Nashville Brewing Company’s annual Oktoberfest September 30
Nashville Brewing Company will host its annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 30th at the Blackstone Brewery at 2312 Clifton Ave. The doors will open at noon and music starts at 2:00. A ceremonial keg of Nashville Festbier will be tapped at 3:00 by the 2023 Bierkönigin (Beer Queen, Kelsy Simon) followed by a toast from the Bürgermeister (honorary mayor Dave Miller, Blackstone brewmaster emeritus), a Bavarian tradition dating back centuries.
Festivities will include traditional oom-pah music by the Best-Wurst Band, as well as beer-brats and other German fare from the Blackstone Bus. In addition to Bavarian music, food, and beer, there will be a stein hoisting competition at 5:00. Winners of the men’s and women’s events will be eligible to compete next month in the State Championship.
Nashville Festbier, a classic Oktoberfest-Märzen style lager, will be the featured beer. For centuries Märzenbiers were enjoyed during fall harvest festivals throughout Bavaria. These malty beers were originally brewed in March (Märzen) and lagered (stored) in iced-down caves all summer long. In 1810, King Ludwig of Bavaria welcomed the people of Munich to his son’s wedding reception, declaring that beer should be served to the public to honor this special day. This celebration became the traditional Oktoberfest that beer lovers have been enjoying for over 200 years.
The Nashville Brewing Company originally operated from 1859-1890 on 6th Ave S. In 2016, local brewery historian Scott Mertie, in partnership with Blackstone Brewing Company, resurrected the brand by recreating traditional European lagers that the German immigrants would have brewed in Nashville during the 19th century. Blackstone Brewing Company, which has been operating since 1994, is Nashville’s oldest craft brewery. The brewery recently won 2 Gold Medals at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival in Denver for Nashville Light (NBC) and Pumkin Ale (Blackstone).
