brewers Conference was one cautioning breweries in planning to have a proper plan for execution of business and most importantly to focus on quality and consistency.
The tone of the last several years has been focused on legislative issues and concerns with distribution. These issues were shown in a positive light as growing pains. In my five years of attending the Craft Brewers Conference, I had not witnessed such concern over quality in our industry, an industry built and established on passion and quality. While the concerned tone was somewhat sobering, it is reassuring to receive the message from the BA as more preemptive. Further, the goal is to get quality craft beer to the consumers. We have a well-established industry standing ready to help well-intentioned breweries in planning.
TTB: When you think about the direction the craft beer industry is going in Oklahoma right now, what do you feel? Is Oklahoma a good reflection of what’s happening on the national scene right now?
Wes: Oklahoma, in terms of craft beer, more recently than more populous regions, has been a craft beer adopter. We owe a great deal of our success to the pioneers at Huebert Brewing Co., and Choc Beer Co., to both creating an environment for craft beer legislatively and in terms of market share. With the foundation created by these companies, others breweries have found success, and a craft beer culture is blossoming in Oklahoma. Most recently, the Oklahoma Craft Brewers Guild is being organized to offer a voice in terms of advocacy and education. The success and growth of currently operating breweries in Oklahoma has no doubt attracted newcomers. I feel, differently than the tone of CBC, that our market is young and ready for more breweries. Further, I know that here at Marshall Brewing, we are open to helping new/planning breweries. This has been a key to industry growth for craft beer. Passing along information on best practices for brewing, quality, marketing, and distribution is key to fostering continued growth in craft beer in Oklahoma. The future for Oklahoma is bright. However, we need to focus our industry on quality/consistency, come together on legislative issues, and attract new craft beer fans.
TTB: I’ve heard the argument that a lot of new brewers are getting into the game because it seems fun or cool, and that they’re more interested in making money than they are in making good beer — and that may diminish the quality of what’s out there on the market. Playing devil’s advocate here, I’ve also heard it said that that argument is being made by established brewers who don’t want new guys cutting into their sales, market, etc. Where do you stand? Bring it on as long as they’re dedicated to making good beer?
Wes: Honestly you may hear from a few that are worried about more new breweries grabbing market share from existing craft breweries, but over the history of craft beer in the U.S. this has not been the feel of the industry. The consensus has long been the more the merrier. Just look at the market share that craft beer has. The potential for growth is staggering. In the opening address to the CBC, Charlie Papazian, founder of the Brewers Association, likened craft brewers to the militia during the American Revolution. In order to convert existing beer drinkers to craft beer drinkers, it takes a grass-roots approach, and the more breweries we have sharing the message of craft the more likely we are to grow our market share.
In my opinion, growth is not necessarily about protecting and adding to current sales, as it is about attracting new craft beer fans. My personal word of caution is that wheat beer as a category is down in terms of sales across the country. We cannot expect our industry growth to come from our existing customer base to drink more of our beer; we need intentional focus on attracting new fans. Historically speaking wheat beers have bridged the gap between light lager drinkers and craft drinkers. Double IPAs and other exotic styles rarely attract a new drinker.
At Marshall we have a nearly five-year foundation built amongst craft beer drinkers in Oklahoma. We see the potential for growth and innovation. We welcome new breweries, offer our help, and wish them success. Craft beer has always been about selection. New breweries offer a growing consumer base more and varied choices, strengthening our industry and hopefully attracting additional consumers.
TTB: One point that’s not up for debate is that the craft beer industry is growing fast. People have said this could cause problems for brewers trying to secure grains, hops and equipment — all of which are becoming more scarce; or that it could cause liquor store owners and bar managers to drop old standards so they can stock the latest flavor of the month. Are these real problems everyone is dealing with, or will have to deal with?
