Ways to Celebrate Oktoberfest in 2020
It’s that time of year again! You can smell the pumpkin spice in the air and feel the warmth of the sweater on your shoulders. And you know what that means – Oktoberfest season is upon us. As the world’s largest “Volksfest”, Oktoberfest had some fairly fancy beginnings in Munich, Germany in 1810. Originally intended as a wedding celebration for Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen, Oktoberfest was originally a 16-18 day feast held annually in mid September to early October. The trendy royals really knew how to please the people and eventually, Oktoberfest became a celebration of beer.
At PYP, we want to bring you the best content and brightest ideas. So in honor of Ludwig and Therese, we have a few great ideas for your #quarantine Oktoberfest.
Rally up a few friends and create a beer exchange!
Depending on the size of your group, everyone participating will need to purchase a different 12 or 24-pack of beer. Then gather together or drop off the tasty beverages at one friends house to do some safe social distancing dividing!
Pittsburgh has a ton of great Oktoberfest beers to offer. Here are a few highlights:
- Southern Tier Brewing Company’s Pumking Imperial Ale – ABV: 8.6%
Available at their Northshore location and several local distributors. - East End Brewing’s Big Hop Harvest Ale – ABV: 6.4%
Available in four packs and cases at their Julius Street location. - Blockhouse Brewing Pumpkin Ale – ABV: 7.0%
Available at Iron City Brewing, Save-More Beer and Pop Warehouse and several local distributors. - Penn Brewery’s Penn Oktoberfest – ABV: 5.5%
Available at Save-More Beer and Pop Warehouse and several local distributors. The brewery is temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
And in case beer just isn’t your thing, here are a few different ideas for your Oktoberfest.
Cider and Cider Cocktails
In Pittsburgh, we are partial to Arsenal Cider House, Threadbare Cider House & Meadery,and Knockin’ Noggin Cider & Winery. Each cider house is unique and packs some powerful flavors that often pertain to the seasons. So keep a lookout for some fall, spiced cider to be released!
However, if you’re looking to add a little something to your cider in your cozy cottage, check out 2020s top 20 easy fall cocktails.
Unwind with some Wine
Wine, like beer and cider, is both seasonal and classic. Check out the recipe below for mulled wine to keep your warm on the cool, fall nights.
Mulled Wine
- 1 Stock pot
- 1 Bottle of Dry Red Wine (like a Cab Sauv or a Merlot)
- 2 Cups of Sweet Vermouth (some recipes replace the excess alcohol with fresh-squeezed orange juice or regular apple cider)
- ⅓ Cup of Sugar or Honey
- 2 Tbsps of Mulling Spices *
- 2-4 Orange Peels for Garnish
Pull out your stock pot and get everything in there, but hold on your spices and the garnish. Get your mulling spices into a tea infuser or bind them in some cheese cloth and tie it up with some baker’s twine. Place the spices into the mix and simmer that spicy mixture for about 20 minutes. Let the mix cool down and then get your fanciest glasses or fun eclectic mug set out. Pour the mix into your favorite cup of choice, then garnish with orange peel. To get the best aroma from your orange peel, twist it and heat them up slightly with a match or over a flame – use tongs to hold the orange peel, please.
* You can buy these just about anywhere, but we suggest checking out your local shops for these. For those of us who enjoy being #extra, try this recipe for how to make your own dry mulling spices mix.
Authored by Cate Foradori, PR Committee Chair and Stacy Skiavo, Account Manager for AlphaGraphics/Food Bloggerfiled under: Press Release