The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Renaissance Brewing (12th and Lewis, Tulsa) - http://www.renaissancebeer.com

Fat Toad Brewing (Pryor, 3986 W. 530 Road -- near the Mid America Industrial Park) - https://www.facebook.com/Fat-Toad-Brewing-Company-1757403584547416 (they don't appear to have a website of their own just yet).

I'm pleased to see how many new breweries are opening in the area; I fear though at some point there will be a point of critical mass if it keeps going and some of these may not last long.  The good ones like Marshall, Dead Armadillo and American Solera will likely do just fine, but I hope the newer ones can carve out a niche for themselves and be as popular as they need to be to remain viable.  I've visted Cabin Boys (very good selection) and Heirloom Rustic (kind of eclectic but their beers are quite good also).  Going back to Heirloom Rustic today.

I went to Heirloom again last week, for my second visit.  Across the board, they are making quality products.  I was/am impressed.

I think for most of these places, they are going to need to find other outlets for their beers.  Dead Armadillo, for example, as opened a place in the Tulsa airport and you can also buy their beers in liquor stores, etc.

As the laws change this year, the various places are going to need to open up their food options.  Heirloom for example doesn't offer any food other than cookies, and that is a deterrent to a more broad business.   

Have not been to Cabin Boys yet, but plan on hitting them this week.

Maybe they just want to brew beers.  Maybe they do not want to run a restaurant.  All the brewers seem to have arrangements with our food truck chefs on a rotating basis. 

Agreed.   And Heirloom brews good enough beer that they might be able to do that.  But I was responding in general to Hoss' comment about critical mass.  As more competitive pressure comes in, any edge on the margin will help to keep some of them in business.  A food truck arrangement would work well, but needs to be relatively permanent.  We actually left Heirloom last week to move to Solera at 18th and Boston to get Pizza at their food truck.  After a while, not getting those one or two extra beer sales can add up.   

And that is a good point.  Having food increases the chances of a guest ordering more than one beer.

Make that three.  According to TW article, new brewery going in at Fourth Street and Frankfort Avenue. 

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/whattheale/new-era-fine-fermentations-plans-downtown-brewery/article_654c6cac-f637-5760-8709-1fe95ddcd8f0.html

Specializing in 'gluten-free'.  Oh boy....

Is the law change going to allow brewers to sell food? If so, Bricktown and Elgin Park will be able to get more creative with their beer options. Both, under the current law, only serve low point brews.

October I believe.  Same time as when big box retailers can sell high point beer and refrigerated.

There are so many quality food trucks in town there really isn't a need for brewers to also do food service (unless that's also their passion).  When I am able to make a brewery there's almost always a food truck there.

I'm skeptical but I'll definitely try some gluten free beers.  I assume they'll have regular beers too?

This New Era video doesn't make it sound so bad
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdwFG1XgJ8p/
Having tried all the gluten free beers currently available, I'm skeptical

There are a lot of people who think they are going to make a bunch of money starting a brewery. That might have been true a few years ago. They are in for a rude awakening if they plan to be more than a bar that makes their own beer. Heirloom is the best new brewery by far.

I have a friend who sticks to gluten-free, and we tackle some Omission brand gluten-free beer - comes in IPA, lager and a few other varieties I haven't tried. It's not bad, really.

Agreed on both counts.  And give Cabin Boys a try.  Just around the corner from Marshalls and they have a pretty good selection.  And on Saturdays (and maybe other days) they have a food truck, ping pong in the lower shop as well as foosball and that bag toss thing which I'm not sure what it is called.  I love Heriloom as well.

Going into mass distribution now vs. five years ago would be difficult.  Wandering through liquor stores in Colorado, New Mexico, and when I'm back in Tulsa, I almost get a headache from all the visual stimuli of the variety of craft beers available.  I've gotten to a point it's pretty hard to discern much difference between one major micro-brewery's beers over another's. (i.e. Sierra Nevada over O'Dell, Left Hand, or New Belgium).  They all offer stouts, lagers, brown ales, and IPA's with very little difference other than the label.  I've got some go-to beers I buy when I'm in the mood for craft beer, I rarely try anything new these days with the exception of having a pint or flight at a brewery we've not been to before.  There are a few micros in mass distribution that I think stand out from the rest but it's a crowded market with maybe too many choices.  I would hate to try and merchandise a liquor store these days much less try to be a brewery breaking into the outside distribution market.

