Oklahoma Craft Beer Vol 1 Issue 1

Jul/Aug 2015 Issue 1

14 @beerisok OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 1

what’s on tap REGULARS RECIPE CORNER HOPARAZZI OKIE BREWED HOME BREWED BREWERY MAP CRAFT FOOD EVENTS

03 05 06 10 12 18 23

11 2015 wild brew The “Greatest Party Ever Hatched” is no lie with over 50 restaurants and 185 beers you’ll be soaring to new heights.

6

19

Drink this now!

cherry pickers

Our reviews focus on local craft you

I had the pleasure of picking some tart

can find on shelves this summer and

cherries with brewers Andrew Whitney

some hard-hitting, not so easy to find

of Kolibri Ale Works and Jake Miller of

that you should, dare we say, trade for.

Prairie Artisan Ales.

All images are subject to copywright and sole possesion of Beer is OK unless otherwise credited.

2 | OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE

contributors BEER REVIEWS

ladies of the craft

Matt Erwin Rodney Rhea Fr. Bryan Ketterer

Haley Dennis Brooke Alkire Kimberly Greer Ashley Qualls

ediTorial Welcome to the premier issue of OKCB Guide. As founder of

Beer is OK, this endeavor has evolved over the past 3 years into many different formats and now we tackle the digital print stage. We want to provide you the best experience of what Oklahoma can offer in craft beer and the places that serve it.

We bring you the inside stories behind the craft beers and people that handcraft them. Want to know what’s going on at your local brewery? We will have that covered in our bimonthly editions. The best part is we focus on you, that’s

spread the word Interested in advertising with us?

Submit inquiries to brian@beerisok.com

right, you the reader. We want to showcase you “Cultivating the Craft” via social media be it a tweet or photo on Instagram, we want to showcase what’s trending in Oklahoma. We are excited in this first step to creating a quality publication and always need your feedback of what you’d like to see and read in the future. Reach out to brian@beerisok.com to let us know your feedback.

Cheers, Brian Welzbacher Beer is OK

© 2015 Oklahomacraftbeerguide.com, all rights reserved. OK Craft Beer Guide is wholly owned by Beer is OK and released bi-monthly. No part of this

OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 3 publication can be reproduced without prior written consent. OKCBGuide is not liable for any typos, claims by advertisers or our writers opinions.

the local report Kevin Hall gives us an update on the latest bills in OK Congress that affects local craft beer.

Facebook.com/localOK @LOCALOkie (Twitter) @WithLOCAL (Instagram)

Far from being disappointed,

package stores must sell warm

conference.

you should be very happy with

high point beer. However, the bill

changes are being made to

how

the

legislative

Other

significant

session

was amended. The bill now not

the bill, and SB383 could be

ended. SB424, the bill that allows

only allows for package stores

a rewrite of our beer laws. It’s

breweries to sell at the brewery

to sell cold high point beer, but

promising. Very promising.

and allows them to be economic

it also abolishes the 3.2 system.

powerhouses generating tourism

This means that there will be no

You will see most bills on the

dollars, was held over to next

arbitrary 3.2 cap on beer. You

ballot

session. This isn’t a problem per

could get the same ABV beer at

presidential election. However,

se. Sen. Crain, the bill author, was

either a convenience store or a

you will not see them on the

given competing details about

package store. And you can get

ballot if we do not continue to

whether the bill is constitutional

it cold at either. In truth, most

advocate for the consumer and

in its present state. Oklahoma is

convenience stores and grocery

telling our politicians what we

one of a few states that actually

stores will not carry the same

want and how we want to be

put prohibition into its state

selection as a package store, so

able to spend our money.

constitution. This means that

you probably won’t be able to

most beer law changes require

find the same pumpkin peach

a

and

beer there, but rather beers that

Crain was hoping to avoid this.

sell well to the most amount of

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t

people. Craft beer’s market share

willing to do the necessary work

in Oklahoma is very small.

constitutional

change,

for a state question. In the event the attorney general rules that

The most contentious part of

SB424 needs a state question—

SB383 has to do with wine. The

and I believe it does—it will be

bill was also amended to allow

modified and seen next session

grocery stores and convenience

and will eventually go to a vote of

stores

the people

Oklahoma consumers have been

to

sell

wine.

