Oklahoma Beer: A Handcrafted History

Notoriously known as a flyover state in regards to alcohol, Oklahoma has a unique brewing history. Entering the Union as a dry state, Oklahoma struggled with bootleggers and the choc beer brewers of Indian Territory. Prohibition wasn’t fully repealed in Oklahoma until 1959, when liquor sales were permitted, but a few pioneers navigated a web of restrictions to produce quality local beers. Brewpubs opened a new chapter in 1992 as a generation thirsty for handcrafted beers led to a resurgence in the industry. Author and proprietor of BeerisOK.com Brian Welzbacher unravels the stories behind the passionate breweries that stood up to tyranny and paved a path from Dust Bowl to full glass.