Wes: There is no doubt that current craft beer growth is placing a strain on raw materials, equipment, distribution, and retail space. With 1,200 breweries in planning, resources will become even more scarce. However, capitalism will sort these issues. Not so much as in only the strong will survive, but more in a sense of the best practices and planning will build a healthy and robust industry. While certainly the homebrewer can turn pro and open their own brewery successfully, more and more we are seeing breweries open with professionally trained and experienced brewers. I would suggest that a balance must exist between being an entrepreneur and innovator and a professional. We need both to successfully grow. While we do not need to re-invent the wheel in terms of best practices, we need homebrewing fanatics with their win-against-all-odds approach such as Sam Calagione at Dogfish Head Brewery, to innovate techniques such as continuous hopping.
With regard to the retail segment, there is no doubt that much of the growth in craft beer is being fueled by local and hyper-regional breweries. It is very exciting to see that our country is supporting a local business model over a more traditional national sales and marketing model. This supports converting new beer drinkers through grass-roots efforts. The consumer will ultimately vote with their dollars as to the brands they prefer at the retail level. Retail is constantly evolving and that will continue. Current trends support local. Colorado is an excellent example in terms of craft beer.
TTB: Lastly, what advice would you offer to new brewers or those wanting to get into the business?
Wes: The message to new breweries is this: Visit with existing breweries about best practices, strategies for success, lessons learned. We all want growth in craft beer and many hands make light work. My caution would be to be sure that your intentions are genuine and that quality is the top priority. Much of the concern voiced at CBC is based upon the fear that our industry only has so many chances to attract a new drinker and it takes quality beer and passion for the craft to do the job.
Coming Wednesday: Part 2 featuring Choc Beer Co. President Zach Prichard.
Marshall steps up to plate with ballpark offering
Marshall Brewing is doing its part to bring craft beer to the masses, offering up a special hefeweizen for those hot nights at ONEOK Field.
Here’s a press released issued from Marshall:
TULSA — Tulsa-based Marshall Brewing Co. is reintroducing Tulsa Driller All-Star Wheat at ONEOK Field. All-Star Wheat will become available beginning on April 26 and will be offered for the remainder of the season at select locations within ONEOK Field.
All-Star Wheat is a German-style Hefeweizen, perfectly suited to watching baseball on warm afternoons and evenings in Oklahoma. Aromas of banana and clove are created by using the traditional German ale yeast during fermentation. The yeast is left in the beer to both provide flavor and the typical cloudiness of a German-style wheat beer.
All Star Wheat features a medium body and a light sweetness to create a refreshing beer with exceptional sessionability.
Marshall’s All-Star Wheat will be available on draft at the following locations inside ONEOK Field:
-Craft Beer Cart located behind home plate
-Margaritaville Cart located along third-base concourse
-Liquor Cart located along first-base concourse
I haven’t been to a Redhawks game in ages — anyone know what the craft beer scene looks like at Bricktown Ballpark?
Daily Pints
-Plenty going on at McNellie’s OKC in the next week. To start things off, the weekly Monday pint night features Tecate tonight. Coming up on Saturday is the McNellie’s Pub Run, featuring the Guinness Challenge. You can get more information or sign up for the race right here. And lastly, McNellie’s OKC has announced they will be closed May 6-7 to make repairs. They said they expect to re-open May 8.
-The Monday pint night at McNellie’s Tulsa tonight is Ayinger Brau-Weisse.
-And the pint night at McNellie’s Norman today is PBR. Yes, I said PBR.
-New beers on their way to Okahoma: From Boulevard, Love Child No. 3 and Coffee Ale; from Sante Fe, Chicken Killer Barley Wine Ale; from Ommegang, Fleur de Houblon; and from Widmer Bros., Hopside Down IPL. Put me down for a couple bottles of Coffee Ale — 9.3 percent ale brewed in collaboration with The Roasterie air-roasted coffee — sounds amazing!
Free beer book time! It’s TTBFBFBF!
Welcome to the next round of The Thirsty Beagle Facebook Free Book Friday, or as it’s more commonly known, TTBFBFBF.
Today’s offering is “Brew Like a Pro” by Dave Miller.
This 265-page softcover walks you through the homebrew process, with an emphasis on moving to all-grain brewing.
You can win this book simply by liking the Facebook post associated with this blog post. Everyone who likes the post will be entered in a random drawing, and the winner will be selected around 5 p.m. today.
