plunk Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 If I'm not mistaken, I believe we're smack in the middle of Oktoberfest. What are you eating and drinking to celebrate? Have you seen any interesting German beers available in local restaurants/bars/stores? I'm looking for some beer to go along with my brats and sauerkraut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 I have tasted the following Oktoberfest offerings this year, so far: Hacker-Pschorr, Weihenstephaner, Dominion, Brooklyn, Bell's, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Gordon Biersch, Sweetwater Tavern, Spaten. Have not tasted Ayinger yet, which really kinda means I'm not an authority yet. Best in show: Bell's Recommended: Paulaner, Brooklyn, Spaten Not recommended: Weihenstephaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau (though they aren't bad beers), Gordon Biersch, Dominion (more bad) Bad: Sweetwater Tavern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starfish Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 I have tasted the following Oktoberfest offerings this year, so far: Hacker-Pschorr, Weihenstephaner, Dominion, Brooklyn, Bell's, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Gordon Biersch, Sweetwater Tavern, Spaten. Have not tasted Ayinger yet, which really kinda means I'm not an authority yet.Best in show: Bell's Recommended: Paulaner, Brooklyn, Spaten Not recommended: Weihenstephaner, Hacker-Pschorr (though they aren't bad beers), Gordon Biersch (more bad) Bad: Sweetwater Tavern Having tasted all of the aforementioned, I unequivocaly concur. Also in the recommended category: Weyerbacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bioesq Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 If I'm not mistaken, I believe we're smack in the middle of Oktoberfest. What are you eating and drinking to celebrate? Have you seen any interesting German beers available in local restaurants/bars/stores? I'm looking for some beer to go along with my brats and sauerkraut...The traditional DC restaurant for Ockoberfest is Old Europe just below Calvert on Wisconsin Avenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Riley Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 I do believe that we have almost all of the ones Jake has listed, and then some (i.e. Erdinger). Stop on by and mix yourself up some cases Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Also don't forget Rustico's 2nd annual "Don't Hassel the Hof" Brau Fest on October 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Also don't forget Rustico's 2nd annual "Don't Hassel the Hof" Brau Fest on October 16. This was a great time last year. I think we came home with 5 or 6 liter steins; it was $6-7 for Hofbrau's Fest or Dunkel with a new stein every time . And fer chrissakes, take a cab! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 I have tasted the following Oktoberfest offerings this year, so far: Hacker-Pschorr, Weihenstephaner, Dominion, Brooklyn, Bell's, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Gordon Biersch, Sweetwater Tavern, Spaten. Have not tasted Ayinger yet, which really kinda means I'm not an authority yet. Not recommended: Weihenstephaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau (though they aren't bad beers), Gordon Biersch, Dominion (more bad) I had fun pouring (and legally tasting, per VABC rules) the Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest lager at the Shirlington Cap City Oktoberfest today. I hate to disagree with Jake, but I really enjoyed this little lager. At 5.8% alcohol content, it's pretty light and right for me, with a crisp, refreshing, semi-fruity, not hoppy, sort of malt finish. Quite a number of people came back to this tent for seconds, partially because there was not much of a line compared to a more popular brewery like Southern Tier or Rogue or Abita but many said that they liked the taste and some of those who just returned from the Munich Oktoberfest had it there and liked it. Perhaps it's time to reconsider? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 The best 'Fest draft selection in the area this year undoubtedly has to be at Biergarten Haus. I have not had the chance to get over there in the past 3 weeks but hope to before it is supposed to end on Monday 10/4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMike Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 The Luftwaffe Oktoberfest event I went to at Dulles airport the other week didn't have Oktoberfest beer on tap - just Bitburger and Warsteiner - but was still fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjsadler Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Had a chance to try a lot of them this year. Best: Ayinger Good (in rough descending order of preference): Paulaner, Victory Festbier, Flying Dog, Brooklyn, Bell's, Hacker Pschorr, Harpoon, Spaten Not Good: Great Lakes (too heavy, and not in a good way), Hofbrauhaus (odd... more of a pilsner), Star Hill Festie (blecch!) Really like some of the harvest/fall ales too: Southern Tier Harvest, Goose Island Harvest, Sierra Nevada Tumbler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Hofbrauhaus (odd... more of a pilsner) As is 100% of the beer served at Oktoberfest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjsadler Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 As is 100% of the beer served at Oktoberfest. I was at Oktoberfest a couple of years ago. Only went to the Spaten tent, but we were definitely drinking Marzen, not Pilsner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I was at Oktoberfest a couple of years ago. Only went to the Spaten tent, but we were definitely drinking Marzen, not Pilsner. They don't serve Pilsner, but the Weisn beer is much lighter than most "Oktoberfest" you get here, even the German stuff (the Weisn version is not even remotely brown). The few times I was in Munich for Oktoberfest, I recall being generally happy about this after the fifth liter or so. Or perhaps I was just generally happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjsadler Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 They don't serve Pilsner, but the Weisn beer is much lighter than most "Oktoberfest" you get here, even the German stuff (the Weisn version is not even remotely brown). The few times I was in Munich for Oktoberfest, I recall being generally happy about this after the fifth liter or so. Or perhaps I was just generally happy. Interesting. I seem to remember the beer being copper colored, but I must have been drinking this Weisn beer (and a lot of it)-- never heard of it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBag57 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Interesting. I seem to remember the beer being copper colored, but I must have been drinking this Weisn beer (and a lot of it)-- never heard of it before. I had thought about commenting previously, but some of the most traditional Oktoberfest beers emanating from (and served in) Germany, are not what we know of here as marzen style, and do skew toward a drier, less sweet, style that can resemble a lightly hopped pils. I think that this may account for the above review from 2007: Not recommended: Weihenstephaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau (though they aren't bad beers), ... All of those are in the more traditional style, and are quite good, but are not the copper-colored marzens that have come to connote Oktoberfest style beers in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers2000 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 It's my understanding that they're the festbier's. They are produced more quickly than the Marzen specifically to handle the volume required during Oktoberfest (at least that is my understanding). The Hofbrau version is actually my favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now