What the Ale: Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma brews Pinnell Pilsner
Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell likes beer, not just the taste but its impact on our state's economy.
His support of the industry and the Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma has led them to brew a beer in his name, Pinnell Pilsner.
A group of brewers and those in the industry brewed the beer at Marshall Brewing Co., 618 S Wheeling Ave., with Pinnell in attendance. The beer, a fundraiser for the Association, will be available in May at select breweries in the state.
"I couldn't be more proud of the craft beer industry that we're building inside the state of Oklahoma. I had no idea the economic impact of craft beer tourism," says Pinnell. "It's a really, really big deal across the United States, and to now have over 70 breweries in the state of Oklahoma. It is rural and urban. It's one more thing that's getting people to the state of Oklahoma for them to see how amazing of a state that we are."
I have firsthand experience with craft beer tourism. I recently traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, to visit my son and daughter-in-law and their dog. While there, we visited at least five breweries. At one of the breweries, I struck up a conversation with a couple from Orlando. They are traveling to all 50 states and visiting breweries while there.
Fast forward a few months. I was at Marshall Brewing Co.'s taproom one evening, and guess who walked in? The same couple I met at the Anchorage Brewing Co.! They came to town after picking up $39 tickets from a new non-stop flight from Orlando. Craft beer tourism is a thing.
The Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture created the Oklahoma craft beer trail. The trail is a way to bring tourists to cities and towns in Oklahoma.
Find out more on the craft beer trail here. It has a list of all the breweries in the state and a map of their locations.
"Whether it's a craft beer trail, golf trail, I don't care what it is, if it gets more people to the state of Oklahoma, it's a win-win for us, and it's a win-win for all these small business owners that have created a really a world-class craft beer industry right here in Oklahoma," says Pinnell. "Five, 10 years ago we weren't doing this. It's one more segment of the tourism industry that now all of these local convention and visitor bureaus are starting to advertise directly to this movement."
Pinnell points out the mammoth tourist attraction that is Route 66, which stretches through Tulsa a few blocks away from Marshall and many other breweries.
"You have Route 66 enthusiasts coming to Tulsa just for Route 66, but they're looking for a craft brewery that may be right on Route 66 or a couple blocks off," he says. "You're going to have a whole lot more tourists that are visiting for our Native American heritage and history, or the Chisholm Trail or Route 66 that are looking for this type of environment after they've hit the Mother Road for the day. It's a no-brainer. I think that's why you're going to continue to see this industry grow in Oklahoma."
Marshall Brewing's founder, Eric Marshall, knows firsthand the trials and tribulations of starting a brewery in Oklahoma when the laws weren't kind to brewers. He and his brother, Adam, helped change the laws to help breweries create a product and become part of Oklahoma's tourism industry. That is why he is still involved in the Oklahoma Craft Brewers Association.
"A lot of the efforts that we do revolve legislatively to protect the industry and to move the industry forward for small brewers here in Oklahoma," says Marshall. "This was a cool opportunity, regardless of where you sit politically.
"Lieutenant Governor Pinnell has really bi-partisanly pushed tourism in this state, which has been a huge thing for the craft brewers. It has helped us grow the industry and really helped to highlight and promote in those areas."
About 20-30 Oklahoma Craft Brewers Association members came together at Marshall's to "brew" the Pinnell Pilsner. It is a chance for the members to get together and learn from one another. In addition, representatives from the malt and hops industry donated products for the beer.
"The characteristics that we hope to get from the experimental hop provided are peach, yuzu fruit and melon. So it should be really interesting and fun," says Marshall. "We're excited about this opportunity to get together, have some camaraderie share some stories with each other, but really more than anything just have fun and share a beer together and do something for a good cause."
