A Native American-owned brewery will open its own location in Oklahoma City on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Skydance Brewing Co. is reopening after a period of downtime following its involvement with the Brewers Union, owner Jacob Keyes said.

The Brewers Union provided a space to grow, Keyes said. The Union lets multiple breweries share one space while using the provided facilities to get their feet off the ground. The Union will be closing following its time with Skydance Brewing Co. 

“When we left, the owner of the Brewers Union decided that it had run its course,” said Keyes.

According to the map on the Union website, the Union has also helped breweries like Anthem Brewing Company, Bricktown Brewery and Coop Ale Works, all located in Oklahoma City.

Establishing a new location is not simple during the COVID-19 pandemic, Keyes said.

“COVID was tough when it came to funding from the bank (and) startup of the construction,” said Keyes. “We expected to be at the Brewers Union for a year at (most), and it ended up being two years.” 

Skydance is adapting its opening to fit COVID-19 protocols.

“The staff will wear masks and encourage people to wear (them) when they come in,” said Keyes. “There will be hand sanitizer everywhere.”

The brewery’s layout is adaptable for the COVID-19 environment.

“We have a pretty spacious area, and we have a big patio (with) the ability to open glass garage doors that go out to the patio,” Keyes said. “I think having that amount of space (will) encourage people to keep (their) distance if they feel the need to.”

Skydance has several new offerings for its coming renewal.

“We’ll have two new beers the day we open,” Keyes said. “A Strawberry Moon which is a strawberry blonde, and the second version of our Juice Wolves series of fruited IPAs, a strawberry milkshake IPA.”

Skydance will soon release a new can every weekend, Keyes said.

According to the Skydance Brewing Co. website, it is the “first Native American owned brewery in Oklahoma City.” Keyes shares how the brewery’s heritage impacts their work.

“Our goal is to use the branding (and) storytelling through our beer to educate people when they come into the tap room,” said Keyes. “Even though we’re in Oklahoma, and there’s 39 tribes here, a lot of people don’t fully understand (them).”

Keyes said they encourage questions about Oklahoma’s heritage.

“We want (customers) to come in and be surrounded by the culture,” said Keyes. “When they ask what Fancy Dance, our number one beer, means, we have an opportunity to tell them about that dance and how it’s important to our people.”

Skydance Brewery officially reopens at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct 2. More information is available about Skydance Brewery at its website.

“I think it’s going to help bring the community together by creating more understanding,” Keyes said