The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

...off my list of beers.  Not that I had drank them recently however.  Boulevard has sold themselves to Duvel Brewing out of Belgium.

While Duvel is not a big player, I hate the thought of my very first microbrew beer going global in this manner.  Duvel also owns Ommegang out of New York.

Indeed.
Too successful for my taste.

I think this actually happened about six weeks ago. The founder intends to stay on board as well and said he carefully considered all options before signing the agreement with them.  If I can find the video from the local station in KC, I’ll share it. Honestly, I don’t see it as a bad thing if it gives them the capital to have a wider variety of beers year-round.

I started bootlegging Boulevard back here after I tried it at a wedding in KC in 1990.  It’s about as main stream as Sam Adams now but they do some great boutique stuff worthy of praise from the Smokestack series.

The main reason I rarely buy Boulevard now is there are so many new releases that I generally want to try new breweries rather than something I already have an idea what it will taste like.

So many beers such a tiny liver.  :P

I had to retire my auxiliary liver when I was about 35.  It was costing too much rent.  :)

It's even worse now that I'm brewing at home again.  Just kegged an amazing honey Belgian wheat that leaves Bouly Wheat in the dust.

Tried Boulevard once... didn't really appreciate it that much.

But I got a t-shirt and I like that pretty good!

I drink Boulevard...

The Wheat is my beer of choice.

Trivia note...all Boulevard beer bottles are produced in Sapulpa Oklahoma. When you buy Boulevard, you help make Oklahoma jobs.

No kidding? But are the recyclable?

Yes.

If you recycle at the M.e.t., your bottles are recycled into new beer and soda bottles in Sapulpa.

If you recycle glass bottles in your curbside blue bin, they are shipped to Texas to do other things.

I recycle beer bottles from many sources at M.E.T. in Bixby.  Do they all go to Sapulpa or only the Boulevard bottles?   ;D

Buy more Tank 7.

All of the M.e.t. glass bottles end up in Sapulpa. The glass plant there is the largest local employer and makes bottles for a variety of beers and soft drinks.

Why are the green and clear glass not separated?  Just curious.  I always separate my brown glass for the workers at the Bixby M.E.T.  (Besides, I don't want any green or clear glass getting mixed in with a beer bottle.  ;D)

Mike. Break it down for me. I remember back in the day. There was certain color bottles that were just throw away. Has that changed?

We try to keep glass bottles color-separated at the M.e.t. It allows for more options on recycling and pays us better. We get paid $50 a ton for clear glass, $35 a ton for brown glass, and $25 a ton for green. Mixed price is $20 a ton.

Unfortunately, some centers do a poor job of keeping colors separate and we sometimes allow mixing of green and brown. There are some other colors, too, like blue SKYY vodka bottles.

My workers spend considerable time sorting glass bottles. We double handle everything to keep it high quality and only bottles. Other glass like drinking glasses window panes and ceramic mugs must be kept out for making new bottles.

The value of the glass bottles just barely pays the hauling costs. I take a load down to Henryetta every month for crushing and the check I get is about the same as the check I write the driver.

Over 20 years I have about broke even on glass. But I do it because it keeps my workers employed, my customers want me to, and it creates jobs in Oklahoma glass industry.

And Squigglechick recycles the labels.  They're used for dog collars and wallets.  A few days ago, I noticed a recycled Boulevard Pale Ale label (used in a pet collar) for sale at Okie Crowe in the Philcade.

How about jars, like pickles, etc.  Clear glass, but usually with labels.  Do the labels affect it?  I would expect them to just burn off during the first melt....



Wow!  Sitting here in one of the remote housing units, and the spring gunfire seems to have started up early!  Maybe New Years is being celebrated early....

Jars are great. I bet most of the clear glass we get is pickle or salsa jars. Labels are no problem.