Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, this week praised the impact that Senate Bill 315 has had for Oklahoma distilleries. The bill, authored by McDugle in the House, modernizes some of Oklahoma’s liquor laws by authorizing distilleries to sell their own products for either on- or off- premises consumption. The measure also authorizes distiller licensees to sell spirits at public events such as trade shows or festivals.
Products offered for sale must have been sold and shipped to an Oklahoma licensed wine and spirits wholesaler before being made available for purchase by the distiller licensee. Spirits sold pursuant to these provisions are capped at 15,000 gallons in combination per calendar year.
Mitchell McDaniel with Hochatown Distilling says it greatly improves customer access, experience and helps grow Oklahoma tourism.
“We have finally allowed distilleries in Oklahoma to sell their own product,” said McDugle. “I was proud to be the House author of this pro-business bill which impacted Hochatown Distillery in Hochatown, OK by $2,000-$4,000 a day in business in their first month of sales. We will continue to see the positive economic impact of this legislation across our state for years to come.”
McDaniel said, “Hochatown, Oklahoma is a growing recreational and tourism area in Southeast Oklahoma. With both vacation rentals and private homes minutes from Broken Bow Lake, a large, clear mountain lake surrounded by a wilderness area and the Ouachita National Forest. The Mountain Fork River flows into and out of Broken Bow Lake and provides great sport fishing and a Trophy Trout catch and release section below the dam.
“Our tours include tasting for adults 21 and older at the Hochatown Speakeasy located in the back of the gift shop. Prior to the passage of this bill, after tasting, customers had to drive miles down the road to buy our product,” McDaniel said.
Nearby Beavers Bend Resort Park offers swimming and family fun water sports and entertainment. McCurtain County is famous for hunting, hiking and four wheel ATV riding with Cedar Creek Golf Course at Beavers Bend State Park.
Driving Distance to Broken Bow?
- 198 miles from downtown Dallas, TX (3-3.5 hours drive)
- 255 miles from downtown Oklahoma City, OK (4 hour drive)
- 215 miles from downtown Tulsa, OK (3.5 hour drive)
- 156 miles from downtown Shreveport, LA ( 3 hour drive)
- 151 miles from downtown Tyler, TX (3 hour drive)
- 138 miles from downtown Longview, TX ( 2.5 hour drive)
Hochatown Distilling Company was formed in 2015 with the goal of producing the finest quality spirits. The community of Hochatown has a long history of producing quality moonshines, aided by the pristine waters of the Mt. Fork River and the security of the remote bottoms and hollers of the Kiamichi Mountains.
Formed by 4 partners with a passion for sipping fine bourbons; Tommy McDaniel is a Chemical Engineer by education and spent 20 years in technical sales. Chemist Mitchell McDaniel spent 30 years working in food sciences and analytical chemistry. Mark McDaniel’s experience in the property development and construction industries guides development and Nathan Jewell, is an experienced distiller with a long family history of moonshiners.
By mid 2016, they began to barrel their first bourbons. The decision was made to only release bourbons they made, from mashing with the finest local ingredients through aging and bottling. Their straight bourbon whiskey was first released in the Spring of 2019.
They have also launched handcrafted Spearpoint Vodka distilled from 100% corn then chill filtered at 25 degrees through charcoal. The proprietary production process delivers what is described as a well-structured vodka of exceptional quality with a clean and smooth taste excellent alone or as a base for mixed drinks.
As Oklahoma continues to grow tourism and recreational facilities, start-up enterprise will flourish with opportunity provided, in this case, by a simple change of law. The bill, signed by Governor Kevin Stitt earlier this year, went into effect on April 23, 2021.