Solemn Oath Brewery- Oktoberface

A long weekend in Chicago led to a lot of beer drinking and trying a lot of different brews! As my wife and I drove to Chicago last week, the idea of trying some local Chicago beers excited me. This first beer stood out to me and comes from Naperville, a Chicago suburb. The brewery is Solemn Oath, and the amazing beer is Oktöberface. I had not heard of this brewery or beer, but the name instantly stood out to me. Being a lover of October beers, I had to give it a try.

This wonderful brew is a full-bodied German Lager; to be exact it is a German Marzen lager. Marzen lagers are usually known for being dark brown with a very full body and bitter taste. This beer does meet two of these standards, but to all of you who dislike bitter beer, this is not one. This beer is a dark color with very rich caramel flavors, which make it very easy to drink by not leaving you with a bitter taste at the end. The caramel tastes, working with the hop characters, make this one of the better October beers I have had.

Those of you who love October beers will love this one. Most of my reviews of October beers come out with me loving the brew. I have not come across many October beers that I dislike, but I can guarantee you that this one is close to the top of my list.  Sorry to burst your bubbles, but this beer is only sold in the Chicagoland area. But make sure that if you are ever in the Chicago area you check out this amazing beer and amazing brewery. It is a top choice in the Chicago area.

Pair with these foods:

-Sausage

-Peperjack cheese

-Apple Strudel desert

Beer Info:

Style of Beer: American Style Marzen

ABC (Alcohol by Volume): 6%

Color: Dark Brown

Where to buy in the 402:

-Not avalable in the 402 ☹

Zip Line Brewing Company- Nut Brown

Continuing my reviews of amazing fall beers, I turn to my favorite brewery, which just so happens to be in Lincoln. If you follow my blog, you know that I have reviewed a few beers from Zip Line Brewery; this week I'm reviewing the new Zip Line Nut Brown. To be totally honest, before I tried this beer, nut brown beers were very low on my list, I usually really dislike them, but, of course, Zip Line changed my feelings!

For those of you who want to try a new dark beer, I would highly recommended this brew. Also, for those of you who usually dislike nut-brown ales, you need to give this one a shot. I have been seeing this every time I go out to eat or am at the store, but I have told myself not to get it, because ‘you don’t like nut brown’. But, Zip Line always has my heart; therefore, I decided to give it a shot! This brew is simply put, amazing. The rich combination of hazelnut and caramel instantly hits your palate, while the amazing aroma of caramel and great taste throughout the entire drink makes it one of the better brown ales I have ever had.

Overall, this is a beer that you should try even if you are not a dark beer or nut brown ale fan. Give it a shot! I can promise you, you will not be disappointed in this amazing beer! What's the best part? It's brewed in our great state capital and available at most bars and restaurants around Lincoln. Until next week, happy drinking!!

Pair with these foods:

-Cheese and Crackers

-Grilled Steak

-Fall Veggies (ie. Squash with rice)

Beer info:

Style of Beer: English Style Brown Ale

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.8%

Color: Dark Brown

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-Hy Vee

-Mellow Mushroom- Rail Yard, Lincoln, NE

-Zip Line Brewery, Lincoln, NE

Shiner Bock- Oktoberfest

Want to try another great beer for in October? This is my favorite month and a great time for beer, so I would suggest you tune into my blog over the next month. The list of great Oktoberfest beers is endless, one of the top five for me is Shiner Bock Oktoberfest. Before this year, I had not tried this amazing brew, but I stumbled upon it at N Street Liquor as I browsed their selection. I love Shiner Bock overall, so I figured I would give this one a shot. Just as I figured, it is amazing!

This brew is known as a Marzen-Style Ale, a traditional German style ale that is known for having a medium body with a malty flavor.  The thing I love about Marzen style ales is the fact that they have incredibly rich flavor to start off and leave you with a dry hoppy finish. Shiner hit a home run with this brew; if I had to only recommend five fall beers, this definitely would be in the five. The rich flavor, working with the hops leaves you desiring another.