Some

pushing for this for a bit. This The other major bill is SB383. This

is more contentious because it

bill has become something of a

removes a huge chunk of the

beast. SB383 was originally just

bottom line of package stores,

about allowing package stores, if

without giving them anything

they so choose, to sell beer cold.

in return. There is no incentive

Oklahoma is one of two states—

to modernization. The bill is

the other being Utah—where

being worked on, however, in

4 | OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE

come

the

upcoming

Every Tuesday is LOCAL night at the Fur Shop. Come have an Oklahoma beer between 4-8 and LOCAL gets 10%.

120 strong LOCAL has quite a few members and looking for more who want to make a change in Oklahoma laws. Sign up today!

www.LOCALOK.org

hoparazzi All for the love of beer

OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 5

OKIE BREWED

rs

8 bee

4

s r e w revie at

pe e r . . . nse

ri

Elk Valley Brewing Sweet Revenge Imperial Milk Stout

Poured a rich black color with a thin brown head that was highly carbonated and disappeared immediately.

A hint of roast and chocolate in the aromas. Semi-sweet chocolate in the taste.

This was served at about 50 degrees. Body is a little too thin and drinks more like a porter than a milk stout.

Not getting any of the creaminess that it claims that I would expect other milk stouts to have.

Alcohol is not highly present but seems to creep in as I continue to sip. Hops take a back seat to help bring a bit of balance to this beer.

For the price point it’s worth making your own decision but I was hoping for a little more body like the Nemesis with more lactose as the signature style calls for.

If you haven’t had this beer yet, I’d advise you to find some soon and stock up. This is quite the summer beer that has a sligh hop flavor to it with the Prairie “funk” to it.

Pours golden with a heavy head that doesn’t quit and laces all the way. I can find myslef sipping on this for an afternoon around the house. There’s a good reason these guys are making quite a bit of these. An easy drinking farmhouse beer that is easy to share. I hope to bring around friends that may never pick this up and let them enjoy the light Simcoe hoppy characteristics of grapefruit and crisp effervescent mouthfeel.

The Brett yeast really shines after a few drinks and keeps you coming back for more of that bready, yeasty flavor. Malt profile is light with a cracker like finish.

Be sure to have some of these chilled on a hot summer day.

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Prairie Artisan Ales Americana

Marshall Brewing Co. Black Dolphin Imperial Stout If you are a fan of eating dolphin you may or may not be a fan of this beer...seeing as it contains no dolphin and I have no idea what dolphin tastes like....however I can tell you that I am a huge fan of big barrel aged beers and this one is no exception.

For starters please consume this beer at 50° and warmer as all the flavors really tend to come out and blend much more harmoniously then when freezing cold.

I poured this brew fairly vigorously with minimal head but what head did form maintained itself during the entirety of the time that it awaited consumption. The color is a very dark brown with the clarity of a slightly revealing Kim Kardashian outfit.

Mouthfeel was a little on the lighter side but that was expected with the dark brown color. As far as flavor is concerned it is a very complex stout. Initial sips as it was colder was a bourbon booze fest for my face but as the party warmed up the other flavors revealed themselves. While bourbon was still very present I started getting more chocolate and coffee with hints of vanilla

The color is a very dark brown with the clarity of a slightly revealing kim kardashian outfit

and coconut.

This brew is honestly one of the most enjoyable that our wonderful state produces.

-Rodney Rhea

Willows Family Ales Funk in the Trunk

Wow, a lot darker color than I was expecting. What was I basing my expectation on? Good question, maybe Prairie Hop or something semi-arbitrary.

Good toasty sweetness, almost a bit nutty (like the brewer), full body (not like the brewer), Belgiany, and funky. Oh, and lots of Citra on the nose, but less on the tongue with the full bodied beer. Most of the profile is up front and middle, and the finish isn’t quite sure what it wants to do.

