Is it already time to get Rocked-tobered?
Labor Day was just last weekend! Isn’t this a bit early for Oktoberfest?
No, say the folks at Samuel Adams, who celebrate their eighth annual celebration beginning Friday. Well, Oktoberfest — which is probably the oldest beer festival and certainly the largest — is celebrated in Germany for around 16 days in September through the beginning of Ok/ctober.
The Sam Adams crew showcases around 15 different German styled beers, including top-conditioned, warm-fermented ales, wheat beers, smoked beers and spontaneously fermented beers. But the star is this season’s Oktoberfest — a lager with a rich, malty taste and deep reddish color.
Tonight’s VIP preview night is overseen by Sam Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch. Admission includes four beers, live music, and all sorts of Bavarian- themed frivolity. There’s also a special charity tasting of Sam Adam’s rich port-like Utopias, often called the most expensive beer in the world, and certainly one of the strongest at 25 percent ABV. Saturday is the all-day tasting event: Admission includes one beer, live music and fun stuff. The bands performing this weekend are oompah-esque outfits The Not Prettys, The Jolly Kopperschmidts and the Oberlaender Hofbrau Band.
The weekend unveils two new beers — the lighter and fruity Blackberry Wit and deliciously bitter Coffee Stout, which will be voted for in the Beer Lover’s Choice program. The favorite is added to next year’s Brewmaster’s Collection. There’s also a small-batch beer created specially for this event: the Smoked Dunkelweizen, a dark wheat beer made from fire-smoked malt.
This year, that other great Boston brewery, Harpoon, took gold medals for its Oktoberfest at Germany’s Beer Star Awards and at the Great International Beer Competition in Providence, R.I. The 19th annual Harpoon Octoberfest, Oct. 3-4, officially launches this lovely malty flavored brew, which has a zingy refreshing finish. By then, it’ll certainly be bye-bye light summer beers and hello, fulsome-flavored autumn brews.
Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Friday, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, 1 p.m.
The Castle @ Park Plaza
158 Columbus Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Arlington
$15-$35, 617-783-5555
www.beersummit.com