So, being that it is October, what better beer to review than an Oktoberfest beer! I scoured up and down the isles looking for a beer that screamed try me! That had to have been the longest 30 seconds of my life. I came across a bottle with a Bavarian lion and blue & white checkered flag. Game of Thrones? No. The bottle has a sense of danger and some Munich colors, so I was sold…and I grabbed two.
I wanted to give you some background on Oktoberfest, but there is sooo much information and the editor wants this story tonight, so I don’t have time. What I can tell you is that the holiday was based on a wedding. A WEDDING! King Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. Now that must have been one hell of a reception to be continually celebrated for over 200 years. And now I just noticed a gold ring on the bottle’s label. That has to hold some significance to the wedding, nice job!
So on to the beer. It’s from Left Hand Brewing and is a popular Oktoberfest style, Marzan Larger. I’ve heard of the brewery but wasn’t familiar with it, so this is what I found out.
Dick Doore and Eric Wallace are college buddies, beer lovers, and founders of Left Hand Brewing Company. Again, started from a beer kit, and a love of beer making evolved. The brewery was established in 1993 and sits on the St. Vrain River near downtown Longmont, Colorado.
I’m sure the first question you had was, why Left Hand? Well, they named the brewery after Chief Niwot, not a police chief but a Southern Arapahoe chief who wintered his tribe in the Boulder Valley area of Colorado. Pretty cool, kemosabe.
Dick and Eric opened the brewery doors in 1994 and haven’t looked back. In the last 23 years, they have merged, expanded and founded America’s original nitro bottles. They have grown to the 44th largest craft brewery in the U.S., with a fan base in 40 states, the District of Columbia and throughout Europe & Japan.
They have won over 45 beer competition awards and there does not seem to be any sign of slowing down. Want more info? Go to lefthandbrewing.com
All this writing has made me thirsty. (If you know me, you know that is a lie and I am already on the 2nd bottle.) This beer tastes exactly like its description. It’s bisuity (not heavy), malty up front and has a slight hop spiced finish on the end. It looks great and tastes great. It’s a solid American Oktoberfest. Eric and Dick take a full two months to brew this beer and it shows. Congrats on your success, keep up the good work. I’m looking forward to trying your other beers.
Prost!
Brendan
PS. Be sure to visit The German-American club during Oktoberfest. Fun for the entire family! J
