Oktoberfest is the worlds largest fair taking place every year in Bavaria. You can also throw your own Oktoberfest party using the following Oktoberfest party ideas:
1. Get some cardboard to make your invitations. Cut out shapes of lederhosen, beer goggles, beer glasses, beer kegs, beer steins and bratwurst. Remember to say on your invites that they will be charged an admittance fee if they fail to dress up!
2. For costumes, the guys are expected to wear lederhosen leather shorts. They are truly horrible but very funny. Get some braces to hold them up! Also you’ll need some knee height white socks and a hat with a feather in!
3. For the ladies, you should consider dressing up in a traditional alpine peasant girl costume. This includes a tight bodice and a lacy blouse.
4. The Bavarian flag is of blue and white, so get plenty of decorations including balloons in these colors.
5. To make your venue look like a traditional brau haus bier keller, you need long wooden tables and benches. If necessary fix them together, but they should be in a long line!
6. Cut out bratwursts, lederhosen, beer glasses and beer kegs from cardboard and hang them from the ceiling. If you’re ambitious, you can also hang gingerbread men up too.
7. Dont forget the German flag to hang on the walls and miniature versions for the tables. It may not be pretty, but its traditional!
8. Consider hiring out a brass band to play traditional beer hall music. This of course is budget dependant!
9. You should make some of the many famous German dishes such as; garlic bread, weiner schnitzel, sausage stuffed mushrooms, pretzels, sauerkraut, nuremburgers, meatloaf, bratwurst, black forest cake, apple strudel and gingerbread.
10. Finally on to the beer! Germany makes the best beer in the world! Get in a wide variety of German beer as people will be wanting to sample many different kinds of beer. Make sure you have plenty of glasses and even beer steins.
We hope you have found some useful Oktoberfest Party Ideas here as well as inspiration for your party! We also have many more Oktoberfest Party Ideas to help you with your party preparations and enable you to throw the best Oktoberfest party possible that your guests and yourself will remember forever!
Filed under beer by Damian Jackson
Learn How To Make Your Own German Beer
Throughout Germany, beer is very popular with the culture. Germany contains well over 1,000 breweries, which is more than any other location in the world. All beer that is manufactured in Germany must follow the purity law, which lets manufacturers know what ingredients can and can’t be used. Basically, the only ingredients allowed to make beer in Germany are water, hops, and barley malt. Click here if you like to learn how to make your own German beer.
Due to the strict purity requirements, you can easily notice German beers by their overall level of quality. They have a distinct taste, with little to no aftertaste. Some styles of German ale include Koelsch, Weizen, and Altbier. Some types of German lagers include Bock, Pilsener, Dunkel, Helles, and Maerzen. Keep in mind that the taste, aroma, and color can vary, although all can be identified as being true German beers.
The German beer Altbier
The German beer Altbier is a very common dark ale, that is top fermented in the lower regions of Germany. The beer proposes a yellow color, with a taste that is rich in hops. Another ale, Rauchbier, is known to have a smoky flavor with a smoked color. These beers taste great, and happen to be very popular throughout the regions of Germany.
German lagers are also very popular, and happen to be popular in other areas of the world as well. Pilsener is one of the most popular and most familiar of all German beers, providing you with more hops and less malt. Pilsener can be found for sale all over the world, and happens to be very popular throughout North America as well. Several bars serve it as well, as it happens to be one of the most popular dark lagers out there.
4,000 different brands of beer
Throughout Germany, there are several different companies, produce over 4,000 different brands of beers. Some of the more well known and larger companies of north Germany are Beck, St. Pauli, Warsteiner, and Krombach. In the southern region of Germany, there are more breweries, although most of them are smaller, as they are locally owned and operated. Southern Germany also contains the Benedictine Abbey, which is one of the oldest breweries in the world. This brewery started producing beer in 1040 – very impressive indeed!
Germany is also home to Oktoberfest, which is held every year in Munich. Oktoberfest starts in late September and carries on for two weeks, ending in early October. During Oktoberfest, beer drinkers from all over the world will travel to Germany and celebrate German beers. Each and every year, over 5 million people attend the event, making it one of the biggest beer celebrations in the world.
