This is a story about three of the best things: hops, friendship and Oklahoma. 

Vanessa House Beer Co. is five friends who love each other so much that they kept trying to find ways to hang out after college. Where did they land? Let’s brew beer. 

Stop me if you’re heard this one before. It’s the prefect set up for a buddy comedy, complete with missing kegs, a Texan and their life savings (hence the name of their first beer, the 401k Cream Ale). But this isn’t just a bunch of guys who didn’t want to grow up so they started a beer company. They are college grads who work real jobs, have mortgages, families and still find time for a weekly meeting that they’ve held once a week for two years. They drive to their secret beer garden in Mesta Park from Midwest City, NW OKC and Yukon to plan beer, dream beer and slowly bring Vanessa House Beer to market.

Zac, Justin, Andrew, Nick. Not pictured: Evan.

They brewed a crazy amount of beer for a startup: enough for about 96 kegs and 320 cases of 4-packs. How long will that last? “Hopefully not long!” chimed Justin.

401k Cream Ale should move fast enough that the group is already planning their next beer: a Frankenstein of a hybrid Imperial Milk Brown Ale called Fifth Keg (that will knock you over at a staggering 8.1% ABV). This odd mashup has been turning heads since last year’s Born and Brewed, which was their first public beer tasting.

“I was scared shitless” confessed Zac.

Despite the team’s initial nerves, Vanessa House has made a name for itself at tastings, house parties and anywhere the guys can chat beer and get feedback.

The questions were about the beer, but the answers kept coming back to their friendship. The guys at Vanessa House are proud of their brand because it is their story. They have no silent partners or investors. “At some point it will probably have to change, because of the nature of the thing, but we’re doing the best we can to keep this company ours,” said Andrew. 

The Vanessa House Beer Co. launch party is Friday, September 30th at Slaughter’s Hall from 6 to 9 p.m. and is open to the drinking public.