By The Glass
RICHARD FIELD
Prosit! Oktoberfest
bier is here for
the celebrationsI had the pleasure of being in Germany for an Oktoberfest celebration some years ago, and it is an event like no other. Thirty-piece oom-pah-pah bands played on a 50-foot-high stage under a tent that easily sheltered 1,000 people.
There was a seemingly endless bounty of food ... sausages made from everything imaginable (and unimaginable!),, grilled game meats and hearty breads, all served to accompany the true highlight of the celebration: bier.
All Oktoberfest beer is made in what is known in the trade as the Vienna style.
You'll often see the term Märzen on Oktoberfest beer labels, referring to the March-harvested barley used in these beers.
Oktoberfest lagers get their amber or copper color because their malt is kilned for a longer time in the production process to darken their appearance. These lagers are also bottom-fermented and aged for a longer time than other lagers.
The result: a malty, faintly sweet beer that pairs well with slightly sweet or salty fare, namely such traditional grub as German potato salad, sauerkraut, and bratwurst.
While you'll find only a few oom-pah-pah tuba bands in Hawaii, several Oktoberfest beers recently have arrived.
One that I think everyone should try is called Kostritzer. It is available only from mid-September until the end of October. (Oktoberfest actually began on Sept. 22.)
This beer is brewed in accordance with Oktoberfest standards, using traditional techniques. Be careful, though: The Kostritzer Oktoberfest beer has 5.6 percent alcohol by volume.
With baseball playoff games and football in full swing, Oktoberfest beer is great with any October festivity.
Richard Field owns R. Field Food and Wine Co.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
Write to features@starbulletin.com
