Like many beer lovers, I always look forward to autumn, a time marked by the arrival of richer and stronger brews, Oktoberfest celebrations, and a whole bunch of beer festivals. But starting in late September, this season looks to be better than ever.
On Sept. 17, Der Biergarten kicked-off an impressive Oktoberfest party, billed as “Munich on Marietta Street,” that will run through Oct. 30, with music, beer and brats every Saturday and Sunday and food and drink specials other times. An array of German beers on tap served up in steins and boots, a menu that features spit-roasted chicken and pork shank, and a rooftop beer garden make it a unique Atlanta Oktoberfest destination.
On Sept. 29, I’ll be in Denver to celebrate 30 years of the Great American Beer Festival, the mother of all American craft beer festivals. This year, a gathering of the pioneering craft beer companies that convened the first fest in 1982 will be a highlight. And 2,378 beers will be in the festival hall — the biggest selection of American beers ever served. I’ll have a full report in the next Beer Town.
In its second year, Atlanta Beer Week, Oct. 8-16, moves from the spring to the fall, with beer bars, beverage stores, brewpubs and breweries putting on dinners, special tastings and educational seminars, and a couple of beer festivals serving as bookends to the metro-wide event.
Hoptoberfest, Oct.1 in Atlanta’s Glenwood Park Community, was organized to promote sustainability. But it’s also become quite a lively craft beer event that features a VIP area with rare and cask ales and a consumer judged brew competition with some 170 beers.
Though it always sells out quickly, the Decatur Craft Beer festival, Oct. 15, is a fall favorite, with more than 100 American and international beers, plus lots of music and food. Decatur has become a hot drinking and dining destination, so even if you don’t have a ticket, the pubs around the Square, including Brick Store, Leon’s, Mac McGee and Square Pub, could make for quite a crawl.
Beer Pick
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
Ayinger Brewery, Aying, Germany
$3.49/ 16.9-ounce bottles at metro beverage stores; also on draft at select beer bars
Profile: There are so many really good Oktoberfest-style beers, including some fine examples from American breweries, such as Victory Festbeir. But for my money, Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen remains the standard of excellence. With its deep golden color, malty nose, rich, slightly sweet palate, and soft, dry finish, it’s simply everything a quality session beer should be.
Pair with: Ayinger recommends serving Oktober Fest-Marzen in tall glass or earthenware mug and pairing it with pretzels and radishes, goulash with dumplings, bock-wurst, weiner schnitzel, roasted chicken and pork. It would make a great match for the recipes in today’s Oktoberfest story.
Bob Townsend is editor of Southern Brew News, a bimonthly beer publication distributed throughout the Southeast, www.brewingnews.com/southernbrew.
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