Top of the hops
Oklahoma State introduces Craft Beer Forum in new beverage center
CSTILLWATER — ome Saturday, the College of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University will deliver the best education it can for a select group of students when it pops the top on its inaugural Craft Beer Forum of Oklahoma.
Executive Committee Chairman Jared Fimple, a senior, said the thing he’s looking most forward to this weekend is the look of surprise and satisfaction he expects to see on the faces of those who attend the all-day affair inside the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s gleaming new Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education.
That doesn’t mean he plans to over-serve attendees for a smile and a slap on the back, he just means he’s proud of and confident in the team he has in place. They’ve worked tirelessly for more than a year to launch a first-class bound to blossom into a biennial event sustained by students who follow for many years.
The Hirst Center
The success of the Wine Forum of Oklahoma, which started in 2009, no doubt played a part in the development of the spectacular locale where the Beer Forumwas born:the Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education.
Named for the iconic distributor responsible for much of the wine, beer and cocktail culture of Oklahoma today, the center opened about 18 months ago and offers students of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management handson training for the work in front of them.
Thanks to donations from companies like Hal Smith Restaurant Group, Sonic and many others, the center includes a kitchen lab with stadium seating, another classroom with a first-rate wine cellar (that stays locked!), and dining options that offer improved offerings and broader experiential opportunities.
Taylor’s offers a daily smorgasbord that rotates its menu with inspiration from a different world cuisine each week. Planet Orange is an impressive quick-service concept replacing the old snack bar. The new place offers a broad variety of grab-n-go food and beverages.
Both places offer students real-world experience in restaurant operations from washing dishes to management. More than 120 students rotate weekly through Planet Orange alone, learning concepts and
strategies.
“I love the Hirst Center,” Fimple said. “The kids who are freshmen and sophomores are really lucky to have this from the beginning.”
Belly up to the beer
Long before shovel met dirt on the Hirst Center, the Craft Beer Forum was planned. This was a building constructed to be shown off. The lobby is nearly large enough for a gala on its own.
The show kitchens and presentation rooms are plenty and Fimple and his team have them scheduled to the hilt on Saturday.
Fimple said folks can expect to learn all about the local craft beer scene— who’s making what, and what exactly are they making.
“Not only that, but you’ll be able to learn how beer is made and how you can make it at home,” he said.
Seminars are scheduled throughout, with a break for the Stein-and-Sack lunch, leading to a closing event. Seminars range from beginner to advanced sessions. Hop Talk offers an in-depth
look into the ingredient that makes you say “aah,” including hop varieties and the role they play in brewing.
The Pint-N-Bite finale ends the day with tastings from 25 breweries and 20 local chefs.
Fimple said he wanted to finish the day on a note less formal than the Wine Forum but more formal than a festival. The result is the Pint-and-Bite, which allows attendees to sample a wide swath of beers with tasting portions of food to complement them.
Fimple worked closely with his 12-person executive committee to work out the logistics and execution.
Adele Wilson, a senior, said she worked at last year’s Wine Forum, but the responsibilities of planning and executing the event are a far cry from driving wine enthusiasts to and from their hotel.
“It was really difficult to give other people their jobs in a timely manner,” she said. “It’s also really hard doing it all in a timely manner and balance school work.”
Maggie Adcock, an Agribusiness major who stepped over into the School of Human Sciences for the experience, said “Communication is the key, and was a huge challenge. But we did it, and I learned so much. I’m really proud of the job the committee has done.”
Katherine Wolfe, a Marketing major looking to become an event planner, came to the right place. But she had a special challenge when she signed up for duty.
“I wasn’t 21 when we started planning, and I didn’t know very much about beer so for a while I had to rely on what everyone was saying,” she said.
Dr. Ben Goh, director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management an assistant dean of the College of Human Sciences, said the Craft Beer Forum was the next natural progression for the home of the biennial Wine Forum.
“Now we will offer an event for the students to produce and the public to attend every year,” he said. “This will continue this legacy by educating students and the public on craft beers and brewers, a natural fit for Oklahoma.”
The honorary chair for the Craft Beer Forum is Eric Marshall, founder of Marshall Brewing Company in Tulsa. Marshall has a degree in international business and German language from the University of Tulsa. He studied brewing in Munich and apprenticed in many breweries before opening Tulsa’s first production craft microbrewery in 2007.
Tickets for the Stein-N-Snack and day sessions is $75; the evening Pint-N-Bite Tasting is $50. The event is open to the public.For ticket information go online to: craftbeerforumofoklahoma.com.