Good luck!
Beer review: Widmer Bros. Alchemy Ale
Usually sample beers sent to me by breweries are pretty straightforward: Box, bubble wrap, beer.
Then along came Widmer Bros. and their promotional push for the new Alchemy Ale:
Yes, that would be the beer, a pint glass and four vials containing hops, yeast, grains and water.
Pretty fancy indeed, and it got me thinking, “Boy, this looks like a great effort to distract from what the real issue is here — the beer.” But of course, I’m not easily distracted. Except by sports on TV. And delicious chicken wings. And Words With Friends. Where was I? Oh yes, the beer.
Let’s get to my review of Widmer Bros. Alchemy Ale.
This is an American pale ale that checks in at 5.8 percent ABV and 40 IBUs.
The beer had a golden-orange color and excellent clarity. It had a moderate head that faded quickly. It had a prominent hop aroma.
I noticed a very tangy hop bite up front that mellowed and smoothed out as I progressed through the beer. A hop spiciness lingered slightly on the back of the tongue after sipping.
I felt the beer was hop-forward, but definitely leaned more toward the late- or dry-hopped side of the equation. I didn’t find it to have significant bitterness. I think this allowed it to strike a decent balance between the hop and malt.
The most interesting thing about the beer to me is the character of the hops. Widmer says the beer is hopped with a proprietary blend of Pacific Northwest hops they call the Alchemy blend. I found the hop flavor to be predominantly spicy; it was a change from the largely floral hops that seem to be more popular right now.
I also found that the beer was hopped enough to let the hops clearly show through and assert themselves, but not so much that you weren’t sure if the beer was a pale ale or an IPA. This is definitely a pale ale.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable, creative beer. I was pleasantly surprised by its restraint — anymore it seems commercial pale ales almost always push the boundary of becoming an IPA. I would drink it again.
Daily Pints
-The pint night at TapWerks tonight is Piraat Belgian IPA.
-Coming soon to local liquor stores: Sam Adams Porch Rocker — a lager blended with lemonade in the tradition of the Bavarian Radler.
-Angry Orchard coming out with some new ciders.
Dead Armadillo ready for ‘important milestone’
It wouldn’t be unfair to say Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing has existed on the fringe of the Oklahoma craft beer scene the past year or so.
The Tulsa-based Dead Armadillo team has poured at various festivals and beer tasting events, but lacks its own commercial brewing facility and, therefore, the capacity to produce enough beer for mass distribution.
That is about to change. Thanks to a brewing agreement with the recently opened Roughtail Brewing Co., Dead Armadillo’s first run of commercial kegs are scheduled to be released for statewide distribution at the start of June.
And as they build momentum toward opening their own brewery, Dead Armadillo is seeking your help. They’ve started a Kickstarter project that they titled “Help Raise the Dead Armadillo Brewery.” They’ve set a goal to raise $10,000 by May 16. As of today, they had received pledges totaling more than $1,800 from more than 30 potential donors.
I recently interviewed Dead Armadillo’s Tony Peck to learn about what’s in store.
The Thirsty Beagle: You guys have been in the brewing game a while now — I know you’ve poured at tastings and festivals over the past year or so — but how exciting is it to be so close to having your kegs distributed around the state?
Tony Peck: We are ecstatic. While we still have some hard work ahead with the acquisition of equipment and a building, the opportunity to distribute our Amber Ale throughout Oklahoma marks an important milestone for us. We have worked hard over the past couple years to get here and now we will be actual contributors to Oklahoma’s craft beer culture.
TTB: How did you come to the arrangement to work with Roughtail? Explain how that deal is beneficial for you guys.
TP: We met Tony and Blaine at an Oklahoma Brewer’s Guild meeting last year and got along well. We had been contemplating contract brewing to get started, but there was no space available in Oklahoma. Then, when we heard about their starting date, we contacted them with the hope that we could work something out. Our deal helps us because it puts our product on the market while we finalize our own details. We believe it helps Roughtail because it will provide them a little extra operating capital. The best part, however, is it develops a new collaborative relationship in the industry here.
