12 Days of Beer-mas

I never really understood where the song "12 Days of Christmas" came from and why they got such lame gifts...except of course the five gold rings. So I came up with my own list as a beer enthusiast and what others like me may want this Christmas if you're having trouble finding that suds-loving partner of yours a gift. 

I'll stay away from shameful plugs for my own merchandise (which can be found at Okie Crowe in the Deco District of Tulsa [OK. One shameful plug]) and focus on some easily attainable and affordable items that won't bust your wallet like the price of a Utopian.

1. "Mastering Home Brew: The Complete Guide to Brewing Delicious Beer" 

by Randy Mosher (Author of Radical Brewing and Tasting Beer)

 One of my favorite authors has done it again by giving us blue-collar beer brewers the tips and knowledge to brew world class beers in the comfort of our home. This won't be available until April of next year but you bet I got my preorder in already. In tandem with his Radical Brewing book this rendition gives home brewers tips, recipes and technical knowledge for beginners to novices. I'm most excited to learn how to develop a recipe and create unique craft beer that I would enjoy. Release date April 22, 2014

2. Hydro Flask www.hydroflask.com

Designed to keep beer cold, this is the first vacuum sealed, double-walled, stainless steel, blah blah blah. Frankly what they are saying is it doesn't get any better than this to store your beer for hikes, camping and picnics and shut up and give them your money. It also keeps coffee piping hot for when you have drank your session IPA or Breakfast Stout too fast and need to cure that hangover. But then why would you want to go and do a thing like that...

3. Okie Crowe Beer Basket

Another way to support local is shop Okie Crowe this holiday season. They have home made soaps made from spent grain, beer making kits, pet treats and custom holiday baskets. Pictured here are Beer Flat crackers, Sfoglini spent grain pasta, Slant Shack Bronk Brewery jerky, Beer Nuts hot bar mix, Beer Is OK koozie, Anarchy in a Jar beer mustard, and A. Whip Designs metal bottle opener.

4. Brew Master: The Craft Beer Game White Labs

This game is perfect for beer fans and home brewers where you collect cards to brew a beer and compete against each other through actual beer events to win the accolades of your adoring fans. While I have not played myself, Brew Master looks challenging as you learn how to brew certains types of ales and learn about all the trials and tribulations that can take place at a microbrewery. Good for beginners who know how to play Rummy and can drink craft beer at the same time.

5. Yeti Cooler yeticoolers.com

OK. I know I said affordable gifts but maybe some of you can afford the best cooler in the world. Yeti coolers are heavily respected in the beer industry and keeps anything cold for a long period of time. How long you may ask? Well, if you were to be stranded in the woods for a few days you'd at least have cold beer for that long, so there. These coolers are tough as nails and also make nice jockey boxes for those raging keggers your partner always throws. (They don't? Well now they have a reason.) If you can only afford their moderately priced merchandise at least you can look like you have expensive taste.

 6. Beer Tone Reader http://beertone.me/the-reader/

This product hits home for me as a graphic designer and would make a wonderful study tool. These Swiss geniuses took a spectrophotometer that is used to measure SRM (Standard Reference Method), to chart the spectrum of beer colors onto these handy swatches. Now they reference a lot of Swiss beers but the styles are well known and are a great tool to expand your beer brain if you haven't already killed it with that Barleywine from Schlafly. (Too late).

7. Great American Ale Trail by Christian DeBenedetti

I know, another book. But damn if it isn't filled with the most places you can find along America's highways for delicious craft beer. What's great is you don't have to read this from cover to cover. Just flip through, pick a state, read about all the great craft beer bars and brew pubs and breweries then hop in your car and visit them. Sounds like the gift that keeps on giving to me...

8. Cicerone Gift Card www.cicerone.org

You think you know everything about beer...Prove IT! This is the definitive organization that tests and certifies beer aficionados around the globe. Start with the Certified Beer Server test and move up the ladder with their multitude links for training your brain about beer, serving beer, styles, draught systems, etc. Did you know beer pairs better than wine? Now you can actually look smart after you've drank 5 strong ales because you know what malt's and hops are in them that got you so drunk in the first place. They offer off-taste kits and style flash cards as well.

9. High Gravity Home Brew Kit www.highgravitybrew.com

Tulsan's are blessed to have a high quality home brew shop like High Gravity. I love receiving gift cards and purchasing kits from these guys. I can't speak enough about the highly knowledgeable staff and selection of malts, hops, yeast and brewing equipment. Saves me a ton on trying to ship something here in one piece. Purchase your loved one a home brew starter kit and one of High Gravity's beer kits they assemble themselves so you can finally get that alone time you deserve. They even have workshops to learn how to use the kit as well as online ordering you can pick up right there in the store! (I swear I'm not getting any kickbacks from this plug...but I don't discourage it either). 

10. Marshall Brewing Co. Merch www.marshallbrewing.com

Let's keep things local by stopping over to Marshall Brewing near downtown Tulsa. Pick up some bitchin' red bike socks featuring Revival Red Ale and a comfy tri-blend shirt to match. They have glassware, brew shirts and more for that craft beer fan in your life. Don't forget to take your friends on a tour this December on Fridays and Saturdays from 12pm - 4pm. Purchase a glass for $5 (stocking stuffer) and help out a great charity as well. (This month features the Make-A-Wish Foundation of OK.) Prost!

11. BreweryMap.com App brewerymap.com

For the techie in your life that loves to travel. Are you curious if you missed a great brew pub or brewery on a recent road trip? Now you have the app that can show you any brew pub or brewery up to a 100 mile radius on your route to that wedding or yearly family vacation you dread so much. So long giant balls of yarn, we're visiting Piney River Brewing before heading home for Christmas this year!

12. Beer Tasting Paddle & Glasses BearMtnCarpentryCo

Craft beer begets crafty, well crafts. This beer paddle and glassware set found on Etsy is the perfect way to hold a tasting with friends. Paddle can be personalized and easily write on with chalk what you are sampling. Now you have no excuse to invite the neighbors over and educate the beer virgins the amazing qualities of local craft beer.

