This year's Lion Brewery Oktoberfest celebration was different. For those that remember previous festivals, the caged-in festival area was small and the parking lot was large. This year, what was formerly the parking lot is now the festival area. Food vendors, rides, cigars and yes beer. With beer trailers down the center of the festival and huge tents on both sides, access to the beer was better than ever. Lots of room to walk, talk, eat and drink...and tons of space at the stage. So you're wondering what the deal on beer was? Your $3 admission buys you a 16oz Stegmaier Oktoberfest labeled mug and entrance to the festival. From there "drink tickets" are $1 each. Lion root beer cost 1-ticket ($1), Lionshead and Lionshead Light 2-tickets ($2) and everything else 3-tickets ($3). Now you may be wondering what was "everything else"...well we hit the big beer tents and everything else included Oktoberfest and Midsummer Wit...BUT then we found the small beer tent! Wander down to the far (east) end of the festival grounds and there was a "special" beer tent. Not only did this tent have Stegmaier Porter, Pocono Lager and Pocono Pale Ale...but also a surprise. Legacy Brewing Co out of Reading, who contract brew some of their beers @ Lion were pouring their Hedonism Red Ale, their Midnight Wit, their Euphoria Belgian triple and last but not least their Hoptimus Prime double IPA. Not a bad bargain if you do the math. 16-ounces of 9% ABV 92 IBU Hoptimus Prime for $3. Naturally it kicked by about 8:15PM, but it was nice while it lasted and the Euphoria Red was a great hoppy substitute. Thanks to all the guys at Lion and Legacy for another wonderful Oktoberfest.
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This year's Lion Brewery Oktoberfest celebration was different. For those that remember previous festivals, the caged-in festival area was small and the parking lot was large. This year, what was formerly the parking lot is now the festival area. Food vendors, rides, cigars and yes beer. With beer trailers down the center of the festival and huge tents on both sides, access to the beer was better than ever. Lots of room to walk, talk, eat and drink...and tons of space at the stage. So you're wondering what the deal on beer was? Your $3 admission buys you a 16oz Stegmaier Oktoberfest labeled mug and entrance to the festival. From there "drink tickets" are $1 each. Lion root beer cost 1-ticket ($1), Lionshead and Lionshead Light 2-tickets ($2) and everything else 3-tickets ($3). Now you may be wondering what was "everything else"...well we hit the big beer tents and everything else included Oktoberfest and Midsummer Wit...BUT then we found the small beer tent! Wander down to the far (east) end of the festival grounds and there was a "special" beer tent. Not only did this tent have Stegmaier Porter, Pocono Lager and Pocono Pale Ale...but also a surprise. Legacy Brewing Co out of Reading, who contract brew some of their beers @ Lion were pouring their Hedonism Red Ale, their Midnight Wit, their Euphoria Belgian triple and last but not least their Hoptimus Prime double IPA. Not a bad bargain if you do the math. 16-ounces of 9% ABV 92 IBU Hoptimus Prime for $3. Naturally it kicked by about 8:15PM, but it was nice while it lasted and the Euphoria Red was a great hoppy substitute. Thanks to all the guys at Lion and Legacy for another wonderful Oktoberfest.
Gee, I found the ``Special'' beer tent too, but I totally missed the Legacy brews! Next year... I did enjoy the Pocono Pale Ale though. Thanks Lion Brewery.
ReplyDeleteWas the stegmaier porter on draft or from a bottle?
ReplyDeleteThe prter was on draft. Th only thing I saw in bottles was the Legacy Triple
ReplyDeleteVery Nice, thanks. That is a beer i wish i saw more on tap. The only time i do it's in my beermeister. Now i really regret not getting to the fest!
ReplyDeleteI agree....it's a very drinkable Porter and one of my favorite Lion beers.
ReplyDeleteAs regards Steg Porter, the taste profile has improved greatly. Sometime in the last 12 or so years, the Lion reformulated their porter to be a true top-fermented dark beer worthy of more attention than it gets in the marketplace. A very good product that is an excellent value, especially since Yuengling raised the price of its lighter, lager-based porter a while back.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, back in the 70's, when the porter style had been abandoned everywhere on earth, including its home in the UK, the only places brewing porters were in the Baltic region and those two breweries in eastern PA, God bless 'em!
Thanks Sam...With the roost of the Porter style coming from the coal miners, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised it has survived so long locally. Prior to the ownership change I'd heard rumors of a Lion Baltic Porter style beer...but I suspect that's back-burner. Steg Porter is my Steg of choice and has been a favorite of mine for many years. Again...you have to wonder why we hardly ever see it anywhere locally on tap.
ReplyDeleteAgree with both of you. I "grew up" on Yuengling porter, going to stegmaier on occasion-- this is pre proliferation of craft-- until my girlfriend at the time told me steg was better, and i agreed!
ReplyDeleteIt was a different animal back then, in the 80's and early 90's, a PA porter but still unique and very good. In fact, I kind of miss the licorice/brown sugar flavor it had back then, as no one makes a porter like that anymore. Not a true porter by today's standards but a piece of history and a damned tasty one.
After two failed attempts, I finally made it up here. It's great the Lion decided to host an event like this, and it's even better they receive the support I see at other events like this outside the valley. Maybe they would consider a Bock festival in the spring?
ReplyDeleteMike...it was a very good festival this year (I agree). I wouldn't rule out another seasonal festival from Lion. If you remember, they also had a very successful festival for the launch of Steg 150 back in 2006. Perhaps a Summer-stock Lager festival in summer.
ReplyDelete