Dinkelacker Oktoberfest

Apologies, friends, if this page is slow to load, but I just had to share all the wonderful photos from my dinner at the Old Bavaria Inn of Helen, Georgia. Of course, dinner was accompanied by a frothy mug of beer, Dinkelacker Oktoberfest to be precise. We had enjoyed a hearty lunch some 5 hours earlier, then walked much of that off exploring the quaint shops of downtown Helen.

We then stopped off for a few beers at the Old Heidelberg reastaurant lounge to further rouse the appetite and ended up at the Old Bavaria Inn for dinner. We were not disappointed as the food was delicious. For me, Jagerschnitzel smothered in a mushroom wine sauce with spatzel and red cabbage. My son chose a sampler plate of various wursts and a kassler ripchen (smoked, salted pork chop). Everything was delicious and came with a hot loaf of hearty black bread served with creamy whipped butter.

Now, I know you are here to hear about beer (that rhymes!), but beer and food are inseparable, so I wanted to let you know how well my beer paired with my meal, and what I dined on. Atmosphere never hurts, either, and the Old Bavaria Inn has a beautiful upstairs area all decked out for beer lovers.

Now, though, at long last, the beer! Dinkelacker Oktoberfest is not listed on the brewery webpage, and that’s because in Germany you have to be one of the original Munich brewers to have an Oktoberfest beer. That law does not apply here in America, so Dinkelacker Oktoberfest can be sold. Dinkelacker is a relatively young German brewery, having only been around since 1888.

Dinkelacker Oktoberfest is mentioned on the importer’s webpage:

OKTOBERFEST MÄRZEN

Amber in color, pleasant aromas of caramel & honey with good balance of malt & fruit notes. Rich textured palate true to the Märzen tradition.

Dinkelacker Oktoberfest has an alcohol content of 5.7% by volume. I paid a pricey $9.95 for a half liter mug on draft, but I don’t think that is typical. The beer sells for $9.99 a six-pack in bottles.

My mug of Dinkelacker Oktoberfest arrived a beautiful deep amber color with a thick creamy head of foam and a simply irresistible nutty malty nose. Taking a sip, the beer is smooth malty in the palate with toasty nutty melanoidin notes all over the place. It is balanced with a gentle bitterness in the finish.

I could drink German beer forever, and this beer is a good example why. It is wonderfully malty in a way the Germans seem to get better than anyone else in the world. It paired perfectly with my schnitzel smothered in rich sauce and savory mushrooms.

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