Lace up your dirndls and brush down your lederhosen, Oktoberfest – despite its name – is right around the corner. Can't you hear that tuba harumping, that currywurst sizzling, that keg tapping?
Many North Jersey breweries, bars and towns are holding Oktoberfest celebrations this year. They're releasing Oktoberfest beers (märzens and festbiers), booking polka bands, order drinking vessels shaped like boots and practicing their pretzel-salting techniques.
Celebrations of the iconic fall beerfest begin in North Jersey on Sept. 12 (and, in fact, the real-deal Oktoberfest in Munich begins Sept. 19 and runs through Oct. 4.).
The festivities – from lederhosen and dirndl costume contests to stein-hoisting competitions and German barbecues – are silly, fun and provide a good reason to get out of the house and commune with hundreds of your newest drinking partners.
Today, we know Oktoberfest as an annual autumnal celebration of German culture, beer and food. Celebrations often include stein (beer glass) hoisting competitions, oompah music, "costume" contests for the best dirndl and lederhosen and, of course, day drinking.
Though maybe not as raucous as it can get now, Oktoberfest has always been a celebratory event. The first Oktoberfest took place in October 1810 in Munich, Germany, when Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria, later King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. They had a horse race and children wore Bavarian folk costumes, paying homage to the royal family with flowers, fruits and poems.
It was so fun they did it over and over again. In time, it grew into the modern festival we know today: the biggest folk and beer festival in the world, with millions of beer pilgrims traveling to Munich in late September to drink in beer halls and gallivant around town.
Oktoberfest celebrations have spread around the globe, including North Jersey, where towns, breweries and restaurants organize festivities, sometimes for a day and sometimes for weeks. Craft breweries release German-style lagers, including the classic Oktoberfest beer, märzen.
When you see a beer labeled "Oktoberfest," it's typically a style called märzen. It's an old beer that Bavarians commonly drank in celebrations; due to a Bavarian brewing ordinance back in the day, brewers couldn't make beer in the summer months, and so they made batches of this märzen lager in the spring (märzen is German for March), let it slowly lager over the summer and then put kegs of it in cold storage until they were tapped at Oktoberfest.
Brewers today don't make märzen in that manner – they have neither the space nor the time to sit on beer for four months or more, and it doesn't necessarily equate to a better product. Today's märzens are developed on typical lager timelines: four to eight weeks.
You'll also typically see one other distinct style marketed as an Oktoberfest beer: Festbier, a cousin of märzen that's lighter in body and color. Depending on the maker of any given märzen or festbier, you might not be able to tell the difference. After a few of them, you won't care.
Local craft brewers like Oakflower in Millington, Jersey Girl in Budd Lake and Seven Tribesman in Wayne make exceptional märzens you ought to go seek out now.
If there's an American contribution to autumnal beers, it's pumpkin ale. Actually, colonial Americans came up with the first pumpkin beers after finding a scarcity of barley and other traditional ingredients like barley.
Modern drinkers know, however, that pumpkin ale has mutated from its humble roots – while there are refined, subtle versions from mid-major breweries like Schlafly, Dogfish Head and Sam Adams, there are also saccharine spice bombs that are akin to drinking a candle.
The point is, you have options for drinking come Oktoberfest (including an Ecto Cooler sour ale from Magnify in Fairfield that'll make nostalgic Millennials weep). Here are a few of my favorites and a list of Oktoberfest celebrations at which to drink them.
Oktoberfest at Zeppelin Hall, Jersey City: Beginning Sept. 12, stop by daily for German beer (100 beers on tap) and food, live music and an outdoor biergarten. On Sept. 19, there'll be a new Bavarian fashion show. 88 Liberty View Drive, Jersey City; 201-721-8888.
Seven Tribesmen Brewery Oktoberfest, Wayne: Sept. 18-27. Two weekends of stein-holding competitions, live music and great beer. 1151 NJ-23, Wayne; 973-706-7337.
Oktoberfest at Hoboken Biergarten, Hoboken: Weekends Sept. 18-Oct. 17. Weekend-long celebrations with stein-holding contests, keg-tapping ceremonies, barbecue, music, beer and more. 1422 Grand St., Hoboken; 201-918-1876.
Bolero Snort, Czig Meister and Brix City 'Oxtoberfest,' Carlstadt: Sept. 12, 12-10 p.m. Traditional oompah music, pretzel-eating contest, stein-hoisting, Bavarian bingo and beer from three local breweries. 316 20th St., Carlstadt; 201-464-0639.
Ramstein Beer Oktoberfest Open House and Pig Roast, Butler: Sept. 12. Stop by for the release of the Ramstein Oktoberfest Lager and stay for the pig roast, featuring multiple barbecue options. 14 Kiel Ave., Butler; ramsteinbeer.com.
Oktoberfest at Mountain Creek Resort, Vernon: Sept. 19-20. Sky rides, lawn games, music, contests, a petting zoo and plenty of German food and beer. 200 Route 94, Vernon; mountaincreek.com.
Ghost Hawk Brewing Poured Fresh Festival, Clifton: Sept. 19. Stop by this annual fall kickoff party for live music, seasonal beer and lots of unique vendors. 321 River Road, Clifton; ghosthawkbrewing.com.
