By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
The name Expedinture is not a word. It is two words.
The two words turned to one word during a college night two decades ago in Stillwater when Heath Robinson said, “Expedinture” one night after a few beers. The definition of the non-word, he can explain, is an expedition combined with an adventure.
Get it? You can get their home brew the word inspired at the first brewery to open in Canadian County now.
Expedinture Brewery, 201 S 2nd Street, in Okarche, opened March 15 with about 500 people or more who traveled from out-of-state and from around the state, Robinson said.
“The grand opening was great. We had a great crowd. We had people from Kansas and all across Oklahoma. We had a good mix of locals as well so the support was really top notch,” Robinson said. Local craft brewers also attended.
Okarche Mayor Jeff Sadler said the brewery is a good destination for visitors to the town and it has been well received by locals as well.
“I think everybody has been really excited about it. These are people who are from Okarche and people are happy for them. It is a great plus for us,” Sadler said. “It’s really a cool attraction.”
On a rainy Sunday, people lined up outside for chicken and beef tacos, waiting under a tent awning in light rain. Inside, the beer was on tap. A sign on the wall above the bar named a few of their creations, Irish Red Ale and Mid-Day Hassle, were a few of the choices. A train passed a block or so away, the whistle heard inside the newly constructed building with tall windows and a sharp-looking design of slate rock exterior.
The owners of the brewery are Robinson, Keith Griesel, Dakota “Cody” White, Michael “Mig” Vogt, and Thomas Vogt.
Expedinture Brewery is being hailed as the very first brewery in Canadian County. A brewery is defined as a place where the beer is brewed on site and served on tap. Beer can even go out the door in growlers. But the market will be mostly local for now, Robinson said.
Words painted on the walls spell out part of the story. “Not quite an EXPEDITION, but more than an ADVENTURE,” says one writing on the wall. A quote about beer is on the wall in all capital letters too. “I LIKE BEER. IT MAKES ME A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW. TOM T. HALL” Robinson said once the lot had been purchased, the plans were underway , it was time for a permit from the Canadian County Health Department.
“As far as we know we are the first brewery in Canadian County,” Robinson said. “When we filed for our plans for our building permit from the health department they had not done a brewery before and it was kind of funny because I told them, “Neither had we.”
Okarche has embraced Expedinture, from the first rezoning application with the town trustees to the grand opening, Robinson said. Inside, it is non-smoking, and children are welcome as long as they don’t go behind the bar or in the serving area. Food is not regularly served, but outdoor booths or food trucks will be in business on Sundays.
White was working behind the bar on a Sunday afternoon and took a moment to comment on how the reception had been a warm one in the first week of business.
“It’s a very exciting adventure for us. And we just love the support and the community support of what’s going on,” White said.
Robinson, Griesel and Michael Vogt, started taking his product to shows in 2016.
The night he came up with the word Expedinture, he was still in college, but it stuck with him until it finally made sense to use it for the brewery name. His first batches of home brew one a competition, and people liked it, he said. He explained how the brewery idea took shape.
“The response was really positive and we won a competition and continued to place in several competition and the response was very positive and people liked the beer so we decided to start planning. There was a lot of conversation and a lot of talk and here we are,” Robinson said.
He talked about his beer, as the work went on to produce it behind him.
“We do have a variety of beer. We like beer. We like craft beer. We like trying all kinds of beer. We have a beer for everyone. We make more traditional styles of beer that is really our forte but at the same time we’ve expanded our horizons as well, we have some fruit beers and we have something for everybody.”
There are non-alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and wine available at the brewery and snacks.
The beer can go home with customers in 32 ounce growlers or 64 ounce growlers.
Robinson said he has “an organic growth,” business model, with the present focus on staying local in the Okarche and Kingfisher region.
“We’re just going to kind of let it grow organically and not jump into a big distribution thing right off the bat.”
For more information about the brewery visit their website at www.expedinturebrewery.com.