B-witchin October Brews

Here's our take on fall and Oktoberfest style beers. Criteria is based solely on opinion and knowledge based on reading loads of books like Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer and any beer related article we can find. If you want a professional opinion look somewhere else. If you want the layman's opinion and where you should spend your hard earned money then hopefully we can guide you in the right direction. Cheers!

1. Brooklyn Oktoberfest - Brian Welzbacher

I picked this amber colored beauty up in Texas and was glad this was my first Brooklyn experience. I've read so much about Garrett Oliver and his craftsmanship for great lagers coming out of NY and finally got my hands on one. It poured a deep amber color with a very small head that soon disappeared. Initial aroma was heavy with malt and earthy hops. Flavor was a juicy biscuit malt, small bitter finish with a bit of nuttiness to it. Very smooth over all as a 5.5% beer. While the beer was refreshing I probably would not seek this one out again. I look forward to finding more Brooklyn beers though and hopefully much sooner.

2. Shipyard Pumpkin Ale - Ethan Buckman

Sometimes, you get a beer that blows you away with how good it is. Sometimes you get a beer that's so bad you think it must have slipped through some type of quality control check. And sometimes you get a beer that's so assertively, aggressively bland that you wonder what human being could have thought it was something worth putting out. The Shipyard pumpkin beer would be the latter.

Pouring a pale straw color with a nice rocky head, the look was certainly the best part of the beer. The aroma was grainy with such a small hint of spice I may not have noticed it unless I knew it was supposed to be a "pumpkin" beer. The flavor matched, with a bready character being the only dominant flavor note. If it had been a blind tasting I might have asked myself "what kind of yeast did they use to get that barely perceptible spice character?". There was no hop character, no pumpkin flavor of any kind. Just some mild bread and malt notes backed up by the tiniest, tiniest bits of clove and cinnamon.The body fit the theme, being neither thin nor full, but just "medium". 

Technically speaking, the beer was just fine. There were no off flavors, no evidence of brewing flaws. Which made the whole thing that much more disappointing. This beer suffers from a timidity in flavor that would leave a dedicated Inbev drinker wanting for more.

In short, there's nothing wrong with this beer. You won't feel the need to dump it out. But the overwhelming sense of "eh" will leave you sorely disappointed, thinking of what could have been. 

3. Schlafly Pumpkin Ale - Brian Welzbacher

Do you remember the first time you had a pumpkin beer? Do you remember your first love? Schlafly's pumpkin ale has been creating memories for me and my friends ever since I turned 21. I've yet to find anything comparable to this pumpkin spiced treat and look forward to it's release (no matter how early in August it is). 

This is an 8% beer brewed with pumpkin squash and a blend of secret spices you'll find in a classic pumpkin pie. It's not overwhelming with sweetness and the alcohol keeps it balanced making it a great dessert beer in my opinion. Just pouring into a snifter you'll immediately smell fresh pumpkin pie spice waft out and entice you to drink. It has an off white head with some lace and a nice copper color. Toasty, malty flavors of baked pumpkin along with cinnamon, nutmeg and hint of vanilla. This is certainly one to stash away for the coming holidays.

I typically treat this as a sipping beer and one to savor as I drink. The clove and cinnamon work nicely up front but don't linger too long. Very easy drinking for the 8% ABV so go easy but please seek this one out. I'm sure you'll find a six pack near my deathbed down the road.

4. Marshall Oktoberfest - Brian Welzbacher

October truly is the usher of fall and seasonal beers for me when I embrace the fall weather and look for something to satisfy my craving for a balanced, malty meal in a bottle. Since Marshall released their Oktoberfest I make sure to have a six pack on hand whenever an impromptu back yard party around the fire pit comes up. Marshall continues their pure German craft with this copper colored complex lager that rivals many Oktoberfest lagers in the market. Super drinkable with small lingering of noble German hops and medium body. Little lace left behind because I drank it too quickly. Notes of toasted caramel and great carbonation keeps my going and reaching for another. So toss back a few and throw the baseball around with friends while you can because this seasonal won't last long. Prost!

5. Left Hand Oktoberfest - Brian Welzbacher & Eric Marshall

I had a little help with this next one at McNellies the other night. Not quite sure what to get I suggested Left Hand's Oktoberfest as I have been taken by it's ease of drink-ability, light body and nice caramel flavor. "I haven't had this in a long time. It's an all around great beer, uses a different yeast than the Marshall Oktoberfest which gives it more sulfur flavor but not in a bad way," stated Eric. My impressions was different after first having this beer from a bottle versus the tap. It certainly beats out a majority of craft brew attempts I've had in OK like Shiner and even Sam Adams. Leaves a thin lace and has a small hop finish to it with a classic Marzen lager flavor.

6. Wachusett Pumpkan - D'Wain Carthen

A good pumpkin beer is often hard to find. You typically find people on one side of the fence or the other when it comes to this particular style of beer. You either love them or hate them. Tasting pumpkin beers like any other style of beer is dependent upon what you have tried and what you like. Personally, I like a pumpkin beer that has the characteristics of pumpkin pie. Lots of spice and lots of pumpkin. To date there have only been a few that I really like, and there is only one that I truly love.

I recently acquired Wachusett Pumpkan from a fellow trader in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, it did not deliver on what I like in a good pumpkin beer. The can was really cool. As far as I can remember, it is the only pumpkin/harvest beer that I have ever had out of a can, so that is a plus in it’s column. What the beer really lacked was spice and flavor. It is 5.2% ABV and overall just not a strong beer. It tasted better as I ate some food, but I think that is because it added some spice and flavor to the palate. If you happen to get a can of Wachusett Pumpkan give a try. It may end up being something you like, but it is not for me.