During Oktoberfest, local breweries in Munich are the only breweries allowed to serve beer in the bigger tents. There are six breweries in total, producing a variety of different beers. By attending this yearly event, you can learn more about German beer, sample the different varieties, and enjoy the rich bold flavors that make German beer so very popular.
Due to the success Oktoberfest gets each and every year, other cities around the world try and mimic this event. Even though they have success, their level of success isn’t near as much as the original Oktoberfest – Germany. German beers are very popular around the world, with Oktoberfest helping to prove that very claim. If you drink beer but have never experienced what beers from Germany have to offer, you really should give them a try. Once you do, you’ll quickly realize why German beers are so very popular – and why the taste simply can’t be duplicated with any other beer. Click here if you like to learn how to make your own German beer.
Filed under Wine-Spirts by JamesJay
David Artsmith - There are a lot of pros and cons to throwing a party. From an optimistic perspective, being the host puts you automatically on your own home ground, with all of the advantages that come from such a situation. On the other hand it’s a lot of work. You are going to have a lot of people coming into your space, touching your things, and making a general mess.
However the bottom line is, if your going to bother to throw a party, you want to do it right. The question is, how do you ensure that you are the best host that you can possibly be?
The cornerstone of throwing a successful party is to understand the needs of your guests. Depending on who you invite, people will have vastly different requirements and expectations. You have to know the people who will be attending, and be able to interpret their vision of a successful party, in order to provide the experience they are looking for.
To a large extent throwing a party is about image. You are creating an atmosphere, a festive spirit that settles upon your home and encourages people to relax and enjoy their time there. Without this subtle feeling of celebration a party will suffer from a lack of inspiration.
Creating this subtle spirit is about adding details that cue of celebratory responses in the human mind. For instance, festive lights sparkling in a window or from the ceiling, makes people instantly think of a party, or a special occasion. The same can be true of colors which are brighter, or patterns which are reflective.
You also have to consider the physical temperature of the environment. You have to remember that when a building is filled with humans giving off body heat, its going to be considerably warmer than before the party when its relatively empty. Be sure to have access to windows that you can open if necessary, and fans or even air conditioning if possible. In general air conditioning is problematic as it tends to cool off only one small area, and since you have to close the windows it can often leaving the space feeling stuffy. For this reason you may want to stick to fans that can better circulate the air in the space.
Food and drink is often the centerpiece of a party. Whether it’s a formal dinner engagement, or just a cocktail party with some friends, it is customary to provide a variety of refreshments to entertain the taste buds of your party guests.
Appetizers are pretty standard party fare. In general this will consist of small finger foods, or tiny portions of specialty dishes which are easy to eat while walking around and being mobile. In the case of parties centered around a meal of course the food will be much more elaborate and on stage.
As for drinks, you should be certain to provide a wide range of beverages. people tend to be finicky about liquids, with many people having very specific tastes as to what drinks they like and which ones they will refuse to imbibe. By having a wide assortment on hand you will ensure that everyone is satisfied. Don’t forget to have plenty of drink coasters around to protect your surfaces.
The question of whether or not to use disposable dishes and utensils is one which is hotly debated. On the one hand disposable implements are a lot easier to clean up, and when a party is over you will be thankful for every short cut you can take. However disposable utensils are also not as good for the environment, creating a huge glut of trash. They are also less attractive and stylish. When you compare a cheap plastic Spork to an elegant metal spoon, there is really no contest.
When getting your home ready for a fancy party it is important to consider your guests first. Who are they, what will they expect, how can you make them feel more comfortable? You have to answer all of these questions while preparing for the party.
Filed under Wine-Spirts by JamesJay
Half-pint, pint, liter, you say? When ordering one to drink, perhaps. But, when it comes to measuring beer, brewers have something else entirely in mind.
