Bet you (like myself) don’t know a heckuva lot about Oklahoma beer.
There is a solution to that, in time for Christmas…
Click HERE to order.
Beer is OK
Craft in Controversial States # 2 – Mustang Brewing in Oklahoma City, OK
We head to the Sooner State for the next leg in our tour of controversial states and to make people a little less wary of wading into a political quagmire, this stop is strictly about alcohol sales legislation.
Up for a vote in November will be Senate Joint Resolution 68, which would combine several changes to the alcohol industry laws in Oklahoma into a single measure on the upcoming ballot.
SJR 68 would allow a wider range of retail outlets should be allowed to sell wine and high gravity beer (above a measly 4.0%) — and would allow small brewers to distribute that beer themselves.
The crux of the matter being that currently, alcoholic beverages checking in above 34% abv may only be sold by licensed liquor retailers and are not allowed to be refrigerated. (That last point boggles my flippin’ mind. It would be like telling local milk producers that they can’t keep the milk cold)
There is also a section that would tighten regulation of the three tier system as well that got watered down by SABInBevMiller.
The controversy stems from the fact that larger retail outlets will be able to put beer on shelves (hopefully cold cases) and that it will hurt smaller more craft oriented stores that can’t be as aggressive in pricing or in advertising spending. I know that small/local have hurdles to climb but the more beer that is out there the better, in my opinion. If breweries can sell more, they grow and create more beer to sell plus the larger retailers simply cannot fill the niche of the hands-on and curated beer lists that a craft beer shoppe can.
On to an Oklahoma brewery to talk beer….
For the taster tray at Mustang Brewing Company, I will stick with what they call the Unbridled Series.
First up is the Farmhouse Saison…
“A SILVER MEDAL WINNER AT THE 2016 WORLD BEER CHAMPIONSHIPS! How does one best describe a Farmhouse beer? Fruity aroma and flavor? Earthy, yeast tones? Mild to moderate tartness? A hint of spice with medium bitterness? Sure…that will work! Farmhouse Saison is all of that and more.”
…then onto the Udderly Awesome Peanut Butter Milk Stout
“A delicious milk stout with hints of peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. Creamy, smooth, and “udderly” delicious!”
…followed by Strawshitaw Strawberry Wheat Ale
“We took our three-time, gold medal winning, wheat recipe, added delicious strawberries, and made – what we think – is the perfect, summer beer”
…and finish with the Frah-Gee-Lay Sweet Potato Porter
“ A robust porter with hints of chocolate, graham cracker, vanilla, spices, and – of course – sweet potatoes. It’s like sweet potato pie in a glass! “
Holiday Beer # 7 – The Beer That Saved Christmas from Prairie Artisan
Heartland Brewery # 1 – Prairie Artisan Ales
Our first stop is in Oklahoma and Prairie Artisan Ales. I start here because their beers have made their way out to L.A. (though I have yet to buy one of yet).
It is run by the Healey brothers, Chase and Colin. And their focus is on the wonderful Saison style. They have multiple versions to try but here are the ones that strike me off the bat….
Prairie Standard (and it’s super cool comics label)
Prairie Standard is our everyday beer. Its a light, crisp saison with a hoppy finish. This beer is dry hopped 1lb per bbl with Motueka hops. A lovely New Zealand hop with a spicy lime like flavor and aroma.
Prairie Hop
Prairie Hop is our hop driven saison. This beer is packed with Simcoe and Citra hops. Notes of peach, mango, and tangerine can be found in the flavor and aroma of this beer. The beer finishes dry which helps the hops jump out of the glass flavor wise.
50 from 50 – Oklahoma & Tennessee
A Pumpkin beer made from specially grown punkin’s and vanilla and pecans!
from the Battered Boar Brewing
A lovely Vienna style lager.
from Yazoo Brewing!
47 down and only 3 to go! And there is a nut brown ale from West Virginia still in the ‘fridge.
50 Beers from 50 States Challenge
The 2011 challenge will be revealed later this month so the 2010 challenge lingers on…
Here is the latest beer haul!
50 Beers from 50 States – UPDATE
42!!
UPDATE: NOW I HAVE 43!
The inital goal of 40. Check. Now onto the next goal. 45!
Ambitious? Maybe, considering my only travel was to Oregon and Colorado this year.
I still have feelers out there that might garner me some local brews from Tennessee, Alabama and North Dakota. And thanks to the Beer Bloggers conference, I got Indiana and the incredibly hard South Dakota knocked off the list.
As usual, if you have access to these states:
Alabama
Arkansas
Kentucky – THANKS TO ALLTECH BREWING – OFF THE LIST
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Send me an e-mail and I we can work out the details. Including a donation to a local food bank.
Marshall Brewing
Oklahoma is not just Sooner Country. It is also becoming Craft Beer Country! Marshall Brewing has an impressive beer list. with McNellie’s leading my list.
McNELLIE’S PUB ALE
Inspired by the house ales found in the pubs of Great Britain and Ireland, McNellie’s Pub Ale is a traditional ale brewed in the style of a Best Bitter. Various maltings of two-row barley are joined with American Glacier hops to give this beer its color, complexity, and a bit of a New World twist. The Old World character present in this ale is largely influenced by its yeast, which originates in the port city of Hull, East Yorkshire, England. McNellie’s Pub Ale pairs excellent with fish & chips (of course), Roast Beef, Steak, Pork, Grilled Chicken, and Barbeque. ABV – 5.0%