DAS Best Oktoberfest

October 12, 2009

Oktoberfest is generally associated with Germany as an enormous gathering of beer drinkers. Now, I have yet to visit Germany during this holy time but I’m pretty sure Maryland’s Oktoberfest is the furthest thing possible from that. And I don’t mean by distance. Don’t get me wrong it was still fun and I couldn’t wait to write about it.

The event I visited was this: DAS Best Oktoberfest. Basically, this is for the Maryland’s micro brewers to come and show off their goods. It was interesting because the state is not known for its awesome beer. Which is a shame as there were some worthy (and some really interesting) beers on display.

Before I get to the brewers let me go through some mechanics of the show. I took the Baltimore light rail to Timonium Fairground. The fest provided us with a shuttle bus from the station. Very nice of them. On the bus they, appropriately, played the movie ‘beerfest’. Poor driver had to listen to that movie all day. A 5 minute ride, just enough to see the best part where the drunk guy hooked up with a woman at the bar. Since Maryland is public transportation challenged lots of people had to drive in and hence there were two entry lines: designated driver and regular. Drivers get cool beads which make them look like they’ve been flashing people all day. The regular ticket gets you a four ounce plastic glass and six tokens. Each token is worth one dollar and buys you one sample. More token could be bought inside but I found that six is plenty. If you think about it, $1 for four ounces of beer is pretty pricey.

The event was very popular and I occasionally had some problems getting through the crowds; especially toward the end of day. Unfortunately it seemed that there were less breweries than other exhibitors. There were a few cigar shops, cigarette companies, a bus company and even a rescue squad (we’ll excuse them because they brought some awesome dogs). Quite a few food places, but I didn’t mind that. In the spirit of Oktoberfest there was plenty of German food, potato pancakes and BBQ pulled pork were absolutely delicious. In addition to that there was one German band and a stage with various other, I’m guessing local, bands. And, of course, this wouldn’t be a Maryland event without crabcakes. Pretty much any fish food goes well with beer, so this was a pleasant sight.

Even though there weren’t that many breweries to choose from, there was definitely enough for a day’s worth of tasting. DuClaw was there, but that’s expected. It is an extremely popular one around the District. If you ever visit Maryland, the brewery is absolutely worth a stop because they have plenty of good specialty brews. DuClaw generally has mild brews that don’t really stand out much but are quality made with interesting tastes. The bars are sport themes and tailored for the college/yuppie crowd. It’s also a good place to come for food and work parties. Most of their establishments are in mellow malls in the safety of suburban life. I avoided them because by now I’m just bored with the beer and I thought it was a shame that they had the longest lines. I’m sure most of those people frequent their happy hours. So I spent most of my time trying other breweries that are not as accessible from DC area.

Most of the good breweries were from Frederick, MD. Maybe the proximity to Pennsylvania helps. The photo on the left shows the “Brewer’s Alley.” I tried their Oktoberfest and Kölsch. Both were excellent crisp beers. Barely any after taste. Kölsch was a little lighter than Oktoberfest but it had a more complicated taste. I’d say Kölsch tasted better but a very close call. Both are definitely above average and you can actually enjoy them on regular basis with any kind of meal. Not the most popular at the fest, nonetheless the lines were long and it seems that many people returned for more.

Somewhere along the walk though the exhibits I managed to try an organic beer. I’d admit that the beer was not the reason why stopped at the table.  The ladies were wearing these really sexy outfits, for example Miss oktoberfest. I mean who in their right mind wouldn’t stop? But, honestly, I felt a bit sorry for the girls because they had to stand there all day, half naked without any heaters. The girl that poured me a sample was definitely cold and not happy. The show had quite a few girls dressed like that walking around. Getting back to beer. Organic is good, but I still don’t know what makes beer organic. For some reason most of the organic beers I’ve ever tried have come up short. They are nice, crispy and refreshing. But, for some reason, just as your taste buds have started to enjoy the flavor it disappears like a tease. So, one ends up feeling disappointed. Makes me wonder if that’s how beer tasted in the 1800’s before the non-organic was invented.

And now for the best brewery at the show: Barley and Hops. They are also from Frederick, Maryland with the slogan:

Life is too short to drink bad beer

With a slogan like that the bar is set high before you even try the beer. When you do, you realize that they cleared the bar with room to spare. My favorite was the Annapolis Rick Pale Ale a very subtle taste but full of flavor. Your taste buds are literally caught by surprise as this crispy ale makes them tingle with pleasure. Initially it doesn’t seem much but a few moments later you realize that it is rich and refreshing. The only sadness is I only had a four once glass. Encouraged by this experience I went right back in line four times! And, I was not disappointed.

Overall, if you are a beer person then do make your way up to this event. Hopefully they’ll have a bigger selection in the years to come, but then I’m not sure if there is enough time to try them all. Just make sure you come late enough to stay for the Miss Oktoberfest contest.

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