Good drinker now, and I can’t wait to try it in a few months while the hops are still semi-fresh, and in a year or so when the hops are gone and the beer keeps developing.

OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 7

Marshall Brewing Co. Arrowhead Amber Ale

Choc Beer Co. Gose 4.0% abv

Elk Valley Brewing Co. Summer Ale

Coop Ale Works F5 IPA

Poured into a Marshall pint glass revealing an amber gold color with a two finger head.

Poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance is a beautiful hazy golden straw yellow color with a nice 1 finger head.

Poured into a slim tulip glass.

Appearance is nice golden with tons of effervescent bubbles and a nice clarity of a German lager. Small 1 finger head.

One of the most iconic beers Oklahoma has ever produced. I can’t think of a bar that doesn’t serve this around the state. Well, any good bar would serve it.

Nose has a nice hint of orange peel.

Pours a lovely goldenorange hue with about a finger of head. This can be poured into a glass or drank straight from the can in my opinion.

Nose is biscuity and fruity with floral hops. Inviting you in to taste and revving up those salvatory glands.

Malty flavors aboud up front with a great hop finish that lingers. Citrus and pine abound in this summer quencher. The bready malts help balance the bitterness and gives it sort of a creamy finish.

The flavors sing in this beer unlike any other you can find and it shows why this is Marshall’s best selling seasonal.

Overall this beer goes well with BBQ’s, grilled meats and I dare say some rich Indian food.

Nose is tart with hints of acidity, awesome sea saltiness and coriander notes shine through.

Mouthfeel has a nice medium body which is pleasantly surprising for a lower abv beer. Awesome carbonation that tickles the palate, the sourness comes through with a nice bite at the back of your cheeks, awesome stuff!

Taste is the perfect amount of sour and saltiness with decent hints of coriander, also a hint of tart stone fruits.

Overall this is a fantastic beer and a world class Gose.

Great beer for summer time drinking.

8 | OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE

Mouthfeel is thin to medium body with nice carbonation which cleanses the palate with every sip.

Taste is nice with orange peel and has a nice kolsch feel to it. Great for summer time.

Overall this would be a great beer for an intro into craft beer but at the same time enjoyable for the experienced craft beer drinker.

Nose is of fresh piney hop cones.

Taste is going to wow you right off the bat with super hops up front and small sweetness. Medium bodied.

This beer pairs well with pizza, Mexican and just by itself as an appetizer. I always keep a 4 pack for newbies who say they don’t like IPAs.

INSIDE THE BEER

John Elkins of Elk Valley Brewing on his Summer Pale Ale

Michael Lalli of Krebs Brewing Co. / Choc Beer on their Gose.

“Really, I just wanted something easy to drink that was refreshing. Also, it needed to be low enough in alcohol that I could have more than a couple and not get hammered. I brewed a beer last year for the golf league I play in that was similar to this but with less fruit flavor.

It is loosely based on a Pilsner and Kolsch kind of blended with sweet orange peel to give a bit of citrus. For this beer I didn’t have the beer geek in mind, but something to be enjoyed in the hot summer days that a lot of non-craft beer drinkers could start with. An intro beer, if you will.”

“Originally I became interested in Gose after reading Stan Hieronymus’s book, Brewing with Wheat. That led me to do quite a bit of research on the style with my good friend Shawn Scott. At the time there weren’t any commercial examples that we could find outside of one nano in the USA and the Bayerischer Bahnhof in Leipzig. We were able to get a few bottles of the Bahnhof and set out to figure out how we could brew one in Krebs as traditional as possible with our equipment.

we don’t claim to be experts, we just know what we like to drink. do your own taste test and let us know what you think!

There’s many different ways to approach the lactic fermentation. This is the route that we have taken as opposed to adding food grade lactic acid post fermentation, sour mashing, super high percentages of acidulated malt, etc. Shawn, BJ Howell (who was the head brewer for Choc at the time) and I were also lucky enough to travel to Leipzig and spend some time at the Bayerischer Bahnhof.