7. Brooklyn Post Road - Brian & Amy Welzbacher

I'm fortunate to be married to someone who can appreciate good beer and actually share these huge 750 ml bombers I continue to acquire. On a recent Texas trip with my wife we picked up Post Road from the Brooklyn Brewery. It's described as a beer that reflects how people brewed with vegetables before hops became readily available. With a pumpkin on the label and being brewed with spices I was hyped and ready. I forgot this is a traditional beer and had a shock to the palate. It drank like with minimal pumpkin flavor and hardly any spice. Light bodied with a quick effervescence on the tongue and hoppy/bitter finish that didn't linger. I let it warm and found a bit more pumpkin flavor. Overall we weren't impressed but it was a nicely brewed beer overall. It certainly plays more on the traditional pumpkin ales of the 18th century then the pumpkin pie and high alcohol beers we are used to today. This one only clocked in at 5% ABV. I'd suggest many others we have locally before pursuing this one.

8. Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin - D'Wain Carthen

Friday, I had the opportunity to enjoy a few brews with friends. Some buddies and I get together and record music as time allows. When we do we have mini bottle shares during the process.  There is not anything too fancy being shared; just casual craft beer. ‘Tis the season for pumpkin/harvest beers (my favorite season), so one friend brought some Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale for us to try. 

All due respect to Jim Koch and everything he has built with Samuel Adams, but this misses the mark for me. I think the group liked it, but it was not a favorite of mine. Again, it lacked flavor. Imagine sitting down at Thanksgiving and taking that long awaited first bite of pumpkin pie and it tastes like only a dab of cinnamon and maybe a pinch of cloves might have been added to the mix…and your life is ruined right then and there at Thanksgiving. Sounds horrible, right? I want cinnamon and spices to smack my taste buds around.  Right now, Schlafly Pumpkin is in the top slot for me. Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin unfortunately gets nowhere close to what I look for in a pumpkin/harvest beer.

9. Red Hook's Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter  - D'Wain Carthen

I had the opportunity to try Red Hook’s Out of Your gourd Pumpkin Porter on Saturday.  First of all, I had no clue that this beer even existed.  I do not typically check for Red Hook when searching for brews.  I think just about everyone has had the Red Hook ESB, but I have not ventured beyond that beer nor have I had it more than a few times.  That is not because I think anything bad about their beer, but I just have not taken the time to look further.  Thankfully, I was at an event on Saturday and someone was kind enough to bring some of this delicious brew for the group to try (Thanks, Chris!).  

Out of Your Gourd has great carbonation and mouth feel and yes…finally…great flavor.  I had enjoyed Founders Breakfast Stout, St. Bretta from Crooked Stave, Surly Overrated, Uinta Birthday Suit Sour Brown, and of course the delicious Pirate Bomb from Prairie Artisan Ales.  Despite all of the big brews, OOYG still delivered on the flavor.  I only had a small pour of this and would gladly take a pint.  Red Hook has definitely gained a fan in me.  I would put this brew in my 2 slot right now.  I have a handful of pumpkin brews on the way this week including Pumpkinator from Saint Arnold’s, Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Ale from Uinta, and Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin (aged in Bourbon Barrels).  I am eagerly awaiting these brews and hopefully getting my taste buds smashed.

10. Urban Chestnut Oachkatzlschwoaf  - Brian & Amy Welzbacher

Purchased in a variety pack from the fast growing Urban Chestnut Brewery in St. Louis the Reverence series pays homage to classic brewed European beers. This beer, translated as "tail of a squirrel", has a low hop presence and heavy malt that is surprisingly balanced and does not drink like a lager. It pours a gold to orange color with an off white head and lacing that follows to the end. Amy thought it very smooth and medium bodied but leaves without saying goodbye. It's very drinkable with a sweet malt up front but nothing really stands out to remember it by.

I'm a huge fan of Urban Chestnut but with me it is hit and miss on their beer selection. Ideally I will stick with their STLIPA found at Busch Stadium or Wing Nut. However, the next beer by UCBC is something I've never had anything remotely close to.

11. Urban Chestnut Count Orlok Black Pumpkin Ale  - Brian & Amy Welzbacher

Wow. I love black ales, Schwarzbiers and pumpkin ales but all of them mixed was unique. Count Orlok, or Nosferatu was the German version of Dracula. This beer pours dark like his heart with a brunette body and tan head. It diminishes quickly with no lacing and the aroma is heavy of pumpkin spices. Almost overkill on the taste as well with cinnamon and vanilla and very little if no roast in the back end. Low hop presence and slight aftertaste of spices and roast malt. Light to medium bodied beer with good effervescence throughout and flavor that lingers long. While we both enjoyed it, we felt the spices over shadowed the beer as a whole. Being part of a specialty 8 pack I most likely won't have this again but could see it being enjoyed with vanilla bean ice cream.

12. Saint Arnold's Pumpkinator  - D'Wain Carthen

I've been doing a few beer trades as of late and experiencing a great number of beers that I never tasted before.  All have been good thus far.  I can honestly say that one of the most exciting things is tracking that beer mail and seeing it has been delivered.  Well today, I received a box from my good buddy in El Paso.  The drive home was furious (sorry if I cut you off on the Broken Arrow Expressway).  I made it home safe and sound and so did the brews.  In this box I received Not 1. Not 2. But 3 Pumpkinators from Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston, TX.  It released the same week that Pirate Bomb did.  Apparently my buddy had quite the trek around the city gathering up these 3 bottles, just as many of us did gathering up as much Pirate Bomb as we could. 

Saint Arnold’s Pumpkinator is an Imperial Pumpkin Stout weighing in at 10% ABV.  OK….srsly you guys.  Let me just tell you guys, this beer is PACKED with flavor.  I thought perhaps the pumpkin and spice would be over-powered by roasty/coffee flavor, but it definitely was not.  The roastiness works really well with the pumpkin spice and balances out the sweetness very well. 

Pumpkinator is absolutely outstanding.  It gives all the flavor that you need and much much more.  As it got warmer the flavor got even better, as it should.  I am very excited that I have 2 more bottles.  The two I have left will probably be drank at Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas respectively.  This is a once per year release and once it is gone…it’s gone.  Get some friends in Houston or find out the release date each year and make your way down to H-Town.  This beer is absolutely worth it.  

