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Picture this: The room is bursting with people. The clanging of bar glasses and the low roar of the crowd fills the air and overflows into the heart of the Blue Dome District at Second Street and Elgin Avenue.

More than six dozen varieties of beer, 30 of which can't be found anywhere else in the state, are swimming around the room in glasses held by everyone from the guy in the Armani suit to the young parents who have escaped the duties of parenthood for the evening to the newspaper reporter who hasn't shopped for a new sport coat since 1971.

Not that I know any newspaper reporters who haven't shopped for a new sport coat since 1971.


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Also, there's a sea of beer-themed t-shirts. And chocolates filled with beer. And a group of Tulsans who know how to party in the most serious and refreshing of ways.

Hey, don't threaten me with a good time.

I couldn't be talking about anything but <a href="http://www.tulsapressclub.org/articles/article.cfm?id=2">First Draft, the No. 1 beer-tasting event of the season</a>. And guess what? It's happening this very Friday night.

Here's what you're gonna copy into your calendar:

<em><strong>First Draft</strong>
When: Starting at 5:30pm
Where: Blue Dome Diner, 311 E. Second Street (just west of Second and Elgin)
</em>

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Come for the beer, stay for the food, the people, the Nouveau Chocolates (truffles filled with Lindeman's Framboise as well as chili pepper chocolate will be on hand) and the celebrity-judged beer-themed t-shirt contest. All proceeds benefit the <a href="http://www.tulsapressclub.com/about/foundation.cfm">Tulsa Press Club Foundation</a>, which grants scholarships to journalism students, the poor souls.

Just kidding about that "poor souls" thing. Because even if newspapers and radio and TV stations continue to cut back, you journalism grads can always start a blog. To learn about the possibilities, feel free to stop by the mansion I just bought in Maple Ridge. I'll tell my doorman, whom I've gone through the legal pains to re-name Humphreys, to expect you.

Heh.

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Participating brewers at First Draft 2010 include regional favorites like <a href="http://marshallbrewing.com/index.asp">Marshall Brewing Co.</a> (who has brewed a special batch just for First Draft, by the way), <a href="http://www.chocbeer.com/">Choc Beer</a>, <a href="http://www.coopaleworks.com/">COOP Ale Works</a>, <a href="http://www.batteredboar.com/">Battered Boar Brewing Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.mustangbrewing.com/">Mustang Brewing Co.</a> and <a href="http://www.tallgrassbeer.com/">Tallgrass Brewing Co</a>.

Other notables include Chimay, Lindeman's, Left Hand and New Belgium Brewing Co. 

In other words, your glass doesn't have a chance of running dry Friday night.

Plus, KTUL NewsChannel 8's Kristin Dickerson will emcee the event. And I know how a lot of you guys feel about Kristin Dickerson. I mean, <a href="http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=kristin+dickerson&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=664">who could blame you</a>?

Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Get 'em by calling (918) 583-7737 or by <a href="mailto:tami@tulsapressclub.com">e-mailing Tami at the Tulsa Press Club</a>. Be sure and tell her TDT sent you.

So, there's that whole avenue, actually paying for tickets to this beer-tastic event. You can't go wrong by heading in this direction. I mean, there aren't many places where you can get a bottomless beer glass for the price of a few beers and a snack at the bar.

But, there's another way. If you'd like <strong>two free tickets to First Draft 2010</strong> (a $100 value, y'all), you could answer this question:

<blockquote>You're on death row. You've just been asked which beer you'd like to have with your last meal. What do you order?</blockquote>

Simple right? <strong>I'll let Random.org pick the winners tonight at 8pm</strong>. I'll contact the winner and proclaim here his/her dominance over the losers shortly after.

Good luck, but more important: Cheers, and see you on Friday night!

<em>All photos are courtesy.</em>

<em>Tasha’s note: This giveaway is sponsored by Tulsa Press Club.</em>