Terpy, Terpy, Terpy! This week, it is back at American Solera, 1702 E. Sixth St. Terpy Motueka, a double IPA that comes in at 8% (ABV), gets the "Motueka" from the hops used to make it, which originate from a New Zealand town named Motueka. American Solera’s Terpys are all named after the dominant hops in the beer. “Back in 2016, we originally released Terpy Citra, and every month after that, we strive to have one out. And luckily enough, this month it’s Terpy Motueka, and that’s a great New Zealand hop variety for you hop geeks out there,” says Chase Healey, co-founder of American Solera. “It actually originated as Saaz (hop) and it’s just grown in the Motueka region of New Zealand. All the hops there are named after the town they’re grown in. But this is certainly one of our house favorites.” This variety of hops creates a citrus fruit and tropical fruit flavor. “It’s just awesome, silky smooth and one that people tend to always come back for here at America Solera,” Healey says. The first part of the name is Terpy, a play on terpene, a flavor compound associated with marijuana — but this doesn’t have any in it. “Mostly, they’re just the flavor compounds that make things taste really tropical or very piney or any hop profile that you can think of,” Healey says. “Those are the compounds that are causing that. So it’s a funny label. The federal government always kind of pushes back a little bit when I, use it because people actually do put actual terpene compounds in beers.” The beer has a serious amount of dry hopping, which is when hops are added after the boiling is done, giving the beer more hop aroma and flavor. American Solera’s brewer Matt Denham has been creating these Terpys and dry hopping them. “We’re blessed to have the original hoptometrist, Matt, here to help make these beers. Without him, I just don’t think I could quite get them as good," Healey says. "Kudos to him for being an amazing brewer and really helping take this beer from an orange bitter IPA seven years ago to a delicate, fluffy, delicious ones that we have today." Terpy Motueka is available in American Solera’s Tulsa taproom and at its new Edmond location at 129 W. Second St.
We just finished St. Patrick's Day, but did you have time to enjoy your beer? Now you can sit down and relax and enjoy Eerie Abbey Ales' Conan O'Brian Irish Red, which is our beer of the week. "We use some toasted grains, some base malts of just pilsner and two row, and then it's hopped in the traditional Irish red manner," says Schrock. "So what you end up with is a very, very balanced beer that has both hops a little bit of toastiness and just a little bit of that Irish red brassiness that you get at the end." The beer is only available on tap and in cans at the taproom at 507 S Main St., just south of the Bartlett fountain. Eerie Abbey Ales has parking available after 5 p.m. and on the weekends after 12 at the lot across the street from them. There are plenty of reasons to go by besides trying their Irish Red. There's Bingo at 7 on Thursdays. They have a food truck on Thursdays and Fridays. Live music on Fridays starts at 7 p.m. with a different musician each week. Once a month on Mondays, Eerie Abbey will host an open mic night. "So if you have something you just want to try out material-wise, something you want to share with everybody, if you're working on a different song, anything like that, you can come out Monday once a month," says Shrock.
Elgin Park's brewer Lucas Dewell drinks a Willie Mays Haze. Spring is in the air, and thoughts of baseball and beer are too. Elgin Park Brewery's Lucas Dewell has been brewing at the 325 East M.B. Brady sports bar's brewery for a while now. It is right across the street from ONEOK Field, home of the Tulsa Drillers and FC Tulsa. We finally got through winter, and their spring seasonal is out, swinging for the stands. Willie Mays Haze is their hazy IPA that comes in at 6.9% ABV, with Citra, Simco and El Dorado hops, which gives it a fresh fruity flavor. "It is just a killer double-dry hopped hazy IPA. We've got about two pounds per barrel in the dry hop," says Dewell. "Just a lot of great aroma and flavor for one of our best-selling seasonal beers. It's one of our popular spring seasonals for baseball season. Just a great sunny springtime day drinking beer." Dewell makes many beers at the Elgin Park location for on-premise consumption and to support other McNellie's Group locations. They are also coming out with their Cross Czech Pilsner. "We like to joke that it's probably Tulsa's best sports bar. We've got as many TVs as you can find anywhere and the best pizza and wings in town. And I like to think the beer's pretty good too. We've got all of your NBA playoffs and we're ready for baseball season to start down here," he said. "It's just one of the best vibes to catch a day game and enjoy some food at the ballpark," he said. Elgin Park is preparing for lots of action. The NCAA Wrestling Championships are at nearby BOK Center this week, which is bringing thousands to Tulsa. Then there is the Black Wall Street Diamond Classic at ONEOK on Saturday. Throw St. Patrick's Day in the mix and you have lots of people drinking beers and watching the madness.
