O’Zapft Is! That’s old Bavarian for “it is tapped” and it’s how Oktoberfest is started every year in Munich, with the ceremonial tapping of that year’s batch of Oktoberfest beer. This year, we will be tapping TWO Oktoberfest beers to kick off the beginning of Golden Age Oktoberfest, and, for opening day, we’re pouring both out of traditional wooden gravity kegs, just like they do in Munich. Be there right at 4 p.m. to enjoy watching us hammer in the faucets to the barrels, and be the first to enjoy these beers the traditional way (and to be the first to try our new Oktoberfest food menu).

The first beer is Golden Age Oktoberfest, a full-bodied, amber-hued lager that takes the traditional character of a märzen and combines it with the dry and eminently drinkable finish of modern day Munich festbiers.

The second beer is perhaps the most authentic märzen ever brewed in these parts. “Märzen” means “March” in German, and, pursuant to traditional Bavarian brewing laws, had to be brewed in March at the end of the brewing season, and was lagered six long month until it was tapped at Oktoberfest. Here at Golden Age, we cut no corners in our recreation of this beautiful style, and we have patiently lagered our Golden Age Rauchbier Märzen for the last six months after brewing it in March. Keeping with even more traditional techniques, we used smoked malt in this beer to create a beer reminiscent of older, traditional kilning techniques that would have imparted a smoky flavor into the malts. We’re proud of this beer, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Finally, we’ll also be releasing our commemorative glass Oktoberfest “boot” stein alongside of them ($20 on its own and $25 with a beer in it!)

Prost!