Cheers to Star Wars weekend!

It's Star Wars weekend, so I thought it would be appropriate to re-share the Star Wars-themed beer bottle labels that Mrs. Beagle and I created for the recent Star Wars/Beer art show at The Patriarch.

First, you have Hoth Winter Warmer -- perfect for those -76F nights!

On the other end of the heat spectrum, we have Tatoonie Summer Saison -- made from water sourced from local moisture farms!

And of course we had to represent the dark side, so we created -- what else -- an imperial  stout.

Of course, if you know anything about the Death Star, you'll know why it's pretty funny to say that Alderaan Ale is "no longer in production."

Pints and Pins

-Oak & Ore is continuing its series of Coffee Beer Brunches in December. This Sunday, brunch starts at 11 they'll be giving away dual logo Founders Breakfast Stout/Oak & Ore coffee mugs with the purchase of a FBS pour. They'll follow that up on the Dec. 27 with a dual logo Black Mesa/Oak & Ore mug when you buy a pour of the new Los Naranjos coffee stout.

And one other little nugget of intel on Oak & Ore: Mark your calendar for Jan. 14 for what promises to be an epic one-year anniversary party at the Plaza District venue.

-Marshall Brewing is open from noon to 5 p.m. today for pints and growler fills, before their Ugly Sweater party kicks off and runs 'til 8 p.m. Sounds like quite the festive day!

-Prairie Artisan Ales has announced they will be closed on Christmas Day, but open 1 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 26 (or Boxing Day, as us Canadians know it).

-In case you missed it earlier, Slaughter's Hall is hosting its one-year anniversary party on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m.

Republic aims to focus on gastro and pub

If you've been to Republic Gastropub on Classen Curve, you know they place a focus on the gastro part of their name, spinning up creative and tasty dishes that elevate the standard pub fare.

But they also like to focus on the pub part, and that's reflected in a series of upcoming beer events.

As you can see from that image, they're hosting a Beer Social tonight at 6. This is part of continuing series of beer social set for the third Tuesday of each month. Tonight's social features holiday favorites including St. Bernardus Christmas, Delerium Noel, Samichlaus Classic and Unibroue La Resolution. The $20 cost includes these flight pours paired with some creative small bite snacks and a full pour of your favorite beer at the end.

Really, for 20 bucks, that's a pretty sound deal.

Now, if you can't make it out tonight, you should mark your calendar for next month. Republic is planning a special event on Jan. 19 -- a four-course COOP Ale Works beer dinner, set for 6 to 8 p.m.

Republic's Mike Folks says the pub's beer dinners are a more formal version of the socials. They typically include four courses, and feature a beer pairing with each course and a farewell pour at the end.

The dinner will run you $50, and you can reserve a seat by emailing mfolks@goodeggdining.com to put your name down for the one of the 50 spots available.

While Folks admits that Republic is cuisine-driven, they view the socials and beer dinners as important offerings.

"Our purpose is to highlight the talents of our chef team, but the dinners and socials are in place to feature certain breweries or styles of beer," he said. "Being a gastropub, we are definitely cuisine-driven, but really enjoy teaching and offering our guests quality beer and food pairings."

One thing is for certain: Oklahoma City's beer landscape is ever-evolving, and venues really need to show they care about their beer to maintain customer loyalty. Republic has been active in Oklahoma City Craft Beer Week, and these dinners and socials only help further show the pub's dedication to craft beer.

Pints and Pins

-Speaking of focusing on beer, Slaughter's Hall in Deep Deuce has made efforts recently to pick up its beer game. They've expanded their beer offerings and have started up a nightly Hoppy Hour, featuring select $1.50 COOP cans, among other choices. If you haven't stopped by, but want to, this weekend might be a good bet. The pub will celebrate its one-year anniversary at 7 p.m. Saturday with a local tap takeover. More details here:

-Here are some tips on cellaring your beer.

-The Brew Shop is hosting a beer and wine tasting at 4 p.m. Friday, featuring Healthy Craving Nuts.

Patriarch art show hits the geekdom jackpot

In my house, there are two things we can all get geeked out about: Beer and Star Wars.

So when The Patriarch announced it was hosting an art show where the requirements were beer and Star Wars, I was in.

And today, it's showtime, people. Get yourself down to The Patriach at 6 p.m. to see how the awesomeness of beer and Star Wars is combined.

As the graphic mentions, the art show supports a good cause -- the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County -- and you can even see an art submission from the Thirsty Beagle himself (along with the lovely and talented Mrs. Beagle) if you stop by.

