Bring on the Liquid Gold!
When Crown Prince Ludwig of Germany married Princess Therese on October 12, 1810, the entire town of Munich was invited to a festival to celebrate. While the original celebration included more horse racing than beer drinking, it wasn’t long before beer stands were added to the fairgrounds in subsequent years to help quench the Bavarians’ thirst. With each festival something new was added, like a carousel, then swings, giving way to the annual tradition of Oktoberfest celebrated the last week of September into the first week of October.
By the early 1900s, beer stands were replaced by beer tents, halls that were large enough to house the revolving door of the then-thousands of festival goers. Today, over six million people attend Oktoberfest in Munich, which translates to 14 large tents where beer drinkers and bratwurst eaters may or may not find a seat. (Good thing each tent takes reservations, a must for large groups who want to sit together.)
Nearly two hundred years later, Oktoberfest has come to be known as the Largest Volksfest – or People’s Fair – in the World. And while millions of Bavarians, Europeans and tourists enjoy the amusement park-style festival, getting their fill of traditional German cuisine and dancing to brass brand classics, everyone knows that it is all about the liquid gold.
The good news is that Oktoberfest can be celebrated without a roundtrip ticket to Germany. This year, 575 Pizzeria plays host to the beer-lover’s favorite holiday, and with more than 30 local and imported beers to choose from, even newbies will find something they like.
Beer Basics
Stout, pilsner, porter, pale and dark… The list goes on when it comes to types of beer, which means you could spend a lifetime tasting domestics, imports and home brews before scratching the surface of all the beer industry has to offer.
Simply, every beer can be categorized as either an ale or lager and is a mixture of four ingredients: water, barley (or rice), hops and yeast. The variation in taste, color and aroma come from added spices, the strain of yeast or type of starch used, and how the beer is brewed, stored and served. Even the mineral content of the water used can affect the overall result of a brew.
Regional culture also plays a role, which is why you can travel to anywhere in the country (and the world, for that matter) and find strong opinions for or against what a local pubs are serving.
If you are looking to expand your beer-drinking experience and aren’t sure how to muddle through the ales and lagers, start here:
Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeast at a higher temperature, which translates to faster fermentation, a shorter mature time, higher alcohol content and a deeper, more robust flavor. Porters and stouts fall into the ale category, as they are darker and heavier than lagers.
Lagers are characterized by paler shades and a lesser alcohol content. They are brewed with bottom yeast at colder temperatures, which leaves the finished product dry, mellow and clean. Examples of a lager are Pilsner and Märzen.
by Jennie Treadway-Miller
Jennie was a columnist for the Chattanooga Times Free Press for eight years prior to moving to Amarillo in 2008. She is an avid reader, runner and writer.Sowing a Seed and Sharing the Benefits: The Randall Master Gardeners
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