BeerDorks.com: Reviews, Commentary and Opinions on Midwest Craft Beer and Microbreweries

 
August 31, 2009

Beer Diary:

September Doesn’t Suck

Oktoberfest brews are the perfect panacea for those end-of-summer blahs.
by Eddie Glick

I like my beer like my women: pale, strong, full-bodied, and extremely bitter.
Contact Eddie»
Yep, the popular definition of summer is coming to an end. You know, Labor Day. I know more than a few people who have an unhealthy attachment to the idea of summer and get all maudlin around September 1st. Which I think is pretty dumb. September has so much to look forward to: baseball playoffs, the beginning of football, hunting seasons. Plus, the weather in September is the best of the year. No more humidity, no more mosquitoes, but still plenty of days warm enough to grill out, lay in the grass, or sit out on the porch with a nice beer. And speaking of beer, that’s yet another reason to look forward to the ninth month of the year: Oktoberfest brews are starting to hit the shelves en masse.

Oktoberfests are also called Märzens—German for March—because traditionally they were brewed in the spring to be served at harvest festivals in the fall. Because of their long lagering times—and they are, indeed, lagers—they were brewed a little stronger. That tradition has held true to today: expect Oktoberfests to fall within the 6 to 7 percent ABV range. A good Oktoberfestbier should be medium amber in color, with a caramel-rich aroma, and a smooth, clean, but malty body. And, yes, don’t forget that subtle-but-distinct kiss of German hops in both the nose and the taste.

(Well, that description applies to American craft-brewed versions. German Oktoberfests have become so watered down over the last half century that it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between them and their parent breweries’ year-round lagers. A perfect example is Hofbräu. Get a regular Hofbräu and the Hofbräu Oktoberfest and taste them side-by-side. It’s a challenge to tell them apart.)

Luckily, with the Midwest having a strong German heritage, we’ve got Oktoberfests to choose from in spades. One of the better takes on the style is New Glarus Staghorn, a rich, malty version that still manages to be smooth and, yes, even refreshing. Atwater Blocktoberfest from the Detroit, Michigan brewer is also another beer that’s worth seeking out. Great Lakes has an Oktoberfest brew out again this year, and it’s a keeper: wonderful caramel malt balanced by a nice little hop kick. Perhaps my favorite Oktoberfest brew is Sprecher’s release, a deep red, enticingly sweet Märzen with one of the best aromas of the bunch. Then there’s Capital’s Oktoberfest, definitely no slouch, deep amber with a yummy touch of roastiness in the background to keep things interesting.

And since we’re on Capital, let me throw this one out there: Capital Autumnal Fire. Yes, I know it’s marketed as a doppelbock, but it’s really an amped up Oktoberfest. Capital even describes it as a “doppelbock based on an Oktoberfest personality,” and it’s no coincidence that it comes out to play around the beginning of September. In fact, you could call Autumnal Fire the world’s first—and probably only—imperial Oktoberfest, if you will. Plus, it’s just flat-out a fucking fantastic beer.

A great way to combat those end-of-summmer blahs for even the whiniest of weather whiners is to organize a quick but fun Oktoberfest tasting. Get a few friends, pool your dough, and buy four or five different Oktoberfests. Get one of you to volunteer to pour, and serve samples of one brewery’s version to the rest of the group—keeping the name of the brewery a secret. Rinse the glasses and repeat, until all the different Oktoberfests have been sampled. Then have the group vote on the favorite or have the tasters try to guess which brewery brewed which beer, or both. It’s great fun to blindly try a bunch of different takes on the same style, plus it’s immensely interesting to see how each brewery’s vision of what an Oktoberfest should be plays out. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up loving a beer you thought you didn’t like …

Gemütlichkeit!





Comments
I don't know if it was the first, but Avery's The Kasier is a spectacular Imperial Octoberfest they've been making since 2004. I like AF, but The Kaiser is awesome.

As far as regular 'fests, try Victory Festbier. We did a 9 'fest tasting last year and it was easily the best.
posted by Frank | August 31, 2009, 12:42 PM
Huh. I did not know Kazier was an Oktoberfest. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up, Frank.
posted by EddieGlick | August 31, 2009, 9:56 PM
Good call on the German versions...having been to the Wies'n over a dozen times, I've always been mildly disappointed in the Fest offerings of the "Big 6," at least in terms of the beers. There are a few smaller Bavarian breweries (non-Oktoberfest eligible) that make a pretty good Märzen.
posted by rings | September 1, 2009, 9:00 AM
Clipper City has just released an Imperial Oktoberfest Called Prosit. Damn good beer, definitely worht checking out!
posted by Rob | September 12, 2009, 12:03 PM
My volunteer pourer disappeared into the northern mists. Oktoberfest has never been the same.
posted by Baby-boy | September 25, 2009, 1:21 AM

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

Beer Dorks News

Want to know how healthy the craft beer industry is? As always, look to Portland. Craft pioneer Bridgeport announces sudden closure, adding to a growing list of PDX casualties.
Did Anheuser-Busch Chicago offer their shit beer to Cody Parkey before his missed field goal? Because that may explain why he "accidentally" biffed it.
Chicago now has the most breweries of any city in the country. Other things Chicago has the most of: murders, mobsters, and Ditkas.
Trying to spin it positive, BA releases end of year graphic. Only 5% growth in the craft sector when nearly 1000 new breweries opened? That's a collapse waiting to happen.
R.I.P. Tallgrass... another casualty as the regional/national craft beer market continues to get squeezed.
Wait... Constellation Brands cut all of the Ballast Point and Funky Buddha sales staff? They merged it with their Corona/Modelo staff?? We're SHOCKED!!!
Pizza Beer founder crying about failure of company, blames everyone else. Reminder, the beer tasted like vomit. Try having better ideas or making better products so you're not a failure.
It's Bud Light so doesn't really matter, but we expect this beer to be sitting around for awhile.
Indiana brewery to open with controversial beer names to "get the conversation going". Translation: taking advantage of serious issues for free publicity.
Hundreds of amazing beers in Wisconsin and the Cubs took back the one everyone drinks just because it exists and people have heard of it. How fitting...