Winter is nearly over, but there is still time to drink some winter seasonals. Dead Armadillo Brewery's winter release, Dillo Track, is available at their taproom, 1004 East Fourth St., and in liquor stores for a short time. The 10.8% ABV stout has more hop flavor than most stouts, along with peanut butter and chocolate. "It is pretty low hops around 30 (IBU), International Bitterness Unit, which might be a little hoppy for a stout, but the chocolate and peanut butter really covers it up," says Tony Peck, founder and brewmaster of Dead Armadillo Brewery. "We just love this beer. It's a great winter beer; people go crazy for the peanut butter. It has been a one-off beer at the taproom for a long time, and every time we would promote it, people would come in and it'd be gone instantly." Peck changed their winter seasonal this year. It's usually their Morning Bender oatmeal stout. The peanut butter and chocolate beer has been a hit. "It's gone really well, and it's been very popular." Get it while you can.
Hunter Stone Gambill, the owner of Gambill's Pastaria & Grocery, 1921 S. Harvard, has started brewing Italian beers at his restaurant. Gambill's Italian dry stout is a smooth stout brewed in small batches in their brewhouse located just as you walk in the front door at the restaurant. The beer is only available at the restaurant. Gambill uses Italian ingredients for the 6% ABV beer and something unusual. "One of the cool parts about our Italian dry stout is we've taken some inspiration from Italian Amaro. There's carciofo, which is the largest known carciofo amaro, called cynar in Italian. It means artichoke," says Gambill. "So we use the artichoke leaves, which are bitter that goes in that, along with some cinnamon, some cardamon, some ginger, a little black pepper. It's not overpowering. It's just very subtle in the beer. We also use Italian malts in it. We source those from just north of Venice." Italy influences all the beers Gambill makes at the restaurant. Few breweries are brewing Italian-styled beers in Tulsa. The beers are unique and pair well with all the hand-made Italian dishes at Gambill's Pastaria. Gambill has plans to age the stout in barrels he uses at his distilling company. He is also planning a pizzeria/brewery and Gambill's Tex-Mex Barbeque next door to Gambill's Pastaria.
High Gravity Brewing has brewed a beer that will "warm your toes," according to Desiree Knott, co-owner of High Gravity Brewing Company and Pippin's Taproom. Need S'more is a toasted marshmallow and chocolate Imperial Stout that comes in a 9% ABV (alcohol by volume). The beer is available at Pippins Taproom inside High Gravity, 6808 S. Memorial Dr. Ste 144, in four-pack 12-ounce cans or on tap. An Imperial Stout is high in alcohol and flavor, is a very dark beer, and tends to have a roasty flavor. "A lot of times, they have chocolate notes and coffee notes. They're kind of thick. Think cold milk on the mouth. So they're satisfying as you drink them," says Knott. "Stouts are thought of as winter beer because they're high in alcohol. It's 9%, and it warms the toes when you're drinking it. It's good besides the fire beer." High Gravity uses its base Imperial Stout recipe, Horizon, and adds a marshmallow flavor. The beer already has a roasted chocolate character. The name fits the taste of the beer. Chocolate and marshmallow, Need S'more! Pippins taproom has 12 beers on tap, including two other stouts if you are in a stout mood. Pippins has weekly trivia on Wednesdays and karaoke on Thursdays.
Broken Arrow's Rose District has a new place to drink Oklahoma's craft beers, among other things. The Lodge on Main is opening in March, according to Broken Arrow native Kevin Kashwer. There may be other event centers in Broken Arrow, but none like The Lodge. Two stuffed bears will greet you at the door and taxidermy specimens hovering above the event space and bar. Kashwer has been at 118 S Main St., next to Star Jewelers and across the street from First National Bank, for ten years but wanted to do something different. "This has been my office for the last ten years. I had a furniture rep group in this building and decided it was such a cool location down here in Broken Arrow in the Rose District that I wanted to try to do something," said Kashwer. "We came up with an event center, didn't want to do a bar, didn't want to do a restaurant, but more of an event center where we can have live music and sell local craft beers, Oklahoma craft beers, and just a cool place to go and, and hang out." The name came from a coversation with his wife of 30-plus years, Donna Kashwer. She doesn't necessarily like dead animals in her house, but maybe in an event center. "She does not like me to hang my dead animals in the house. So I built a barn and put all those in there, and I told her someday I would have a place where I could hang them all. And so she was like, why don't you call it 'The Lodge' and put all your taxidermy dead animals in there?" said Kashwer. From turkeys to a even a buffalo, his collection has grown. "I've got a good collection of things of mine and friends that they've donated, and it's just kind of an outdoorsy, lodge feel to it," he explained. The event center will have daily events from corn hole to dueling piano performances. The cabin like venue is available