Autumn is beer drinking weather, just ask the Germans!
Well folks, keg distribution is just getting started, yet we already have a few early adopters with gluten-free goodness on tap:
- Sassy Spoon, Minneapolis
- Republic, Minneapolis
- La Ferme, Alexandria
Also of note, now that Fall has finally arrived (wasn’t it just 80 degrees the other day), we are bidding adieu to our summer seasonal (i.e. the Parched Lime Shandy) and welcoming back our winter seasonal of the (as of yet un-named) Cranberry Shandy. Both options will be available in the taproom this weekend, but once the lime is gone, well, it’s gone.
Also also of note (insert dry sense of humour remark here), you thirsty hop heads have drunk us out of our Blackstrap IPA. That doesn’t mean that it’s gone for good, just for the weekend while we wait for the batch in the back to finish fermenting. When I went back and asked it how it was doing it said “bloop bloop bloop”, which loosely translates to “I’ll see you next weekend”.
Ask the Brewer
So, what’s the big deal with Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest is the world’s largest “Volksfest”, which is a beer festival and traveling fun fair. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, lasts for 16 days, and attracts over 6 million visitors! It runs from mid to late September into the first weekend of October.
Oktoberfest got it’s start in 1810 with the marriage celebration of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. The event included beer and wine tastings, live performances, a parade, horse racing and singing. In 1811 a show was added to promote Bavarian agriculture, and in 1813 carnival booths were added. As of 1819, it was decided that it should be an annual event and has been held yearly since except for during times of war or disease outbreaks.
As of 2015, the Oktoberfest celebration in Munich has 14 large tents each capable of holding from 1,000 to 8,000 people, as well as 20 smaller tents that can each hold from 60 to 450 people. The festival opens with a twelve gun salute and with the Mayor tapping the first Oktoberfest keg and giving the first litre poured to the Minister-President of the State of Bavaria. There are only 6 breweries that serve beer at Oktoberfest in Munich, all of which operate within the city limit and conform to the Reinheitsgebot (the governing laws in Germany for beer purity).
Taproom Tidings
The taproom has its regular hours all weekend, with growler fills available all of the days we are open. Highlights include:
- Thirsty Thursdays is your chance for $1 off pints and $2 off growler fills (Remember, St. Paul doesn’t let us fill growlers after 8pm on Thursdays, so get here early)
- Food on Fridays (FoF) brings us something new with the inaugural visit of the Tatanka Truck who specialize in Native American Foods.
- Our featured cupcake from Groundswell is also new this week (Pumpkin Cheesecake), in honor of the harvest season. Pumpkin cake with cheesecake filling and cinnamon whipped cream.
- Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey, and the last round of Parched Lime Shandy! Sadly, our Blackstrap IPA is out until next weekend, but we do have the Cranberry Shandy back on tap. Growler and grumbler fills on everything.
Final Thoughts
On Friday, October 2nd, we will be participating in Pour FOR Parks. This event features over 15 local craft breweries and wineries, 6 Fan Favorite food trucks, music, bonfires and hammerschlagen. There will also be a VIP craft distillery tent.
On Saturday, October 3rd, we will be at the Rotary Club of Brooklyn Park, pouring for Hops for Hunger and Homeless. This fundraiser will have craft breweries and cideries, live music, a complimentary bratwurst lunch, and a souvenir tasting glass.
We look forward to seeing you at either or both of these events!
As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook, Hidden Medallions, Twitter or Google+.
Cheers!