Blog - Second Chapter Brewing

Boo at the Brewery

10/10/2023

What's Boo at the Brewery?

Plan for an event that is more about sweet treats and killer beers than spooky tricks.

Make sure you have dancing shoes to match your costume since we'll have a live DJ and prizes.

Come hungry as the Raging Rhino Catering at Second Chapter Brewing food truck will be on site all day Friday and Saturday 10/27-10/28.

We'll be open Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. as usual. DJ Luis (LJ Music & Audio) starts the party at 7pm. Only 21+ beyond that time, please.

No cover charge. All fun. Come hang out.

Drink Local Nebraska Month!

10/6/2023

Governor Pillen has proclaimed: it's Drink Local Nebraska Month!

Support your local craft beverage makers.

Take the pledge to drink local this month and stop and see us in our taproom.

Our fall hours here at Second Chapter Brewing are Wed/Thur 4-9p, Fri/Sat 12-10p.

WHEREAS,
The Nebraska Craft Brewers Association (dha Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild) is the official membership organization of Nebraska's breweries and cideries; and

WHEREAS,
The Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild's vision is to facilitate collaborative industry engagement that increases independent Nebraska brewing market share; and

WHEREAS,
Nebraska independent craft beer and cider producers are integral to the economic success and social fabric of Nebraska communities; and

WHEREAS,
October is observed by the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild as Drink Local Nebraska Month.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jim Pillen, Governor of the State of Nebraska, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM the month of October 2023 as DRINK LOCAL NEBRASKA MONTH in Nebraska, and I do hereby urge all citizens to take due note of the observance.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, and cause the Great Seal of the State of Nebraska to be affixed this sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Three.

SMaSH IPA

10/5/2023

Raise a glass to Drink Local Nebraska Month with our latest homegrown brew!

We're thrilled to present our SMaSH IPA. Using only a "Single Malt" (Maris Otter) and "Single Hop" (Chinook) allows the depth of these ingredients to really shine. Our SMaSH also features local Chinook hops, straight from Chris and Holly Cornelius' farm in Perkins County.

Cornelius farm hop vines.

Cornelius farm hop bines.

Some Mystery and Some Humor (SMaSH IPA)

During an already busy brew week, we received an unexpected message from one of our brewery members on August 14.

“Do you have any interest in some fresh free hops?” Holly wrote. “They are ready this week.”

The scorching August heat meant now or never, so Rick worked fast to research and write a recipe for a new SMaSH IPA.

Adding “Some Mystery and Some Humor” to the equation, we had never brewed using "wet," or fresh, hops, and we could only guess what the IBU (international bitterness units) range was for these hops.

More below the break!
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Cornelius farm hop vines.

Cornelius farm hop bines.

Drink Local Nebraska Month

10/4/2023

Raise a glass to Drink Local Nebraska Month with our latest homegrown brews!

We're thrilled to re-release the Overdue Oatmeal Porter today.

AND

Second Chapter Brewing Members will get a first preview of our new local SMaSH IPA starting today (available to the public on Saturday). Stay tuned for the full story!

Take the Drink Local Nebraska Pledge. With so many great local brews, we make it easy to drink local throughout October.

TAKE THE PLEDGE

Cam Bertrand @ Second Chapter Brewing

9/29/2023

Cam Bertrand from Season 16 of America's Got Talent and DryBar Comedy will be performing live for One Night Only at Second Chapter Brewing in Ogallala Nebraska on Friday, November 3rd!

Seating is first come first serve. The show starts at 8 pm!

And for those of you who haven't seen or heard of Cam Bertrand before...

Cam recently appeared on Season 16 of America’s Got Talent receiving a “Yes” from all four celebrity judges, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sophia Vergara, and Howie Mandel.

In 2019, Cam Bertrand became the youngest comic to win the 'Florida's Funniest' competition, beating out over 300 comics, previous winners include Daniel Tosh, Bert Kreischer, and JB Ball.

In that same year, he also became the youngest comedian to record his own half hour comedy special with DryBar comedy, his special 'Sophisticated Ignorance' which has garnered over 120 million total views since its release.