to reserve for almost any type of private event. Birthday parties and wedding rehearsal dinners to business meetings, the banquet hall is an ample space for any occasion. "We're fairly inexpensive compared to others in the neighborhood. We're just trying to get you in to have a good time," said Kashwer. The Lodge will have a full liquor license and plenty of Oklahoma craft beers on tap and in the can or bottles. Patrons can bring in food or have catering for their event. "We've got so many restaurants in the area. We wanted to showcase them. So we have exclusive contracts with certain businesses down here that were doing food. We just thought that was the easiest and best way for us," he explained. "When I started thinking about doing The Lodge, and what we were going to be and what we were going to do and what we wanted to be known for, it was a place where you could drink craft beers without having to go to 40 different breweries. We have The Nook and Broken Arrow Brewing Company, but there are really nice breweries all over the state, Oklahoma City, east, west, north, south." (is this a quote from him?) "There's a lot more than I ever envisioned. We're going to try to change it up and have different ones every week or every day. And that way you can come to one place and you can try different craft beers from across the state without having to drive," he said. The Lodge will have 16 taps devoted to craft beer along side wine and cocktails. Their planned opening is March 1 with live music. They are opening just in time for Shamrock the Rose on March 11. They are booking parties and private events now. The space has room for 100, and the tables and chairs can be moved out or reconfigured to match the party's needs. "I wanted a place where my friends could come, we could have a good time, we don't have to worry about dressing up or what are we are going to do with our kids. You can bring them here. And we're dog friendly as well." Among the different venues in the area, Kashwere wanted a space that families could spend time together and engage with the Broken Arrow community. "We are always trying to give back and take care of the town that we came from. We will try to raise funds for special events and things like that here. We're not here to just make money. We're here to grow with the community and be a part of it," said Kashwer. For more information or to reserve the Lodge for a private event, call 918-851-0221, or visit their website.
Marshall Brewing Co.'s taproom manager, Madison Gillispie, tells us about this week's beer of the week: El Gallo Macho! (Pink Boots), an Imperial IPA that comes in at 8% ABV. "It features the Pink Boots Society Hop Blend with Talus, Loral and Idaho Gem Hops," says Gillispie. "It's going to be a little bit higher in ABV (Alcohol by Volume), but it is still super drinkable. It has a nice hop flavor profile but not too much bitterness. It comes in four packs, which are great for taking home or to a party." The hop blend used in this beer is sold by Yakima Chief Hops, with a portion of the sales going towards Pink Boots Society. "The Pink Boots Society is a program that helps raise money for scholarships for women and non-binary individuals in the brewing industry. They help educate and assist and build a community because women and non-binary individuals are definitely not as represented as men in this industry," Gillispie says. El Gallo Macho! (Pink Boots), is only available at the Marshall Brewing Taproom, 1742 E. Sixth St. Mark your calendars for April 29. That is the day Marshall Brewing Co. will celebrate its 15th anniversary. Planning is still underway for celebrating Tulsa's oldest new brewery.
Cabin Boys Brewery has been brewing Kilkenny's Irish Red for a while. But now, after a friendly competition with Nola's, the beer is in a can. "This has been a really cool relationship that we've had with Kilenny's with making their house ale. So at any time you can go down to Kilenny's and have our house ale," says Austin McIlroy, master brewer of Cabin Boys Brewery. "They actually sent me to Ireland to write the recipe, and I got to talk to the master brewer of Guinness and Smithwick's to help me. I came back, and the next day I brewed it for the first time. It's been a hit in their pub and really special for us because we just love that pub, love that restaurant, and those guys. They're really good people." Lisa McIlroy, president of Cabin Boys and Austin's wife, designed the can's artwork through watercolor. It depicts the front of Kilkenny's Irish Pub at 1413 E 15th St. The beer is available at Cabin Boys Brewery's taproom, their Claremore location, 512 W. Will Rogers Blvd. and, of course, Kilkenny's Pub. It also will be distributed in limited quantities to liquor stores in the Tulsa area. As the name states, an Irish Red ale is red in color and McIlroy makes it with an English yeast strain. "It's really light, really easy to drink. It's made for drinking with food and heavy food," says McIlroy. "It's actually a really light beer for the color. It does have a little bit of toasty character to it, but it is smooth, really easy to drink and goes really great with Irish pub food." The beer comes in at 4.8% ABV which is a bit more than a traditional Irish Red but what Oklahomans like, according to McIlroy.