I was able to catch the first night of the LOWBrewCo’s Oktoberfest this year, and I gotta say it was quite a party. When it comes to drinking beer there is nothing better than having a dude in lederhosen lead the crowd in singing German drinking songs while downing that sweet Oktoberfest beer.
I sat at the long table- white and blue banner fluttering above me as I sang along and drank this year’s Oktoberfest beer. A little bit more on that in a second, but first a few Oktoberfest details.
First things first:
What is Oktoberfest? It’s a German festival that runs for three weeks from mid September to October in Munich, Bavaria. As my buddy Scot says, “Bavaria is like the Texas of Germany”. When you think of the stereotypical German, you’re probably thinking of a Bavarian. From its beginning in the early 1800s its been a showcase of German culture. And what’s more German than beer? Nothing, that’s what. The LOWBrewCo uses traditional German brewing techniques, so it makes sense to have an Oktoberfest event. Plus, it is a lot of fun.
So like I said, I sat at the long table in the middle of the taproom. The place was packed, so I sat down with some people that were already there. I didn’t know them, but they looked friendly enough so I had a seat. Right away I strike up a conversation with a random fella named Rob who was visiting from Alberta. I chatted with Rob while the German Band from Winnipeg played their tunes. The band leader lead some cheers which culminated in singing Ein Prosit and yelling, “Zicke Zacke Zicke Zacke Oi Oi Oi” and finishing off the rest of my pint.
Speaking of which- I drank a lot of Oktoberfest beer on Friday night. It is a very malty and sweet brew that finishes like you’re eating a chunk of Bavarian bread. It is easy to drink, but a little sweet for my liking. I like an Oktoberfest lager to have more of a harsh taste. The Oktoberfest beer in Munich is called “Marzen” because it was traditionally brewed in March so it would be hitting it’s peak taste right around fest time. Since it had to sit in the lagering caves all summer they brewed it a little extra strong so it would keep. So while this “Fest-bier” had a nice malty sweetness to it (that Rob was loving) I was kind of hoping it would have a little more of a punch in the mouth taste to it. Even still, after a few pints of that, and after singing my heart out in German, I was still able to walk home pretty satisfied.
So a big thanks to the Winnipeg German Band for coming down and leading the tunes, to Rob from Alberta for getting me into the singing, and to the LOWBrewCo staff for keeping my pint glass full. Prost!
– Arnie
Posted on October 10, 2017 in In the News, Journal
Original Source Here