Specific Gravity
For reasons known only to history, the term ’specific gravity’ refers to a liquid’s density. By convention, pure water is assigned a specific gravity (SG) of 1.00 at 15.5C (60F) and is used as a standard. The 1.00 refers to the fact that the density of H2O, in metric units, is 1 kg/liter. So, if a liter of beer has an SG of 1.05 it will have a mass of 1.05 kg.
Filed under home brewing by jamesjohn
The malting process starts by soaking the grain, causing it to begin to germinate. Small rootlets sprout and the grain is then kiln-dried, crushed and roasted. Roasting stops the germination process, but if stopped in time, leaves needed enzymes active. Most home brew kits containing malt are actually dried wort. Malt preparation is a science in itself and brew chemists are continually striving to improve the process. Malting has a significant effect on the flavor, naturally. But even good malting processes can inadvertently add unpleasant characteristics to the starting material of beer. Malt components can cause bottom-fermenting yeast (used in lagers) to flocculate (gather) prematurely. They can produce off-flavors, alter the foaming character, produce haze and even introduce toxins into beer.
Filed under home brewing, home brewing beer recipes, home brewing supplies by jamesjohn
Ale yeast is said to be ‘top-fermenting’ since the yeast cells tend to accumulate (’flocculate’) at the top. Lager yeast migrates to the bottom of the tank during fermentation and so is called ‘bottom-fermenting’. In the case of ale yeast, some interaction with oxygen takes place during fermentation. Ale yeast ferments quicker, a few days to two. Temperature ranges vary, though, and can easily be in the higher range. Many ale yeasts have a full-bodied, fruity aroma and taste. Wheat beer yeast goes into this ale-style brew, where it helps produce a fruity, intense character.
Filed under Beer News, beer, beer recipe, home brewing by jamesjohn
The character of the malts, hops and the brewing process in total contribute to the feel of the brew in the mouth. Carbon dioxide bubbles interact with receptors on the tongue and influence whether the brew feels thick or light, creamy or thin. Brews run the gamut from metallic to astringent to warm and gentle. Often the aspect focused on most, flavor is rightly so the center of the beer tasting experience. Research suggests there are over a 1000 identifiable flavors in a given brew. Of these, professional tasters can identify around 100 distinct flavors.
Filed under Beer News, Wine-Spirts, beer by jamesjohn
Start with a clean, dry glass for each brew being considered. Appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, flavor and aftertaste all play a part in the experience, along with more subtle aspects. Humans are visual creatures. What they see strongly influences their subsequent perceptions. A glass of dark brown with a creamy brown two-inch head will create another. But, blind taste tests often produce surprising results. Many have identified their favorite brew as dull or even distasteful aroma.
Filed under Beer News, beer, beer dispensers by jamesjohn
Beer tasting professionals have developed practices over decades that can easily be used by anyone wanting to maximize their tasting experience. Begin with a fresh brew. Use a clean, air-dried glass. Cotton and paper particles can introduce unwanted character, can interfere with head production and oils and dirt can interfere with aromas and alter head retention. For extra foamy brews, pause mid-way then finish. Experience the aroma.
Filed under Beer News, Wine-Spirts, beer by jamesjohn
As a flavoring agent hops contribute in multiple ways. The fruit of the hop plant contains compounds called alpha acids. At the same time, like many plants, hops contain oils that add distinctive aromas. Scottish ales began using hops only much later. Noble hops alone, for example, come in four types. Names more familiar to English readers, but derived from their European ancestors, are such types as Goldings – an English hop used in some ales – and Fuggles, a woody hop developed in England in the late 19th century.
Filed under beer dispensers, home brewing, home brewing beer recipes by jamesjohn
Water might be the most varied chemical compound on the planet. Two of the major elements are Ca, calcium and Mg, magnesium. These two add the ‘hardness’ in hard water. Ca, for example, helps produce an acid that balances the alkaline phosphates found in malts. Chlorine, Cl, for example helps keep bacteria from building up in commercial water supplies. But it adds a bitter taste and can contribute to killing yeast. It’s the yeast that turns malt sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation. High levels can contribute to haze, though.
