A Place I Live: Oktoberfest

Last week I was invited by Greg and Barbara Gerovac of the Anaheim Brewery for a preview of their Oktoberfest lager and was thrilled to attend the intimate tasting. They shared the history behind the recipe of their Oktoberfest, beer label design and their planned festivities for their 2^nd Oktoberfest including sausages, pretzels, and of course, polka.

I must confess that I have never been to an Oktoberfest celebration. Barbara did mention that Oktoberfest is very new to America – before the 1970s you wouldn’t find too many beer gardens celebrating the Bavarian beers in the states. That made me feel a bit better about being an Oktoberfest virgin, but then again Anaheim was settled by Germans…

Although I might not be the best person to talk about Oktoberfest celebrations, I am no stranger when it comes to the Oktoberfest beer. It just happens to be one of my favorite beers. The lager, red in color with a slight bitter taste is delicious! Anaheim Brewery’s Oktoberfest is no different and having a fresh pint at the brewery makes it even better. Oh, and did I mention you can have your beer in a commemorative pint glass or stein?

 

When Anaheim Brewery served their Oktoberfest last year, I remember Greg telling the story of how their recipe came from a 100 year old recipe found by Greg’s old boss. In Germany. During his apprenticeship, Greg was asked to modernize the recipe for a 50 barrel system and a fantastic Oktoberfest he did make. Nowadays the recipe has won Greg and Barbara a first place, second place and gold medal.

Courtesy of the Anaheim Brewery

Anaheim artist Kevin Kidney is the designer behind Anaheim Brewery’s most modern label. Kevin explained that he initially wanted to use Anaheim’s German roots for inspiration, however Greg and Barbara wanted something that showed the beer’s roots in Munich. Having recently returned from a trip to Germany, Kevin had personal photos that inspired him to use Munich’s New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) and Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) as the label’s center piece.

I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to have the brewers and label designer in one room while tasting the result. I bet if you get your lederhosen or dirndl ready you just might have the chance to, while celebrating Oktoberfest with Anaheim Brewery on October 13^th from 4 to 10 PM.