For those of you interested in trying fall beers or are a fall beer lover, this is a beer for you. This beer becomes available in late August until the end of October; make sure to act fast, as it does not stay on the shelves.  I hope you enjoy this great brew. Until next time, happy drinking!

Pair with these foods:

-Calzone

-Pizza

-Brats off the Grill

Beer info:

Style of Beer: Marzen-Style Ale

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.7%

Color: Cleveland Browns Orange 

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-Hy Vee

-Mellow Mushroom- Rail Yard, Lincoln, NE

Photo from Shiner Bock website

New Holland Brewing- Ichabod Pumpkin Ale

Where are all my pumpkin lovers? With fall upon us, I am going to be cranking out some beer reviews of a bunch of new fall beers. I am a huge pumpkin fan myself, so when I recently walked through N Street Liquor with my wife, I was on a mission to try some new pumpkin beers. Instantly the cool name and label of New Holland Brewery stood out; their great pumpkin beer is Ichabod Pumpkin Ale after the famous story of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane. This beer is something worth talking about. Those of you not familiar with New Holland Brewing, here is a little history. Founded in 1996 in the small town of Holland, MI, this microbrewery originally planned on only serving Western Michigan, but it quickly outgrew those intentions due to the popularity and taste of their great beer. Currently they brew about 10,000 US beer barrels a year.

The first few sips of this beer will instantly leave you wanting more. The initial taste of pumpkins, followed up by a warm cinnamon and nutmeg taste make this one of the better pumpkin beers I have had. What I love about this brewery and this brew, is that they are made with all natural pumpkins, nutmeg, and cinnamon and no artificial flavoring. I have been drinking pumpkin beers since I was legally able to drink, and this one is close to the top of my list. If you are looking for a great beer to drink after a nice warm, roasted chicken dinner and hot apple or pumpkin pie, this is it.

I have had a few pumpkin beers that don’t use real pumpkins but instead use pumpkin flavoring, and there is clearly a huge difference. Trust me when I tell you, it is worth the three extra dollars for a six pack if it’s a choice between being made with real pumpkins or pumpkin flavoring. I highly recommended this beer to all of you pumpkin lovers out there, and if you have not had the joy to try a pumpkin beer, this should be your first! Until next time, happy drinking!

Pair with these foods:

-Roasted poultry

-Root vegetables

-Bowl of peanuts

Beer Info:

Style of Beer: Pumpkin Ale

ABC (Alcohol by Volume): 5.2%

Color: Orangish Brown

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-Hy Vee Liquor

Goose Island- Oktoberfest

After a long spring and summer at work, I finally have some time to work on my blog! Over the summer, I had the joy of drinking different beers from many different breweries. With my favorite month of the year coming up, as well as my favorite season for beer, I am going to review a beer that is one of the best fall beers I have had.

Before I tried this brew, Sam Adams Octoberfest and Summit Brewery Octoberfest were my two favorite fall beers. Never did I think these two could be outdone, but they have been by the Goose Island Oktoberfest. I had this beer for the first time last week at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Lincoln. As I looked over the beer menu, our waiter informed me that he liked this beer even better than the famous Sam Adams. I thought in my head, ‘there is no way that this is true.’ Boy was I wrong!!

This beer is simply amazing. When you first bring this heavenly nectar to your lips. The smell of toffee instantly hits your nose. As you take the first drink, the taste of apricots and sugar instantly fill your mouth. The great mixture of dried fruits and bitterness make this one of the best beers I have had the joy of drinking.

To get the amazing dried fruit flavors in this beer, Goose Island uses a famous German hop, called Hallertau. These are hops that have a very mild aroma, along with a fruity and spicy flavor.  Overall, this beer is one of the best I have reviewed and clearly one of the best beers I ever have drunk. Make sure you pick it up quickly, as it will be off of the shelves in late September.  Until next time, happy drinking!

Pair with these foods:

-Calzone

-Pizza

-Brats off the Grill

Beer info:

Style of Beer: Imperial Stout

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 6.4%

Color: Copper

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-Hy Vee

-Mellow Mushroom- Rail Yard, Lincoln, NE