Oktoberfest....yes, Already - Amuse Bouche #7

Hello, this is a Moose Bouche and I'm Bridget. Welcome back. Here you're getting a little bit of Bridget before our weekly release of Dinner Plus Drinks on Sunday. This week we're going to Germany and talking through one of my favorite, not quite a holiday, holidays, Oktoberfest. Are you sitting there thinking I'm crazy? Like Bridget, it is August, it's only the middle of August, it's hot out. Why are you talking about Oktoberfest? I don't know. Maybe you're not thinking that, but there's a couple of reasons why we're talking through Oktoberfest in August. And well, first of all, Dasfest is happening around us. If you're local to the Lake Geneva area, Dasfest is happening this weekend. It's kind of like a replacement for a traditional German fest that was held in Milwaukee over the summers, but um has shifted, canceled, changed because of COVID. So it's happening much closer to our hometown, and that is this weekend, and Lake Geneva Country Meets has some delicious food there. So Dasfest has been on my mind as we've been doing all the preparations for it. But more than that, I also want to prepare you for the best beer season of the year. And also remind you how quickly a lot of Oktoberfest beers sell out. So, and lastly, Oktoberfest in Munich actually happens in September. So, you know, you still have time to make your plans. Just kidding. I'm sure it's sold out. Um, but a lot the actual event happens in September, and many of our favorite Oktoberfest beers are hitting the shelves now, um, which every year makes me crazy because I'm not thinking of Oktoberfest beer yet, and then my favorites have sold out. And anyway, so I've got Oktoberfest on the mind as I had my first official Oktoberfest beer of the season last week, and it's a new favorite of mine, but more on that later. So some of you may know that in my past life, um, I was a contractor, consultant, whatever you want to call it, for the city of Lake Geneva, um specifically the downtown business district, and part of my job uh with that career path was continuing on the tradition of carrying, um, hosting Lake Geneva's Oktoberfest. So that had happened for 20 plus years, um, not being one to keep things the same. I was doing that job when I was in my early 30s, uh so a couple of years ago, and now you all know how old I am. Um, but Lake Geneva Oktoberfest was really kind of like a family fall festival, I would say. There was no beer. That was the noticeable difference. And no, not every festival has to have beer. Some people believe family festivals shouldn't, but this particular festival spanned um through a couple, like I would say it was almost two separate events where it was held in the town. So I thought that it really needed to have some beer. So I added a beer tent, we had a Hoffbrow beer tent, had some really great options, and it turned into a really cool thing. Um, families were dancing polka with their kids. We had a steinhoisting competition. So everything you think of, particularly in the Midwest, where um it's a little more accepted and uh I will say, quote, normal that you bring your kid to a brewery or something like that. Um, it was this really fun festival for a couple of years and everything you wanted in a traditional Oktoberfest. So sadly, um I'm no longer at that job and I'm happy to not have to plan that event, but sadly it's kind of gone back to just the Family Fall Festival. Still a really great event. Just uh don't come into town expecting a beer tent. We have a lot of great beers that you can check out at the downtown bars instead. But I digress. So, no more about Lake Geneva's Oktoberfest. I want to talk a little bit about traditional Munich German um Oktoberfest. So I've never been. It is on my bucket list. I don't know at what point in my life I'm gonna say, hey, let's hop on a plane and go, but hopefully soon. Um, I had no idea, uh, because I've never really looked into it, but Oktoberfest in Munich actually began um as a wedding celebration. So a long, long time ago, a couple hundred years ago, um, a crown prince was like, yeah, I don't want to have a boring wedding. I'm gonna do this really cool festival and make everyone celebrate the whole wedding. And there was, you know, food and drink and parades and lots of merriment and uh all kinds of fun stuff. So it began as a wedding, which is hilarious. As one of these episodes, I will talk about my wedding and how I loathe kind of uh the traditional wedding situation. So I don't know that I just could never do it for myself. So anyway, it's pretty fitting that this started as a great wedding. And so