Brauhaus Schmitz Announces Brooklyn Oktoberfest

A connoisseur with a deep love of German beer drinking culture, Hager has worked with the international importers at Liquid Projects to debut more than 60 German beers at Brauhaus Schmitz, bringing them all to the United States for the first time. His passion for all things German – and all things beer – makes his annual Oktoberfest Block Party and Armory Oktoberfest two “do-not-miss” events in Philadelphia. This year, Hager is teaming with Liquid Projects to take his show on the road to the underserved German beer lovers of Brooklyn.

“Forget crossing the Atlantic for Oktoberfest; this year, we’re bringing Oktoberfest to Brooklyn,” says Hager. “Traditional Oktoberfest celebrations typically take place in September, but we want to keep the party going throughout the fall and are saving the best for last. This massive festival will feature imported German tables and benches, a raised stage for our international musical acts, and of course, an abundance of German beer and food.”

Last December, Brooklyn-based Liquid Projects debuted the Reinheits Boten – a group of five trend-setting German craft breweries, including: Distelhäuser, Zoller-Hof, Friedenfelser Brauerei, Riedenburger Brauhaus and Himburgs Braukunst Keller – for the first time in the United States. Using a ground-breaking new approach to importing beer, owner and founder Lars Dahlhaus successfully unified five iconic German breweries as one family, where each member of the Reinheits Boten has retained their own identity as an independent craft brewery. These award-winning breweries will pour exclusively during all five sessions of Brooklyn Oktoberfest.

“These are real German craft beer brands, family owned and best appreciated during a massive Oktoberfest celebration,” says Dahlhaus. “The name Reinheits Boten is derived from Reinheitsgebot, or the German Purity Law of 1516. The law aims to preserve centuries-old brewing traditions by limiting German brewers to four main ingredients: hops, barley, water and yeast. All five Reinheits Boten brands adhere to these strict guidelines, in accordance with Bavarian law.”

Brooklyn Oktoberfest will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 20, with five sessions available:

· Fri 10/20 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.

· Sat 10/21 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.

· Sun 10/22 12 noon – 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Two tickets will be available (click to purchase):

· General Admission ($40 per person) – includes entry, and a first liter of beer; food is available on a pay-as-you-go basis, and includes table service. GA does not guarantee a seat.

· Reserved Seating ($45 per person) – includes entry, a first liter of beer, plus reserved seating (sold in blocks of four or eight seats). Food is available on a pay-as-you-go basis.

· VIP ($100 per person) – available to groups of four to eight – includes reserved seating, table service, private restrooms, and two generous platters of food for the table, portioned appropriately to the size of the party:

o Brotzeit appetizer, a selection of meats, cheeses, radishes, bread, pretzels and accompaniments

o Wurstplatte entree, with pork chops, sausages, sauerkraut and potato salad

Brooklyn Oktoberfest is an extension of Hager’s immensely popular Armory Oktoberfest in Philadelphia. Last year, over three days and five sessions, Brauhaus Schmitz served 2,000 pounds of sausage and 300 kegs of beer; nearly 5,000 people walked through the doors of their festive autumn German wonderland. In Brooklyn, at Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse, the lively scene will include Bavarian blue and white ceilings and decor throughout the 9,000 square-foot space, which will transform it into a true, all-weather German festival tent like those found in Munich.

Guests will enjoy authentic German dancing, drinking competitions and live performances from The Alex Meixner Band, The Bratwurst Boys and The Heimatklange Band. In addition, Executive Chef Jeremy Nolen, author of New German Cooking: Recipes for Classics Revisited, will serve his modern take on classic German cuisine, pairing traditional Oktoberfest foods with the rare and prized German beers.