That Gose at the source is quite astounding and after imbibing a few beers we decided how to piece together a Gose of our own. I’ve been really happy with the results anf the Gose is easily my favorite out of all the beers we’ve produced.

The current release is the first time in 12 oz. bottles and the first batch we’ve brewed on the 50bbl system. It’s far and away our best one to date. ”

OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 9

do you home brew?

10 | OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE

fellowship of oklahoma ale makers FOAM is the home brewing club of Tulsa.

Our purpose is to promote beer literacy through education, preparation, and responsible enjoyment of quality beer.

FOAM meets on the 2nd Thursday every month. Our club meetings include a short business recap, an optimal Tech Talk on homebrewing subject, and plenty of time to socialize and share brews. We host parties, several home brewing events and the FOAM Cup competition. Members may participate in many local beer festivals.

Visit us at: Alemakers.org Questions: philospher@alemakers.org

red earth brewers Redearthbrewers.com Twitter: @RedEarthBrewers Facebook/RedEarthBrewers

high plains draughters High Plains Draughters C/O Trail Boss 1213 S.W. 117th Place Oklahoma City, OK 73170-4417 phone: Dan Shore at 405-692-8095 email: TrailBoss @ draughters.com

stillwater brewers league We meet on the third Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm at District Bicycles (120 W. 7th Ave)

wild brew Wild Brew will once again be held at the Cox Business Center in downtown Tulsa. This year we will set new records with more beer, more food, and more things to see and do than ever before. For tickets visit: wildbrew.org/tickets

2014 Live music, exotic birds, the best restaurants and brews of Oklahoma make Wild Brew that benefits the George M. Sutton Avian Research Center.

This one-of-a-kind event combines fare by Tulsa’s best restaurants with first-rate beers by artisan brewers from the U.S. and around the world … plus live band music by local favorites Mid-Life Crisis.

Funds from the event underwrite ambitious educational projects such as the bald eagle nest web cam, an exciting statewide live bird school program and the Sutton Natural History Forum and scholarship program. These activities teach kids the importance of native birds to our ecosystem in a way that’s fun, meaningful and consistent with Oklahoma school standards.

You can take part in this legendary Tulsa event by purchasing a ticket or becoming a patron/sponsor. twitter.com/ wildbrew

facebook.com/ wildbrewtulsa

Download the App!

OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 11

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OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 13

ladies of the craft women have had an influence on craft beer culture for centuries. oklahoma is fruitful with enthusiasts from artists to acrobats.

hungover haley Budding sportswriter, a self taught artist and bartender for a local craft beer bar, Oak & Ore. How does one find time to create a huge following on Instagram? @hungoverhaley lets the passion for craft beer fuel her to promote Oklahoma craft beers.

Her start in craft was experimental like so many others. A rather in your face start with Rogues Double Dead Guy ale was a bitter awakening from the yellow fizzy water from our college days.

She immediately moved on to Belgian inspired beers which hooked her entirely. Oklahoma had a few offerings at the time but nothing that drew her in. Until F5 from COOP really changed her perception

14 | OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE

and palette. Just like food we sample many flavors and our taste buds evolve over time. Haley can’t stop either with her Instagram “diary” recording her beers, workouts at the gym and shenanigans with roommate Ashley.

It’s inspiring to see women able to talk and discuss craft beer. Haley hopes to go beyond her Beer Server Certified position on to Master Cicerone some day.

Let’s hope to see some of her art soon on local beer labels.

Want to learn more about Haley? Listen to episode 26 of the Oklahoma Craft Beer podcast on Stitcher. Of course follow her on Twitter and Instagram as @hungoverhaley.

Haley in her element at Oak & Ore where you’ll find her geeking out about beer.

Brooke (@beeryoga on Instagram) strikes one of many poses for her fans.

Her tank pretty much says it all.

brooke, Okie Yogi Like most craft-beer lovers,

each other’s choices, so he

I began my fascination with

handed me the glass, and I

the beverage not knowing

took a sip while in Warrior

what I was talking about at

3.

all! When my husband and

snapped

I were mere boyfriend and

posted it online.

girlfriend, we would love to

immensely popular with our

go to craft beer bars, and

friends, and having followed

blindly point at the menu to

several

make

(Our

instagram pages, I thought,

decision-making has since

“this would be a great idea

become more picky.)

for a page!”

The shear variety of craft

is still the first one on our

brought me in, and as I

account. Since then, we have

began

our

to

choices.

a

picture

and

It was

beer-related

This picture

around

picked up quite a bit more

Europe and the US, sampling

followers, and I continue

amazing beers, the insane

to enjoy doing it as much

world of craft beer opened

as possible! The craft-beer

up

and

travel

As I was drinking, he

me

world is full of awesome

whole! The afternoon my

swallowed

people, and I feel fortunate

instagram account started

to get to contribute to it in

was a pretty typical one. I

my own tiny way! Here’s to

was doing some yoga in our

many years of more yoga

living room, and my husband

and beers! Namaste

poured a beer. After years of

-Brooke @beeryoga

drinking beer together, we have a routine of sampling OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 15

kimberly greer

Almost anything goes well with craft beer, from food, social

That was literally a dream come true, to see my artwork on a

gatherings, yard work, to favorite hobbies and so on. I like to

bottle of beer! If you have been up to Roughtail’s Taphouse

pair my favorite, often times local, craft beers with drawing

recently, you may have noticed a huge light blue gecko with

and occasionally, painting. Some of my best works were

red-orange and yellow spots hanging out above the restroom.

created while savoring a tasty brew or two... Okay, more like

That’s the first mural I had the pleasure of painting, with the

three to four beers! Who would of thought craft beer and art would go so well together?! It might be just me, but that’s okay! Craft beer opened up a unique

help of my cousin, Christina Woolpert, of course. What a blast! A huge thank you goes out to Matt and Tony for reaching out and asking if I’d be interested

opportunity for me and my art. I had the chance to create label artwork for a few of Anthem Brewing’s special release bottles, and paint a mural at Roughtail Brewery!

Coincidentally,

Anthem

and

in creating artwork for them, it was such a wonderful experience!

Craft beer opened up a unique opportunity for me and my art.

- Kimberly

It’s crazy to think that I did not care for beer such a long time ago. I have my husband to thank for luring me to the ‘dark side’ when he insisted I try

Roughtail Brewing are my top favorite local breweries; so to of had the opportunity to create artwork for Matt Anthony with Anthem, and Tony Tielli with Roughtail, was a huge honor and

a Heineken with lime-salt. Little did he know over the years I’d turn into a beer monster with a ravenous appetite for the nectar of local craft beer!

something I will never forget, even if it was just a one-time shot! The labels I created for Anthem were, Babalon, King of

Currently, I cannot get enough of our local IPAs, I love the

Carrot Flowers, and Core Punch. I created the art; Matt did the

hops. Cheers, Oklahoma craft beer lovers and brewers!

layout for the text, logo, and composition of the labels.

- Kimberly Greer

16 | OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE

extremely impressive. I have really been digging on their “Somewhere.” Sours are something that has been on the frontier of craft beer recently, and personally I couldn’t be happier.

ashley qualls Women working and drinking in a men’s craft beer world is a refreshing sight to be seen, yet isn’t something that is discussed as often as it should be. WE ARE HERE and we are prepared to drink all the exceptional beer that this thriving industry has to offer. I am not afraid to tell you my opinion about it either. I am a 24 year old woman that has a vision and a passion for craft beer and a strong pull for our local community. I strive to constantly improve my knowledge and help others learn as well.