you've seen pictures, you know what Oktoberfest in Munich looks like. Another thing I was not so I didn't know um as I looked into the history of kind of the beer and Oktoberfest beer, it's my very, very favorite beer, but um the beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich can only come from six old traditional and Munich-based breweries. They're called the Big Six. So I guess that makes sense. I've heard it kind of jumbled around, but I didn't realize that was the only beer available, it was from these six places. So love that. Love that they're keeping the beer local. Um, each of the main Oktoberfest tents, so you've seen those pictured, it's the huge tents, right? They each serve their own brand. And then this awesome thing is each tent is run by the same Munich-based family. So generation after generation, these families run these tents. So there's all this like deep tradition and pride, and I think it's really cool that these same families are running these tents for two weeks of straight kick-your-butt work, right? Um, these families are also running like the worst houses, worst, Bratwurst houses, uh, different restaurants and other beer gardens throughout the rest of the town. Uh, but obviously the six main beer tents that are incredibly busy uh are run by these generational families. So I found that um you're used to seeing like derndl and lederhosen and the felt hats and all of these things, but a traditional souvenir you can collect uh if you, you know, if you're flying over to Munich, you want to go to this Oktoberfest, you're gonna get yourself a hat, maybe a derndel, whatever, whatever you might think is a great uh souvenir reminder. But one of the most popular, along with beer mugs and hats, one of the most popular souvenirs, gingerbread hearts. So that sounds a little silly if you are um, I don't know, a huge fan of Christmas like I am. Like, well, what? Gingerbread is for Christmas time. But if you think through uh any photos you've seen, these gingerbread hearts, they're decorated with flowers, oftentimes phrases, words of some sorts, frosting. And you're like, yeah, actually that's incredibly German. Uh I just didn't actually picture it as an Oktoberfest souvenir. So fun little factoid for you. Um also to know, when I was pregnant, I have two kids. So twice when I was pregnant, I um I mean, I missed drinking, okay. Everybody, you can judge me for that if you want. But uh I specifically missed Oktoberfest beers because they're around for such a limited amount of time. Um, I had one kid born uh in March and one in June. So, you know, you're pregnant most of the year, and I was pregnant definitely over Oktoberfest beer season. So um my wonderful husband and friends collected Oktoberfest beers for me. Like, oh, here's here's a six pack we can keep in the fridge, here's a mixture of whatever's left at the end of the season, and we kept it, and now you know, maybe it doesn't age as well as a fine wine. So by the time I drank it, it was not quite the same to me. But but it was so sweet and so lovely. So I wanted to share some of my very favorite Oktoberfest beers. And why should you trust my recommendation? I don't know, why not? Oktoberfest beer is one of my favorites. I've drank a lot of them, and maybe just try a near new beer. Like, what's the worst that could happen? You don't like my recommendation. So, anyway, um, Thrillist had a really fun article written about Oktoberfest beer and some of the backstory and history about Marzin and and uh you know that translates to the word March and why that is what actually is the base of Oktoberfest beers. So I'm gonna put a link in the show notes to the article from Thrillist because it's written funny and well, and I could never do it justice, so you should just check it out if you want a little more information. But I have to say, here's my couple top five favorite Oktoberfest beers for this year. Now, um, you're gonna get a couple honorable mentions because I think I would get slapped across the face if I didn't mention these two honorable mentions, but my number one, I'm starting with number one because that's the way I roll, my number one favorite Oktoberfest beer from this year is called Munsterfest, and it's from Three Floyds. Never honestly would I have tried it. The label is a little scary, it doesn't look like an Oktoberfest beer. I'm all in on the full themed, give me the blue and white diamonds, you know, or some kind of orange label, except that usually makes me think of pumpkin beer. But anyway, Munsterfest from Three Floyds, outstanding Oktoberfest. Um I think if you're local around here, I'm