Nik’s Wunderbar Oktoberfest

Whitehouse Station: Matty from Nik’s sent us his Oktoberfest celebration details!

Oktoberfest is from Sept. 19th – Oct. 4th. While we do not have any umpa bands nor women in Bavarian dresses carrying 20 1 liter mugs of beer, we are kicking off Oktoberfest by tapping a very special cask of Hoffstetten Hochzeitsbier von 1810 on the 19th at 12pm. The attached beer menu/catalog describes the inventory we will be offering up for the duration of the 2 week festival and throughout October. Please note: not all beers listed will be on at once. This is a comprehensive tasting guide as to what German styles will be rotating through amongst our outstanding domestic and foreign lineup (Miller Lite aside).

Below is their happenings and beers that will be available during the 2 week festival. Nik’s also participates in the NJCB Membership Club. Stop in to 454 Route 22 West, Whitehouse Station and receive 10% off entire bill & $2 off growler fills for members! Go see our friend Matty at the bar!

Oktoberfest for us at the Wunderbar is a celebration of German food, beer, and culture in honour of the marriage of Konig Ludwig I to Therese of Saxe – Hildburghausen in 1810. For us it is a festive kick-off to a glorious beer season that lay ahead. The dog days of summer and the lighter bodied beers associated with them have traversed into painful banality. It is time to celebrate cooler days with fire pit lit evenings, heartier meals, and the transition into beers with more character and depth. The Germans have certainly excelled in personifying this seasonal shift. Through excellent examples of food and drink that revive the senses and remind us that change most certainly can be a wonderful thing we emphatically say, Prost! Celebrate with us by raising a glass of some of the finest offerings we have selected for you on this Oktoberfest.

Opening Ceremony Cask Tapping – Sept. 19th at 12pm
HOFFSTETTNER HOCHZEITSBIER von 1810 – 6.3%ABV – Unfiltered, unpasteurized, dark, strong lager brewed w/100% Munich malts and in accord with accurate historic Oktoberfest specs. This lager is a re-creation of the Maerzen (e.g. Oktoberfest) beer you would have been drinking in 1810 at the time and ceremony of the royal wedding. The lower abv and slightly lighter coloured Maerzens, brewed by Spaten for example, were derived sometime after the wedding and set the standard for and tradition of the style we know and consume today.

Draft Selections Available During the Course of the Festival and throughout October
*Denotes beer may not be available during the festival but will follow based on availability as they relate to seasonal changes or historical relevance*
Uerige Dopplesticke – Dusseldorf – 8.5%ABV – Altbier specifically brewed for US consumers. Aroma and flavours of caramel and roasted malts blended with sweet fruit and a slight bitterness
Schneider Organic Wiesen Edel-Weiss – Kelheim – 6.2%ABV – Traditionally brewed for Oktoberfest in Munich, Schneider’s facility was destroyed in 1942 during the war. Subsequently, Edel-Weiss is no longer served for the occasion because, by German law, only breweries within Munich can provide beer for the festival. Hence, the Original, was reborn and brewed at their location in Kelheim. It has a cloudy golden body w/an aroma of bread, wheat, a touch of banana, and hops. Finishes with a soft touch of bread and light hop bitterness

Schneider Aventinus – Kelheim – 8%ABV – The world’s first known top fermented wheat dopplebock displaying fruit spiciness from the top fermenting yeast and notes of chocolate from the malts. Notice aromas and flavours of dark fruits like raisins and dates intertwined with banana and clove
Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lager – Bamberg – 4.3% – Light bodied with a sweet malt accent and a touch of spice from Hallertau hops give way to a clean, dry finish. Note the hint of smoke on the aroma and palate as a result of using the same brew kettles that are used to make their classic old world smoke beer
*Aecht Schlenkerla Oak Smoke – Bamberg – 8% – Following a rather old method of drying malts over fire, this brew is kilned with oak instead of the more traditional beech. The oak, in this case, brings out a smoother smoky note than beech. Historically, oak has been regarded as a precious timber for its solid form in ship building and in the erection of and structural supports for buildings amongst other uses. Beech wood was more commonly used for recreational purposes. As a result of oak’s significance for other more pressing uses this beer was brewed in small batches and typically stored as a special commodity for consumption during Christmas. Hint hint.*

*Apostelbrau Farmhouse Bavarian Rustic Saison – 5% – A pronounced cereal flavor and a touch of vanilla are present as a result of using a variety of ancient grains. Slight hint of spice is also noticeable from the use of rye malt. Also present is a touch of “funk” possibly from the Bavarian yeast strain.*
Jever Pilsener – Jever – 4.9% – A very crisp and clean pilsener resulting from a balance created by using the same well water for over a century. Once blended with the hops a lingering bitter finish is the result and unparalleled by most pilseners
Radeberger Pilsener – Radeberg – 4.8% – A clean pilsener w/grassy notes in the body followed by a mildly bitter, yet crisp, clean finish
Erdinger Dunkelweizen – Erding – 5.3% – Well-balanced and refreshing full-bodied dunkel-weizen. Touches of caramel, roasted malt sweetness, nuts, spice, and light fruit flavour (banana) blend in both aroma and flavour
Erdinger Oktoberfest – Erding – 5.7% – Unpasteurized Maerzen w/a slightly sweet and spiced aroma which gives way to flavours of some malt and fruit sweetness. Finishes w/a touch of wheat tanginess. Not as malt-forward as other Maerzens
Ayinger Oktoberfest – Aying – 5.8% – This Maerzen is medium bodied w/flavours of caramel malt sweetness, bread/biscuit, and a subtle floral hop aroma. A beautifully well-crafted Maerzen from start to finish
Warsteiner Oktoberfest – Warstein – 5% – Well-balanced and mildly smooth, it has a slight nutty, toffee, malt body w/a touch of hops in the soft finish
Konig Ludwig Weiss – Kaltenberg – 5.5% – Hefeweizen w/notes of malt, wheat, and banana. The perfect introduction to the style
Weihenstephaner Vitus – Weihenstephan – 7.7% – Slightly spiced single bock wheat beer w/fruit aromas and flavours of apricot, banana, & citrus
Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weissbier – Weihenstephan – 5.4% – Beautiful wheat beer w/an aroma of clove and flavour of banana. Well-balanced and refreshing, this beer just may be the prime example of what other brewers should look up to when entertaining the style
Spaten Oktoberfest – Munich – 5.9% – Maerzen amber in colour w/a medium body boasting a roasted malt aroma and flavour
Hofbrau Oktoberfest – Munich – 6.3% – Rich, full-bodied beer w/notes of bread, malt sweetness, and a slight spice hint
Neshaminy Creek Dunks Ferry – 5.2% – Dunkelweizen brewed in Croydon, PA w/flavours of clove, banana, bread, &/a full-on delicious malt body to sweeten the pot
Ramstein Amber – 5% – Amber lager brewed in Butler, NJ w/a rich malty aroma, smooth palate, and a spice-hop character

Bottle Only Bavarian Beauties
Apostelbrau First Bavarian Pale Ale – 5% -16.9Fl.Oz. – The 1st Bavarian pale ale brewed in the English tradition. An aroma of fruit w/an unfiltered malt body, and a fruity hop-spice finish
Apostelbrau Historic Roggenbier – 5.3% -16.9Fl.Oz. – Rye beer w/hints of spice, a subtle malt sweetness, & dry finish
Ettaler Curator – 9% – 16.9Fl.Oz. – Rich dopplebock wheat w/notes of fig, fruitcake, port, licorice, cherry, raisin, chocolate, toffee, coffee, & caramel. Whew! No doubt a sipper and the perfect bottle to split for dessert

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