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I recently had an opportunity to visit with Rick Huebert, who, to make a long story short, has played a large role in getting the folks in Oklahoma City to back off on Prohibition-era alcohol laws that should have been off the books while, oh, FDR was still alive. He's there, Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 2 pm, and you have to really look for his brewery. It's on a corner, and there's a fenced-in parking lot. If you can find the Oklahoma Opry, the brewery is very close to it.
Rick is a very gracious host, and he gave me and another gentleman a tour of his facilities as he took a little time out from working in his lagering area. All the brewing, fermenting, and lagering equipment are in close proximity, and check out all those bottles he's got on the other side of the brewery! If you're a brewer, this stuff is old hat to you, but if you're just a happy consumer of the end product, you're in for a little treat. You can actually hear the yeast activity in the fermentation tanks -- "double, double toil, and trouble" -- and Rick gave us a little sample of the still-fermenting wort. The gentleman with me was incredulous that something that tasted so bad [to his tastebuds] could turn out to be something so good. Rick also served us samples of the "low alcohol" 3.2 version of his lager, as well as the 4+ version, which has a nicer taste and a little more body to it.
Folks who are looking for a large selection of beers are going to be disappointed, as Rick presently brews only one beer, the Old Tyme Lager. This one is a pleasant session beer, nicely-hopped with Saaz hops, and enjoyable while you're working in the yard during the hot summer. As we parted company, though, he teased us with mention of the possibility of a weizenbock (Go for it, Rick!). I brought home a case of the lager, along with some freebie bottle labels. The beer is almost gone...
Huebert Brewing Company's website is at http://groups.msn.com/HuebertBrewingCompany/home.htm. The website features a list of where in Oklahoma to find Rick's beer in its higher-alcohol incarnation. Please support your local brewery, especially one that is pushing the lawmakers so much to get off of our backs.
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