Last call at Pappy's: Founding father of craft beer in Abilene taps out

Josh Baker, his pint glass of Tom 23 half empty, had the same vibe looking at the long line of people waiting for a final beer at Pappy Slokum's on Saturday.

Where, he wondered, shaking his head, were all these people when Pappy's needed them coming out of the pandemic?

Baker was faithful through the years, sometimes even helping out at the south downtown-area brewhouse. If he wasn't there on a Saturday, you missed his handshake and man-hug.

He noted others in line who were regulars. But if it was like this every weekend, when Pappy's was open, maybe the place wouldn't be closing.

Turn out the lights ...

After nine years, Pappy's tapped out Saturday.

The place indeed was packed, with the line out the back door, past the Black Cat's food truck and on south along China Street.

It's where the business began, and now has ended.

And Pappy's isn't the only one. Like Pappy's, Sockdolager Brewing Co. announced on Facebook that is was closing, too. Both cited the inability to sustain their business model.

Sockdolager's, which opened a few blocks south on China Street before relocating to a new structure in the SoDA District, remains open but will close with its own blowout Feb. 25.

Socks followed Pappy's into the local market, more of a compadre in craft beer than a competitor. It was not unusual to see guys from one place enjoying a brew at the other.

Pappy's, though, was the first local brewing operation, and offerings such as Local Yella (a cream ale), Stripper Dust (vanilla porter), Douchebag Jimmy (Belgian pale ale) and Tom 23 (a red) became go-to favorites. Caddo Peak, a porter, and a Hefeweizen called Uber Weiss were staples.

The beers selection changed during the year, a lighter beer such Toes in the Water offered in the summer and an Oktoberfest beer in the fall. There once was beer with a pecan flavor.

It was a three-man effort, though it took a willing village to run it. The 'Old Granddads" of Abilene brewing were Jeff Bell, Brian Cokonougher and Richard Waggoner. The three met as officers with the Abilene Police Department, Bell retiring in 2013 when Pappy's opened that June.

Bell and Cokonougher were the brewers, responsible for creating what was on tap at their place at he corner of South Treadaway and China, and, eventually, available at local bars and for sale in cans.

Pappy's navigated the pandemic by offering drive-up service. Customers brought their grumblers and growlers to refill or purchased six-packs of what was available. During a tough time, Pappy's provided some liquid relief.

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Keeping it local

The guys were busy the final day, keeping the line moving by keeping the beer flowing.

Bell had a few minutes to reflect on the business. The physical site now is closed, and when the beer runs out elsewhere, it's gone.

What now?

"I'm not sure what's ahead," he said, not even noticing the chill of the cooler, where the kegs were kept cold and also insulated from the last-day hubbub outside.

"After today, we'll have to take a few minutes to figure out what to do. Obviously, for us, the best option would be to sell the entire business," he said. "Have somebody who could inject some money into it and maybe take it to another level where we couldn't do that.

"We'd love to keep it in Abilene, keep it local and keep the brands going."

If that doesn't happen, their equipment would be sold. End of story.

COVID-19 had a direct impact, Bell said. While Pappy's made it through the worst of the days, business never returned to pre-pandemic levels.

"You hate to keep blaming things on COVID but it was a legit deal for a small business," he said. "We struggled taproom-wise. Taproom sales never really came back. And you compound inflation on top of that, trying to get the goods and services that we need to make the product ... you can't pass all that through to the customer.

"If so, everybody would be drinking twenty-dollar six packs of beer."

Beer fans have seen prices rise. Finding the good stuff under $10 for a six pack is a challenge at retail stores.

"That's not a sustainable market for us," Bell said.

Another factor is food service. Pappy's offered more than beer - conversation, for example, and a place to bring your dog - but only sold beer.

Bell said people now want a beer and food, not just beer.

It relied on food trucks, parked on the east side.

"We were so reliant on food trucks for the longest time. That's where we excelled when we started," he said. Customers came and stayed a while, bringing the dog or the kids, who had a place outside to roam while their parents sat at picnic tables or on lawn chairs.

"Then a lot of those food trucks went away," Bell said.

And, apparently, so did the people.

The profit margin on retail sales is small, Bell said, so expansion into that wasn't enough.

Bell said he doesn't see the challenge of inflation going away soon, one that a new owner would have to face.

"Hopefully it will rectify itself," Bell said. "Once today is over, whatever is in the market will go away. Once it's empty, there won't be anything to follow it up."

It was about community ... and beer

It was a good ride.

"People call us the 'OG' of beer in Abilene," Bell said, smiling. He's not realy old enough to be an old granddad, but the compliment is worthy.

"There is something to be said about that. You don't ever want to give up on a dream you had. I think we've done some good here. You can see how many people are here. These people obviously know and care about us and love the beer industry.

"So there is no reason that one or two small breweries that market themselves right and are set for the local haul couldn't make it."

Bell said it was enjoyable to bring craft beer to Abilene with others, such as the guys at Sockdolager's.

"Overall, the beer industry is filled with very good people. I don't know if it's sitting around and having a beer with somebody's else. It's hard not to like somebody when you're sitting there and hanging out.

"You want the best for the community. If we all get along and continue to help each other, all that does is make better beer for everyone. We feel their pain."

Here's to you, Rodney

A signature beer was Tom 23, named for and honoring late police officer Rodney Holder, who died in April 2010 while on duty.

"Tom 23" was his call sign.

A small batch was made for the closing, so a pint of Tom was liquid gold for fans.

"That was one of the more popular beers here today," Bell said about 5 p.m. Saturday.

"A good remembrance to him and for his family, what he meant to us," Bell said. "We carried a lot of his legacy over."

Holder's widow, Ann Marie, was "part of the Pappy's family," he said.

The brewery's name itself?

It was named for a moonshiner in Callahan County - Bell's grandfather.

That, then, qualifies him as the operation's true old granddad.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Last call at Pappy's: Founding father of craft beer in Abilene taps out