TTB: Will we see the Amber first? What’s next in the chute?
TP: The Armadillo Amber will be our first beer. We are contemplating a Smashed Armadillo next, which is an ale brewed with a single malt and a single hop. Our Black IPA, IPA, and Porter have all been well-received, but we will probably wait until we have our own facility before introducing them to the market. We still plan to bring them to events, though.
TTB: Let’s talk about the Kickstarter; you’ve set a goal of $10,000 — what do you plan to do with the money if you reach the goal?
TP: The funds for our Kickstarter project are going to be directed toward our canning line. We hope to be canning our beer for package stores as soon as possible. We love cans.
TTB: For a pledge of $2,000 or more, you’re giving away the chance to name the brewery’s armadillo mascot. Nervous at all someone will make the pledge and give it some kind of crazy name?
TP: Yes, a little nervous. I suppose if the name was horribly offensive, then we may have to negotiate something. But it would be a nice problem.
Tony said Dead Armadillo plans a launch party June 6 at the Fox and Hound in Tulsa. I’ll keep you updated as more details become available.
Daily Pints
-To say an insane amount of beer has flooded — or is set to flood — into the state recently would be underselling it. Here, culled from some of the top liquor stores in the state, are some of the beers you can expect to see in stores soon (if not already):
1. Crown Valley Barrel Aged Big Bison
2. Prairie Pirate Noir
3. Laughing Dog Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA
4. Achel Trappist Blonde
5. Achel Trappist Extra
6. Full Sail LTD Vienna Lager
7. Sierra Nevada 2013 Hoptimum
8. Choc Rye OPA
And here’s a list I grabbed from the BierGarten FB page showing what we can expect in May:
1. Battered Boar Dante’s Porter (hot pepper beer)
2. Blue Moon Sampler 12-Packs
3. Bridgeport Bear Hug Cherry Chocolate
4. Full Sail Pub Series ESB
5. Green Flash Saison Diego
6. Left Hand Twin Sisters DIPA
7. Ommegang Iron Throne Blonde
8. Prairie Apricot Funk
9. Prairie Blueberry Funk
10. Prairie Bomb
11. Prairie Café
12. Prairie Puncheon
13. Prairie Wine Barrel Noir
14. Prairie Zach (Pro-Am beer for GABF)
15. Privateer Sampler Pack
16. Roughtail 12th Round Strong Ale (Keg)
17. Roughtail IPA (Keg)
19. Roughtail Red Republic Ale (Keg)
19. Boulevard Smokestack Lovechild #3
In addition, BierGarten just announced that Great Divide’s 19th Anniversary Ale will be in Oklahoma soon. This is an ale brewed with birch syrup and aged on birch chips.
More beers, plans announced for Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival
Plans are really starting to heat up now for the third annual Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival at TapWerks.
Yesterday, I blogged about the first set of confirmed beers for the May 18 fest. Lo and behold, festival organizer Greg Powell sent me an updated list, and it looks awesome. Before we dive into the new list, however, let’s take a look at some pint nights TapWerks has planned leading up to OCFB to celebrate American Craft Beer Week:
-Monday, May 13: Anthem Brewing Pint Night with firkin
-Tuesday, May 14: Choc Pint Night with firkin
-Wednesday, May 15: Roughtail Pint Night with firkin
-Thursday, May 16: COOP Pint Night with firkin
-Friday, May 17: Sam Adams Pint Night featuring a special food menu, and individual pours and flights from the Barrel Room Series — 13th Hour Stout, Stony Brook Red and New World Tripel
Pretty nice lineup, right there. And in addition to TapWerks, McNellie’s OKC is getting in on the action as well.
On Friday, May 17, McNellie’s is hosting a firkin night featuring an exclusive preview of Roughtail Double IPA. McNellie’s will also feature a special Oklahoma craft beer flight for $6 from May 13-19.
