And even this:

Photo Cred: smh.com.au & Toronto Sun.

Similarly, this past Saturday Sept 17th Steam Whistle also hosted our very own first annual Oktoberfest party! Smaller than Munich’s 6 million people extravaganza – it was a fantastic time for all.

Inspired by a staff trip to Munich during Oktoberfest, we decided to bring a piece  of the biggest festival that celebrates beer to our brewery. And we did it Steam Whistle Pilsner style:

For more photos, check out our Facebook page.

We also want to congratulate our Oktoberfest Sweepstakes winners Scott, Andrew and Jordan who won the Steam Whistle Oktoberfest Experience! The winning prize consisted of:

_Beer dinner with our cofounders, Brewmaster Marek, Canadian craft brewery pioneer Frank Heaps, and a few more brewery folks that helped welcome the winners to our Steam Whistle family.
_Private tour and tasting with our Brewmaster Marek.
_Oktoberfest at Steam Whistle golden tickets.
_Airfare & Accommodation.

Fun times!

What a great bunch. Ein Prosit!

A common question that’s often asked -

Why is Oktoberfest in September?

Although it technically starts in September, Oktoberfest is a 16-18 day beer festival held in Munich that ends on the first weekend of October and celebrates the new harvest season in the coming month.

Though our Brewery party has passed, the Steam Whistle celebrations aren’t over yet. Until mid October, bars and restaurants across Ontario will be feauturing our steins for a limited time only. See who is participating and get yours before they’re gone!

Similarly, you can also bring a piece of the festival to your home and throw your own Oktoberfest party.

Thanks again for celebrating with us.
Prosit!

Here are some tips for your party folks.

Beer. If you’re throwing a party that celebrates beer, it goes without saying that the golden nectar should be flowing all around. Traditionally at Oktoberfest, beer is served by the Maß which are 1 liter mugs. The beer maids must be able to carry 10 of these beer-filled mugs at a time (!!). For your own home, kegs are the best choice. Just an FYI, but if you’re looking for help our home delivery team will be happy to assist you, setting you up from beginning to end. Just give the Good Beer Folks a shout

Ben of Home Delivery setting up a surprise keg (what an awesome gift!)

Tapping the keg is a very special ritual. At Oktoberfest, 12pm is when the lord mayor of Munich has the honor of tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. At Steam Whistle Oktoberfest, it is our Brewmaster Marek who will be tapping the first keg of the day. Make a ritual around it at your own party!

Photo Cred: oktoberfestguide.info

Dress code. Let’s face it, lederhosen & dirndls look fantastic. Also, dressing up makes everything more festive. See: What to wear to Oktoberfest.

Food. This is just as important as beer during Oktoberfest. Some of the Oktoberfest classics include German wursts, rotisserie chickens, hot German potato salad, sauerkraut, and pork knuckles. And let’s not forget the gigantic bread pretzels and cheese.

Photo Cred: Los Angeles Foodie

Music Traditionally, Oktoberfest is celebrated with oompah bands. Oompah bands are brass bands with an accordion that play Volkstümliche Musik, a kind of German folk music. Recommendations: Stefan Mross, popular German folk musician performs “ein Prosit”….

And of course, don’t forget to share your party photos and stories with us!

Cheers to great times!

After all, who wouldn’t get excited about steins full of Steam Whistle?

So what exactly is Oktoberfest? We decided to give you a bit of an Oktoberfest 101 so you’re well prepared for the event.

Oktoberfest is the result of an extended wedding reception that followed the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. Today, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival held annually in Munich, Germany. This 16-day party attracts over 6 million people every year who consume 1.5 million gallons of beer, 200,000 pairs of pork sausage, and 480,000 spit-roasted chickens.

The largest Oktoberfest held outside of Germany takes place in Canada, in Kitchener-Waterloo where there’s a large German population present. Go Canada!

Oktoberfest beer
Oktoberfest beer is of a variety called Märzen. Similar to a Pilsner, it’s also bottom-fermented, and is lagered for at least 30 days. The brew is made according to the Reinheitsgebot act of 1516 that precisely define the four ingredients allowed in the brewing of beer: barley, hops, malt, and yeast.
Beer is served by the Maß, a one-liter mug and beer maids must be able to carry 10 of these beer-filled mugs at a time.

Now that takes skill!

Oktoberfest food
Beer and food go hand in hand so expect to see a lot of Hendl (grilled chicken), Schweinshaxe( pork knuckles) and Breze (giant pretzels). Some local specialties include roasted ox tails, grilled pork knuckles, Bavarian Weißwürste, steamed white veal sausages served with sweet mustard, sauerkraut, and a pretzel or bread roll. Dessert typically includes Dampfnudel, a steamed honey-dumpling served with vanilla sauce, apple strudel, and Kaiserschmarrn, a sugared pancake with raisins.

Photo Cred: Los Angeles Foodie

Oktoberfest music
And with beer and food, comes music. Oktoberfest is known as much for its traditional folk music marches, and polkas. The oompah music is what Germany is stereotypically famous for around the world. Before each break, the band will offer up “ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit”, a toast to a good time!

Stefan Mross, popular German folk musician performs “ein Prosit”….
See you on September 17^th as we bring traditional Oktoberfest fun into our brewery!

Steam Whistle staff trip – Oktoberfest 2010

We all look forward to partying with you!