O'Zapft Is!

Oh boy, do I have a lot to unpack from our latest episode of The Weekly Pint. If you tuned in, you know it was a rollercoaster of emotions, technical hiccups, and, of course, some fantastic beer tasting. For those who missed it, let me give you a rundown of what went down. A Late Start and Dad Life Woes First off, I want to apologize for the late start. Life as a dad can be unpredictable, and last night was one of those nights where everything seemed to go wrong. My kids were on a mission to drive me up the wall, and they succeeded. We were an hour late getting the show started, and I was in a pretty grumpy mood. But hey, that’s life, right? We roll with the punches and keep moving forward. The Beers of the Night Despite the rocky start, we had a fantastic lineup of beers to discuss. Marco was sipping on a Psychopathy, Lee had a Zigler Oktoberfest, and Julia was enjoying a Mirror Twin Oregon Pale. Josh brought an Age of Otter IPA from Three Floyds, which sounded intriguingly happy and cuddly for an IPA. Eric was having a Lime Voss, and Julia mentioned that her beer featured an otter holding an axe, which seemed fitting for Three Floyds, and kind of awesome. Oktoberfest Quest 2024 Begins The highlight of the night was kicking off the Oktoberfest Quest 2024. I had two previous winners going head-to-head: last year’s champion, Sonder Oktoberfest, and Listermann’s Festbier. Both beers have a special place in my heart, and it was tough to choose between them. Sonder Oktoberfest, with its new fancy artwork, is not quite a Märzen or a Festbier but somewhere in between. Listermann’s Festbier, described as a German-style party lager, also brought its A-game. After much deliberation, sniffing, and tasting, I had to give the edge to Sonder, but just by a hair. Listermann put up a great fight, and it was a close call. The Ultimate Cincinnati Oktoberfest Beer One of the fun traditions we have is creating the ultimate Cincinnati Oktoberfest beer by mixing all the contenders. Last year, we ended up with a giant boot full of a blend of 38 different Oktoberfest beers. It was surprisingly delicious, and we even poked it with a beer poker for that extra caramelized touch. This year, we’re planning to do it again, and I’m excited to see how it turns out. Crushing Cans and Building Memories On a more personal note, I’ve been working on a massive project in my basement. Over the years, I’ve collected thousands of beer cans, and it’s time to downsize. I’ve decided to focus my collection on lager beer cans, which means a lot of cans have to go. It’s been a bittersweet process, but I’ve installed a can crusher, and there’s something oddly satisfying about crushing those cans. It’s like saying goodbye to old memories while making room for new ones. Big Cis Brewing and Cincinnati Beer Week Tomorrow is a big day as we brew Big Cis at Darkness Brewing. This beer is a labor of love, and I’m excited to see it come to life. If you haven’t heard about it, check out cincybeerweek.com for all the details. The tapping party is scheduled for the end of Beer Week, and it’s going to be a blast. Future Plans and Guest Posts Looking ahead, I’m working on expanding the website to include more bar content and possibly even guest posts. It’s a big undertaking, but I believe in the power of community and sharing different perspectives. If you’re passionate about beer and have a knack for writing, stay tuned for more details on how you can contribute. Wrapping Up To everyone who tuned in, thank you for your patience and for sticking with me through the ups and downs. Your support means the world to me. If you missed the episode, you can catch the replay and join us next week for more beer talk, banter, and maybe even some surprise guests. Until then, go drink some local beer, preferably something festive for Oktoberfest season. And remember, it’s not pumpkin season yet—it’s all about the Oktoberfest beers!