The host with the prost
It’s the season for wiesn at Beachcrest Brewing
By Sabine Wilson
For the TODAY
You don’t need an excuse to grab a beer and celebrate with your loved ones But if you are looking for one, the perfect opportunity has arrived.
The Beachcrest Brewing Company is throwing its second annual OktoberCrest bash, filled with great beer and live music from Friday, Sept 24, through Sunday, Sept 26.
“We want OktoberCrest to be filled with Gemütlichkeit!” said Amy White, who owns the brewery with husband and head brewer Matt White. “‘Gemütlichkeit’ is an awesome German word that roughly translates to feelings of warmth, hospitality, friendliness, good cheer and that feeling you get from sharing fun times with the people you love.”
OktoberCrest is a family-friendly event.
“The perfect OktoberCrest to us is safe for people of all ages,” Matt said, “and filled with good music, good drinks, fun games and general well-being.”
Oktoberfest’s roots date back to 1810 and the celebration of the marriage between Princess Therese Von Sachsen-Hildburghausen and Bavarian crown prince Ludwig, who would later reign as Ludwig I.
Think costumes, parades and, of course, dancing and live music. And at the forefront of it all — beer. The total beer consumption in Munich’s annual Oktoberfest is around two million gallons; enough to fill three Olympic-size pools.
Here on the Oregon Coast, Beachcrest’s beautiful outdoor beer garden makes for a perfect venue.
A game that owners Matt and Amy most look forward to is stein hoisting, a traditional strength contest that originated in Bavaria. Competitors hold a full liter beer stein straight in front of their bodies, with arms at full stretch. The last person standing in position is the winner.
Speaking of beer, have we mentioned the brewery’s delicious lineup of beer releases?
“The star of the show is our OktoberCrest Marzen lager,” Matt said. “It will be on draft and in limited-release cans. It’s a German amber lager modeled after the special beer created for the first Oktoberfest celebration and is the perfect fall thirst quencher.”
“We’ll also be releasing our Pumpkin Porter,” Amy said. “It’s a dark porter brewed with gobs of pumpkin in the mash along with cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup served with a cinnamon and sugar rim. It’s a local favorite this time of year.”
Also featured will be this year’s hefeweizen, upon which the brewery has “gone full Bavarian.”
“It’s a creamy and hazy wheat ale” Amy said, “with the distinctly banana and clove character of Bavarian wheat ale yeast, which is super tasty and refreshing.”
And, last but not least, is one more hoppy nod to the season.
“Our brand-new Imperial Pumpkin Pie Ale tastes like your grandma’s special recipe for Thanksgiving dessert,” Matt said.
To complement the delicious beer options, Beachcrest neighbor Squatchsami will offer a special OktoberCrest menu.
And as far as the epic Oktoberfest outfits go, now is your chance to don your best authentic German apparel.
“Visitors are encouraged to dress up,” Amy said. “But it is certainly not required.”
So dust off your dirndls (a traditional Bavarian dress) and bust out your lederhosen so you can bring Germany to the Oregon Coast.
Or show your spirit with some top-notch souvenirs.
“We will have limited amounts of our one-of-a-kind OktoberCrest t-shirts along with our mugs,” Amy said. “But get them early because they are bound to run out. The mug is a traditional German ceramic mug with our OktoberCrest 2021 designs on it; a great collector’s item.”
OktoberCrest will run from noon to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 25, and noon to 7 on Sunday, Sept. 26. Beachcrest Brewing Company is located in the Salishan Marketplace, 7755 Highway 101, just south of Lincoln City. For more information, go to beachcrestbrewing.com.
Live music schedule
Friday
• Tigers of Youth: an upbeat rock trio, 5 to 8 pm
Saturday
• Run and Tell That: a local duo playing your favorite ’70s hits, 1:30 to 3:30 pm
• John Bringetto: strolling from table to table serenading with his accordion, 3:45 to 4:45 pm
• The Perry Gerber Band: local favorites playing rock and blues, 5-8 pm
Sunday
• Lincoln Pops Big Band: This 20-piece band delivers authentic German Oktoberfest polkas, waltzes and marches with classic big band swing, 2 to 5 pm