We combined our knowledge of beer, The Force and graphic design to spin up some nifty beer bottle labels. Here's a sneak peek:

I know there will be several outstanding submissions to take in. And hey, don't we all need a reason to get out on a Thursday evening?

Pints and Pins

-Speaking of helping charity, don't forget that tonight is the Jingle Brews Christmas Karaoke party at Oak & Ore. They're accepting canned food donations for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Particularly canned meats. Those who bring a donation will be entered into drawings for door prizes.

-Roughtail Taphouse has added itself to the list of beer spots that are available for you to book your holiday gathering or party. Email privateparty@roughtailtaphouse.com for more info.

-Dead Armadillo recently announced they have purchased a new canning line. Just FYI.

-Anthem reports their seasonal Festivus Ale should be available in stores by the end of the month.

Oak & Ore Christmas party combines karaoke, ugly sweaters

As the days until Christmas tick by -- only 18 to go now! -- Oklahoma City's local beer establishments will really start getting into the Christmas swing.

One good example of that is an event planned this week at Oak & Ore: Jingle Brews Christmas Karaoke.

Here's a press release on the event:

Craft beer bar and restaurant Oak & Ore will host a Christmas Karaoke party from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10 at 1732 NW 16 in Oklahoma City's Plaza District.

The Jingle Brews Christmas Karaoke party will feature live music by Daniel Walcher from 6:30 to 8 p.m., followed by Christmas Karaoke from 8 to 10 p.m.

There will also be an ugly Christmas sweater contest, a selfie/ussie photo booth, festive Christmas-themed Jell-O shots and limited seasonal craft beer releases. Bring a canned food donation for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and receive a door prize.

Walcher is a folk/rock singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City. He is currently in the production stage of his new album, set for release in early 2016. Walcher recently signed with Post 352, an independent publishing and record label company in Oklahoma City.

Founded in December 2014, Oak & Ore offers a rotating, 36-tap selection of brews from Oklahoma and around the world, thoughtfully paired with a craft beer-inspired dining experience.

Learn more about Daniel Walcher www.danielwalchermusic.com. For more information about Oak & Ore, visit www.oakandore.com.

I'll keep you updated as more Christmas events are announced.

Pints and Pins

-Your weekly Monday pint nights at the McNellie's group: Delirium Noel in Oklahoma City; Palm Spectacle in Tulsa; Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat at Tulsa-South; and Left Hand Bittersweet Coffee Milk Stout at Norman.

-Reminder that this Thursday at 6 p.m. is the Star Wars and beer-themed art show at The Patriarch. Yours truly has a submission in the show, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

Roughtail gets in holiday spirit with beer party

If you don't think I've been blaring Christmas music in my car since mid-November, brother, you are sadly mistaken.

Right after the annual Beagle Family Disney World Summer Vacation, Christmastime is my favorite time of year. But not just for Bing Crosby, Christmas lights and the Rudolph claymation special.

Christmastime beer is pretty good, too. The flavors and smells of Christmas -- all the spices and pines -- just work in beer. Plus there's something about enjoying a beer by the fire, next to the Christmas tree, that just makes beer seem more special. I know, I know, pretty sappy. Either way, when you know how I feel about the combination of beer and Christmas, there's no doubt that I'd be a sucker for an event poster like this:

This is happening tonight at Roughtail Brewing, and it includes this beer lineup:

Clearly, you can do worse if you're looking for something to do tonight. But that's not all that's on the docket on the OKC beer scene today. Let's take a look:

-Slaughter's Hall is hosting a Left Hand tap takeover tonight, featuring Polestar Pilsner, Warrior Fresh Hop IPA, Twin Sister Double IPA and Fade To Black Baltic Porter. Bonus note: Slaughter's Hall has Anchor Christmas on tap, as well.

-Mustang Brewing's tap room is open from 4 to 7 p.m. today with offerings from both Mustang and Elk Valley Brewing.

-Not tonight, but Oak & Ore is offering up a cool deal at 11 a.m. Sunday to go along with their new brunch menu. From their FB page: 

"Each Sunday for brunch in December we will be featuring a different coffee beer and doing some cool giveaways! The first one up is from our friends at COOP Ale Works. We will be tapping a keg of the coffee version of the famed Territorial Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, as well as giving away COOP pint glasses and swag (while supplies last). You won't want to miss out!"

Pints and Pins

-The United States now has its largest amount of breweries ever -- surpassing the previous high-water mark established in 1873.

-Anthem Brewing reports they are getting ready to package their 2015 Festivus ale. I don't have a specific timeline on release, but will update if I get more details.

-Iron Monk has updated the hours at its tap room and is now offering tours. Full details available at the Iron Monk FB page.