Holy Hops Oklahoma!

I had a religious experience!  This past week, I had the opportunity to sit down and have a beer with the Reverend. No, I did not confess all my sins (I’m a saint), but I did sit down with Rev. Mason Beecroft who is the brewmaster for Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing.  Yes, I said Reverend.  Mason was a Lutheran pastor for 11 years and has been brewing for over 17 years.  He learned how to brew in seminary, started a “How to Brew” class, and began teaching his parishioners the lovely art of brewing.

Despite what you may think, this is not an act of rebellion against one’s beliefs.  In fact, beer and religion actually have a storied history.  Many may know the story of Saint Arnulf of Metz, the Patron Saint of Brewing.  Legend has it that on a hot day in July 642 his parishioners traveled to Remiremont to recover his remains and had little to drink.  Unfortunately, there was but a small remnant of beer remaining at the bottom of a pot, which is always a bad feeling.  So, what else do you do in your time of need?  Pray for help!   One of Saint Arnulf’s parishioners, Duc Notto, prayed “By his powerful intercession the Blessed Arnold will bring us what we lack.”  The minimal amount of beer in the pot multiplied into enough beer for the pilgrims to quench their dying thirsts and they were able to travel safely back to Metz (in high spirits I presume).

Thankfully, we don’t have to pray to any Gods to get our beer from Dead Armadillo, but the Gods have been good to us!  Their flagship beer is their Amber, which can be found on tap in many fine local establishments such as Main Street Tavern, both Tulsa McNellie’s locations, R Bar, College Bar (Stillwater), Wedge Pizza (OKC), etc.  I am sure there are plenty of other locations that pour this fine brew.  Also, be on the lookout for their IPA, wheat and mouth-watering Black IPA they have teased the masses with at local events.

We can also thank the heavens for Tony Peck.  It was just within the past 2 years that Tony, one of Mason’s parishioners and fellow home brewer, had the great idea that they should take their brewing to the next level and begin brewing commercially.  Mason acknowledges the struggle, “It is definitely a big step going from home brewing to commercial.”  This is especially true when you have become as popular as Dead Armadillo has in such a short amount of time.  “We began getting invites to do private events and our first public event was Wild Brew and then Harvest Festival [2012].”  Seeing as how they started Dead Armadillo in April of 2012, Wild Brew was that following July, and Harvest Fest in September…Tony and Mason were definitely busting their humps to provide us with their amazing creations.

As for future endeavors, be on the lookout for Dead Armadillo at Harvest Fest September 21^st, Wedge Pizza October 1^st, and First Draft in early November.  They will be bringing some different beers to Harvest Fest including some experiments such as a watermelon infused version of their Black IPA.  They also have a can design coming.  Mason gave me a sneak peak at the designs and they look really awesome.  The black and yellow color, which relates to the Yield sign, is a real eye-catcher.  He told me they will also be producing more swag like their t-shirts, work shirts, trucker hats, and a can glass. They are currently sharing space with RoughTail Brewing Company, but recently put an offer on a location here in T-town.

We here at Beer Is OK wish Dead Armadillo nothing but success in the future. They have had an awesome start to their commercial career and I do not see things slowing up for them any time soon.  Be sure to stop by and see them at Harvest Festival this Saturday (9/21) or at any of the other events we have talked about already.  Stop by, imbibe, and enjoy the sweet fruits of their labor. 

See you guys at Harvest Fest!

Cheers! – D’Wain

Brewing "Non-Standard Beers": An Inside Look at Brush Creek Brewing

People go through rites of passage in all walks of life with family and friends. Home brewing is no exception to the matter as we saw in the last blog where three guys were merely brought together by the passion and love of craft beer. The same can be said about Matt and Javier, the duo that makes up Brush Creek Brewing in Stillwater, OK.

They share a similar background in home brewing separately but over time connected over a passion to create quality craft beer. Matt was working in the restaurant industry for 6 years with a home brew hobby on the side and met his partner Javier, a home brewer for 10 years, when Javier's brother opened the College Bar in Stillwater. The affection for craft beer made the relationship click and that was the goal for the College Bar that opened in 2010 to be a craft beer destination in Stillwater.

"We started with 5 taps at 3.2% beer for the first month waiting for our liquor license, but once we got it we put on Great Divide and Left Hand Milk Stout to start drawing an interest", said Matt. From there they continued to grow to 24 taps total and more local beers were added like COOP F5 and Roughtail 12th Round. Their customer base mainly consists of college students and what better time to "mold young beer minds" as Matt says, to the world of local craft beer. That passion also made them the only bar in Oklahoma, that I know of anyway, with a Randall from Dogfish Head brewing. The Arrowhead from Marshall was certainly an experience when run through with Cascade and Citra hops and Porter peaches.

Matt also mentioned a desire to install cask ale taps which immediately made me want to purchase a Big Orange Bus pass to afford the commute back and forth to Stillwater. So you can see the passion and drive they have for just selling beer, you can only imagine what their talent of almost 20 years of home brewing could deliver.

"We figured, if we're doing this almost every week, why not build a brand out of it and get to where we are self-sustaining", Javier stated. I couldn't agree more as you see more people these days transforming hobbies into careers and bringing the brewing industry numbers back to pre-prohibition days in America. The hardest part wasn't finding a space or developing recipes but naming the brewery was a difficult task. "It's weird but it took us over a month because once that name is out there it's permanent", said Javier. Eventually they came up with Brush Creek since the creek runs behind the property where they brew. Thankfully they reassured me they don't pull water from the creek to use in their beers. They found a name that was local and represents a nano-brewery in Oklahoma which also reflects on their logo with the outline of the state and a hope cone.

Speaking of beer and hops...

