Episode 43 - Jeff Wood, Creative Director of Rahr & Sons Brewing

Hey Hoplahoma, there's a new brewery in town. For the first time in their 12 year history, Rahr & Sons brewing has branched out to their neighbor to the north, Oklahoma. I talk with Jeff, their Creative Director in charge of labels, merchandise and promotional products. In short...my ideal job. One day. Until then, here is a bit from their press release...

"February 9, 2016 - Fort Worth, Texas - One of the largest craft breweries in Texas is expanding to the Sooner state. Starting March 1, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.’s craft beers will be available on store shelves and on tap at many restaurants and bars in Oklahoma.

Beers to be initially released in Oklahoma will include: Rahr’s Blonde, a Munich-style Helles Lager and the brewery’s very first beer; Ugly Pug, a Schwarzbier Black Lager; Stormcloud, an English India Pale Ale; Buffalo Butt, an American Amber; and Iron Thistle, a seasonal Strong Scotch-style Ale. Other beers will be released seasonally throughout the year.

With a strong German background and almost 170 years of brewing tradition in his blood, owner Fritz Rahr opened Rahr & Sons more than a decade ago with his wife, Erin. Rahr said he and his team look forward to serving their neighbors up north."

Rahr & Sons has been featured in local and national media, including being named in the top 4 of the 20 best craft breweries in America by Time Out, as well as the Best Brewery/Distillery by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine for two years in a row. For more information, please visit rahrbrewing.com and facebook.com/rahrbrewing.

Episode 42 - Andrew Jolly of DoubleShot

 

Andrew and I met a while back on the bottling line of Prairie Artisan Ales. We certainly share a love for locally made craft beer and coffee. Naturally, as a barista, Andrew has much more of an affinity for the caffeinated nectar of the gods. For a while now I have wanted to have this discussion about the parallels of craft beer and the coffee industries. Both are brewed and steeped, created by individuals with a passion and created in small batches. I'm sure there is more and we touch on those here for sure. This will be a journey into how beer and coffee work so well together as an adjunct and how both share similar flavor characteristics and literally poured over in as to what is the best and worst in the industry. We'll revisit this topic again and learn the process of brewing a beer with coffee and how one goes about picking the right combinations.

Episode 41 - Chef Trey of R Bar

Craft beer has a long history of being categorized as a food, a liquid bread, if you will and preferred over water when it wasn't as pure like the present day. Tulsa is home to a restaurant and bar where craft beer and locally sourced cuisines walk hand in hand. Welcome to R Bar. A place where you can find the newest offering from local breweries like Marshall and Prairie and enjoy with culinary delicacies from Chef Trey Winkle. Trey has turned traditional bar food on its head and created signature dishes like poutine with locally sourced cheese curds to the WAG burger served with a fried egg are enjoyed by all craft beer connoisseurs. Along with beer brunches and craft beer flights using Beer is OK's custom flight paddles, Trey and R bar are the perfect craft beer destination.

Episode 40 - Blaine Stansel of Roughtail Brewing Company

Hey everyone, thanks for joining the Oklahoma Craft Beer podcast. Quick announcement for those in the Tulsa area. I will have a pop up shop at West Elm in Utica Square on February 13 for those last minute Valentines gifts from 10 am to 5 pm. I'll have bar towels, bottle openers, apparel and new Hoppalo stickers. Come on out and view the 3 other shops as well and support local. Thanks!

It was only a matter of time before I had my guest Blaine from Roughtail on the show. Roughtail will celebrate their 3rd anniversary this April 9th in Midwest City and I can't wait. Since they've released their line of aggressively hoppy beers there has been a consistent demand for their IPA, Polar Night stout and their double IPA, Hoptometrist. Naturally the fresher the better, but usually not a problem since everything they produce are cans. There are quite a few announcements and topics we kicked around from expansion to the future modernization of Oklahoma liquor laws so pair this podcast with a Roughtail Pale Ale like I did and enjoy.

Episode 39 - CBAO - Special Presentation Part 2

The conclusion to the Craft Beer Summit, or State of the Brewnion that took place January 13 at Oak & Ore. We hear about how craft beer fared in 2015 by Micki, Prairie Artisan Ales new event coordinator. Adam Marshall talks about current laws and what we as consumers need to do to support the change in our archaic laws. We finish up with a small panel of breweries that discuss what it takes to go from home brewer to owning your own company.

Be sure to check local breweries like Marshall and Anthem to purchase official CBAO pint glasses for $5. All proceeds go back to the CBAO in funding for a lobbyist.

Episode 38 - Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma - Special Presentation

Oklahoma is starting of the year on a positive note with the first ever Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma beer summit. Labeled as the "State of the Brewnion", local craft breweries from Oklahoma gathered to discuss the past, present and future of their artisanal craft at Oak & Ore in OKC on January 13, 2016. This was a monumental occasion in having pivotal players like the brewers and representatives from OK senate to acknowledge our archaic liquor laws. For the past few years grassroots efforts have been diligently working to get the word out to the masses and we have reached a point where the breweries have said enough and want to have equal treatment like most other states in the union.

In the next 2 episodes we will hear from activists, brewers and employees about the state of craft beer in Oklahoma and how we, the consumer can help change the archaic laws.

After listening please find your local state representative and make your voice heard that these laws must change.

Finally, continue to support local breweries by purchasing their beer and merchandise. Your dollar always has a vote. It has always been my goal to support local breweries and I can't think of a better way then this podcast you are listening to. Always remember: Beer Is OK.

Episode 37 - Chris Dill of Snipe Brewing

There's that chill in the air again, well, there was until today when we hit 64 degrees in the first week of December. It's been a while since our last show but it's been a busy time as well. Doing this on my own is no small feat and paying bills never ends. But with that my creative mind has developed some rather inspiring artwork that'll you will see on my Etsy store and local vendors. If you haven't already please visit it at etsy.com/shop/beerisok. Lots of good stocking-stuffers are there for home brewers, hop heads and all types of beer drinkers. I also want to take this time to thank the local retailers who sell my items: Okie Crowe and Ida Red in Tulsa; Blue 7, Tree+Leaf and Graphite Element in OKC. This state is nothing short of creative people that inspire and want to see artists grow and flourish. I surely wouldn't be successful without them and am truly grateful to them.

There's been a great deal of development in the past couple months with stout season upon us and local breweries and distributors keeping shelves stocked with strong ales, imperial stouts and a full spice cabinet packed into ales. I cherish this time of reflection whilst sipping on something strong and enduring, especially those beers that are made here. I recently did that at LOCAL's Tulsa Winter Warmer. A small, intimate affair to really interact with some of Oklahoma's finest breweries, try something new and original and relax with good friends. Our beer community is strong and growing which brings us to our guest this episode.

Chris Dill leads a simple life in Pryor, OK. About as simple as you can in the country with three kids under 7 mind you. For the past year he and his brother-in-law David have been brewing and like any hobby he takes up, he submerges into it completely. So much so that he's been volunteering at Prairie Artisan Ales for bottling days and picking the brains of local brewers as well. He envisions a small farmhouse brewery in Pryor making sour table beer and anything else that make strike his fancy. This is Chris Dill of Snipe Brewing.