Walking into Oktoberfest at the Exchange Brewery last Saturday, customers were greeted with upbeat polka music, festive decorations and the delicious waft of fresh German pretzels.
Running at the brewery since 2018, Oktoberfest is an opportunity for guests to try a unique selection of German beers specifically brewed for the occasion.
Head brewer Sam Maxbauer was inspired by his German upbringing.
“The small town where I grew up was a very German and Czech-influenced neighbourhood, so they kept all of the traditions alive as far as food and beer and culture,” he said Maxbauer.
“That was one of the reasons that I wanted to do this. Plus I think it’s a great way to feature some beer styles that you might not have every day.”
Kathryn Dodington, the assistant manager and event co-ordinator, explained the details of the exclusive menu and the ideas behind them.
“This is the only time of the year that we serve steins, so we have our one-litre Oktoberfest steins,” said Dodington.
“We pull our barbecue out and we’re doing bratwurst and specialty pretzels made by Treadwell Bakery.”
The day-long bash did not feature live music this year, but Dodington has high hopes of bringing it back.
“Hopefully, we will have it back in full swing for 2023,” said Dodington.
For now, guests can look forward to more unique gatherings at the brewery, including one of its biggest, Sourpalooza, next spring.
Maxbauer noted it features sour beers.
“It’s a really cool event with summer beer, lots of local producers from within the province and we usually try to have a few out-of-province and international breweries in there as well.”