Brush Creeks first beer was an amber ale but soon evolved towards a pale and wheat beer. However, as Matt says, these are "out of category" beers according to BJCP standards. They use American hops but feel they cater to both the hop heads and casual craft beer drinker that doesn't wreck your palette. The first beer I tried from them was a Black IPA a couple months back that Matt collaborated on where they just threw in random/leftover grains like rye. It simply blew me away with the body and flavor all wrapped into a nice beer. They've had their 8% wheat, yeah e-i-g-h-t, at charity events cautiously warning patrons this is not your standard wheat beer. Another beer they teased me with was a honey brown brewed with Target and Golding hops with local honey. Matt has experimented with numerous ingredients like chili peppers from a friends garden.

They are not scared to go beyond the standard flagship ales, using ingredients that are local, affordable and available year round. I was most fortunate to sample their session IPA that day. A floral wonderment at 4.3% with a rocky mountain head and beautiful golden color. Spiced with Simcoe and Amarillo I immediately fell in love. It went along perfectly with their philosophy of brewing local beer for local people who are outdoors men like themselves. "We will be doing kegs around Stillwater at first and eventually cans", they said. Down the road we'll also see special bottle releases of an Imperial IPA they developed along with some heavier beers. Currently they brew 1.5 bbls on an electronic system similar to Brew Magic's set up.

What's most encouraging is they display a cautionary attitude with their venture of making local craft beer on a local level. People have approached them with money to help with their endeavors but truly they want to be hands on with every aspect from the building to the brewing. They are family men first with full time jobs and love to brew on the side. I applaud them with their entrepreneurial spirit and can't wait to drive over to Stillwater and brew with them soon which will take place in their new 30x30 aluminum barn they are currently building.

Home Brew Update!

Thanks to the efforts of D'Wain and Ethan we've successfully bottled our first ever Beer Is OK home brew. All credit really goes to Ethan for formulating the recipe and instilling his wealth of brewing knowledge to achieve this inaugural brew. Coincidentally, the sweet potato porter reflects our logo with the colors orange and brown. We'll hopefully have a tasting. Stay tuned for more details!

Prost!

The "Doctor" Is In

While perusing Twitter one day I stumbled upon a re-tweet about a gypsy brewer coming to Oklahoma. Naturally intrigued by new beers being brewed in our state I dug through Twitter to find out @DocBuckmans. He hails from the Yuengling state of Pennsylvania with professional brewing experience at The Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh. He certainly has a passion and you can get his full story by reading his blog: Doc Buckman's Beer. There you will get his line up of beers like Snake Oil IPA and Lazy Bully Lager.

Ethan works his craft. (Photo by D'Wain Carthen)

In the meantime Ethan has taken a job with Mustang providing sales support for the Tulsa area and developing recipes. Sounds pretty amazing for someone that's only 22. I had a big passion for drinking quality beer but Ethan certainly took it to a whole new level at that age. After meeting through Twitter we met several times to enjoy local craft beer like Prairie Standard at R Bar over poutine and at home with an eclectic beer collection while dining on Andolini's pizza. (Do you see a trend forming?) We went through a bit of our reserves that day so we decided why not do a home brew to replenish our stock.

With three extract brews under my belt I was chomping at the bit to brew again. We brought in fellow blog contributor D'Wain Carthen as well and commandeered his home in the process. (Thanks Jess!) D'Wain was new to the whole brewing process and this time so was I as we used the brew-in-a-bag method. 

But what did you brew you may ask? Well the Fall season is upon us so we kicked around the idea of a pumpkin ale. While pumpkins are highly favored; what was once unusual and unheard of seemed mainstream, so Ethan suggested a sweet potato porter. It sounds complex but it couldn't be simpler by adding sweet potato to your wort and boil up those starches and create a dark and malty porter.

Brew day went well thanks to High Gravity always having an amazing stock of grains, hops and yeast to choose from. The brew-in-a-bag method was a mystery but after witnessing first hand and squeezing out the wort I think I found a new method. Naturally we imbibed on Oklahoma Craft beer like Marshall's 5, Prairie Puncheon and Choc's Gratzer and consumed Siegi's fine German food. Awww Schnitzel! 

After imbibing and catching up on TV shows we need to watch Ethan made note of the new Unbridled Series that Mustang Brewery will soon release. "They will all be very hop forward for the styles and the hops we'll be using wont just be the typical west coast citra and cascade combo," Ethan said. They are developing a Tripple, India Red Ale and a Black Lager for some time this winter.

This is just part one of the home brew saga so stay tuned to hear how it turns out and you may even be able to sample our first Beer Is OK beer!

View from the South

(blog post by D'Wain Carthen)

Let's talk about beer! OK now that I have your attention let's get down to business. There's a new beer spot in town..and its name is McNellies South City. Yes. Our beloved McNellies has opened a new location in South Tulsa. For me this is great news. I literally live less that 5 miles from this place as opposed to having to drive 20 minutes downtown.

Convenience. Is. King. But is it everything? 

This is the question of which we seek to answer.

McNellie's South City is located on 71st. & Yale in Tulsa right by the Charleston's. If you have been to the OG McNellies in downtown Tulsa you are used to being greeted by a squeeky door before walking in to a room full of wood....and beer. South City delivers the wood and beer(this should he their tag line), but what they are missing is the worn ruggedness that we have all come to love. 

Everything in South City is new as it should be, but I instantly miss the old worn feel of miss matched chairs and Irish memorabilia.  We had a group of 8 and the wait was only 30 minutes, so the capacity is much larger at this location, if you exclude the upstairs area downtown.  As we waited I surveyed the taps. Instantly, I loved the bar setup. Double-sided wrap around bar and I spot Anthem Golden One and Rough Tail along with the usual suspects: Marshall and Prairie on tap. Support local!  There is also a nice beautiful cooler lining the back wall behind 
the bar. Loving the aesthetics. 

In place of the upstairs area there is a patio area outside.  This will be great when the whether is nice.  I could easily see some outside games coming about out there, like a big Jenga board...ping pong..etc.  There is certainly a lot more room for the place to evolve.  As does McNellie's downtown, the South location reflects the area of town that it is in.  I encourage my fellow craft beer drinkers to check out our new beer location and try some local brews.  I was disappointed to see many rounds of Coors Light tallboys being ordered by a table nearby us...but I guess you go with what you know.

