THE COMEDIC STYLINGS OF ANDREW ROSE

ROCOCO ON WESTERN LIVEMUSIC WEEKLY

July 19th The Chaz Trio 7-10 pm July 26th Heartbreak Rodeo 7-10 pm August 2nd The Whiskey Gingers 7-10 pm August 9th Bruce Benson 7-10 pm August 16th Reagan Sokolosky 7-10 pm

KOCHENDORFER BREWING ALTBEER RE-RELEASE

Alt Beer. ABV 5.24%, IBU 30 Alt Beer is a German-style ale from the Dusseldorf area. Our version is a deep copper color with a complex malty profile and plenty of hops to keep it crisp and clean tasting. This makes for an engaging flavor while being very easy drinking.

VZD'S RESTAURANT AND BAR ALEJANDRO ONIONBURGER

Quickly gaining ground as the best burger in OKC. Come try the Alejandro Onion Burger today. Smashed, fried, and steamed for a three-way cook that creates a melt-in-your-mouth burger experience.

www.vzds.com/ 4:00-10:00 Tuesday-Saturday 4200 N Western Ave • Oklahoma City, OK 73118

SCRATCH KITCHEN &COCKTAILS RESTAURANT WEEK

July 8-17 Course 1- Smoked Scallops Crudo Course 2- Crispy Braised Beef Ravioli Course 3- Grilled Dry-Aged Pork Ribeye

www.eatatscratch.com 405.801.2900 132 West Main Street, Norman, OK 73069

LEARN TO BREW HOMEBREW STARTERKIT

With this Homebrew Starter Kit and any standard 2 gallon pot you can make 1 gallon (about ten 12 oz bottles) of craft beer right in your kitchen--in just a few hours!

www.learntobrew.com 14300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Suite 102 Edmond, OK 73013 (405) 286-9505

GEICO LOCAL OFFICE BOAT INSURANCE

Savings is on deck with your local GEICO agent. Get a quote today.

Warren Stowe 1500 W. Interstate 240 Service Rd. OKC 405-248-9509 geico.com/okc-stowe

THE COMEDIC STYLINGS OF ANDREW ROSE

by Jake Durham

Laughter is good for the soul. With a pandemic, the current state of the economy, war, and political divide, it can be challenging for us to remember to enjoy life. We need laughter and entertainment to disconnect from reality and take a mental holiday.

SQ788 TAX STATE SAL & LO ES CAL TAX

Andrew Rose is an Oklahoma-raised comedian with a flair for making people laugh. “I’ ve liked comedy since I was a kid, ” said Rose.

“I remember my uncle and family sitting on the patio and just telling stories about their lives, and they ’re all making each other laugh. As a kid, I was like, ‘I want to do that, but I’m a kid, and I don’t have stories. I can’t do that. ’” Rose found himself watching Comedy Central for inspiration, and he even recalled that his iPod contained more comedy than music. As his passion grew, he took notes while observing other comedians and wrote jokes every chance he got. However, being a great comedian is also seen in one’s ability to read the audience and go off-script. “Ad-libbing comes in handy when you say something, and it gets a reaction, ” said Rose. “It’s not a direction I initially thought of, but you go off that. Sometimes it’s the audience that helped you get there. ”

In 2014, Rose started touring with The World Series of Comedy as the owner’s host and right-hand man. The World Series of Comedy is a stand-up event for comedians of all levels. It begins with a weeklong series of live satellite contests all around the U.S. and Canada, and finalists will participate in The Main Event held each September. “The World Series of Comedy is an organization and the biggest comedy festival in the country, ” said Rose. “101 winners from local contests get to compete in The Main Event in Vegas. ”

Rose is also a host at the Looney Bin Comedy Club, which has locations in Tulsa, Little Rock, Wichita, and OKC. “I started at the Looney Bin Comedy Club in Oklahoma City, ” said Rose. “I have been working with them for a long time, and I go there as often as possible for open mic. ” An array of talent performs at the clubs ranging from up-and-comers, local talent, and seasoned veterans.

Recently, Rose has worked to bring his act and other talents to local breweries and venues not traditionally known for hosting comedy, and the idea is gaining traction. “I am trying to grow this, ” said Rose.

“I think it could be great as long as we keep having fun and get people out there that want to have fun with us. It is a homegrown grassroots thing. I am talking to several breweries and venues and turning them into little pop-up comedy clubs. ”

Rose experimented with the concept at the Roughtail Brewery in Edmond. Since then, other venues have been added to the lineup with upcoming shows at:

Enid Brewing Co.

