washingtonpost.com
BEER
It's Officially Oktoberfest Time -- and Not a Month Too Soon
Wednesday, October 12, 2005; F05
GREG KITSOCK
It was mid-August. Air conditioners were set on overdrive. And in the supermarket aisle, I stubbed my toe on a stack of Samuel Adams Octoberfest six-packs.
Oktoberfest? In August?
Welcome to "seasonal creep" in the beer world.
The Munich beer blast that celebrates this style started this year on Sept. 17. Most American versions of Oktoberfest take place later. The event that inspired it -- the 1810 wedding party for Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony -- is properly celebrated on today's date.
Premature Oktoberfest is a ritual that brewers ruefully call "keeping up with Sam." Sam Adams, that is (though he's far from the only culprit).
Jerry Bailey, president of Old Dominion Brewing Co. in Ashburn, bottled his Dominion Octoberfest in late July and shipped it to wholesalers the first week in August. Shelf space is tight, he said, and taps are even more precious.
"If you're trying to sell kegs of seasonal beers and you're not there with the first summer wheat beer or Oktoberfest, you're dead," Bailey says.
Craft beer -- that is, beer made without corn or rice and with more flavor than the typical mass-market product -- is the hot commodity in the alcoholic beverage market. Sales growth is outpacing not just mainstream beers but also wine and spirits.
Oktoberfest is the most popular seasonal style of craft beer in America: Bailey estimates that his Dominion Octoberfest outsells his spring brew 4 to 1. But it presents a narrow window of opportunity for the marketing department. "If it's not gone by mid-November, you're never going to get rid of it," says Bailey. And so players such as Sam Adams and the major imports buy a little extra time by rushing the season.
This seasonal creep is not ideal for the beer drinker. Oktoberfest beers are amber to copper-colored, fuller-bodied and sweeter than mainstream beers. They're great with a wide variety of foods, from chicken mol� to wienerschnitzel to pizza. But they also contain 15 to 30 percent more alcohol than Budweiser, and you might not want to drink them after jogging in 90-degree weather.
Now that the weather is more appropriate for heftier beers, look for some store owners to knock a buck or two off the price of Oktoberfest six-packs to make room for the winter seasonals.
Here are my picks of the Oktoberfest lot:
Dominion Octoberfest is a copper-colored brew, a little drier and more hoppy than other versions of the style, with an appetizing, fresh-baked- bread flavor. The beer won a silver medal at last year's Great American Beer Festival in Denver, besting 51 competitors in the German-Style Maerzen-Octoberfest category.
What's Maerzen ? The word means "March" in German, originally signifying a beer that was brewed in the spring and tapped to celebrate the fall harvest. Balto MaerzHon , a year-around brand from Clipper City Brewing Co. in Baltimore, pays tribute to the local dialect, where everyone is addressed as "Hon." The beer is light on the palate, with a pleasant caramel flavor, and it has a lingering sweetness.
Samuel Adams Octoberfest and Brooklyn Oktoberfest are smooth, drinkable, clean-finishing. Otter Creek Octoberfest , from a small Vermont brewery best known for its Wolaver's line of organic beers, is a ringer: It's fermented with an ale, rather than a lager, yeast. Its peppery, floral hop character comes from the liberal use of German "noble" hops.
Spaten Ur- Maerzen Oktoberfest from Munich tops the list of the imports. It's a rich honey-amber color, with a mouth-coating caramel sweetness and a roasty, nutty finish. The 600-year-old brewery numbers among its customers
Pope Benedict XVI, although the pontiff
reportedly prefers a different brand, Franziskaner Weissbier.
Greg Kitsock is editor of the bimonthly Mid-Atlantic Brewing News and senior editor of American Brewer magazine. He'll be writing about beer once a month for Food and can be reached at food(a)washpost.com.
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Nothing is easy to do in this state let alone putting on a beer festival in downtown MPLS. I don't know how Dave Berg and all the other people involved do it but they probably deserve purple hearts. Even the weather cooperated this year. As far as the long porta-potty lines, in previous years it was so hot that there little use for them! There will always be something that isn't quite perfect but friends can still get together and share some great beer no matter what!! It seems the Minnesota craft brewing scene is alive and well in spite of puritanical beliefs and outdated liquor laws.
Hats off to Dave Berg, The MN Craft Brewers Guild, all the brewers that brought their beers and everyone else behind the scene that makes the ABR possible. Next year it will be bigger and better than ever!!