Filed under Beer News, home brewing, home brewing beer recipes by jamesjohn
Which glass looks best for beer presentation is largely a subjective issue. For the utmost in tasting, hand-wash your glass in warm water and rinse well. Allow to air dry. Hand towels, and especially paper towels, can introduce bits of cloth or paper.
Purists will avoid frosting the glass, since that can change the temperature and introduce moisture into the brew. The Weizen is named for Weizenbier (wheat beer), a Bavarian brew. The traditional English serving glass is the Pint Glass (or Becker), a tall, round, tumbler-shaped container with thin walls. The Stange is a traditional German-style, a straight cylinder used to serve delicate beers. They function well to concentrate volatiles, leading to a heady aroma. Malt and hop complexity is easier to judge using these fine serving vessels
Filed under Beer News, beer, beer dispensers by jamesjohn
Even so simple an act as pouring a glass of beer is surrounded with controversy. When the glass is half-full, (not half-empty, there are no pessimists among beer pouring specialists!), tip the glass upright and continue to pour into the middle.
Gentle pouring down the side of the tilted glass helps keep the foam down to moderate height. Steepen the angle or pour from a higher distance for thicker foam. For those who want the maximum that a beer offers, pour some of the settled yeast out of the bottle into the glass. See, nothing about pouring escapes controversy!
Filed under Beer News, beer, beer dispensers by jamesjohn
In recent times the low calorie beer has gotten a lot of attention. The main reason is that people are trying to be healthier but they don’t want to give up drinking beer. Beers that are low calories usually have fewer calories and give up some flavor. By brewing your own low calorie beer, you can have a healthy drink without sacrificing the flavor too much. Brewing your own beer is difficult enough, brewing a low calorie beer is even harder. Calculating the calories per ingredient or messing with sugar alternatives doesn’t make it easy.
Filed under Beer News, Wine-Spirts, home brewing by jamesjohn
With the mashing process of malted grain completed, certain duties have been relieved in order to continue the beer brewing process. It is at this stage commonly that the amateur home brewer can enter the process of beer brewing with readily available liquid malt extract in a can. Whether the raw ingredients of barley grain are more difficult to come by, or the brewer wishes to bypass the elementary level of mashing, these canned syrups which just require the addition of water can certainly make the whole brewing process more convenient to the average consumer brewer.
Brewing beer has its basic fundamentals, although they are not entirely a set of rules which must be adhered to precisely. Manipulating each part of the brewing process can result in various outcomes, and in changing these, a brewer can determine the characteristics desired in the brew.
More on All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait for the Fermentation
Filed under Beer News, beer, beer recipe, home brewing by jamesjohn
Interested in expanding your horizons, as far as your beer consumption is concerned? Learn about the different beers out there and how they are made. Beer has been in our midst for as long as anyone can remember it is one of the most common alcohol beverage to be consumed in the world. But its worth a thought as to how beer is actually made.
Ask any publican, hotelier or bar owner as to what makes a good bar, you will probably get the same answer: “One that makes money.” However, if you ask a customer what makes for a good bar you will get a myriad of different answers, and as a good bar attracts customers its important to know what they want.
Filed under Beer News by jamesjohn
Wondering why the hobby of home brewing is growing? It isn’t the recession, people will always find ways to afford beer and alcohol. The main reason the hobby of brewing beer at home is becoming so popular is because it is fun.
Filed under beer by jamesjohn
I ran across a nice little article that talks about some of the simple differences of starter home beer making kits. The most basic of basic kits will only have just the most limited instructions that will be kind of hard to follow. The new home brewer should read a home brewing for dummies type book first. It will make the first time much easier. On the other hand there are some deluxe beer making kits that even include the sanitizer and the malts, just short of the stainless steel pot to brew it in. The important thing to remember when ordering a home brewing kit, is there is two types, the refill kit when you have all the basic equipment to brew beer and the other is the true starter kit.