Cam has built up a social media following of over 1 Million Followers on TikTok, 121k on Instagram, 180k on Facebook, and 45k on Youtube.

He has also worked with some of the biggest names in comedy today including: Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz, Matt Rife, Bert Kreischer, Pete Davidson, Hannibal Buress, Michael Che, Josh Blue, and Mike Epps.

Prost! Und, Danke!

9/28/2023

Thank you to everyone who came out on Saturday for our first Oktoberfest! We had a blast!

It would not have been possible without a little help either. Big thanks to our vendors, musicians, and partners, including:

Main Street Meats
Bittersweet Bakery
Something Borrowed Wedding and Event Rentals
Dan Dobson & Vicki Lynn Peters
Keith Perkins Band
Open Range Grill
Keith County Chamber
City of Ogallala
5 Star Custom Designs
Nebraska PrintWorks
Impact Images
Visit Keith County

Our hardworking volunteers:

Chris Laflan
Paul Van Biljon
Austin Mullen
Dan & Kerry Lowther
Kelly Coggins & Zeb Peterson
Kate & Chris Wright
Jared Austin
Trenton Zink

And, of course, our amazing staff!

Leah Guerrero
Danielle McGuire
Nicole Hull
Chad Self
Haley Van Biljon
Rori Seitler
Jessica Witting
Kassie Austin
Megan Orth

Cheers! Rick & Lisa

Don't worry, we're already thinking about next year! Prost!

(More pics below the break!)

September 23 Oktoberfest

9/9/2023

It’s time for Oktoberfest!

Get out your lederhosen and strike up the oompah band. We are hosting our first Oktoberfest celebration at Second Chapter Brewing on September 23!

Join us for an all-day festival, starting with a ceremonial keg tapping of our German Pilsner and Oktoberfest beers at 11 a.m. Events include a 1-mile beer run, live music, bratwursts and Bavarian pretzels, games, and plenty of craft beer!

Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Purchase tokens and commemorative steins or register for the run online or at the gate.

See you on September 23 in downtown Ogallala.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Ceremonial Keg Tapping - 11:00 a.m.
The Mayor of Munich will not be here, but we plan to make this a memorable event to start the celebration!

Bier Mile Fun Run - 11:10 a.m.
The Oktoberfest Bier Mile Fun Run at Second Chapter Brewing combines two popular pastimes: RUNNING and BEER drinking! The event is open to anyone who is interested in challenging themselves and having a good time with friends. Only those 21 years of age and older will be allowed to participate in the beer-drinking portion of the challenge.

Register in advance or at the gate. Online store.

Kawasaki Mule Giveaway Registration - 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sandhills Post, Z 93.5 Country & Flatrock 100.7 are giving away a brand new Kawasaki Mule on December 12. Post viewers and listeners of Z 93.5 Country & Flatrock 100.7 can register starting Wednesday, September 20th at Second Chapter Brewing and from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 23.

German Bratwursts and Bavarian Pretzels - from 11:30 a.m.
We'll be serving German-style and Jalapeno Cheddar Bratwursts made by Main Street Meats in Ogallala along with sauerkraut and chips (2 Tokens). Bavarian Pretzels and Beer Cheese Sauce are made by Bittersweet Bakery (1 Token).

Dan Dobson & Vicki Lynn Peters - 12:00
Kick up your heels with Dan Dobson and Vicki Lynn Peters!

Nebraska vs. Louisiana Tech - 1:30
Watch the game from our party tent or the taproom thanks to ALLO Communications!

Keith Perkins Band - 4:30 (following the game)
Local favorite the Keith Perkins Band will keep our party going!

Games - all day
Try your hand at yard games and assorted friendly competitions. Or, create some sidewalk chalk art!

Taproom Closes - 10:00 p.m.

FEATURES

Beer
Featuring our German-style beers:

Bavarian Bothers (German Pils)
Mary's Märzen (Märzen Oktoberfest)
Griffins' Nectar (Hefeweizen)

Also on tap:

Trashy Romance (Seltzer)
Good Beer-y Farm Sour (Aronia Sour Ale)
Drunken Sentinel (Pale Ale)
Back to School (Brown Ale)
Farmer's Almanac (Saison)
Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic soda)

Steins

Commemorative plastic .4 L Steins are free with purchase of any tokens.
Commemorative glass .5 L Steins can be purchased online or at the gate. (Second Chapter Brewing 2023 Members in attendance will receive a FREE glass Stein.)

