Red Fork Still

I’d never been to a spirits distillery before, but I’d heard about one in West Tulsa. I thought this could be a fun experience; let’s go learn a little something. I asked my husband to go with me, and he was all in. We headed to Red Fork Distillery knowing they make vodka and moonshine and they’re local. According to their website, “Red Fork Distillery is Oklahoma’s first legal distillery since prohibition ended in 1933.”

Now, from the outside, this place isn’t huge. You’ll most likely need to be looking for it or using your GPS when driving toward it on Southwest Blvd. It sits back on the west side of the road. You’ll probably notice the sign for ‘Hoey Construction’ first. The two buildings sit side by side, and both are Hoey family businesses.

Before you even enter the building one of the things that will strike you first, if you know anything about Tulsa is the name; Red Fork Distillery.

‘Red Fork’ became known as the location of the first oil well in what is now Tulsa County,  back in 1901 to get a lot of attention. The owners drilled on the homestead allotment of Sue A. Bland, A Creek citizen.  Long story short, when news got around The Sue Bland #1 struck oil; it set off a chain of events that many believe laid the groundwork for the area becoming a leader in the oil industry. There is much more to the story, but that’s the short version. The point is the area where the distillery sits is rich in history and that history almost seems to seep into the flavors that you savor in their spirits.

Red Fork Still

I’d never been to a spirits distillery before, but I’d heard about one in West Tulsa. I thought this could be a fun experience; let’s go learn a little something. I asked my husband to go with me, and he was all in. We headed to Red Fork Distillery knowing they make vodka and moonshine and they’re local. According to their website, “Red Fork Distillery is Oklahoma’s first legal distillery since prohibition ended in 1933.”Now, from the outside, this place isn’t huge. You’ll most likely need to be looking for it or using your GPS when driving toward it on Southwest Blvd. It sits back on the west side of the road. You’ll probably notice the sign for ‘Hoey Construction’ first. The two buildings sit side by side, and both are Hoey family businesses. Before you even enter the building one of the things that will strike you first, if you know anything about Tulsa is the name; Red Fork Distillery. ‘Red Fork’ became known as the location of the first oil well in what is now Tulsa County,  back in 1901 to get a lot of attention. The owners drilled on the homestead allotment of Sue A. Bland, A Creek citizen.  Long story short, when news got around The Sue Bland #1 struck oil; it set off a chain of events that many believe laid the groundwork for the area becoming a leader in the oil industry. There is much more to the story, but that’s the short version. The point is the area where the distillery sits is rich in history and that history almost seems to seep into the flavors that you savor in their spirits.

Dana and Mike Hoey.

When you first walk in you’ll notice some tables and chairs in an open room.  On the left is the bar area used when the venue is rented and or for special events. Look straight ahead, and through the glass windows, you can see where the spirits are created, packaged and labeled. As you glance the room, reminders of Oklahoma heritage grab your attention making you want to learn more about where you are standing. In the same few minutes, you’ll notice artwork hanging nearby that seems to speak of a time long ago with a sense of pride and purpose.

On this day we were greeted by the owners, Dana and Mike Hoey.

Their kind essence seeps through their handshakes and smiles making you feel like you’re hanging out with old friends. You can tell they’re excited to share some of their journey with you and introduce you to what is a passion and a labor of love.

First, the artwork; We learned the works in the room were created by local artist Josh Stout.  He used knives rather than brushes with his paints to foster the masterpieces that seem to capture a moment in time. The spectacular creations merge beauty, with rugged drawing you into them like the plains of Oklahoma, creating a story on canvas that speaks volumes without saying a word.

You can see it on the framed labels, but you can feel it jump off the canvas on the back wall. That same inviting feeling springs from the bottles of Red Fork spirits perhaps because he is the artist behind the images on them.

When we walked into the next room their daughter Emma was hard at work on labeling bottles. She stopped so we could introduce ourselves and even joined us toward the end. As we walked past her station toward the still Mike began to explain how the whole process works. He walked us through the importance of each step from the mash and the fermentation to the barrels and bottling.

He told us everything they do gets distilled seven times to get the right mixture and taste in the end. He even explained how when they are done with the grain, when all the starch is removed, they donate the corn to local ranchers with the assistance of the Jenks Agricultural Education Department to be used to help feed cattle.

It was really fun for us to watch this family and know they’re all working together to make this happen for themselves and for Tulsa. Their dedication to learning all things spirits comes out within just a few minutes of the tour.

When we walked into the next room their daughter Emma was hard at work on labeling bottles. She stopped so we could introduce ourselves and even joined us toward the end. As we walked past her station toward the still Mike began to explain how the whole process works. He walked us through the importance of each step from the mash and the fermentation to the barrels and bottling.

He told us everything they do gets distilled seven times to get the right mixture and taste in the end. He even explained how when they are done with the grain, when all the starch is removed, they donate the corn to local ranchers with the assistance of the Jenks Agricultural Education Department to be used to help feed cattle. It was really fun for us to watch this family and know they’re all working together to make this happen for themselves and for Tulsa. Their dedication to learning all things spirits comes out within just a few minutes of the tour.

Eventually, it was time to taste all these things we’d just learned about in the last few minutes. We started with their Vodka Southern Journey.  Keep in mind this is not with a mixer or chilled. The only way I know to describe the taste is, smooth. No aftertaste and no feeling of ugh that’s too much give me some gum. LOL. It was quite frankly delicious.

Next up– White Bison- their moonshine. Now don’t freak out this isn’t your grandaddy’s moonshine. It doesn’t taste like rubbing alcohol or burn when it goes down. There is something about it that is both charming and bold. It doesn’t overpower you, and it’s not sweet or sharp. It’s pretty darn good.

War Dance is their Cinnamon Moonshine. It tastes like it sounds — moonshine with a hint of cinnamon. The sweetness isn’t over the top. It’s just enough to get the attention of your taste buds and make you ask for more.

At the end of the tour, Mike and Dana talked with us about their ideas and plans already in development for the future. AIl I can say is it sounds like we will see more great spirits coming out of Red Fork Distillery very soon. Oh, and they also offer recipes for making some excellent cocktails at your next shindig.

I love seeing folks who work hard have their dreams come true. If you want to taste their products they don’t sell them at the distillery because legally they can’t. But click here for a list of places where you can pick up a bottle of their spirts.

White Bison

War Dance

Southern Journey

We had a great day with our friends at Red Fork Distillery and on our way out we bought some swag.

We even took some of their free recipe cards so we could create a few of their concoctions at home with their great tasting spirits.

If you are looking for something fun to do, this is a great way to spend an hour or so on a Saturday. For 5-dollars you get a mini science lesson about making spirits, and you get to taste a sample of their products before you leave. You can also rent the space out for events.