Fort Nonsense Brewing Oktoberfest, Randolph: Sept. 26-27. 16 beers on tap including new seasonal releases, plus live music, stein-hoisting, flower crown decorating, lawn games, food and more. 220 Franklin Road, Randolph; 862-397-4777.
Hackettstown Oktoberfest: Sept. 26-27. Live music all weekend, stein-holding competitions, seasonal beers from Czig Meister and Man Skirt breweries and hard seltzers on tap. Main Street, Valentine Street and Grand Avenue, Hackettstown.
Angry Erik Brewing Odin Fest, Newton: Sept. 26-27. Stein-holding competitions, fresh and seasonal beers and live music all weekend long. 2 Camre Drive, Newton; angryerik.com.
The Baron's Oktoberfest, River Edge: Sept. 26. Beer from Hackensack Brewery and Gearblock Brewing Company plus cornhole, colonial games and reenactments, and free pumpkin picking. Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201 Main St., River Edge; 201-343-9492.
Montclair Brewery Oktoberfest, Montclair: Sept. 26. Live music, costume contest, stein-hoisting challenges, outdoor games, food and more. 101 Walnut St., Montclair. 973-850-0541.
Magnify Brewing Oktoberfest, Fairfield: Sept. 26. Live music, stein-holding competition and plenty of beer. 1275 Bloomfield Ave Building 7 Unit 40C, Fairfield.
Leonia Oktoberfest, Leonia: Sept. 26. One of the largest celebrations with funds benefitting the Rotary Club of the Palisades. 227 Fort Lee Road, Leonia; palisades-rotary.org/Oktoberfest.html.
Autodidact Beer Oktoberfest, Morris Plains: Oct. 3. German band, stein-hoisting, boot-beer-chugging contests and special beer releases. 1745 Route 10 Suite 6, Morris Plains; 973-206-1446.
Hackensack-toberfest, Teaneck. Oct. 3. Music, food trucks, beer from Hackensack and Ghost Hawk breweries and more. Free to enter. 102 State St., Hackensack.
Diamond Springs Brewing Oktoberfest, Denville: Oct. 3, 12-10 p.m. A polka band, stein-holding competition and a bunch of good drinks and special beer releases. One-liter steins for first comers. 50 Broadway, Denville; 973-453-6341.
Chilton Mill Brewing Oktoberfest, Long Valley: Oct. 3-4. The seventh annual Oktoberfest at the brewery includes live music, food carts, stein-hoisting and some really good beer. 59 E. Mill Road, Long Valley; chiltonmillbrewing.com.
Double Tap Brewing Oktoberfest, Whippany: Oct. 3. A fun brewery festival with Double Tap's Carnival of Sorts marzen lager on tap. 50 Parsippany Road, Whippany; doubletapbeer.com.
Oktoberfest at Turkey Brook Park, Budd Lake: Oct. 10-11. Two days of beer, food and music plus activities like axe-throwing, inflatable rides, hay rides and football streaming on the big screen. 30 Flanders Road, Budd Lake; 973-426-7263.
Varitage Brew Works Oktoberfest, Bloomfield: Oct. 10. Outdoor celebration featuring fresh, seasonal beer, stein-holding competitions and more. 58 Washington St. Bloomfield; varitagebeer.com.
902 Brewing, Jersey City: Oktoberfest (5.2% Vienna lager), a touch of melon with a bready, slightly malty taste.
Bolero Snort Brewery, Carlstadt: Fest (4.9% festbier), a pale German party lager.
Brix City Brewing, Little Ferry: Oktoberfest (5% märzen), amber-colored lager that boasts a clean, rich profile with toasty, bready notes and a restrained bitterness.
Departed Soles Brewing, Jersey City: Mars'N Attacks! (5.8% märzen), a gluten-free version.
Five Dimes Brewery, Westwood: Fest Bier (5.2% festbier), medium-bodied amber lager with a clean biscuity taste, and Spirit in the Night (5.2% schwartzbier), a German dark lager.
Fort Nonsense Brewing, Randolph: Sport Mode (4.5% festbier), a traditional golden brew.
Jersey Girl Brewing, Budd Lake: (5.9% märzen), a medium-bodied amber lager with a bready, malty finish.
Magnify Brewing, Fairfield: Oktober Surprise (5% festbier), a straight-forward, malty autumnal sipper, and Ecto Cooler, a ghoulish 6% sour.
Oakflower Brewing, Millington: Oaktoberfest (5.6% märzen), medium-bodied with notes of bread crust, honey, baking spice and graham crackers.
Ramstein Beer, Butler: Oktoberfest (6.5% märzen), an amber lager with rich malty aroma, a toasty palate, and subtle hoppy finish.
Seven Tribesmen Brewery, Wayne: Harvest Days (5.3% märzen), malt-forward on the tongue with a hoppy finish.
Twin Elephant Brewing, Chatham: Otto (5.8% lager) Freshly baked bread, soft biscuit, light toast and a subtle floral/herbal noble hop lift on this "modern" Oktoberfest brew.
Matt Cortina is a food reporter for NorthJersey.com/The Record. Reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Fill your stein and celebrate Oktoberfest in these North Jersey spots