Tulsa Food

Yay! Wait, what? Whats a firkin? Well, a firkin is an old english unit of measure used to define a 1/4 of a barrel of beer. Traditionally, firkins were wooden casks that contained ale with a faucet for dispensing. At McNellies, just about every Thursday night, from around 5p-9p (or until the cask runs out), people gather round to see an Oklahoma brewer that is featuring one of these firkin cask conditioned ales that generally are special brews or one-offs, meaning only brewed once. A different brewer every week with a different beer. Its all in fun and exciting for beer lovers all around!

This past Thursday, I hurried to McNellies because I was running a tad late. I parted through the crowd around the cask and yelled for a firkin. Thankfully, there was some left! Tulsa’s very own Marshall Brewing Company was being featured this time with their “Big Jamoke” porter, with a twist! “Big Jamoke” is already an admirable robust porter with a smooth, silky, full body with notes of roasted coffee, toffee, caramel, with hints of some nice bittering hops and bittersweet chocolates. A seasonal beer that is truly gratifying. But how can they top that already great beer and make it even better?

Belgian yeasts were added to the “Big Jamoke” firkin to give it some spicier notes. Oak spirals soaked with Buffalo Trace bourbon were added as well. And last, but not least, just a couple vanilla beans were added. Add all this and you get a marvelously complex beer.

The bartender graciously poured my friends and I three pints of black, velvety brew. I could smell the brew from the other side of the bar. Light chocolate malt, toffee, roasted coffee, vanilla, and an ever faintest hint of bourbon wafting through the air before she even set our glasses on the bar. My lips are parched! Upon sipping, the Belgian yeasts were subtle, the chocolate malts seemed elevated and lovely, and the vanilla was exploding with sticky sweetness! There was a nice hint of the bourbon in the background as the beer warmed too. This beer was another delectation from Eric Marshall and his crew.

The only thing to make this better was pairing with the white chocolate chip brownie a la mode. The chocolate and vanilla notes of the porter accentuated the warm chocolate brownie. The roasted, hoppy, bitterness played an oustanding contrast to the vanilla bean ice cream. And carbonation scrubbed the palate clean leaving every bite fresh and new. The power of beer. A perfect balance and combination with food that wine wishes it could do. I floated out of McNellies.

McNellies
409 East 1st Street
Tulsa, OK 74120
(918) 382-7468

Jeremiah Ramey: Author – www.aleskitchen.com

I’m a home cook with a little professional dabbling experience. A lover of craft beer! And if you don’t know about craft beer, then you will. Effervescent, vivacious, flavorful, and extremely wonderful. Happiness in a bottle….or can. Craft beer is an amazingly diverse and complex drink. Around one hundred different styles of beer in the world and thousands of breweries. A booming industry right now in America! And still, craft beer is deserving of MUCH greater culinary respect than it has been receiving.

I believe there is a beer for everyone and a beer for every delectable dish out there. I believe it stands up to wine just as well and even better in the culinary world. Cooking, pairing, drinking, and education. I hope to bring some useful knowledge into the foodie world concerning great beer with great food. Not everything is about beer, but it sure does make it better. Cheers!

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