Thanks again, to all who were involved!!!
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!
--- Julia Herz <jherz(a)honeywine.com> wrote:
> From: "Julia Herz" <jherz(a)honeywine.com>
> To: "Julia Herz" <jherz(a)honeywine.com>
> Subject: International Mead Festival HOME Competition!
> Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 11:13:23 -0600
>
> Hello. You are receiving this email because you attended the 2004
> Mead
> Festival and are likely a mead fan who needs to enter your mead!
>
> We are proud to announce via www.meadfest.com
> <http://www.meadfest.com/> a.
>
> CALL FOR ENTRIES.
>
> International Mead Festival "HOME" Competition.
>
> What:
> The International Mead Festival (an event through the International
> Mead
> Association (www.meadfest.org) is the worlds' largest and most
> prestigious
> mead competition and festival. This event hosts both a public tasting
> of
> commercial meads and a private judging of commercial and now home
> made mead,
> entries.
>
> The Competition:
>
> 1) HOME Mead Competition (New This Year!)
>
> Sponsored by The Brew Hut - www.brewhut.com
>
>
>
> Make no mistake about it, if there is one competition you enter all
> year
> long,
> this is the one to enter. - GotMead.com
>
>
>
>
>
> 1st Round Judging - December 11, 2005 (All entries due between
> November 7
> and November 21, 2005)
>
>
>
> Note: Second round judging and medal announcements will occur on site
> at the
> February, 2006 festival. Therefore, entries only need to be shipped
> 1x! We
> will pull the top three winners from each category to be judged in
> second
> round judging. Winners will NOT be announced until Saturday, February
> 11.
>
> Download <http://www.meadfest.com/2006HomeMeadEntryformMaster.doc>
> ENTRY
> FORM-Microsoft Word / or
> <http://www.meadfest.com/2006HomeMeadEntryformMaster.pdf%20%20> ENTRY
> FORM-Adobe PDF Version at www.meadfest.com
> And don't forget to download
> <http://www.meadfest.com/BottleIDForm.pdf>
> BOTTLE ID FORM
>
> The Festival:
> Friday, February 10, 2006 -
> Saturday, February 11, 2006
>
> Since Mead is 'the Drink of Love' then what better weekend than
> Valentines
> weekend?!
>
> Where:
> Boulder Outlook Hotel <http://www.meadfest.com/travel2.html> &
> Suites
> Boulder, Colorado.
>
> How:
> Ticket Information:
> Soon to be available at www.meadfest.com
>
> Volunteer Information:
> Yes, we're recruiting volunteers for the next festival! Email
> <mailto:krislatham@comcast.net> Volunteer Coordinator and please put
> "Mead
> Fest Volunteer" in the subject header. You will be sent information
> from
> there.
>
> Addition information and questions can be answered at
> www.meadfest.com
>
>
Leo Vitt
Sidney, NE
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com
Just a reminder - tonite is the MhBA's run-off for BALTIC PORTERS to see
who will represent the club at the AHA Club-Only National Baltic Porter
competition. If you've got one, bring it by my place tonite at 6:30pm.
- Al Boyce
3208 Edgewood Ave So
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
952-927-8968
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Thank you so much for a great event! I am new to the area and it was a
blast; I have let everyone know how great it was and we are looking
forward to next year. Something I won't miss next year. Is the winter
fest simular? If so I'll be there as well.
Bob
________________________________
From: owner-mcbg(a)mncraftbrew.org [mailto:owner-mcbg@mncraftbrew.org] On
Behalf Of Wayne Theuer
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 5:33 PM
To: ctblist(a)cloudytownbrewers.org; mba(a)thebarn.com; Sphbc(a)sphbc.org;
phc-club(a)yahoogroups.com
Cc: mcbg(a)mncraftbrew.org
Subject: ABR
Nothing is easy to do in this state let alone putting on a beer
festival in downtown MPLS. I don't know how Dave Berg and all the other
people involved do it but they probably deserve purple hearts. Even the
weather cooperated this year. As far as the long porta-potty lines, in
previous years it was so hot that there little use for them! There will
always be something that isn't quite perfect but friends can still get
together and share some great beer no matter what!! It seems the
Minnesota craft brewing scene is alive and well in spite of puritanical
beliefs and outdated liquor laws.