guessing Binny's has a large quantity or Woodman's. Um, smaller stores like Lachinima Country Meats, I think we're sold through our allocation already. Uh we had a beer garden with the event, or we have a beer garden um with that beer, and so I'm guessing we're gonna sell right through it. So anyway, Monster Fest, three Floyds. Find yourself some of that before it sells out. Um Maplewood, so that's uh Chicago area brewery. Uh they have a really great Oktoberfest. I'm a fan of a lot of their beers, so um, this was a shoe-in for me. Um Maplewood Oktoberfest, I discovered last year, I think, maybe the year before. Try that if you're um Midwestern based. This is a local Milwaukee one. This is an easy one that I was surprised by because I don't know why I was surprised by it, to be honest. I thought, um, no way is it gonna be one of my favorites, but I do really like Lakefront's Oktoberfest. So Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, pretty classic, uh, easy drink in Oktoberfest. That's one I just like to have in my fridge throughout the season. Sam Adams Oktoberfest. I don't mean to say I'm ashamed to admit this one because I feel like it's kind of a boring one, but I love their Oktoberfest. That is the one that sticks out in my brain as the first uh six pack that my husband kind of saved for me when I was pregnant with our first um child. I remember that six pack like taunting me for the months leading up to his birth. Uh and then my last favorite, uh my last to round out the top five is Hackershore. Can't go wrong there. I don't feel like I need to explain that one, but I love Hockershore. Um, my my two honorable mentions for you are spotting, because I hear my brother-in-law saying, Come on, Bridget, Spotton has to be on the list. He's a huge Spotton fan. Um, and then of course, the Wisconsin favorite, New Glaris Staghorn. Gotta be honest with you, it's not my favorite, but a lot of people love it. You can only get it in Wisconsin, which is makes it even cooler. We love a good local beer, so give yourself uh some New Glaris Staghorn a try, which means you have to come visit us in Wisconsin. So those are my favorite um Oktoberfest beers that you can buy and keep at your house. But if you are feeling so inclined and it is safe and you are comfortable and they are happening, I have an Oktoberfest event to recommend. Again, if you're around the Midwest. If you are not, please tell me all about the Oktoberfest events happening in your world. I want to travel to them one day. I know there's a really great one. Um, of course, the name of the town is escaping me now. Um, out in Washington. The whole town is basically a German little village. Brittany, I know you're listening and you have to tell me the name of the town. Oh, Leavenworth. Leavenworth, Washington. I feel like that's a year-round Oktoberfest. I don't know, but it's a this adorable German town. So check that out. But if you're in the Midwest, the one um Oktoberfest event you have to check out is in Glendale, so just north of Milwaukee, by 10 minutes, not even. And um, it's hosted by the Bavarian Beer House, which is a restaurant that's there year-round, but they do an awesome Oktoberfest event. Um, it's every, it's all throughout September, and I think the first um week or two of October, but you can rent a picnic table, uh, you can poke all night long, there are stuff for the kids to do, there's amazing food. So we've brought our family. I've gone without my family. We go every year and celebrate our birthday there. Um, my sister actually had a uh she had a destination wedding for a small group when she got married, and then she came back to the Midwest and had an awesome wedding reception basically at this Oktoberfest, which is so fitting since it started as a wedding celebration. So, hey, if you're looking for a creative wedding idea, Oktoberfest, if you're looking for a great fall, fun, late summer idea, Oktoberfest, I feel like I don't need to sell it anymore. It's an amazing time if you're a beer drinker, if you just love the idea of the rich tradition and family fun and you know things you can do with your kids and adults. It's it's I don't know how else to fully express that. I think Oktoberfests are a great traditional family fun um occasion. So I feel like it's appropriate to wrap this one up by saying, Prost! I never sound as good as I should. German people need to say that better than me. But at the end of this one, enjoy yourself a nice cold Oktoberfest. Get some while they're on the shelves, as they're just hitting the shelves now in a lot of places, and go have yourself a really great weekend. Bye bye.