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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome to Oklahoma Craft Beer where we take the pulse of our local craft beer culture. Today we have the compelling conclusion of Bruce’s brewery and how Twisted Spike came to be. But first a few items to mash out…Fall is here, REJOICE! Pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers have taken over! It’s also beer festival season in the Tulsa area and over on issuu.com/beerisok we listed several upcoming events you do not want to miss. This coming weekend is McNellie’s Harvest Beer Fest which has grown substantially over the years in downtown Tulsa. One of the most affordable and fun tastings featuring new breweries to the state like Kolibri Ale Works and now Alpine and Schmaltz brewing company. Again be sure to visit our shop on Etsy orSpreesy.com/beerisok. Your support helps continue this podcast and the magazine. Be sure to write a review and rate our show to let others like yourself learn about our show. And now, the conclusion yet exciting beginning of Twisted Spike brewing.

Our mission: infiltrate the AR craft beer scene by sampling and purchasing high strength beers on their premises. First stop was food in historic downtown Rogers where we relied on Yelp to help us find Levi’s Gastrolounge. A renovated building served up some of the “best burgers for the next 100 miles” and local beer offerings. Ozark’s Berliner Weisse was the favorite as a straw colored sour beer quenched our thirst from the onslaught of heat outside. We talked Columbus House and folks over at Puritan Brew Co. To read more of our day trip and where to go, check out The LOCAL Report in the Oklahoma Craft Beer Guide magazine on Issuu.

The beer scene in Oklahoma continuously grows every month it seems. We have several brokers and wholesalers bringing in new clients constantly. Over the past couple years we’ve seen Founders, Green Flash, Lagunitas, Evil Twin and now Lazy Magnolia out of Mississippi joins the portfolio of American craft products.

I’ve taken a look at the local culture of craft beer and with this new OK plus series I want to focus on brands that want to grow and flourish in Oklahoma.

I first learned of Sublime Imports from Michael Kiser’s Good Beer Hunting podcast where his guest Austin Clar spoke of their imports available from Spain and Israel. As I listened further trying to soak up Michael’s interview techniques and fulfill my beer geek needs I learned Sublime has a tie to Oklahoma. They joked briefly about how one does not simply come to Oklahoma and bypass major metropolitan cities that could support your brands. But Sublime has a natural tie to Oklahoma as Austins partner Michael has roots here. They are bringing in unique offerings that you’d most likely never look for on the shelf. One is brewed with rosemary honey, another with Mediterranean sea water. Yet as wild as some American craft beers have become lately what makes these beers from Spain so different and less appealing. We’ll find out soon how Austin and Michael came to the OK market and what challenges they face with our archaic laws.