Thursday, Oct. 08, 2009
on an oktoberfest mission
A friend sent me a text message on Oct. 3 around 1:30 p.m., asking me if I was at the Oktoberfest at The Market Common.
I typed back to inform him that the Oktoberfest didn't begin until 3 p.m.
He replied that he was just curious if I had been tailgating.
Tailgating an Oktoberfest - why hadn't I thought of that?
Maybe I hadn't thought of that because many beer festivals are like tailgating parties anyway, with plenty of food and brew.
But for the second annual Oktoberfest - presented by the Weekly Surge - I wanted to make sure I tried some beers I hadn't tried before.
My first pick needed to be from Germany, and it needed to be something that few people on the Grand Strand had tried.
Augustiner Brau Edelstoff was it. Preparing for the special Oktoberfest edition of the Surge, I had learned that Edelstoff was a type of beer I didn't know much about: a Munich helles lager, which was created in a time when German brewers were competing against crisp, golden Czech pilsners.
When I tried Augustiner Brau Edelstoff, it was crisp and sweet, and somehow managed to be light without being thin and watery. I drank it as I stood in line at the face-painting booth with my four-year-old daughter, who eventually emerged as Spider-Man, only to become so self-conscious about people looking at her that she insisted we wash her face. If my wife and I had not washed it off, red, black, and white paint would have been spread all over our shirts and skin.
Next up was New Holland Brewing Co.'s Ichabod Ale, with a suitably gothic rendering of the Headless Horseman on the label. Yes, this beer from Holland, Mich., was made with pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and I drank it. Funny thing was that this pumpkin ale was not at all sweet. It even finished a tad bitter, but a way that usually compliments beer.
The next two were from Germany's Warsteiner Brewery: Oktoberfest and Premium Dunkel. To my palate, both of these leaned toward the sweet side, at least for beers. The Oktoberfest was lighter in both color and body than I expected. The dark color of the Dunkel seemed like it was announcing roasted, bitter flavors, but instead, I tasted the kind of sweet malt flavor I might find in some brown and nut-brown ales. Even with the sweetness, it was full-bodied, making it a possible preference over the Oktoberfest.
Last but not least was one I had tried before in a limited-edition, special-release bottle: Redhook Belgian Tripel. I was surprised that this was being served on tap, from what looked to be a pony keg. I asked the guy twice, just to make sure I wasn't suffering from beer-induced hearing impairment. It just so happens that Redhook Belgian Tripel is a higher-gravity beer, and it offers a complex blend accessible flavors. It might just be my favorite beer, and it was a great way to end the festival.
Undoubtedly, Oktoberfest was a huge success.
The big crowd in Valor Park - especially under the beer garden tent - at The Market Common, even while a similar festival was going on in downtown Myrtle Beach, proves that good beer can be a part of well-organized, family-friendly, public events.
Contact Colin Burch - the Beerman - at beerpour@yahoo.com or visit his beer blog at http://maltyhops.blogspot.com.