In my early stages of craft beer, while working for a local draft house in Lawton, they had a good selection of basic craft beers, along with a pretty solid bottle selection. That’s where I was able to start talking to locals about what they really enjoyed drinking and what they would like to see come to that bar. Lawton is a military town so I was able to get out of the local realm of craft beer by talking to people that had the ability to travel. I was able to speak with many men and women that have served. Many of which have been to Belgium or Germany, or other places that had a great selection of “beer” and they were able to give an insight into what beers were real and true to style vs. which ones weren’t. That helped me learn about beers that most have never heard of, and encouraged my passions to grow even further. I am thankful for the connections that I made while there, because it helped me flourish as an individual, and prepared me for what was next, TapWerks ale house.

Tapwerks has been an adventure in itself; I am constantly surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable people in the business, including Greg Powell, the current GM of Tapwerks, and Courtney Larry who is a constant inspiration for what women are in

craft beer, Both of them I credit to the knowledge that I am continuing to receive. I have also made some great friends in the beer community that are easy to talk to. If you aren’t familiar with this joint (which you should be) it is a local craft beer bar with 105 taps on the first floor, 100+ bottles and a cellar menu. It is a fantastic place for people to come in and try out beers that you may never have a chance to somewhere else. Even though I am young and have plenty of beers to drink and many, many more miles to go in life, I strive to learn and continue to grow as an individual; I am constantly looking for opportunities to better myself. It’s just one of the many place to explore in OKC where craft brews are exploding.

I am a HUGE supporter of local brews.

Oklahoma has such an extensive beer collection, and most of these breweries have some world-class beers. People seem to underestimate the scene out here, or seem skeptical of whether or not it is something worth trying. If you live in OKC you need to be drinking local. Some of my favorite local breweries and beers listed here are what I have been currently drinking and enjoying.

Marshall Brewing Company- Eric is doing some amazing things out there and having one of the best marketing men, Wes Alexander, they have a great strategy and an even better team. They make one of my favorite IPAs “This Machine” It is a Belgium style IPA that is malty, smooth, and has a great flair of Amarillo hops. It’s defiantly a statement beer for me, and made it super easy for me to transition into IPAs.

Anthem- the guys out there I think have improved and grown the most in this last year. Their beer is off the chain. The brandy barrel Uroboros... seriously guys?

AMAZING. They also have a gose, only the power of an emoji could describe how awesome that beer is. It is also a huge plus that they’re a sponsor of the OKC Energy.

COOP- I know a few of the guys out there, earlier in the year they released a “Test Batch” of Alpha Hive, a double IPA with honey and Amarillo hops. Probably one of my favorites; however, they just released the true Alpha Hive. I find both batches to be equally as amazing; Smooth honey, amazing mouth feel, nice Citra hops, and a perfect balance of bitter.

I would have to say that currently these are my go to beers and defiantly a good start to summer. All solid local choices that you should be able to get from any craft beer bar or even your finer liquor stores. This is something that should ALWAYS be stressed, if you don’t see a beer that you want, talk to the owner and request it. That will bring business to local owners and further distribution, create more jobs and over all boost the craft beer scene. Oklahoma is really underplayed and we are considered the underdog, it’s just a matter of time before we are considered a statement in the craft beer community.

Currently I’m working on a few different projects, and a couple of different business and bar concepts, so be sure to be on the look out for that. One may even include a food truck so the possibilities are endless.

Haley Dennis is my partner and is another influential woman in my life that is as passionate about craft beer as I am. You can normally find us hanging around at any popular bar or hole in the wall place that has a decent selection of beer or Irish whiskey. If you ever see us out and about don’t be shy, come talk to us and let’s discuss beer.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram @ shitshowqualls or Facebook, for the latest updates on my concepts or what beers I am currently drinking.

CHEERS!

Prairie Artisan Ales- I really enjoy their art work and, of course their beers have been improving greatly. The sours that they have been working with are

OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 17

craft food we showcase recipes that use local craft beer and restaurants that serve great food and beer.

Prairie Da BOMB! brownies courtesy of Heather Sams.

We all like a little indulgence now and then.

Heather came up with a rather ingenious recipe to utilize a local staple, Prairie Bomb!

