Club Corner
September 2025 Beer of the Month
OKTOBERFEST It’s that time of year again; pull out your lederhosen and grab your stein! With the German festivities in full effect as you’re receiving this email, we have a selection of some German and local takes on both the more traditional marzën and the lighter modern style more common in the current Bavarian festivities. While the festivities date back to the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (who later became King Ludwig I whose patronage of the arts helped establish Munich as the artistic center of Germany) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in 1810, the marzën beer style dates back to 1553 when Duke Albrecht Wittelsbacher V banned brewing between the 23rd of April and the 29th of September to avoid spoilage during the summer months. This regulation was enforced until 1850! This led to brewers aging their beers over the summer and releasing them in September in time to replenish their hops and malt. These beers are great with rich cheeses like Gruyère, Gouda, Comte, or Fontina as well as various sausages, pork dishes, and fried foods. Prost! Justin Malesheetz Beer Buyer Schwendl Schalchner Festbock 500mL Bavaria, Germany Medium gold in color with a mousse-like foam and notes of banana bread, toasted bread, and graham crackers on the nose with bright hoppy flavors. $6.99 per bottle Brauerei Michael Plank Plank O'Zapft Bavaria, Germany Medium amber in color with mousse-like foam with notes of honey and toasted bread on the nose. Smooth and soft on the palate with a rich malt finish. $5.99 per bottle Aslan Das Boot Festbier Bellingham, WA Brewery Notes: The combination of Pilsner and Munich malt contributes flavors of toast with honey and fresh dough. The hops provide a delicate floral and peppery note that balances the malt profile. With a bit bigger body and ABV than a typical German lager, this festbier has us ready to celebrate the coming of fall and is perfect for the upcoming cooler nights. $3.99 per can
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Beer of the Month Club September 2024: Oktoberfest
OKTOBERFEST It’s that time of year again; pull out your lederhosen and grab your stein! With the German festivities in full effect as you’re receiving this email, we have a selection of some German and local takes on both the more traditional marzën and the lighter modern style more common in the current Bavarian festivities. While the festivities date back to the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (who later became King Ludwig I whose patronage of the arts helped establish Munich as the artistic center of Germany) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in 1810, the marzën style dates back to 1553 when Duke Albrecht Wittelsbacher V banned brewing between the 23rd of April and the 29th of September to avoid spoilage during the summer months. This regulation was enforced until 1850! This led to brewers aging their beers over the summer and releasing them in September in time to replenish their hops and malt. These beers are great with rich cheeses like Gruyere, Gouda, Comte, or Fontina as well as various sausages, pork dishes, and fried foods. Prost! Justin Malesheetz Beer Buyer Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen Bavaria, Germany Medium amber in color with a mousse-like foam with notes of caramel, toasted bread, and graham crackers on the nose. Smooth on the palate with soft carbonation and a sweet malty finish. $5.99 per bottle/$108.82 per case Weihenstephaner Festbier Bavaria, Germany Gold in color with mousse-like foam with notes of honey and toasted bread on the nose. Smooth and soft on the palate with a rich malt finish. $5.99 per bottle/$108.82 per case Devil’s Canyon Festbier San Carlos, CA Light amber in color with fluffy foam and notes of toasted walnut, bread flour, and a slightly herbaceous on the nose. Soft, with a pleasing bitterness and lighter malt character on the medium finish. $5.99 per bottle/$130.58 per case East Brothers Festbier Richmond, CA Copper in color with moderate foam with floral and grainy notes. Rich malt notes on the palate with a walnut like bitterness and meatyness to the soft, medium finish. $4.99 per bottle/$108.98 per case Headlands Bierstiefel Festbier Lafayette, CA Medium amber with malty notes of toasted white bread and vanilla. Rich malt notes of graham cracker on the plush medium bodied finish. $4.99 per bottle/$108.98 per case Humble Sea Taste Güd Double Decocted Oktoberfest Lager Santa Cruz, CA Light brown with fluffy foam with notes of toasted bread, honey, and vanilla. Lush and toasty on the palate with a light bitterness on the roasted malt finish. $5.99 per bottle/$130.58 per case
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Beer of the Month December '23: Dunkels
Continuing on from last month's theme we are closing out the year with a tour of a great winter style from German; the Dunkel. While it can be used to describe any dark beer (dunkel is the German word for dark) there is a prescribed sub-style based out of Bavaria using dark toasted malt and lager yeast to make clean, round beers with moderate to low hop bitterness and notes of nuts, fresh baked bread, toffee, licorice, and chocolate, without ever veering into dark roasted coffee, spice, or fruit. This style can be considered one of the first in the world to be codified and regulated, as most beers of the time of the first purity laws enacted by the Holy Roman Empire in Munich and Bavaria were proto-dunkel dark lagers. Dunkels are all malt forward but can range from Dark amber and slightly hoppy (Negra Modelo is a Munich style dunkel) to rich dopplebocks and hefeweizens. Most Dunkels are also relatively low in alcohol and pair nicely with grilled sausage, pork chops, and mushrooms as well as hearty stews and game dishes. Prost! Andechs Dopplebock Dunkel Andechs, Germany Brewery Notes: Soft roasted malt notes and a touch of dried fruit accompany an accentuated caramel aroma. Full-bodied and velvety, strong but with a pleasant malt aroma. It has a readily discernible sweetness accompanied by roasted cocoa notes and a slight hop bitterness. With a strong finish, the Doppelbock ends on a lasting, semi-sweet chocolate note. $4.99 per bottle Armistice Funcle Dunkel Califorinia, USA Brewery Notes: A rich and toasty dark lager that’s redolent of toasted bread crusts with a hint of malt sweetness. $4.99 per bottle Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel Bavaria, Germany Brewery Notes: Dark with a golden-brown gleam when held up to the light, and with a warm aroma and malty taste, while summoning up coffee taste sensations on going down. It is brewed from five types of malt (two of which are torrified dark), and it is only lightly hopped. $4.99 per bottle Fair State Brewing Key to Happiness Minnesota, USA Brewey Note: A traditional German style of beer that’s not often available in the US. Dark, malty, and crisp. $3.99 per bottle Original Pattern Brewing Door To Nowhere Munich Dunkel California, USA Light and crisp with notes of toast, cocoa, and root beer $4.99 per bottle Schonramer Altbayerisches Dunkel Petting, Germany Brewey Note: Roasted malt aromas and scents of fresh farmer's bread dominate. When you first drink it you taste bread, then chocolate, followed by licorice and a pinch of vanilla in a full-bodied slightly bitter aftertaste. $5.99 per bottle
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