While South City provides more space and convenience, for me I still feel like McNellies downtown is my place to be.  However, the idea is to make South City in to a great place to go have a beer.  The time is nigh!  They just opened within the last month. We need to build its character. Make it in to YOUR beer place. Sit at the bar, imbibe with those around, and have fun.

Cheers! 

-D'Wain

Not Your "Standard" Ice Cream

In light of these hot summer months and to celebrate National Ice Cream Month, I decided to "brew" something different with some friends this past week.

While perusing the St. Louis FEAST magazine (a great monthly periodical highlighting St. Louis' food culture) I found an intriguing article about food collaborations. Now we all know beer and dairy go well together and both share similar creative processes like the aging of cheese. I've had my fair share of Irish Stout cheddar and other fanciful beer cheese's but never beer ice cream.

The very thought made me think root beer float. Maybe a heavy Russian imperial stout or porter served with some vanilla bean ice cream. Not so in this case.

I Scream Cakes Pear Saison ice cream inspired this endeavor to create something I've never tried before. I contacted them via Facebook and was given a rough cut of their recipe for a small batch. (Their normal recipe makes 5 gallons, not sure where I would put all of that.) They collaborated with 4 Hands Brewing Co. by utilizing their Pyrus, a fall saison brewed with pear juice.

Light bulbs went off, I had to try this. I contacted some friends who have an ice cream maker and similar passion for beer and off we went.

Basically all you need for this is a good vanilla ice cream recipe...minus the vanilla. Makes sense when you're looking to get the flavor from the beer and fruit. I decided to go with Prairie Standard as our beer and use dried apricots instead of pears. We boiled a few bottles of the beer, then added the dry apricots to simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. We then pureed the mixture until smooth. On the side we combined 2 oz of almond paste and 1/4 cup of honey. Once the ice cream mixture was prepared we drizzled the almond/honey paste throughout, then mixed the now chilled apricot beer mixture into the ice cream. Let that freeze overnight and enjoy.

Sounds perfect, right? Unfortunately our ice cream mixture was a bit on the soupy side and after it froze it did not have the ice cream texture we normally expect. It still worked but seems to have more ice and not enough cream. Instead of half n half we may use milk next time.

The overall flavor was good in my opinion. You got plenty of beer flavor and the apricots complemented it well with a slight tart yet sweet flavor. This is definitely something to experiment with. I'd really like to combine a chocolate stout with some fresh raspberry ice cream...but I'd better finish this batch first. 

Where's my spoon?

Let's Cultivate the Craft in Oklahoma - by D'Wain Carthen

On a recent trip to Boulder, CO my wife and I met up with some good friends of ours to FATE Brewing Company for some eats and general imbibing. Great beers and dining. During conversation with one of the servers we were asked if we were from the area. Jessica (my beautiful wife) and I said we were from Oklahoma. To which the server responded,

"Isn't that a beer desert?!"

NOOOO!  

No fault of his own…I suppose. He explained he has a friend who lives in Bartlesville, and that is where he got the description from. He didn't ask about the beer scene, instead he had a predetermined opinion from a local that is not in touch with the local beer culture.

I proudly informed my good man that we had great breweries such as Prairie Artisan Ales that may be invading his area soon. How great would it be to have people from other states be introduced to Oklahoma brew with Prairie Bomb? Oh, you thought this was a beer desert?  That beer is a 100 on Ratebeer and a 99 on Beeradvocate. So yeah, it's kind of a big deal.

There are two things we must have in order to change our image. First, we need to educate ourselves as beer citizens. Study beer. In this case, studying involves drinking (Yay), reading (with a beer), and discussing (not slurring).

Drinking is a pretty obvious method, but be sure you try new beers. Instead of the same big beer six pack, venture out with a mix-a-six. Try something you have had before and maybe did not particularly like.

Your taste buds change over time. Remember broccoli, you hated it as a kid, now, well more than likely that has changed. You may have not liked the Marshall Atlas IPA when you first tried it, but upon further review it's delicious. There are going to be beers you like and others you despise, but it is all in getting out of your comfort zone. We have not been drinking beer as long as we have been eating food, so we have a lot 

to learn…and drink.

Reading is fundamental!  Read books like Ultimate Beer by Michael Jackson or Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. Learn about the history of beer, the various styles, the region's they come from, and each of their characteristics. Unearthing the mysteries of beer will give you a better appreciation and enhance your enjoyment ten fold. As a bonus, you can impress your friends with this beer knowledge because even stuff in the first couple of chapters is not common knowledge.  It is also a good excuse to read and drink beer (as if you needed an excuse).  Don’t be satisfied with drinking a Stella because it sounds fancy. If you read up you will know Stella is actually the Belgian PBR. It is sold for just $1.10 per pint in Belgium. They just have a great marketing campaign to make it look prestigious.  Knowledge bomb!

Reading and drinking leads to the best part; talking about beer. This is why I started writing about beer. Tell your buddies about great beers you have enjoyed, fun times about hunting for one offs, home brewing, beer festivals and so much more.  

The whole idea is about sharing. They still learn. You will learn.  Go to local beer festivals.  The Harvest Festival hosted by Mcnellies  (http://mcnellies.com) is a great festival.  They also host Beer Universities about once per quarter.  Follow Mcnellie’s on Facebook for info.  If you have read my first post you’ll know that Biergarten hosts beer tastings.  Tap Werks also hosts the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival. Wild Brew is a festival that celebrates Oklahoma craft beer and raises money for the Sutton Avian Research Center.

We have a good beer scene budding in Oklahoma, but you have to go out see people, try beer, and talk about it for it to grow.  

Don’t think I forgot about the second part!  We have to have good beer to enjoy! However, we cannot settle for the same ole same ole.  Brewers like Chase Healey are doing some amazing things with beer right here in our great state.  Personally, I like to see breweries get wicked with their brews.  Don’t come out to the beer festival with the same lineup time after time.  Bring out the firkins!  Experiment.  This is where the beer imbiber and brewer really come together.  There are going to be beers that the people love and some that they don’t, but if you bring out a small batch of something that is great, you’re a hero at the festival.  If people don’t like it, hey you only did a small batch.