So how about the new OCBF list? Here it is:
Sam Adams: New World Tripel, Stony Brook Red, 13th Hour Stout, Grumpy Monk, Boston Lager, Double Agent IPL, New Albion, Porch Rocker, plus a couple surprises
Shiner: Premium, Ruby Redbird
Bridgeport: Smooth Ryed, Summer Squeeze
Flying Dog: Snake Dog IPA, Underdog Atlantic
Mustang: Doppelhopper IPA, Route 66, Washita Wheat, Golden Ale, Summer Lager, plus a couple surprises
Sierra Nevada: Torpedo, Ruthless Rye, Pale Ale, Summerfest
Abita: Lemon Wheat, Strawberry Harvest
Santa Fe: Freestyle Pils, Happy Camper
Full Sail: Amber, Session, Session Black, ESB
Ommegang: Adoration, Seduction, Aphrodite, Hennepin, plus a surprise
Angry Orchard: Ginger, Dry, Crisp Apple
Ace: Pear, Joker
Woodchuck: Amber, Raspberry
Rogue: XS McRogue Scotch Ale, XS Barleywine, XS Imperial Stout, John John Hazelnut, John John Juniper,
Pyramid: Snowcap, Curveball
Boulevard: Wheat, 80 Acre, Double Wide IPA, Boss Tom’s, Tank 7, Coffee Ale, Rye on Rye, 2011 Imperial Stout, 6th Glass, Dark Truth Stout, plus some surprises
Leinenkugel: Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout, Big Eddy Wee Heavy, Big Eddy Baltic Porter, Big Eddy Imperial IPA, Sunset Wheat, Berry Weiss, Honey Weiss, Summer Shandy, Lemon Shandy, Orange Shandy, Berry Shandy
Caldera: IPA, Pale Ale, Amber, plus a surprise
Jolly Pumpkin: Luciernaga, ES Bam, La Roja
Laughing Dog: Dogfather Bourbon Barrel, Alpha Dog, Sneaky Pete
Big Sky: Brushtail Saison, Cowboy Coffee, Scape Goat, IPA, Moose drool, Trout Slayer, plus a few surprises
Crispin: Original, Honey Crisp, The Saint
Redd’s: Apple Ale
COOP: F5, Native Amber, Elevator, Horny Toad, Gransport, DNR, TROIAS ’12, TRBW ’12, plus a couple surprises
Green Flash: Saison Diego, West Coast IPA, Rayon Vert, Hop Head Red, Double Stout, Imperial IPA, Plus a surprise
Great Divide: Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti, Hercules, Collette, Nomad, Heyday, Claymore, Hoss
Anchor: Liberty, Steam, Porter, Summer Ale, Breckles Brown
Sea Dog: Blueberry, Apricot
Anderson Valley: Summer Solstice, Hop Ottin, Oatmeal Stout, ESB, Boont Amber
Point: Belgian White, Special Lager, Nude Beach
Shipyard: Monkey Fist IPA, Summer Ale
Sierra Blanca: Nut Brown, Imperial Stout
McKenzie Cider: Original, Black Cherry
Choc: Summer Ale, Choc Beer, Signature Dubbel, plus a surprise
Marshall: Limited Edition Dunkel, Klaus Hefeweizen, Revival Red, Atlas IPA, Old Pavilion Pilsner, Pub Ale
Anthem: White Flame, Golden one, Bourbon Barrel Golden One, Atrun Belgian Stout, plus a surprise
Roughtail: IPA, 12th Round, Red Republic, plus a couple surprises (I’ve confirmed these will be a collaboration Irish Red Ale (with Red Earth Brewers) and a collaboration Hibiscus Wit (with Angry Scotsman Brewing))
Left Hand: Ambidextrous Step 2, Ambidextrous Step 3, Java Lava, Weak Sauce Porter, Milk Stout Nitro, Stranger Pale Ale, Sawtooth, Twin Sisters, Juju Ginger
Tallgrass: Ethos, Pub Ale, Velvet Rooster, Oasis, Halcyon, Buffalo Sweat
Black Mesa: Blonde, ESB
Bricktown Brewery: TBD
Belle Isle Brewery: TBD
Coach’s Brewhouse: TBD
Huebert: TBD
Battered Boar: TBD
Lost Coast: TBD
North Coast: TBD
Lakefront: TBD
Wow! If you’d like to get in on this action, tickets are on sale now at www.oklahomacraftbeerfestival.com. There are two sessions (1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.) and tickets are $35 per session. Each session will feature live music and food for sale from Earl’s Rib Palace and Big Truck Tacos.
