Better Beer and Time Honored Traditions
Photo Description: Fun, flavor profiles, and festivities who knew Oktoberfest was more than beer.
Did you know that during Oktoberfest the beer consumption is roughly 2 million gallons!?
HISTORY
Oktoberfest in Munich is celebrating its 187th anniversary this year, while here at Berkley Beer Company we are celebrating our 3rd annual Oktoberfest. Much like the traditional Munich Oktoberfest we celebrate with steinholding, yodeling contests, music, traditional German foods, marzen and of course we encourage everyone to wear their lederhosen and dirndl.
Oktoberfest originated in 1810 because of the marriage of King Louis I, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. This festival slowly grew each and every year. The first year was a 5 day celebration ending with a horse race, but as the years went on an agricultural fair was added, then booths serving food and beer, then a parade, and finally carnival rides. What once was a tear down and set up festival officially has its own fairgrounds for permanent residency in the city of Munich, Germany.
ALL THE FUN
According to the US Steinholding Association, “Steinholding is a traditional Bavarian strength contest in which competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein (or Masskrug/Mass in German) out in front of their bodies with a straight arm, parallel to the ground. You go as long as you can and the last person holding it with good form is the winner.” We love to do a version of this, but we use water and not real beer because let's be real, that would be a waste and alcohol abuse to have steins full of beer being spilled.
At Oktoberfest in Munich there are many other strongman competitions such as Hau den Lukas. Hau den Lukas is swinging a hammer to a metal plate and trying to successfully move the needle. Men and women are encouraged to try their hand at moving the needle. They also offer a smaller Hau den Lukas for the children to use.
The only thing we have for moving the needle is our pursuit for better beer.
SPEAKING OF BEER
Märzenbier originated in Bavaria around the mid 1500’s in an attempt to keep bacteria out of the beer during the hottest months of the year. It was brewed in March (März) and then stored underground in cold caves from April to September hence its name märzenbier. Partners Gabriel Sedlmayr and August Deiglmayr decided to create something new at their long standing brewery Spaten, oktoberfestbier. The pair successfully created a light beer as the counterpart to Märzenbier. Universally this is now considered a lager, which should be served between 45-50 degrees. This means chilled is always better for the flavor profile of this beer.
Here at Berkley Beer Company we’re dedicated to better beer and that includes our traditional Maerzen beer. With a bready or biscuity flavor much like light toast and its sweet maltiness at a medium to low leading to a muted clean hop bitterness, we think ours matches up to its German counterparts. This is truly a great beer for the season and to honor the time old tradition of Oktoberfest.
TRADITIONAL ATTIRE
Clothing as it always has been, is a status and marriage symbol and Germany’s lederhosen and dirndl are no different. In the early days, these were worn primarily by servant girls and boys, women and men alike. Each outfit was based on your region, your status, and if you were single or married as well as by trade. Fascinating to see that the times have changed less than we’d like to believe. We still have certain attire for those that are servers, nurses, corporate attendees and many other professions.
Lederhosen meaning “leather trousers” in German is “usually knee-length and are historically worn by working-class German men with rustic shoes and wool socks. Lederhosen worn in the Bavarian region had features such as suspenders and front flaps, and these were quickly adopted by other countries,” says German Culture article Traditional German Clothing – Dirndl and Lederhosen.
They also say “[t]he dirndl is a ruffled apron dress worn by German women that consists of a bodice, or blouse, and a skirt. In the 19th century, the dirndl was the standard uniform of servant girls, but today it is mostly worn in Bavaria and Austria, and like lederhosen, usually for celebration.”
OUR CONNECTION
It’s truly that simple our connection to Oktoberfest is; connection. Oktoberfest is about celebrating with better beer and good food. It is an opportunity to share a pint, gather with friends, and take part in some friendly competition. It embodies community and community is at the core of what we do.
CONCLUSION
Oktoberfest is more than beer and a time honored tradition. It’s about good food, laughter, community, friends, family, and likeminded celebration. Which is exactly the atmosphere we thrive to create in our taproom and in our beer.