Roughtail Brewing Company - Kölschwerk

Kölsch is a classic German style hailing from Köln (Cologne) that’s made with top-fermenting ale yeast, but then cold conditioned like lager – making it a bit of a hybrid. We’re big fans of the style when done right (it can be tricky to brew); it’s just a deliciously simple, balanced, dry beer that quenches thirst and beckons sip after sip. Roughtail’s version presents a clear, radiant golden color with a cap of bright foam. On the nose, we get a nice dose of German Hallertau hops that offer up a spicy and lighty herbal-grassy profile, overlaying some bready, wheaty malt undercurrents. Those malty notes come forth to form a tasty, crackery central core on the palate, too. But, for us, it was the hops that really jumped out with lots of herbal spice and a decent level of perceived bitterness, easily keeping this dry from the start to the crisp lager-like finish. For pairing options, we’d look to German sausages like bratwurst, along with mild-to-moderately spicy dishes (pizza is a good call). Fried chicken would be on our list, too, along with bright seafood dishes like lemon spritzed shrimp skewers. Prost!

Roughtail Brewing Company’s story begins when homebrewers Blaine Stansel and Tony Tielli met in a homebrewing club. Dissatisfied with the craft beer options in the area, which were limited and, in their words, “safe”, the duo decided to launch their own brewery. Originally they were eyeing Dallas due to the huge size of its untapped beer market, but ultimately they decided to build their brewery in their home of Oklahoma City. Founded in 2012, Roughtail officially hit the market in 2013, offering a well-hopped red ale, an 80 IBU IPA, and a boldly malty and hoppy American strong ale, all produced at their small location in downtown OKC. They named their “rough around the edges” brewery after the Roughtail Gecko, a tough little critter they felt exemplified their attitude.

Soon after launch, Roughtail moved into a larger facility in Midwest City, just a few miles east of downtown OKC. Stansel, Tielli, and their team made the most of their modest 10-barrel brewing system and 5,000 sq.ft. of space, but by 2017 they were brewing at maximum capacity and the need for a larger brewhouse was apparent. Construction of a brand new facility on the northern edge of OKC began soon after, and the brewery moved into this space in 2020. Designed to offer the company enough space for the present and the far future, the new building features a 30-barrel brewing system with over 12,000 sq.ft. of production space and 8,000 sq.ft. for their Taphouse and offices.

Roughtail currently produces six core year-round beers as well as four seasonals and an ongoing variety of limited releases, including barrel-aged ales. For more info on the brewery, their Taproom, and upcoming events, check them out at roughtailbeer.com.