By Kathy Chouteau
Oktoberfest may be on a pandemic pause but East Brother Beer Co. isn’t. In fact, the Richmond-based craft brewery released its Festbier today.
“Figuring we’re all in need of a mug of cheer, we’re releasing our world-class Festbier a little earlier this year,” said East Brother Beer Company’s Rob Lightner in a poetic turn of phrase.
According to Lightner, East Brother used Admiral Maltings “World Class Malts” in this year’s version of the brew, which in past years has earned the “World Class” title by The Beer Connoisseur Magazine. He believes their Festbier has only improved since then.
The beer features a deep golden color with a bright white head, said Lightner, and has a honey aroma “and sweet bready malt character, lightly floral with subtle stone fruit.” He added that it’s got a light-to-medium-body taste “with some earthy bitterness from the noble hops cleansing the palate.”
Since the early twentieth century, Festbier has been the beer of choice for brewers at the annual Oktoberfest in Munich, said Lightner.
“Festbier was such a hit with festival goers and brewers alike that by the 1990s it had replaced Marzen as the official Oktoberfest beer, and it still is to this day,” he added.
Beer enthusiasts thirsty for a sip of Festbier can visit East Brother Beer’s taproom at 1001 Canal Blvd. in Richmond for a pint and commemorative glass or peruse the brewery’s Beer Finder to locate it nearby.
