Prairie Artisan Ales OKC Taproom

I visited this taproom on a weekday evening after dinner while in town on business. I was aware Prairie made good beer and that they were located in Oklahoma. I did not realize until later that I had stumbled onto their only taproom location where I could enjoy their beer in-house. Lucky me!

The taproom is located in an eclectic, old building in what looks like a mid-20th Century neighborhood of downtown. It is a large building with some artsy businesses, food vendors and coffee, along with Prairie beer. Prairie has a small bar, a number of indoor and outdoor tables, shelves and coolers for to-go bottles, and a Pickle ball court that can be used by patrons (for reasons that befuddle me--isn't drinking awesome beer enough for you?).

The bar featured 25-30 Prairie beers, which were of the wide variety that you'd expect from them. They had everything from conventional styles to sours to the huge pastry stouts that I first noted them for. Everything I tried was excellent. The bartender was friendly, as well as proud and knowledgeable of the beer. He also was accommodating of those who wanted to order a last round at closing time and linger while they enjoyed it, without being rushed out the door. I enjoyed my time in the tasting room and took some bottled treasures with me when I left.

I visited the Prairie’s OKC location a couple months back while visiting the city. It’s an industrial but cool and funky taproom; they’ve got a few picnic tables outside by the railroad tracks too. They actually have an indoor pickleball court as well … heh. There’s a brewery onsite, although it’s definitely not their main facility; I imagine it’s some kind of pilot brewery? Service up at the bar is prompt and friendly.

On my visit, they had 27 beers on tap plus several bottle pours; styles ranged widely from Vienna lager, pilsner, and cherry white chocolate cream ale, to a full dozen different sours, a couple IPAs and half a dozen stouts rounded out the selection. Overall, something for everybody, and definitely some interesting stuff in there. The hazy I had was solid, and the Vienna lager was perfectly cromulent. Prairie is pretty widely distributed, so if you’re into the beer, it’s hard to go wrong with their OKC taproom.

 

 

MId sized parking lot available, multi business set up a modern and airy building. Gotta love a high quality tap room with a Vietnamese joint right down the hall.

Sours, hazies and all sorts of stouts available on draft and in cans/bottles to go all available here...and they are of the highest quality.

Served in a super pleasant environment, clean and well lit, with a lot of sun streaming through a wall of windows. I sat at the high and large communal table, enjoyed their fine offerings and a tasty asian meal....great road trip stop if passing thru this area

Note...I gave em a good food score cuz of the place down the hall way with the spring rolls and tasty noodles

 

Oh, what a beautiful morning… Nine fucking eleven, in Oklahoma City, where they get it (sigh). Shuttled back from the hotel to the airport, got my rental, and immediately, well yeah, here I am. Arrived at 11am opening and found the parking lot full save one sweet slander spot, which I happily occupied. Entered into the market to find the coffee shop jammed and Prairie opening just for me…

‘L’ shaped concrete topped bar and wraparound counter to the backside, black wood panel base & a squared foot rail. Seating for 10 on high topped alt pastel colored framed wood chairs. A row of mounted framed boxings holding logo tulip glassware running the length of the black barback wall, with toy dinosaurs lining the top. A neon logo piece and the tap list in seemingly large magnetic letters on the wall above and 2 sets of 8 non-descript black handles each extending from the wall below. Can crimper on a stand behind the bar for you know, the crimping of cans (duh).

Concrete floors, pitched skylight on a concretey ceiling. I-beam uprights and cross beams. Walls in beige up front, and brick to the rear of the room windowed, alongside a paneled roll up door there. An R&D brewroom behind glass, barrels, all that, on the far wall, and large rectangular planters creating a barrier along the outer perimeter. The overhead around the bar holds small squared recessed lights and cartoon mural play above. Projection screen on the far wall showing game. A single flat in the corner, and a pair of coolers on the end for crimped cans, water, & wine. And merch & bottles displayed to the left of that.

A baker’s dozen tables behind me in the pen and below the mez; short squares angled in rows to both sides of hightops lengthwise, and a row of low longs short way along the edge. Event space upstairs, choose 2 taps.

14 beers on tap (Choc Beer, American Pale Wheat Ale, 5%; Practically Glowing, Honey Blonde Ale, 5.1%; Sweet Summer, Tiger’s Blood inspired Sour Ale with Strawberry, Watermelon, Coconut, 5.2%; Sweet Summer Heat, Sweet Summer with Jalapeno, 5.2%; P3, Sour Ale with Papaya, Pineapple, & Peach, 5.3%; Mojo Moment, Sour Ale with Strawberry, Rhubarb, Pecans, White Chocolate, & Golden Oreos, 5.6%; Disguised as Another Dude, Sour Ale with Cranberry, Apple, & Blackberry, 5.8%; Gimli Buffet - Batch 3, Hazy IPA with Galaxy, Vic Secret, & Nelson Sauvin, 7.5%; Tote Technician, Hazy IPA with Citra, Mosaic, & Simcoe, 7%; Moondance, Imperial Hazy IPA with Sultana & Citra, 8.4%; A Thousand Nights, BBA Imperial Milk Stout, 12.6%; BA Macaroon, BBA Imperial Stout with Coconut Vanilla Macaroons, 13%; Menasco Fiasco, Imperial Stout with Pistachio, Cacao Nibs, Vanilla, & Pretzels, 12%; Point Deduction, Imperial Stout with Banana, Cinnamon, & Marshmallow, 12%), + a single can pour (Three First Names, Sour Ale with Blueberry, Lemon Juice, & Ginger Syrup, 5%), a smoothie seltzer, and a cocktail.

Beers are served in 4oz, 8oz, 12oz, & 16oz can pours. You know I’m a fan of the 8oz shorty, right? Interesting list; sour, hoppy, & pastry. Started sour (Disguised as Another Due is good on the Cranberry, but the P3 is all me, as I do dig them P, P, & P fruits). Round 2 is IPA play (Gimli was Oofta!, but Moondance was mad fresh and very goddamn good), back to sours now (Sweet Summer Heat is fruity & strange, I mean, the watermelon really comes out but then there’s the heat, and Mojo Moment, yep, that’s Rhubarb), and then, oh hell, dealer’s choice, pick me a pastry stout to wind down with (Point Reduction was on point, banana and booziness, I like). Am thinking P3, Moondance, & Point Reduction for the Wins.

Found a sour, a hoppy, & a pastry all done well. Not a bad morning. Tunes are good and the server folks are cool. I could do some time here but there’s much to see yet.

 

 

 

 

 

Very cool open floor plan market place, set up like a huge starbuck, only with beer. Bar area takes up 20% of the front. Bar seats a out 12, with about a dozen table opposite it, and it's open to the center countyard/walkway. 12 beers on tap... excellent. What a place to hang out.... sure beats the library.

 

 

 

This is a new location for Prairie Artisan Ales (main location in Tulsa) but they not only offer Prairie Artisan Ales beers brewed in Tulsa, they also have their own brews. They offer tours of the brewery on Saturdays. They don’t have food but they allow you to bring your own. The location is a bit inconspicuous and it does not look like a brewery from the outside (more like an office building). However, the inside is spacious and there’s plenty of seating. You can buy 4oz, 8oz, and 16oz beers on tap, and they sell bottles, cans, and growlers for take home. The prices are good and the service is friendly and knowledgeable. I wish they were open a little later on Fridays and Saturdays. They close 9:00PM every day.