Brownie mixes come in all varieties so choose your favorite that doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. Betty Crocker works, unless you want to get extravagant and go with Ghiradelli. Heather’s unofficial instructions are as follow: “I just took a brownie recipe and included a dash or two of ground red pepper, a teaspoon or two of instant coffee, and subbed Bomb! for some of the milk.“ That’s the fun thing about cooking with beer. There’s always room for experimenting and having fun. Cause if you mess up, who

R bar and grill 3421 s. peoria ave tulsa, ok R bar in Tulsa is by far a craft beer bar destination in this state.

Craft beer can be paired with amazing appetizers, pizzas and famous Wag-burger. They keep in stock a small cellar of well sought after beers and 20 beers on tap of mostly local offerings

doesn’t like making more dessert?

We’d love to share your recipes or how you use beer in cooking.

Send us recipes and pictures to brian@beerisok.com

18 | OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE

CHERRY PICKERS

An overcast Saturday, a few friends and a couple of cherry trees ripe for picking. Sounds like a recipe for a tart cherry saison in the making.

When I got the message to go pick some cherries with Andrew

find an ax so we settled on ladders and went straight into salvaging

of Kolibri Ale Works I was immediately down. I’ve befriended

these little beauties. Ideally, Andrew is going to make a saison by

Andrew and his family through the podcast and we’ve shared

adding the tart cherries into the fermentation and age in a tequila

some great beers and I could not think of a better way to

barrel he recently procured. Jake of Prairie was all pumped to get

help grow his brewing experience by pciking some tart

them into a brew the next day. They have certainly collected a wild

cherries from his father’s house in Collinsville, OK. Not too

bacteria that can impart amazing flavors if added correctly to the

far off HWY 20 we roll back onto a gravel drive passing his

brew. While we took down as many as we could amongst several

uncles 100 year old farm house built of stone and the old

breaks of craft beers including Yellow Rose, Anthem Golden One

chicken coop and milking barn. About as rustic as it gets. We

and Flor d’Lees by Crooked Stave, the tree was not stripped bare. I

pull up to a sprawling land and full man made pond thanks

believe 10 gallons was more than enough. Can’t wait to impart my

to the superfluous amount of rain. Then we see the ripest

taking into a gluten free cherry crisp to pair with Andrews saison!

and brighest cherry trees just begging to be plucked free.

Honestly, it was the first cherry tree I’d ever seen. We couldn’t OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 19

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new marshall in town Marshall Brewing, now

newest Tap Room Manager,

7 years young, has plans

helping out on growler fills

in the process to expand

and bringing about new

like never before. Wes

events. “He brings an exten-

Alexander, Marketing and

sive knowledge of growing

Sales, informed me the

brands and bringing

past 3 months have been a

Founders and Green Flash

whirlwind of festivals, tours

into Oklahoma. He’ll also be

and growler fills. They’ve

helping with distribution,

procured a building next to

branding and marketing

them that will become their

so we’re excited to have

main offices and new Ses-

him,” said Wes. Looking

sion Tap Room where you

forward to the new building

can purchase growlers and

is hopeful for this fall but

low point pints. The first

in the meantime check out

step though is expanding

Marshallbrewing.com for

growler fills on Marshall

tour dates and growler fill

Mondays coming up in July.

dates and times.

You’ll see Kyle Johnson,

Prost!

Kyle Johnson fills up my growlette of Marshall Mosaic Pale Ale.

Marshall Calendar July - Look for Tough Love on draft!

July 3 - Growler Fills (New Beer Release!)

July 18 - OKC Energy v. Tulsa Roughnecks

Tailgate party w/ Anthem July 24 - Eskimo Joe’s Rhythm & Brews

Marshall Brewery Tap Room.

August 22 - Wild Brew OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 21

CULTIVATE

the

craft

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local events

11.07.15 06.30 pm brew years of craft Celebrating 6 nment! ai rt te en ht ig & quality in-

OKLAHOMA CRAFT BEER GUIDE | 23