The Hop Jam beer tasting and concert will be here before you know it. The event, slated for May 22 in the Brady Arts District, will be an extravaganza of local, regional and international beers, with some great music to top it off. This year’s event will be twice the size of last year’s, with more than 60 breweries participating.
To get us in the mood, the Hop Jam team, or should I say Taylor and Zac Hanson, led a pub crawl Monday night from McNellie’s Public House to Dust Bowl and then to Fassler Hall.
Each of the venues gave out special-release pint glasses. McNellie’s featured local brews from Dead Armadillo, Dust Bowl featured beers from Marshall Brewing Co. and Stillwater’s Iron Monk Brewing Co. was served at Fassler Hall.
“This is really just a wind up for the festival. We are only a couple weeks away from the big day. We got a ton of craft beer fans out. It’s a great night to pump up the excitement for the opening band contest. We’re trying to encourage the bands to come out and get their fans voting,” said Taylor Hanson, one of the owners of the Hanson Brothers Beer Company.
The Hop Jam has an emphasis on local businesses and groups. It helps with local charities, musicians and brewers, but it also draws attention to Tulsa with visitors from all over the world.
Headlining the 2016 Hop Jam will be indie-folk band Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. The lineup will also feature The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., alt-rock band X Ambassadors and Tulsa singer-songwriter John Moreland.
The concert is free. To purchase tickets to the beer tasting or to vote for your favorite band in The Hop Jam Opening Band Contest, go to thehopjam.com. Voting ends at midnight Friday.
Local breweries scheduled to be at Hop Jam include:
405 Brewing
Anthem Brewing
Black Mesa Brewing
Choc Beer
COOP Ale Works
Dead Armadillo Brewing
Elk Valley Brewing
Hanson Brother Beer
Iron Monk Brewing
Kolibri Ale Works
Marshall Brewing
Mustang Brewing
Nothings Left Brewing
Prairie Artisan Ales
Roughtail Brewing
The Willows Family Ales
