Break out the bier stein and grab your lederhosen, it’s time for Oktoberfest!
Today is the first day of October and all around the world people are preparing for one of the most anticipated annual festivals. While the 176th Oktoberfest has been under way in Munich, Germany since mid-September; this weekend the celebration comes to the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti.
“We did our first Oktoberfest at Arbor Brewing Company 10 years ago,” said Rene Greff, who owns Arbor Brewing Company with her husband Matt.
“My husband and I actually went to Oktoberfest on our honeymoon, so we were big fans of Oktoberfest and we had interest in recreating that,” she said.
The Arbor Brewing Company Pub & Eatery opened in downtown Ann Arbor in 1995, and after a few years the business was steady enough to allow the Greffs to start their own version of Oktoberfest. In 2005 the company expanded with the Corner Brewery, which allowed them to bottle and distribute their own beer and gave them a larger space for holding events.
In fact, with its own outdoor beer garden, the Corner Brewery might be the perfect place to celebrate Oktoberfest this side of the Atlantic. The festivities begin this Friday at the Corner Brewery and continue Saturday in Ann Arbor where Arbor Brewing will have a tent set up on a closed section of Washington Street.
A good celebration requires good beer, and the Corner Brewery will be flowing with it this weekend, including their fall seasonal the Olde No. 22 German Alt-Bier, which was released earlier this week.
But, as Greff explained, the tradition of Oktoberfest revolves around a certain kind of beer called Märzen — a malty, amber colored lager.
“Before refrigeration there were laws in Germany that you couldn’t brew during the summertime because your beer would tend to go bad,” Greff explained. “So the last batch of beer was made in March and then put away in cold caves and served over the summertime, and then you could start brewing again in the fall.”
The tradition of holding a large harvest festival developed as brewers tried to get rid of their March beers in September and October, in preparation for the cooler seasons. Hence “Märzen,” which means “March beer.”
It just wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without bratwurst, sauerkraut and traditional German music and dancing, though. While the Corner will provide the beer and brats, the music comes courtesy of Spass (German for “fun”), a band from the Detroit-area that has been exclusively providing the festival’s soundtrack of polka and drinking songs for years.
But from the very beginning Arbor Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest has been about more than drinking, eating and having a great time.
“We were contacted by Habitat for Humanity to help support Habitat House,” Greff explained. “And, being a new business, we didn’t have spare cash to make a contribution, so we did the original Oktoberfest as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity.”
Since then, they have used the popular event as a fundraiser for different non-profit organizations, and for the last several years have supported the Ypsilanti Area Jaycees, a group of young men and women dedicated to community service, charity and volunteering.
The good times start tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. at the Corner Brewery, located two blocks north of Depot Town on the corner of Norris and Forest. Of course, you must be over 21 to attend (it’s worth the wait).
But the fun doesn’t stop once the brats are gone.
Throughout the year, the Corner Brewery hosts a wide range of events, including sponsoring the annual Alumni Tailgate Party at Eastern’s Homecoming game this Saturday from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. outside Rynearson Stadium.
Other events this month include beer tasting classes, an introductory course for home brewers, the John Lennon Birthday Concert Fundraiser, the Ypsilanti District Library Song Writing Festival and their annual “Corner Boo-ery Costume Party” on Halloween.
And every week the Corner welcomes real beer enthusiasts to come try their skills using the Brewery’s equipment. Known as the Rat Pad Project, fearless home brewers are invited to test out their recipes and make 10 gallons of their own concoction with help from brewer Teo Rains.
Every Wednesday a new batch of unique beer is released to the public. Those interested in participating can get more information by e-mailing teo@cornerbrewery.com.
According to Greff, this week’s Rat Pad might be the strangest yet.
“I personally think the Chips and Salsa beer is one of the craziest beers,” she said.
For more information on upcoming events or to look at their current selection of beers, visit the Corner Brewery at ArborBrewing.com.
