Oktoberfest!

As a follow-up to yesterday's post on fall finally being upon us, I thought it would also be appropriate to do a post about another fall tradition: Oktoberfest Parties. This is timely for two reasons;

The first being that tomorrow is October 1st, and while the American liquor store tradition seems to be that Oktoberfest official starts some time in mid-August, my Hello Kitty wall calendar does not lie.

The time is nigh, y'all.

The second reason for this post is because I was invited to an Oktoberfest party this Friday (because I'm popular and people invite me to stuff like that, and I'm pretty excited!

Probably me on Friday.

At any rate, I'd like to go over some basics. First, Oktoberfest is for me, like a lot of folks, very much about the beer. Oktoberfest beer is a style called "Marzen," which is German for March; the month when the beer is traditionally brewed to age all spring and summer to finally be enjoyed in the fall. It's a Bavarian-style lager, characterized by amber-to-brown color, malty flavor, and low bitterness. Basically, it is the opposite of an IPA, which is  a lot of the reason I like Oktoberfest beers. Not that I don't enjoy IPAs, but being a rich, deep season, fall deserves a rich, deep beer to enjoy therein. There is more to the season than a good drunk, though, and food and festivity play a big part, as well.

Drinks

Pretty much every brewery puts out an Oktoberfest; Samuel Adams, Brooklyn, and Harpoon are some of the more common ones to see on tap here in the Northeast. Some of my favorites include:

Spaten: A large Munich brewery, Spaten Oktoberfest is the definition of Oktoberfest beer.

Hofbrau: Another large Munich brewery, I like Hofbrau Oktoberfest because it's a bit lighter than most. Anyone hesitant to put down the Budweiser can will definitely enjoy this one.

Hooker: A smaller brewery from right here in Connecticut, Hooker has long been one of my favorite Oktoberfest beers. In fact, right now is a good time to visit the Thomas Hooker brewery up in Bloomfield and suck down as much as you can right from the tap for $5.

Eats

Once you've got your beer, it's time to get your grub on. The best (and most common) Oktoberfest party dishes are the classics: beer brats and homemade pretzels with cheese sauce.

Beer Brats: I use this recipe.

Mmmm cheese: recipe.

Accessories

Beer Stein: You've probably all been to or seen a stein-holding contest around this time of year at your local bar. Why not bring the competitive fun to your on Oktoberfest party? A sweet 1-Liter Hofbrau stein from Amazon only run you $15.

This guy's elbow game looks a bit weak.

Beer Boot: I can't really claim to know much about the legitimacy of tradition on this one. According to this shady, citation-less wikipedia article, there is some legend about an army general promising his soldiers they can drink from his boot if they were successful in battle. That actually sounds like more of an incentive not to be successful, but none the less, we now have a tradition of filling the glass boot, and passing it around to toast our successes. A 2-Liter glass boot will cost you about $28 from Amazon.

A word of advice: when drinking from the boot, turn it so that the toe points to the side, otherwise enjoy a splash of malty brew to the face.

das boot.