Hats off to Dave Berg, The MN Craft Brewers Guild, all the brewers that
brought their beers and everyone else behind the scene that makes the
ABR possible. Next year it will be bigger and better than ever!!
Thanks again, to all who were involved!!!
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!
The Honorable Iowa River Society of Talented Yeast Masters (THIRSTY)
is pleased to announce the
2005 THIRSTY Classic
Saturday, November 5th.
Judging will take place at Millstream Brewery, in Amana, IA
http://www.millstreambrewing.com/
This is a BJCP / AHA sanctioned event.
Entry fee is $6 and entries open October 19 and close October 29.
Ribbons will be awarded for 1, 2 and 3 place
and the Michael Hansen Memorial trophy will be awarded for Best of Show
Competition rules and entry forms can be found at :
http://www.thirstyhomebrew.org
Judges and stewards are needed for this event.
Susan Walsh
Competition Organizer
...then bring it to my place tomorrow at 6:30pm, to see if your brew will
represent the Minnesota Home Brewers Association at the National AHA
Club-Only competition for Baltic Porters!
Bring 1-2 bottles, then be prepared to send 2 more bottles off to the
National run-off if your beer is selected.
If you can't make it, get the bottle to me before 6:30pm tomorrow, or get it
to one of the current BJCP class members who will be there tomorrow.
Al Boyce
3208 Edgewood Ave So
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
952-927-8968
>From hwy 100...
West on Hwy 7
North on Wooddale (First stoplight west of 100)
West on 33rd St
North on Edgewood
White house w/ green trim, 3 houses south of 32nd st on the west
See you tomorrow!
- Al
THE BOILER for October, the official newsletter for the Minnesota Home
Brewer's Association, is online at
http://www.mnbrewers.com/newsletters/2005_10.pdf . If you volunteered to
receive your Boiler electronically, go there now and download it. Everyone
else should be receiving their Boiler in the mail in the next day or two.
- Al
FYI - Wonder how this one tastes...Cheers! - ~Brian
Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale latest brew from Anheuser-Busch
BY GREGORY CANCELADA
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Anheuser-Busch Cos. is launching a series of seasonal beers available on
tap, to reinforce the brewer's already strong presence in bars and
taverns.
To kick off this draught program, the nation's largest brewer this week
rolls out a pumpkin-flavored beer, Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale, for the
fall.
Anheuser-Busch has quickened the pace of new products this year as it
seeks to drive up sales in a sluggish beer market.
Although the company faces increased competition from Miller Brewing
Co., it sees a bigger threat coming from distilled spirits.
Spirits have been growing in popularity among younger adult drinkers who
are looking for the wide variety of colors and flavors typically found
in mixed drinks.
Under development for the past year, the new program will offer
different beers to match each of the four seasons, said John Costello,
product manager, Michelob Specialty Brands at Anheuser-Busch's domestic
brewing subsidiary.
Using pumpkin for the fall beer seemed a natural choice, he said. "I
like to describe Jack's as a wicked blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg,
clove and real delicious pumpkins."
Anheuser-Busch contends today's beer drinkers are adventurous enough to
try the brew.
"This is just another way for us to offer our core consumers the flavor
and variety they seek," Costello said.
When drinking the beer, consumers get a balanced taste of spices and
slight sweetness of the malt and pumpkin, said Florian Kuplent, a
brewmaster at the domestic brewing unit.
"It's a well-rounded beer that goes with food very well," Kuplent said.
"You could serve it with turkey and as a dessert beer."
Anheuser-Busch originally planned to have the pumpkin-flavored drink
available only on draught. But the brewmasters convinced the marketing
department that the beer should be part of the Michelob Special Sampler
Collection, a seasonal package of bottled specialty beers that
Anheuser-Busch has offered every fall since 1997, Costello said.
The 12-bottle and 18-bottle sampler collection also includes Michelob,
Michelob Marzen, Michelob Pale Ale, Michelob Honey Lager and Michelob
AmberBock.
Although this fall's offering is being bottled, upcoming seasonal beers
will be available only on tap.
Anheuser-Busch's brewmasters are developing a winter brew now, which
should be ready in December.
---
Brian Hatcher
Sr. Master Scheduler
C.P.I.M.
Email: brian_hatcher(a)Xiotech.com
Office: 952 983 2466
Fax: 952 983 2488
Xiotech Corporation
6455 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
www.xiotech.com : www.xiotech.com/demo : Toll-Free 866 472 6764