Quote from Source Article
“Please be aware that some instruction sets that come with starter beer kits are very basic and hard to follow, you’ll stand a far better chance of great tasting beer when using your beer kit first time round by following the instructions from a resource designed to help beginners, where you’ll get all the facts to get you ready to brew.”
article source http://homebrewingmastery.com/31/beer-kit-10-facts-you-need-to-know/
Filed under beer, home brewing by jamesjohn
David Artsmith - Champagne is a celebration, it’s a toast, and it’s the way to bring in the New Year with good cheer. This form of sparkling wine is the beverage of choice for our most joyous occasions, and our most formal ceremonies. So, how did this bubbly brew get to have such a place of honor and dignity in human society?
Part of the reason for champagne’s upscale reputation is that the nature of the liquid itself is festive. Store under high pressure, the bottle opens up slowly, with someone teasing the cork from the head of the bottle slowly. Even as they do anticipation rises in the room as everyone waits with bated breath for that one, loud, POP, that burst of sound that signals that the party is ready to begin. This is often followed by a spray of foam as it escapes eagerly from the body of the bottle
Then, when you put the champagne to your lips, it’s like the liquid is actually dancing on your tongue. A thousand tiny explosions of flavor pop in your mouth, until it almost feels alive inside of you; alive and ready to party.
Champaign is often coupled with wine coasters, or upscale drinks coasters in order to enhance the effect of the bottle through presentation.
There is also another explanation as to why Champagne has been so associated with celebratory events over the years. Its relatively expensive. The only liquid that can actually be legally labeled as “champagne” has to be made in the Champagne region of France. Anything else which is called champagne is actually just a sparkling wine, at least according to the government of France. Because of the limited amount of the beverage which can be produced in this one region, it is priced higher. The higher price makes it a “special occasion” beverage.
This perception of being “special” and “celebratory” is one which champagne makers do their best to preserve. That is why the law exists determining who can and cannot name their product using that specific label. It is also why millions of dollars are spent each year to hold contests to see who makes the absolute best champagne in the world.
Champagne is a festive beverage that naturally excites all five of the senses. This combined with a perception as being special, have combined to make this one of our most beloved celebratory drinks.
Filed under Wine-Spirts by JamesJay
If you love drinking beer and are thinking about starting a home brewing system, there are a few things to keep in mind. Starting your own home beer brewing system is really not all that difficult, but it is important to follow the given steps so that you know that you are going to be doing it correctly.
How to Begin
To start your very own home brewing system, the first thing that you want to do is figure out what type of beer you are interested in brewing in your home. Maybe you like a few different types and want to have some variety, or you know that there is one specific type of beer that you would prefer to brew. Whatever the case, the point is that you are going to need to get this figured out before you will be able to get started brewing beer in your home.
Also for your home brewing system, of course you are going to need to equip yourself with all the necessary supplies. Chances are that you do not have the home brewing equipment and ingredients that you are going to need to brew beer in your home, and there are a few that are particularly important here.
For your home brewing system, you are going to need some brewpots and kettles. These are what are going to be used in the actual brewing process of the beer. The pots and pans you use for cooking shouldn’t be used for brewing for several reasons. First, they are likely to be too small for use. Second, after brewing there will be a residue from the beer on the pots and pans that will get on your food the next time you cook.
When beginning a home brewing system, it is important to stick with your budget if you have one. However, be sure to acquire the best supplies possible so they will last a long time.
You also want to make sure, before you start with a home brewing system that you are researched and know what you are doing before you try to get going here. This way you are going to know what you are doing and will have a better understanding. Brewing your own beer at home can really be a lot of fun but you just need to make sure that you are properly prepared first.
See Also: Home Brewing Supplies
Filed under Wine-Spirts by JamesJay
The good thing about a beer brewing machine is that it is basically a plug and go situation. When you buy the machine, it comes complete with all the ingredients and detailed instructions. You go through the steps and make one good batch of beer. Also a beer brewing machine is sold to make one and only one batch of beer and then, in theory, you are supposed to throw it away.
Filed under beer by Greg Holmes
