Ein Prosit

Oktoberfest starts today! Perhaps the highest of the beer drinking high holidays is once again kicking off in Munich, and the entire world it seems will be joining them in the fun. My Facebook wall and Twitter feed are blowing up with announcements of scheduled Oktoberfest events in my local area, mostly held by awesome local breweries. It’s safe to say that the German tradition has firmly cemented itself into American culture.

Live from Falls Church, VA

But Oktoberfest isn't just a three week long drunken party – it’s also a style of beer! One that I’m sure you've seen ample selections of in the past month on your local grocer’s and specialty beer store shelves. Oktoberfest, or Märzen as it’s more accurately called, is a darker, more robust, lager that is traditionally brewed in March and left to age until September. I could go into more detail on this, but I already have, so there’s no reason to do it again. If you want to know about Märzen, click here. If you want to learn about Oktoberfest the festival, click here.

“So if you’re not going to discuss the festival, or the beer itself, than what, pray tell, is the topic of this blog post?” I’m sure I took the words right out of your mouth. Today friends, I am going to give you suggestions - recommendations if you will - both in beer to drink and local events to check out. It’s all about spreading the knowledge, so that all can enjoy their beer drinking lives as completely as I do. Don’t say thank you. It’s implied.

So first, let’s discuss local Oktoberfest events coming up in the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area. I apologize in advance if I miss a few here and there. Please reach out to me via Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments of this post if you think of some I missed. Let’s do this.

The scene from inside one of the beer tents at Weis'n... makes you want to get on a plane

District Oktoberfest
September 21-22, 2013. New this year! Head to Washington DC’s Chinatown bars RFD, Penn Social, Rocket Bar, Iron Horse, Fado, Bar Louie, Capitol City Brewing Company and Redline for beer specials and entertainment. Admission: $37-70. A portion of the proceeds will go to the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation and Dreams for Kids DC. 

Biergarten Haus Oktoberfest 
September 21, 2013. 1355 H St NE Washington, DC. The Bavarian pub offers their regular 12 drafts and 11 additional Oktoberfest drafts, food and live music.

Hoppy Oktoberfest

September 28 from Noon to 6PM – Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church, VA. Don't miss our 2nd annual outdoor event putting a Mad Fox twist on the traditional Oktoberfest by showcasing some of the region's top IPA's including the tapping of our Oktoberfest Lager, plus delicious grilled items and live music from The Justin Trawick Group (1-5pm).

Das Best Oktoberfest 
September 27-28, 2013. National Harbor, MD. The outdoor festival will include over 100 unique beers, German wines and schnapps, German foods and other festival goodies, Oompah bands, live music, contests and much more. Admission: $39-45, Children ages 12 and under are free. 

Bar Dupont’s Oktoberfest
September 28–October 6, 2013. Dupont Circle Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Ave. Washington DC. The popular Dupont Circle bar will transform its outdoor patio into a Biergarten serving German favorites like Paulaner Hefeweizen, Oktoberfest, Pilsner and Spaten as well as German specialties from the grill like soft pretzels, sausages and mustards, and traditional garnishes. Live German bands Liab Und Schneid, The Polka Brothers and Continentals of Washington, DC will play on select days. Daily beginning at 12:00 p.m.

Frederick Oktoberfest
September 28-29, 2013, Saturday: 11 – 10 p.m., Sunday 11 – 6 p.m. Frederick Fairgrounds, East Patrick St., Frederick, Maryland. Huge Oktoberfest with live music, kid's games, German foods, Biergarten and family fun. Admission: $5 in advance, $10 at the gate. Children ages 2 and under are free. 

Fort Belvoir Oktoberfest
October 3-6, 2013. Located off of Rt. 1 in Fairfax County, Virginia, The annual festival, open to the general public, includes authentic German food and beer, carnival rides, live entertainment, kids activities and more.

Germantown Oktoberfest
October 5, 2013, 9:45 a.m.-5 p.m. New Location this year, Clarksburg, Maryland. The festival includes live music, kid's games, German foods, Biergarten and family fun. 

Oktoberfest at Capitol City Brewing Company
October 5, 2013, 12-7 p.m. Shirlington Village, Arlington, Virginia. Sample more than 60 beers and a variety of foods, while enjoying lively German entertainment. Admission: $25. Shirlington library will host kid’s events. 

Oktoberfest Reston
October 11-13, 2013. Reston Town Center, 11900 Market Street, Reston, Virginia. Sample the best in fall brews and traditional Oktoberfest fare provided by some of Reston's finest eateries. Live entertainment. 

How can a person be in two places at once?

Literally, there is no shortage of opportunities for fun in the local area. If only I had Hermione Granger’s time turner so that I could be in more than one place at once. Seriously, if you see her, tell her I’m looking for her.

Now let’s look at Oktoberfest Märzen lagers that I strongly recommend you go get. I’m going to divide these into two sub-categories, because I love to apply order to a complex system. The first subset of Oktoberfest Märzens is called ACTUALLY GERMAN. These beers are brewed and imported from the mother land and are actually served and enjoyed by the locals in Bavaria during Oktoberfest. These are Hacker-Pschorr, Lowenbrau, Spaten, Hofbrauhaus, Augustiner, Paulaner, and Weihenstephaner. All delicious. Can’t go wrong.

The other subset of Märzenbiers that I will recommend to you is called AMERICAN CRAFT. These are Oktoberfest brews that are created with love here in the states, using the same methods and ingredients as the Germans use. These options are just as good as the authentic ones, and in some cases are better, but for the sake of distinction, we’ll separate them. Some of the best American Craft Oktoberfest beers are Victory Brewing Company’s Festbier and Zeltbier, Heavy Seas Beer’s Prosit! And Märzen,  Harpoon Brewery’s Octoberfest (spelled wrong), Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest, Old Dominion Brewing Company’s Octoberfest (spelled wrong), Abita Brewing Company’s Fall Fest, DuClaw Brewing Company’s Mad Bishop Oktoberfest, Port City Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest, Flying Dog Brewery’s Dogtoberfest Märzen, and Lancaster Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a good start.

Look how lovely

So hopefully I've armed you with the necessary ammunition to go festing. I apologize to those of you who aren't local to the DC Metro Area, Maryland, and Virginia, as most of this post was locally focused, however, I bet you can find a complete list of events in your local area by Googling it. Also, if my recommended brews aren't sold in a store near you, go to your local specialty beer store and proceed directly to where they keep the seasonal brews. I’m certain you’ll find a healthy selection to choose from.

And remember to shout “Oans, zwoa, drei, Gsuffa!” before downing your brew. If you pronounce it right, people will think you’re from Bavaria. If you pronounce it wrong, they’ll just assume you’re a crazy person, or perhaps that you have had too many. Either way, you’ll be the toast of the party.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Prost!