Choc Beer brewery recently released a new line of black lager beer called Miner Mishap, which joins beer such as the original 1919 in the growing list of available beers. The Barn Spirits is one local store that carries the beer.
The Choc Beer brewery has released its fourth beer, a black lager called Miner Mishap.
“I really think they have come up with a great product in the Miner Mishap,” said Joe Prichard, owner of Pete’s Place. “We use the term ‘don’t be afraid of the dark’ because although it looks like Guinness, it drinks like Shiner.”
Choc Beer is brewed at the Pete’s Place restaurant located in Krebs.
The story of the famous Oklahoma beer began when Joe Prichard’s grandfather, Pete Prichard, also known as Pietro Piegari, moved to America at a young age.
At age 11, Piegari started working in the coal mines and changed his name to Pete Prichard. Sometime later, a mine cave-in, known as the “miner mishap,” injured Pete so badly that he could not work anymore.
Once the accident happened, Pete started serving sandwiches and beer in his home to the miners as they finished their work for the day, Joe said.
As time ticked on, Pete added more food to the menu and expanded to his home and before he knew it he had a real restaurant.
Joe said his grandfather started the restaurant in 1925, but legend has it the Choctaw Indians taught him how to make the beer he served in 1919, hence the original Choc Beer, 1919.
Eighty-three years later, Choc Beer is still flowing at Pete’s Place as well as liquor stores and bars around Oklahoma, Kansas and northwest Arkansas, said Choc brewmaster Michael Lalli.
Miner Mishap is a German-style “Schwarzbier,” and it is a home-brewed recipe from a good friend of the Pete’s Place family, Lalli said.
Shawn Scott, a talented brewer and certified beer judge, helped out with the recipe, Lalli said.
Lalli said the brewers thought it would be great fun to scale up the 5-gallon recipe for Miner Mishap and brew it on their own brewing system.
Rob Neville, an employee at The Barn Spirits in Stillwater, said he has always liked Choc Beer, even when it was exclusively available at Pete’s Place.
“I was excited when they expanded their production, making Choc available all over the state,” Neville said.
Neville, who also writes a column for the Stillwater Scene Magazine titled “Fermentations,” said he especially enjoys Miner Mishap.
“Regarding Miner Mishap, it is neat that the recipe came from a home brewer,” Neville said. “I have met brewmaster Michael Lalli more than a few times. Him and all the folks at Pete’s Place are great people.”
Neville said The Barn sells many styles of Choc beer. He said the story of the beer is interesting: the illegal brewing during the prohibition era, to Pete Prichard going to prison, to the original beer being named after the Choctaw Indians.
“More than one customer has told me they are traveling to another state and they want to show their friends some good beer from Oklahoma,” Neville said. “Customers have also told me when local bars or restaurants are serving one of the Choc beers.”
Lalli said plans for the brewery include increasing the barrelage output, brewing six year-round beers and seasonal beers as well.
Lalli also gave advice on when one should drink Miner Mishap as well as beer in general.
“I think that the best time to enjoy great beer is when you have the time; drinking good beer is not something that should be done in a hurry,” Lalli said.
Two more beers will be released honoring the voyage that Pete Prichard had to America as well as his accomplishments in Krebs and his restaurant, Joe Prichard said. He said the beers are named Pietro Piegari and Last Laugh.
Joe Prichard said he was not sure what his grandfather would think about how Choc Beer and Pete’s Place have evolved throughout the years.
“I suspect he would be proud of all the immigrants that came to this country with nothing and worked to make themselves a success,” Prichard said.
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