If the model is on-site distribution (pints & growlers) as long as you have an inviting atmosphere and good beer I think you can still do pretty well.  Put it in an area where there is not another brewery and you've just created a social hub.  If you have outstanding food or apps to go with the beer, that much better to draw a crowd and add another profit center.  I don't know at what point you call Tulsa a "crowded" market, I guess that remains to be seen who is still in business five years from now.  If there are 20 breweries and they are all doing well, it's still not crowded.

I always thought Stroud would be a good opportunity for a brewery, 1/2 way between the two largest distribution markets in Oklahoma plus the tourism traffic along Route 66.  But go back to my point about trying to get into mass distribution these days...

There is a big empty concrete slab in Stroud waiting for something to be built there.

I actually had a "conversational" offer from a cheese plant in the industrial park to co-locate with them at one point.  It wasn't very long after that we found our B & B out in NM so I lost interest in being the one to plant a brewery there.

Breweries always seem to have a pleasant 'yeasty' aroma around them that tends to draw me in even though I am not that big a fan of beer.  Always like to have a meal in that environment with that background smell.

Cheese plants I have been to in the past, from Borden's in Tulsa (another age indicator) to several in Wisconsin and Michigan, don't complement that at all.  Invariably they have been some of the worst smells I have encountered - much worse that the biggest sewage treatment plants in the country!

I suspect it is a good thing you didn't mix those together...

Anyone have an up-to-date list of all the local brewers?

We already had a post about all the new breweries in Tulsa including Renaissance (which has been planned for 3+ years):
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=21475.0 (http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=21475.0)

Crazy that now there are ~13 breweries/taprooms planned or open within a couple miles of downtown. All in an easily bicyclable-path. In the Pearl District, there will be 5-6+.

Here is an updated list of all breweries/brewpubs existing or planned in midtown/downtown:

1. Marshall (618 S Wheeling Ave) - currently open with potential expansion at 1742 E 6th st

2. Dead Armadillo (1004 E 4th St) - currently open

2.a Dead Armadillo taproom & restaurant at Tulsa International Airport - currently open

3. Prairie Brew Pub (223 N Main St) - currently open

4. Elgin Park Brewpub (325 E Mathew B. Brady St) - currently open

5. Cabin Boys (1717 E 7th St) - Pearl District - currently open

6. Renaissance (1147 S Lewis Ave) - under construction - now (finally) open

7. Taproom for American Solera (108 E 18 ST S) - Chase Healey who founded Prairie Artisan Ales - potentially with small-batch brewing (Existing brewery open on west 21st) - currently open

8. Heirloom Rustic Ales (2113 E. Admiral Blvd.) - Kendall-Whittier - under construction - currently open

9. Welltown Brewery (114 W Archer St) - corner of Cheyenne & Archer - to open soon

10. Nothing's Left Brewing (1501 E. Sixth St.) - plan to open March 2018 (They have redone exterior and looks like making progress inside also)

11. Willow Family Ales (418 S Peoria Ave) - at former Park in the Pearl - under construction (Looks like it hasn't changed much outside lately)

12. Hanson (302 N Boston Ave) - brewery across from Prairie brewpub - last heard it was in planning with pretty far out date (2018/2019)

13. Fine Fermentations (4th and Frankfurt)

I ordered them by opening date (or by estimated open date) as best as I could.

Other breweries planning to open in Tulsa area: FAIK (Far As I Know), Kolibri and Indian Brewing Company at 333 W Dallas St Broken Arrow. Also: High Gravity Homebrewing & Winemaking Supplies & Taproom (6808 S. Memorial) - currently open

Other brewpubs in Tulsa area: Bricktown Brewery (Owasso, Brookside & South Tulsa)

Excluding the Bricktown Brewery locations, that's a total of 17 places built or planned where you can buy beer straight from the source in the Tulsa area. 4 years ago there were zero.


Also related, Red Fork Distillery is going to open at 3310 Southwest Blvd and Oklahoma Distilling Co. is going to open at 1724 E. Seventh St, right across from Cabin Boys and Marshall.

Any idea who far out the distilleries are from opening? I haven't heard much on that front.