Tokens
Tokens can be purchased online or at the gate.

1 Token = $7
5 Tokens = $30
10 Tokens = $50

Tokens can be redeemed on September 23 for the following items:

Stein Pour (1 Token)
Bratwurst meal (2 Tokens)
Bavarian Pretzel with Beer Cheese Sauce (1 Token)
Root Beer Float (1 Token)
.5 L Commemorative Glass Stein (3 Tokens)

Festival Rules:

No pets.
No outside food/drink.
All ages are welcome. Wristbands are required for everyone.
No flights or sample pours during the event.
Have fun!

Mary's Marzen Oktoberfest

Bavarian Brothers German Pils

Beer Run T-Shirt

Mary's Märzen

9/7/2023

It’s time for Oktoberfest! Get out your lederhosen and strike up the oompah band. Rick has been brewing Mary's Märzen since his homebrew days and this is a favorite!

Named in honor of his German grandmother, Mary's Märzen is rich and elegant, with toasty malts and a beautiful amber color.

This beer will be featured on September 23 at our Oktoberfest celebration, but we COULD NOT WAIT any longer to put it on tap!

Mary's Märzen
Style: Märzen Oktoberfest
ABV: 5.6%
IBU 20

Available in 5 oz and 16 oz pours today!

Stein of Mary's Marzen Beer

Back to School

8/14/2023

It's that time of year when the lives of parents, kiddos, and educators abruptly lurch back into some semblance of a routine. To ease things a bit, come try our latest release. Our Back to School American Brown Ale has rich, dark, toasty malts with chocolate and nutty flavors, balanced with medium hoppy notes. It's something to look forward to at the end of summer.

Back to School
American Brown Ale
ABV: 5.6%
IBUs: 22.9

Available now in 5 oz. and 16 oz. pours. Our taproom opens at 4pm Tuesday-Thursday, 11am Friday-Saturday, and 2pm Sunday.

Did you know that this building was once used as a schoolhouse?

During the construction of Kingsley Dam at Lake McConaughy between 1939-1949, when the local population swelled with the influx of workers, Ogallala's American Legion Hall became known as South Ward School. The club rooms were converted into classrooms for kindergarten and first-grade students. It was not until several years later that it became the city library (1954-2020), and eventually, Second Chapter Brewing.

As we celebrate back-to-school season, here are a few pictures from that chapter in Ogallala's history. Locals might recognize a few faces!

Historical photos courtesy of Tomas England and Connie Washa.

Book Presentation and Informal Chat

8/9/2023

Dr. H. Peter Reinkordt is donating his family's complete set of 1895 Meyers Konversations Lexikon (sort of the Britannica for German-speaking lands) to Second Chapter Brewing. Join him in the taproom on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. to learn about the provenance of these books, which have made their way from Soviet-occupied Estonia to the brewery in Ogallala, and for an informal discussion of German history and culture.

Come for great beer and great stories.

H. PETER REINKORDT

H. Peter Reinkordt, a Baltic German, who was born in Germany, and lived there until emigrating to the USA in 1956, after his parents fled from occupied Estonia in 1941, was Professor of German at Doane University, Crete. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska in 1972 in German Language and Literature. Reinkordt has taught at a private secondary school in Switzerland, at UNL, and Nebraska Wesleyan before settling at Doane College in 1984 and teaching there until 2011 full time, and as emeritus he taught one history course each fall until 2016.

While his areas of special interest and research are German literature of the 20th century as well as German history and culture, he taught the range of classes involving German language acquisition. His focus on contemporary history of Europe deals with fascism, the Holocaust and recent developments with special emphasis on Germany, particularly post-WW II and more recently unification of East and West Germany since the fall of the wall in 1989.

In the seventies Reinkordt lived and worked in Switzerland for four years, traveling widely in Europe as well as through Asia and North Africa. He keeps in touch with current European events by yearly trips to Europe to gather information.