– Enid, OK Godofredo’s Pizzeria & Tap Room – Cushing, OK Chaos Brewing – Joplin, MO Slush’D – Ada, OK The Maplewood – Wichita Falls, TX

“I chose breweries because they ’re always fun, ” said Rose. It’s the atmosphere there, and the people who go to breweries want to come to hang out and have a good time. ” Visit www.arosecomedy.com to learn more about Andrew, his comedy, and upcoming shows.

S U C R E ’ V O D K A SUGAR CANE VODKA THAT DOESN’T GIVE YOU A HANGOVER?

B Y H E I D E B R A N D E S

At first glance, Molaun Smith and Chris Davis of Oklahoma City don’t seem like your typical vodka lovers. In fact, according to these two Putnam City-area school friends, they are die-hard whiskey drinkers instead, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to make a mean vodka.

Owners and founders of Oklahoma City ’s newest distilled liquor company, Sucre’ Premium Sugarcane Vodka, the two guys are shaking it up when it comes to locally made spirits. First, they aren’t distillers by trade. Chris drives a truck for a living while Mo owns a pest control company, but they do know a good drink when they find one. The result is Sucre’ Vodka, a sugar cane vodka that’s been distilled seven times for the “smoothest vodka you’ ve ever tasted, ” said Mo. “When fermented, sugar cane is the only source that doesn’t produce methanol, which is what causes the next day ’s pounding headache. So, we took that and distilled it cleaner than any other vodka around, ” Mo said. “Seven times distilled to be exact. ”

Now available in at least seven package stores in the metro and quickly gaining a solid fan base, Sucre’ is poised to put Oklahoma vodka on the map.

Pouring Their Hearts Into It

The idea to start a new vodka brand, like most great ideas, came by way of serendipity.

“One day I was at work, and I delivered some products to the guy who would end up as our distiller, ” said Chris. “I had no idea what I was delivering, but we started talking and that’s when he told me he was a distiller and he made vodka. ”

That was enough to spark Chris’ interest. After talking about how a person gets into distilling spirits and the process of starting up a business that fateful March Day in 2021, Chris took the idea to his friend Mo.

“We’ ve known each other for 30-plus years, ” Chris said.

“We were sitting around, just kind of hanging out like you do, and I was telling him about all of this. And he said, ‘Why don’t we do it? Let’s just do it. ’ So, we sat down, came up with a plan, and six months later, we had the product in hand. ”

While the pair experimented with several types of vodkas made from different types of ingredients like potatoes, corn, or grain, it was a trip to Antigua that sparked the idea to make Sucre’ a sugarcane-based vodka.

“It’s the only ingredient that, when fermented, doesn’t create methanol, which is what gives you that headache the next day, ” said Mo. “Vodka is the number one selling alcohol in the world, and we started paying attention to what everybody liked - plus, the ladies like to drink vodka. ” Despite its popularity, Mo and Chris wanted to create a vodka that tasted good, wasn’t harsh, and maintained integrity. They teamed up with Oklahoma City ’s Rambling Spirits distiller Ricky Sowers to develop Sucre’ Vodka.

TASTE TEST

While Sucre’ Vodka launched in late September and early October, the product is already on shelves in the Oklahoma City area. Now, the boys are getting the word out to restaurants, larger distributors, and to the general public.

“We did the Stroud Wine Festival (in June), and we were the first vodka they ever had there, “said Chris. “The people loved it. They kept coming back for tastes, and one guy who doesn’t even drink bought an entire case. We killed it!”

Mo and Chris know they are just on the first steps of their goal of being the top vodka brand in the region, but they stand by the quality of their product. They just need more people to discover for themselves just how good a seven-times distilled sugar cane vodka can be.

“We're just trying to get it to where we have a little bit more recognition by getting in front of as many people as we can, ” said Mo. “Everyone who tries it loves it. It’s a smooth, delicious vodka. ”

For a list of locations carrying Sucre’ Vodka, visit mysucrevodka.com.

Recipe Courtesy of Sucre’ Vodka RASPBERRY COSMO 2 oz. Sucré Vodka 1 oz. Lemon juice ½ oz. honey syrup or simple syrup 5 raspberries Prosecco Shake all ingredients and double strain. Top with prosecco.

1

Stonecloud Brewing Company

At the Forefront of a Beer Awaking

by Laconia Butler

Oklahoma City is having something of a beer awakening. It seems like every other month a new brewery pops up. Between laws changing and the love of craft beer growing, it's no surprise to see such a boom in the Boomer state. With all the new, you still have to give credit where credit is due- and that’s with the OG OKC breweries. And when you think of OG’s, of course, you automatically think of Stonecloud Brewing. For the past 5 years, Stonecloud has been a constant in the Oklahoma craft beer scene. Always producing top-of-the-line beers with a laid-back and welcoming attitude. And to celebrate everything that they have done for OKC it's about time we learn about how Stonecloud came to be.

