Author: OKBeerAlliance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2024 Contact: Hayden Hinchey hhinchey@saxum.com Oklahoma codifies educational tastings to protect local businesses in beverage industry, ensure quality service for patrons Oklahoma Restaurant Association, Oklahoma Beer Alliance applaud passage, signature of Senate Bill 2001 As the 2024 regular legislative session concludes, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association and the Oklahoma Beer Alliance Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mar. 30, 2023 Contact: Hayden Hinchey hhinchey@saxum.com Oklahoma Beer and Alcohol Legislation Updates OKLAHOMA CITY — Following the March 23 chamber of origin deadline, the Oklahoma Beer Alliance is sharing an update on several bills moving forward this legislative session to support the state’s robust beverage industry. “We’re encouraged to see the Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 20, 2021 Contact: Meridith Tucker mtucker@saxum.com (Direct) 703.606.5990 Oklahoma Beer Alliance Members Donate $134,100 to Local Causes OKLAHOMA CITY — Many Oklahoma families were still struggling throughout 2021 to ensure they had enough to make ends meet. To help provide needed assistance to fellow Oklahomans, the Oklahoma Beer Alliance and its Read More

OKLAHOMA CITY — For many Oklahomans, fall is synonymous with cooler weather, pumpkins, football and upcoming holidays. Fall is also the busiest time for Oklahoma beer distributors because of the increased demand for beer and the larger selection of beers available in the Sooner State. To fully embrace this season alongside tasty fall beers, the Oklahoma Beer Alliance has put together a food and beer pairing guide. This guide provides food and beer pairing ideas that can take Oklahomans from apple picking, pumpkin patches and football games, to Halloween and Thanksgiving.

In case you missed it, hard seltzer is looking more and more like the new king of beer.

The biggest shift in customer behavior, according to analysis of sales trends, is the switch to hard seltzer, an often fruity drink that’s part sparkling water and part alcohol.

A new study shows that the Oklahoma beer industry is directly responsible for bringing $2.9 billion to the Oklahoma economy in 2020, despite the pandemic causing the national beer industry to suffer.

Gov. Stitt has signed new legislation that increases the punishment for adults who knowingly sell or provide alcohol to minors.

“We’ve been working closely with the ABLE Commission to ensure Oklahoma establishments are able to adapt to the current situation and mitigate any negative impacts that might be felt,” Barnes said. “We’re all in this together, and the more we can accommodate consumers and businesses during this time, the better.”

The Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission has put together a list of information to help consumers stay up to date on how they can still support local businesses, like breweries, wineries, liquor stores and restaurants, by buying their favorite alcoholic beverages.

“The coronavirus pandemic has upended daily life and created a new reality, at least in the short term,” said Lisette Barnes, president of the Oklahoma Beer Alliance. “Many Oklahoma consumers are looking for ways to keep some normalcy to their lives, and businesses are looking for ways to maintain sales.”

“We applaud the efforts of county commissioners in Oklahoma County and across the state for putting the measure on the ballot and for Oklahoma voters who chose to give local liquor stores the option to be open on Sundays,” said Lisette Barnes, president of the Oklahoma Beer Alliance.

Liquor stores in seven Oklahoma counties will be able to conduct business on Sundays according to Tuesday’s unofficial election results. Voters passed their Sunday liquor store sales proposals by 72.8 percent in Cleveland County, whose largest communities are Norman and Moore.

Recent alcohol legislation and rule changes have moved Oklahoma closer to the alcohol modernization consumers envisioned in 2016. Here’s a quick guide to the most pressing questions related to the new laws and updated rules.

“Our members and their employees go beyond the business of beer distribution to make considerable efforts to support the communities where they live and work,” said Oklahoma Beer Alliance President Lisette Barnes. “Together, we believe in the importance of supporting our neighbors…

“We just finished a large expansion of the original facility that was built in the 1980s,” said Matt LoPorto, senior director of sales and marketing for Anheuser-Busch Sales of Oklahoma in Tulsa. “While the new space was needed under the previous Oklahoma beer distribution regulations…

“We’ve already seen a boom in breweries starting up and expanding their businesses and opening up tap rooms, which I think is exciting for our consumers, but also when we have people visit the state I think that they kind of see us in a different way, that we’re moving forward with our modernization…

“Oklahomans overwhelmingly passed State Question 792 last November, allowing the sale of full-strength beer and wine at grocery stores, and allowing liquor stores to carry refrigerated beer. The new law doesn’t go into effect until October 1st of 2018, and KRMG has had several questions about why it’s taking so long.…

“Across the state, Oklahoma businesses and consumers are readying their communities for alcohol modernization in 2018. Special elections are being held to change outdated county laws; new breweries are opening; and new beer brands are making their way to Oklahoma.”

“The Alliance represents the unified interests of the Oklahoma beer industry, whether the brewer is big or small, local or national or international. Locally, we think Oklahoma brewers are on the verge of incredible growth and we’re proud the Alliance played an important role in eliminating restrictive laws that were holding back brewers…

“This bill helps address a parity issue between grocery and convenience stores and retail liquor stores. Those counties who vote to allow Sunday sales would benefit from the additional tax revenue. It will also help Oklahoma counties bordering with states that already have Sunday sales better compete for those dollars.”

“Today’s passage of SQ 792 is a huge step forward for Oklahomans who have been demanding common sense laws regarding access to beer. The Oklahoma Beer Alliance and its members believe SQ 792 will help grow the state’s beer industry…

“The Oklahoma Beer Alliance is an organization of independent beer wholesalers and our mission is to support responsible and safe alcohol laws in Oklahoma. We also support modernizing Oklahoma’s beer laws to allow the sale of cold, strong beer in our state. We are very proud of our members…

“Unfortunately, Oklahoma consumers don’t have access to the same level of choice that beer lovers in other states currently enjoy. An outdated and complicated alcohol regulatory system has kept our state from experiencing the economic and varietal benefits of a booming beer industry…

“It’s beer for as far as the eye can see at the Anheuser-Busch Sales of Oklahoma 100,000-square-foot beer warehouse in southeast Oklahoma City…