Any good beer in Oklahoma City?

[hsouderjr]

I'm heading out on a business trip to OK City on Thurs. Any good beers or pubs I can look up while I'm there?

Thanks, H

[fretlessman71]

You might try the Bricktown Brewery. (http://www.bricktownbrewery.com/) Let us know what you think of it. Welcome to the boards! Hope you stick around.

[CapsFan1974]

I was just there for a couple weeks on business and I spent a bit of time in the Bricktown Brewery. Their beers were pretty good. Hopefully, the oktoberfest they have will still be around when you go. That was a good brew.

Just down the street from them is Tap Werks. They have around 100 taps! Pretty much anything your looking for. Note: They do have a couple of beer engines but when I was sitting next to one of them and when the bartender pull one, there was VERY nasty odor coming from it! Needless to say, I didn't try any cask beers there.

[batkins]

Try this: http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/FindPlacesByCity.asp?StateID=36&City=Oklahoma+City

You can get maps, reviews, etc.

Cheers,
Bill

[hsouderjr]

Sorry this took so long, but my trip wound up being such a rat race - didn't get in until 2AM, and flew back out @ 1PM. No time to even sample. Just running around in airports. UGH.

[brewmonkey]

Be glad. Had I seen this earlier I would have told you to stay away from the Bricktown. I have been there several times across the years and every single time the beer was at best insipid. It reeked of diacetyl and because of Oklahoma's archaic laws IIRC none of the beers was above 3.2%. If that is true it left me wondering how they made the "IPA" I tried.

Anyway, for future reference in my 6 or 7 trips over 2 years none of the beers were worth drinking.

[xscotto]

The 3.2 law in Oklahoma is still a mystery to me. Unfortunately, Bricktown Brewery seems chained to it, and as a result NOTHING there beerwise is close to respectable. It probably gets by on it's location and the sheer ignorance of the locals alone.

Tapwerks is the only place there for real beer, since they somehow manage to dance around the 3.2 law. And really, I'm not just saying that because I went to high school with the owner. Since I moved to Austin 15 years ago, it's the only place I go when faced with the unfortunate task of returning to OKC.

On my last visit, I purchased a single bottle of "Hueberts Old Tyme Lager," which apparently is the first attempt at a microbrewery in OKC. They guy at the liquir store (beer in OKC over 3.2 abv must be sold at room temp to prevent the purchaser from drinking it in the car!!!) told me that it doesn't store well, and he's had some good bottles and some bad. (that's why I opted to buy a single...) When I got it back to Austin and refrigerated it, I took two sips and poured it out on my lawn. Honestly- I know beer pretty well and I can force my way through almost ANY beer. It obviously had spoiled somehow, I'll give Hueberts the benefit of the doubt that they didn't MEAN for it to taste like that. I mean really really bad.

It also puzzled me why a micro start-up would begin with a lager instead of an ale....

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by xscotto
Beer in OKC over 3.2 abv must be sold at room temp to prevent the purchaser from drinking it in the car!!! More legislative morality.... ugh. :rolleyes:

[swzine]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
More legislative morality.... ugh.

That's the kind of stuff you have to deal with in the Bible Belt..or the Jerry Springer Belt, as I like to call it!

Off topic - isn't it funny how the most "moral" parts of our country are where all of the good Jerry Springer episodes come from? :D

[chazwicke]

I was unaware that there were any good episodes.:rolleyes:

[swzine]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I was unaware that there were any good episodes.:rolleyes:

haha...I said good but should say something more like outrageous or f'd up. Better?

[chazwicke]

LOL! I knew what you meant.;)

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by swzine
That's the kind of stuff you have to deal with in the Bible Belt..or the Jerry Springer Belt, as I like to call it!

Off topic - isn't it funny how the most "moral" parts of our country are where all of the good Jerry Springer episodes come from? :D Being the "Bible Belt" has very little to do with the general morality of the population. There's a lot of fakers out there, and the mental confusion created when one tries to be a "good Christian" and proceeds to go get fitshaced on Friday night creates the kind of culture that Jeery Sproinger thrives on.

[xscotto]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Being the "Bible Belt" has very little to do with the general morality of the population. There's a lot of fakers out there, and the mental confusion created when one tries to be a "good Christian" and proceeds to go get fitshaced on Friday night creates the kind of culture that Jeery Sproinger thrives on.

Yes. Way too many fake- and vocal- Christians making the small minority of real ones look terrible. Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw:

"I have no problem with God, it's his fan club I can't stand."

Only a true Christian wouln't be offended by that.
(Not to take this thread too far off subject...)

[fretlessman71]

True, but then again we're supposed to "Love Thy Neighbor as Yourself". It's so hard when one is required, but the other is natural...

[homebrewin' it]

hi, new to the board here. just wondered on to this thread because i noticed Oklahoma in the title. I just moved to northern California last July from Oklahoma. Yes OK has some pathetic laws & yes, Tap Works is great! there is another place in Oklahoma City called Flips, they always have great beer specials on all kinds of quality beers every week. excellent Italian food too.

[xtalman]

Living in OK for about a year was why I started home brewing. The only way I could get a decent beer.

[chazwicke]

Welcome Homebrewin' it.

[REDNECK_ONE]

Actually guys, Niether Springer nor the bible has anything to do with it. We always referred to OKC as the intersection of the Bible belt and the Buttcrack, that's why it's so much fun. Tapwerks is great, and Bricktown could be too (minus 3.2)

[PCaravan]

This thread has been around long enough for this to have been said but somehow it got missed. If you're looking for a brewpub in OKC go to Bell Isle. They still have to succome to the 3.2 laws but it's the best of the brewpubs in the OKC area... don't mess with the Bricktown Brewery. If you're in the Bricktown area and want beer, then yes, Tapworks (3.2 laws don't apply since it's not a brewpub and you drink on premisis) is the place to go but if you're stuck on going to a brewpub in the Bricktown area there is also Coach's (they do make their own but it's actually brewed at their other location in Norman) in the same area which is a little better than the Bricktown Brewery. Another place I haven't tried because it's a little off the beaten path is the Royal Bavaria which is all about German beer. Have since moved away but I'm no better off... I now live in Abilene, TX where there are NO brewpubs and, to my knowledge, nothing like Tapworks!

[Nate42]

Thought I'd chime in since I'm an oklahoma resident. Yeah our alcohol laws are among the nations worst. You can get good beer here though. You can buy decent beer in liquor stores, but unfortunately by OK law it must be stored warm. Selection is is sometimes limited (not by law but just by economics - OK is a crappy market for decent beer). Still, theres plenty of good stuff available, and the popularity of real beer is thankfully on the rise.

As mentioned Tapwerks is definately the best beer bar in the state, can't recommend it highly enough. 100s of quality beer from around the world.

I didn't realise brewpubs like Bricktown had to follow the 3.2 law, I thought that was only for beer sold cold in stores. I guess that helps explain their mediocrity. Bricktown Brewery has some okay beer though, especially when compared to the Bud and Coors that is all most places offer. And it doesn't hurt that its cheap either. :)

[Sladek]

I lived for a year-and-a-half in Denton, TX, and the area had, to me, some wonky laws, too; dry counties, damp counties, etc. etc. So WHY the 3.2 law? Other states have it, right? Why the number 3.2??

Btw, I loved Austin for beer (Waterloo R.I.P.), but the Metroplex was hellish, except for The Flying Saucer way down in Arlington.