It’s official: Oklahoma beer sample bill signed into law
Gov. Mary Fallin today signed off on Oklahoma House Bill 1341, the bill to allow the state’s licensed brewers to offer on-premise beer samples.
The measure will go into effect Nov. 1.
The move has to be considered the most progressive change in the state’s alcohol laws in many years. In 2011, Gov. Brad Henry signed a bill to legalize homebrewing in the state, but since the practice was widespread anyway, that move had to be looked at as primarily symbolic in nature.
Today’s legislation will bring concrete change and was welcomed by the bill’s primary backers, Tulsa’s Marshall Brewing Co.
“We could not be more pleased with the support we had from Oklahoma through the legislative process and finally in conclusion the governor signing HB 1341,” Marshall’s Wes Alexander said. “We feel this bill will help Oklahoma’s breweries grow craft culture through education and advocacy to all of Oklahoma, and spread commerce in the region.”
For those who haven’t read about HB 1341, the bill will allow breweries to serve samples not to exceed 12 oz. per person, per day. The samples would be free and would only be available from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Brewers would have to pay an Oklahoma excise tax on sampled beer.
Several of the state’s brewers have said they are looking to forward to opening up tours at their sites.
Plans shaping up for third annual Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival
It’s time to get ready for OCBF, people. That’s Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival, for the uninitiated, and the date for this year’s event is set for May 18.
The annual festival — now in its third year — will be staged in the parking lot beside TapWerks. Tickets are $35 for either of two sessions, and they are on sale now.
The event marks the end of American Craft Beer Week, and it will end it with a bang, as organizers are promising the biggest festival to date. More than 200 beers are expected from nearly 50 brewers/breweries.
Here is a list of the first confirmed beers:
-Big Sky: Ivan the Terrible, Bier de Noel, Sneaky Pete, Brushtail, Cowboy Coffee, IPA, Scapegoat, Troutslayer, Moose Drool
-Boulvard: Lovechild #3, Rye on Rye, 2011 Imperial Stout, 6th Glass, Dark Truth, Long Strange Tripel, Terra Incognita, 2012 Saison Brett, Tank 7, Coffee Ale, Boss Tom’s, Double Wide, 80 Acre, Wheat
-Caldera: Amber, IPA, Pale
-Crispin: Honey, Saints, Original
-Jolly Pumpkin: Luciernaga, Noel de Calabaza, ES Bam
-Leinenkugel: Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout, Big Eddy Wee Heavy, Big Eddy IPA, Big Eddy Baltic Porter, Summer Shandy, Lemonberry Shandy, Orange Shandy, Berry Weisse, Sunset Wheat
-Laughing Dog: Dogfather Bourbon Barrel, Alpha Dog
And here’s a message from festival organizer and TapWerks general manager Greg Powell:
Plans are underway and the first list of beers is already on my desk! This year will have the largest amount of beers and breweries available for sample yet. We will break the 200 count for total beers representing over 45 breweries! Thanks to some new Oklahoma breweries like Black Mesa, Roughtail and Prairie Artisan Ales, we will also have our largest count of Oklahoma-made beers. Some of the craft breweries that are new to our state are promising some big things as well, including Green Flash, Goose Island and Jolly Pumpkin.
I will keep you updated as new beers are added to the list and other details, like food vendors and bands, are made available.
Daily Pints
-Expected in local liquor stores soon (if not already): Prairie Artisan Ales Pirate Noir; Green Flash Imperial IPA; Green Flash Trippel.
-The weekly Monday pint night at McNellie’s OKC tonight features Dos Equis. Speaking of Dos Equis, have you seen the latest “Most Interesting Man…” commercial? Hilarious.
-The weekly Monday pint night at McNellie’s Tulsa today is Tripel Karmeliet.
-And at McNellie’s Norman, it’s Sam Adams Apline Spring.