That is why the Prairie Artisan tent is always busy at the festivals.  That is why I love the Saddlebag series by Mustang Brewing.  I recently had the Dragon’s Breath, which is a chili pepper infused IPA.

Amazing.  Absolutely amazing.  

Let's get out and Cultivate the Craft Oklahoma. We've armed you with knowledge, now go learn and spread the good word of Oklahoma craft beer.

Cheers!

Summer of Beer

Ah, summer. Here again to oppress us with it's heat waves and droughts. Luckily we have a multitude of beers and places to enjoy beer to beat the heat. Until Oklahoma breweries can serve up free samples here are some neighboring breweries you can visit for a mini vacation.

Not long ago I made a trek with some friends up to Missouri along I-44 to visit a few breweries in a day. We started at Public House Brewing Company in Rolla. Driving past the city so many times I never thought it would actually have a brew pub in it'd downtown area. This great brew pub has a nice lounge area and large seating capacity. While they don't serve much food you can bring your own in. We sampled 6 beers they currently had on tap from Rod's Cream Ale to Revelations Stout. Their Bird and Baby Mild was my favorite and rightly so as it won the 2011 GABF bronze medal for English Mild.

After we picked up some imprinted discus and bumper stickers from Public House we made our way south to Bucyrus, MO. A small community an hour south of Rolla, pretty much the middle of nowhere, there's a big red barn located near the Piney River. Just so happens that is the name of the brewery as well. Piney was developed by Brian and Jolene Durham who took their love of craft beer and transformed their barn into a brewery/canning facility/bar and lounge. We had a rather informal tour from one of the brewers which are always the best where we viewed their 7-barrel brew house and canning machine. Their beers reflect the Ozark community as easy drinking beers that you can take in a can on float trips. Their Firefly Ale now called Float Trip Ale is a 4.5% Blonde Ale is perfect for such an occasion. They have live music on Saturdays and plenty of merch and beer to take back with you.

We had to tear ourselves away from the beautiful countryside to venture into the big city of Springfield, MO and Mother's Brewing Company. Marked by the large white silo we were a little close to closing time but able to get about 20 samples in a dish washing rack.We took it out to their lawn area where people were playing bocce ball and gearing up for a night out. Mother's offers some very sought after, flavorful year round beers as well as seasonal releases. They recently released a farmhouse ale called Spring Batch for their spring seasonal and MILF, a wonderful Imperial Stout. What put me over the top was their Black Cherry Sherry Thang which prompted me to buy a stainless steel growler of it. Check them out soon as they are a three hour drive from Tulsa and will be celebrating Springfield Craft Beer Week starting July 14th.

You'd think we were done by then but ohhhh no. For dinner we made our way to Springfield Brewing Company. They offer great American cuisine and several year round beers as well as seasonals and special one-offs. A great end to a great day of beer in our neighbor state of Missouri. And that was just the southeast corner! It's a great way to take a mini-vacation and stock up on great local craft beer.

This land is our land!

On a recent visit to one of the Hideaway Pizza locations here in Tulsa I had an epiphany. Oklahoma restaurants that serve beer should be working to put our local beers on a pedestal. Think about it. As people who love beer, any time we travel out of state, our sights are set on trying local brews. In fact, many of those trips are probably made with the purpose of finding new beers indigenous to where we are traveling. We could also be eager to revisiting an old hometown location and taking a drink down memory lane with a nice pint of an old favorite. Oklahoma has beer lovers. We have great beers like Coop DNR, Marshall Pub Ale and Anthem Golden One that we can share with those who travel to our red dirt nation.

Don’t get me wrong. There are places where you can get great local beers in Oklahoma. Specifically in Tulsa, it goes without saying that you can go to McNellie’s (Downtown), R Bar (Brookside), or Main Street Tavern (Broken Arrow) and get an excellent selection of local drafts and equally outstanding food to enjoy with them. Unfortunately, the Hideaway location I patronized only had 2 of 7 Oklahoma draughts available and the same amount could be ordered in a bottle.

I will be the first to tell you that I know nothing about the back-office operations of running a restaurant. Like millions of Americans, I watch Food Network (love Chopped) and I thoroughly enjoy finding local eateries via Yelp, but by no means can I run a restaurant. However, those that do know how to run a restaurant should stay aware of the beers available in the area.

I remember the first time I visited the beautiful city of Boulder, CO. My best friend, Jeremy, lives there and I headed out there with a couple of buddies to visit him in the hospital after he had been in an accident. After busting Jeremy’s chops for a while we decided to give him some rest and explore the city. We stumbled upon Pearl St. If you have been there, you know this area is awesome. There are tons of shops and places to eat up and down the street. After finding some food, I was on the hunt for coffee. However, as we walked by one particular store I heard a band playing inside and a guy sitting outside on a bar stool says to us, “You guys like t-shirts?” I’m thinking, “Yeah…what dude doesn't?” He then follows up with “ We've got t-shirts, live music, and free beer.” WHOA! You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention! There was no catch. My buddies and I ventured in, enjoyed some Boulder Beer with our live music and each bought a t-shirt. For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the shop, but they have an awesome approach to business. Could this happen at Boomtown Tees? Let’s make it happen!

Oklahoma should be doing things like this for beer…for our state! 405,918…where ya at?! If we are going build our craft beer culture we need our beers readily available to thirsty patrons eating in local stablishments. Convenience is king and everyone should know more about the beer around them. When I first moved to Tulsa, I knew nothing about beer. In fact, I didn't like beer at the time. All I knew were the standard commercial beers that we all see ads for during sporting events. A great friend of mine said, “Dude, we have to go to McNellie’s.” I am the adventurous type, so when I saw all of the brews available I went nuts. I tried random beers, asked the servers about the beers, asked those with me about beers they liked, researched them, etc.

That was 6 years ago.

