WILK Friday BeerBuzz – 28 Sep 2012 Spaten Oktoberfest

It’s not often that I find myself acting traditional.  For me some traditions are meant to be honored, and some are meant to be questioned.  This philosophy certainly holds true for the WILK Friday BeerBuzz and especially for my beer choices.  Think back to when I chose to feature a big Belgian Dark Ale in mid-summer, and flash back just one week when I decided to feature an ale from a brewery known for lagers.  Tradition in the beer world is sometimes meant to be stretched, and I’m the guy to stretch it.

With that said, it is with a profound sense of confusion that I announce today is different.  Not only did I choose to feature a beer style that is meant for this very week, but also a brewery that carries with it a significant tradition for this very style of beer.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or you’re currently too busy drinking in Munich, you know that Oktoberfest started in Munich on Saturday and will continue on for the next 16 days.  With that in mind, take a guess what style beer I chose to feature….go ahead…I’ll wait.

OK time’s up!  Today I chose to feature a traditional Oktoberfest beer and it comes from the brewery that claims to have brewed the World’s First Oktoberfest beer….Spaten!

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu comes to us from Munich, Germany and the name actually means “Spade” as you can see in their logo…and it’s not just a spade but a malt spade.  The brewery dates back to 1397 and they have been brewing traditional German styles ever since.

Spaten Oktoberfest is a very typical Marzen-style beer.  Marzen is German for March and it’s used for this style because the beer is traditionally brewed in March and served in Sept for Oktoberfest.  Spaten Oktoberfest comes in at 5.9% ABV and 23IBU and believe it or not, it only has 180 calories in a 12oz bottle.  Spaten Oktoberfest is brewed to the standard of the Reinheitsgebot or German Beer Purity Law of 1516 which states it only contains, water, malt, yeast & hops.

As one of the Munich-home breweries for Oktoberfest, Spaten not only lays claim to brewing the World’s First Oktoberfest beer, but they also supply beers to the many of the largest tents during the Oktoberfest celebration in Munich…one even featuring 10,000 seats!

Celebrate Oktoberfest with a Spaten Oktoberfest and you’ll see why it has become such a popular Marzen-style beer.  This traditional German lager has been around for hundreds of years and I suspect it will be around for hundreds more.

Thank you to Nancy, John & Joe

for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE