It's Time: Samuel Adams Octoberfest

About 20 or so years ago, I discovered there was more to the world than Bud Light. Hey, don't judge me...this is confession time. As a Boilermaker, there was a lot to be said for a case of returnable long neck bottles picked up at any number of local West Lafayette bottle shops.

My movement from swill to beer was not overnight. Friends still joke at my "rage" when I discovered my dear Dad picked up a new beer called Samuel Adams instead of my bellwether fizzy lager. While I called it unacceptable, Dad said it was labeled "The Best Beer in America." As what tends to happen, Father knows best. He was right and like most things in life, I didn't know it yet.

Years later, that story is STILL talked about today. 

Two decades ago, my taste buds hit on malty sweet beers. While I liked IPA's, I was all in for amber ales and marzens. It is no surprise, the fall was my favorite beer time of the year. Samuel Adams Octoberfest was my Christmas.

Octoberfest is a complex malt forward lager. It's a marzen style, which means it was brewed in March, the last month beer could be brewed and lagared prior to the days of refrigeration. It was enjoyed in the fall after a summer of fermentation.

I always try to hold off on Octoberfest till the 1st of September, but I never make it. This year is no different.

For fans of Samuel Adams, not only does this time of year mean Octoberfest, but it also signals the arrival of their annual Stein-Hoisting competition. There can only be one Stein Hoister of the year. Will it be you?

I know one thing for sure. It won't be me. Instead of keeping my arm stretched out, I find the stein automatically gravitates towards my mouth.

It's a problem.

I can't guarantee I'm working on it.

Note: My friends at Samuel Adams provided me with the stein and samples of Samuel Adams Octoberfest. It goes with the other bottles already in my beer fridge I paid for myself. My love for the company runs deep, as I am a stockholder of Boston Beer. My opinions are grounded in two decades of malt filled love