Oklahoma’s craft beer scene as evolved tremendously since that time. We have great places like BierGarten, McNellie’s, R Bar in Tulsa, and Tap Werks in OKC providing us with a fantastic selection of beer daily and hosting beer events, but we have to get involved. Tap Werks is presenting the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival at their location in Bricktown on May 18th. If you have not bought your tickets do so NOW! This is a great way to try a variety of beers and meet great beer folks. I have my ticket. Let’s have a beer!

-Cheers, D’Wain.

Tulsa Craft Beer Week review by D'Wain Carthen

Cheers, gang! My name is D’Wain Carthen and I enjoy drinking good beer. Simply put, I am a 29-year-old dude, from Oklahoma, that likes to meet people and partake in excellent brews and great conversations. The Tulsa beer scene is at its boiling point and I want to help bring attention to the beer available in our great city and in Oklahoma. I am not a beer snob. Snobs don’t share. I want to include you in my experiences with beer, so that we can all learn a bit more about what we drink and who we are.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the BierGarten Finale tasting event hosted by the one and only Freddy Lamport. He has been a major advocate for craft beer in Tulsa for a number of years now through his amazing store BierGarten, located in Jenks. April 15th – 20th marked the inaugural Tulsa Craft Beer Week. As an organizer of the festivities that took place, it was only fitting that the event be held at Freddy’s establishment.

We had several events throughout the week including several at the awesome R-Bar on Brookside. Of the eleven beer gatherings, R-Bar hosted five of them. Not to be outdone, the Tulsa craft beer veteran, McNellie’s, had just as many events. Each establishment had an event just about every night. We had beer dinners, tap takeovers, firkin nights, pint nights, OH MY! More beer, please! Any fan of craft beer that was within 100 miles of Tulsa had no excuse to be anywhere else in the state.

I almost missed out on the beer-tasting finale, myself. I waited too long and the event actually sold out before I was able to get tickets. I was bummed! So, on Friday I headed to BierGarten to grab some beer and heal my bruised soul. Freddy asked if I was coming to Saturday’s event, to which I had to regretfully respond that I was not due to my procrastination. This is when Freddy came through in the clutch and asked if I would be willing to work at the festival. Uhhh…yeah, dude! Who would turn down this opportunity?

BierGarten’s finale was scheduled from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday. It featured some of our awesome local breweries such as Coop Ale Works (Oklahoma City), Marshall Brewing (Tulsa), Choc Beer Co. (Krebs), and the exciting newcomer Prairie Artisan Ales (Krebs). I had the chance to try some great beers and discuss the event with fellow beer nerds. One of my favorite offerings was the Habanero Wheat (#15) from the Fellowship of Oklahoma Ale Makers (FOAM) tent. It started with a smoky nose, quickly transformed into an apple cider middle, and finished with a hint of habanero. If this beer were landscape, it would be a cabin in the woods. Many of my buddies and other attendees had high-praise for #15, but there was one naysayer, THE BREWER! I had the pleasure of discussing this great creation with home brew wizard, Shelly. She wanted there to be more smoke and more spice from the habanero. Unfortunately, Shelly did not get what she wanted, but we all enjoyed the insane journey her beer took us on. I also had the opportunity to try Prairie’s “Bomb!” This M80 is a Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Tulsa’s own Nordaggio’s coffee. If you’re like me and love craft beer and a great cup of coffee, this brew will wake you up! With beers like Shelly’s Habanero concoction and Prairie’s Bomb!, this is an event that Tulsa must keep alive!

Cheers to BierGarten, Shelly, and all the good folks who attended!

Sharing is Caring

Too often I see people starting a business with intentions to make a lot of money and what normally happens is they don't get very far out of the starting gate. I believe passion for your work/craft truly makes your business successful. Passion is defined by those who put sweat and blood in it like it is going to save the world. I feel this is reflected in a lot of local businesses in the beer industry around Tulsa, OK be it a brewery or liquor store. Passion for crafting drinkable beer is truly an art just like cooking.

Another great thing about passion for craft beer is that those who create it and love it want to share it with everyone. Don't drink craft beer? I know so many people that can start you off in the right path and break the 30 pack hum drum. So with this passion of sharing be it online through Facebook/Twitter, at R Bar & Grill sampling flights or hopefully sampling at your local brewery if HB 1341 is passed, I wanted to share some advice and images.

Photo by: Prairie Artisan Ales

Just recently Prairie Artisan Ales released a Kickstarter project to help fund their 100% oak barrel aged brewing house. This is a unique and inspiring way to help out a local brewery that has already established themselves in the market and spreading the "Made in Oklahoma" message.

Chase and Colin share quite a bit on Facebook from label concepts to ingredients in their recipes. I encourage you to follow along if you have any general interest in creating your own brand of beers.

Another passion of mine personally is volunteering and charities. Just yesterday I found an event called Okie Brews for CureResearch 2013. This is a beer tasting event with local Oklahoma breweries like COOP Ale Works and Mustang Brewing Co. taking place April 18th in Tulsa. Here is the description from there event site:



"CureSearch for Children’s Cancer is a national non-profit (501(c)(3)) foundation whose mission is to fund and support children’s cancer research and provide information and resources to all those affected by children’s cancer. CureSearch raises funds for promising research conducted at more than 180 hospitals in the United States, including Saint Francis Children’s Hospital in Tulsa and the OU Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City. For more information, please call 800-458-6223 or visit us online at www.curesearch.org "

Image by: OkieBrews 2013

We plan on attending and encourage our members as well to come out. While I am in the sharing mood I have come up with a contest for those who want to join us but may need a little more incentive. 

Anyone that signs up with Beer Is OK from now until April 15th will be entered into a drawing for tickets to the 2013 Okie Brews for CureResearch event. We will select two lucky people to represent Beer Is OK and hob nob with Oklahoma brewers and sample their craft beers. Please head over to www.beerisok.com and sign up today on our home page.

In closing make sure to include sharing everyday whether it be a home brew tip or a few dollars to a local charity, sharing makes everything more successful. 

Prost!

Brian W.