Imperial porter brewed in Tuscaloosa. Malty, coffee, a little chocolate, nice sweet/bitter balance, 9.2%. One of my favorite AL brewed beers.
What are you drinking now?
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The wine is gone. On to bier.
There’s something about a well-crafted German Lager that really rings all the bells – case in point, Hofbräuhaus Helles Lager. They sell traincars full of this fantastic beverage. As a Helles, what are we looking for? – Maltiness but not overly filling or cloying. DRINKABILITY. Restrained hopping, this is a beer to showcase the malt - with just enough hoppiness to keep things balanced. Great head and lacing, and a fantastic clarity. These are all the markers of a professionally made Helles. This is the same beer that the Beermeister32 clan indulged in at the Hofbräuhaus in Las Vegas a couple years back.
When I say drinkability, this is the one they fill your hearty Maßkrug full of over and over again. I was talking to Beer-Loving Daughter #2 recently about some delicious but heavy and weird Bourbon-barrel aged Stout she recently drank – a huge Stout with all the other stuff going on – lactose probably, vanilla flavor from the Bourbon barrel, and probably a bit of sourness from the kegs they were using. In all, a whole lot going on, and it was all you had in your human fortitude to drink a pint.
Compare that to a fantastic and drinkable Helles like this. This is a hugely chugworthy beer – One you chug, refill and chug some more! I’m sitting here two paragraphs in and my pint is already near the bottom.… time for a re-fill! They say that’s how you score real success in a beer – do you want another?? !!! Prost!
When I say drinkability, this is the one they fill your hearty Maßkrug full of over and over again. I was talking to Beer-Loving Daughter #2 recently about some delicious but heavy and weird Bourbon-barrel aged Stout she recently drank – a huge Stout with all the other stuff going on – lactose probably, vanilla flavor from the Bourbon barrel, and probably a bit of sourness from the kegs they were using. In all, a whole lot going on, and it was all you had in your human fortitude to drink a pint.
Compare that to a fantastic and drinkable Helles like this. This is a hugely chugworthy beer – One you chug, refill and chug some more! I’m sitting here two paragraphs in and my pint is already near the bottom.… time for a re-fill! They say that’s how you score real success in a beer – do you want another?? !!! Prost!
From Spyglasses Oktoberfest. A Collab with local stores. First time having salvo. Does add intense hop flavor. Didn't get intense aroma. Maybe a light dank aroma. Nice little triple hopped IPA at just over 7%
A community collaboration with our Nashua, NH friends Zimmermanns & Goodale's Bike Shop. A hazy IPA hopped with Galaxy, Motueka, and Amarillo, then triple dry hopped with Salvo+.
A community collaboration with our Nashua, NH friends Zimmermanns & Goodale's Bike Shop. A hazy IPA hopped with Galaxy, Motueka, and Amarillo, then triple dry hopped with Salvo+.
Pauliner Pils and a hint of tonights dinner.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
SNF
Welp, got my doodies done. Waterproofed the 1500sq-ft deck, x2. Also needed to change out the car battery. Chopped wood. Now time to carry water...in my belly!
IDK why, but these are tasting really good...or that's just my back talking.
Lunch beer. An Oktoberfest Marzen at Institution Ale.
On the road to visit my brother, just outside Milwaukee. Making a stop first at a dive bar in Eagle, WI.
Festbier
Back is feeling so much better!
Orange and subtle coriander, pretty tasty. 8% abv is dangerously well hidden.
How many Sour/Golden Monkeys did it take to reach an effective analgesic level?
Brew on
Welcome to the 2025 Beermeister32 Marzen, Festbier and Oktoberfest celebration!
All week I’ve been bemoaning the lateness of my East-Coast pallet shipment of great seasonal beer, and I can now report, they all made it! Didn’t spill a drop along their treacherous route West!
Today’s 28 beers encompass a lot of brews that cause misconceptions around the drinking table. What’s a Marzen, what’s an Oktoberfest and what is a Festbier? To tell you the truth, there was a time when I was as befuddled as the rest of the inebriated Oktoberfest partygoers, and if asked at the time, I’m not sure I would have cared! That’s not the case now. Beermeister32 is more refined now. I’ve figured a few things out along the way!
So let’s jump right in, what are we looking for here? Marzens were the typical big “March” beers produced in Bavaria and throughout the region. These were primarily brewed in March, and were lagered for months and months in ice and straw-packed underground caves for fall celebrations. The first Oktoberfest beers began in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Bavaria’s King Ludwig I to Princess Therese. Must have been quite the party…. Hammertime!
So there is a large amount of similarity and connectivity between Marzens and Oktoberfests. Traditionally these were big, malty beers, 5-6 ABV with color ranging from dark deep amber to orangey reddish brown colors, good carbonation, head and lacing and crystal clarity. These were big beers and used for celebrations for many years.
Here comes the 1970’s and Paulaner laid down the framework for the modern Festbier. Traditionally produced in a 5-6% ABV, Festbier is as lighter straw color, also malty but a whole heck of a lot more drinkable than a mug of Oktoberfest. Festbier is party beer. It was designed to please the palates of the masses and drank by the Maßkrug full! Crystal clear, great head and lacing, this is one was designed to be one of the most chugworthy brews on the planet!
So for this party season, I’ll be drinking them all – Marzens, Oktoberfests and Festbiers, and will be reporting back to you my comments on all of them. I have beers here from Europe, the East US and out West. I’m getting really excited! Until then…. Stay tuned! Prost!
All week I’ve been bemoaning the lateness of my East-Coast pallet shipment of great seasonal beer, and I can now report, they all made it! Didn’t spill a drop along their treacherous route West!
Today’s 28 beers encompass a lot of brews that cause misconceptions around the drinking table. What’s a Marzen, what’s an Oktoberfest and what is a Festbier? To tell you the truth, there was a time when I was as befuddled as the rest of the inebriated Oktoberfest partygoers, and if asked at the time, I’m not sure I would have cared! That’s not the case now. Beermeister32 is more refined now. I’ve figured a few things out along the way!
So let’s jump right in, what are we looking for here? Marzens were the typical big “March” beers produced in Bavaria and throughout the region. These were primarily brewed in March, and were lagered for months and months in ice and straw-packed underground caves for fall celebrations. The first Oktoberfest beers began in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Bavaria’s King Ludwig I to Princess Therese. Must have been quite the party…. Hammertime!
So there is a large amount of similarity and connectivity between Marzens and Oktoberfests. Traditionally these were big, malty beers, 5-6 ABV with color ranging from dark deep amber to orangey reddish brown colors, good carbonation, head and lacing and crystal clarity. These were big beers and used for celebrations for many years.
Here comes the 1970’s and Paulaner laid down the framework for the modern Festbier. Traditionally produced in a 5-6% ABV, Festbier is as lighter straw color, also malty but a whole heck of a lot more drinkable than a mug of Oktoberfest. Festbier is party beer. It was designed to please the palates of the masses and drank by the Maßkrug full! Crystal clear, great head and lacing, this is one was designed to be one of the most chugworthy brews on the planet!
So for this party season, I’ll be drinking them all – Marzens, Oktoberfests and Festbiers, and will be reporting back to you my comments on all of them. I have beers here from Europe, the East US and out West. I’m getting really excited! Until then…. Stay tuned! Prost!
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First up is a delicious Oktoberfest from Warsteiner, located, where else? Warstein Germany! Warsteiner is totally dialed in – great and traditional Oktoberfest flavor, orangey color, 5.9% ABV and check out that clarity… fantastic! Prost!
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