It all started with a man named Joel Irby from Stillwater. Joel has always been attracted to nature and beer. He left Oklahoma for Colorado where he could pursue those two passions. While in Colorado he honed his brewing skills with some of the great breweries like Boulder Beer Co and Avery. After 9 years of brewing in Colorado, he knew he wanted to bring back what he learned to his home state here in Oklahoma. In 2017 Joel made the big move back to OKC and decided to find a spot in the city for his brewery. He knew that he wanted the brewery to represent his passion for nature and rock climbing, another Colorado pass time. He knew he wanted to combine his love of rock climbing into his brewery and that’s how the name Stonecloud came about. He recalled a time when he climbed over a mountain and before him were ‘stone clouds. He knew it was the perfect fit. In fact, you can still find remints of his climbing past all over the taproom. Speaking of taproom, Joel knew that he had to find an old rustic building to fit with the brewer's theme. He partnered with Pivot and together they found an old, abandoned laundromat on the outskirts of Film Row. Sunshine Laundromat was the perfect place to now call home to Stonecloud Brewing. It was historic and had character with its original bricks and tiles. It was in a newly developing part of the city, and they wanted Stonecloud to be part of its surrounding community. Now with a name and building, it was time to start brewing some beers. Stonecloud has always been first and foremost about quality. Beers that are approachable and popular for level of beer drinker. The first core beers were Journey Home Apricot Sour, Madmartigan Sour, Straight Juice Bro Brett Pale Ale, Turtlehead Coffee Stout, Neon Sunshine Belgian Wit, Astrodog IPA, and Havana Affair German Pilsner.

With a great starting lineup, Stonecloud was able to branch out and create unique one of a kind, limitrelease beer, and now you can say they 're pretty famous for it. Each year Stonecloud can create 50-75 different beers, along with the new core beers Chug Norris Pale Ale, Neon Sunshine Belgian Wit, Havana Affair German Pilsner, Astrodog IPA, Mellow Cold IPA, and Stonecloud Lite Lager. Want a sweet and irresistible stout try some Fluffy Fingers. Or maybe a creamy seltzer? May I suggest a Smooshie smoothie seltzer? They have everything from Double IPAs to Sours to Mexican lagers. Speaking of Lager’s, that’s something Stonecloud takes very seriously and very personally. In fact, some may say the best lagers you can find in OK are from Stonecloud.

They love them so much they dedicate an entire section of their taproom to them, the Lager Lounge. The Lager Lounge is a Stonecloud side event space. It is sometimes open to the public, serving only its world-class lagers. It can also be rented as a private space, allowing you to host a party with a beertender to serve. To make sure you can enjoy your lager the best possible way, the lounge bar even has special taps called a side pull. Creating a creamier, velvety beer and peak lager enjoyment status.

However, if you are a true Stonecloud beer aficionado then you are probably aware of their famous Orbit. The once-ayear anniversary barrel-aged stout. It's become something of a legend here in OKC and quite possibly everywhere else. After every orbit around the sun (get it, opening anniversary) they release a special bottle and patch. Well like I mentioned earlier, it is officially anniversary season at Stonecloud. That means Orbit V is about to blast its way into your heart and belly. This year Stonecloud isn’t just releasing a beer. Nope. They are going all out with their 5-anniversary party. We’re talking live music, special beer releases, food, swag, and popup vendors. It's all taking place on September 10, so make sure you make your calendars now.

While 5 years of brewing is an incredible accomplishment, that’s not the only thing Stonecloud celebrated this year. In June Stonecloud opened up a second location in Joel’s hometown of Stillwater. The new location will feature all the same great beers you can get in OKC, but they also have a small pilot system allowing for some unique Stillwater styles. With its location near and dear to Stonecloud, they knew they wanted it to become just as much a part of the Stillwater community as it has with OKC. Stillwater will host and encourage local talent, another way to create a stronger community through beer.

Stonecloud has always wanted to create an inclusive and inviting vibe, one that encourages people to hang around for several hours, whether it be to hang with friends, play board games, read a book, or just enjoy the sunshine on the patio. They want the brewery to continue to grow and most importantly be a part of the amazing Oklahoma community. Oh, and to keep making beer and having fun.

Stonecloud Brewing Company OKC 1012 NW 1st St #101, Oklahoma City, OK 73106