First Draft

Thursday night I attended a fundraiser for the Tulsa Press Club. It was the third annual First Draft, a cleverly named beer tasting event that featured different beers from around the world. It was a beer drinkers paradise. Out of the 45 different beers offered, I sampled 14. The things I go through for the sake of charity.

The event was meant to educate about the art of beer brewing, but many people working the tables were volunteers from the Press Club and had minimal knowledge about the beers. One exception was Eric Marshall, Brewmaster of Marshall Brewing Company, Tulsa's first production craft microbrewery. Eric has a strong background in the art of craft brewing, having studied at the World Brewing Academy in Munich and served as an apprentice and brewer in multiple craft breweries. Eric offered three beers from his brewery: Atlas IPA, Marshall Wheat, and an ESB. I tried the Atlas IPA and found it to be one of the most enjoyable beers of the night. Marshall Brewing Company is scheduled to have beer available to the public in November. Look for it at McNellies.

After tasting beer after beer, my taste buds (and overall state of mind) were a bit confused, but there were a few beers that stood out. Wittekerke Rose was one of them. It neither looked or tasted like what you would think of as beer. It was served in a Red Bull sized pink can featuring a neon green female figure. I couldn't decide if this packaging was stylish and posh or a gaudy embarrassment to beer. It looks like a great beer to drink at a dance club, or if you were to be sneaky, you could drink this beer while driving and law enforcement would be none the wiser. Obviously targeted to women, this Belgium wheat beer is brewed with pure raspberry fruit. Unlike the Lindemans Framboise, another Belgium raspberry beer which is cloyingly sweet, the Wittekerke Rose was the perfect balance. I gave it a five star rating.

Some other noteworthy beers I tried: Avery Ellie Brown Ale, Ayinger Celebrator, and Konigshoeven Quadrupel. These beers were all very distinctive and flavorful. McNellies carries a variety of beers from each of these breweries, so you can come in and try them for yourself. The worst beer I tasted, other than some home brews from the Fellowship of Oklahoma Ale Makers (FOAM), was Budweiser's fairly new seasonal beer, Beach Bum. Go figure.