Bow Bar 2012 Oktoberfest – Preview

Edinburgh’s legendary Bow Bar may be about as far-removed from a Munich bier garden as you can get, but from tomorrow something very exciting will connect the two. Yes, that time of year has rolled around again – it’s Oktoberfest (or OktBowFest as we should call it, in today’s beer festival parlance). For eight days, the Bow’s taps will be devoted to the very best in German beer, and some exciting British cask ales inspired by the ways of the thirsty Teutons. Only a handful of lederhosen-clad Germans could fit into the Bow Bar at any one time, but any that do turn up will be guaranteed a flavour of home.

The full beer list is printed below, but the keg standouts include the stunning 8% Schneider Aventinus, and festbiers from Paulaner and Hacker Pschorr. The cask lineup features a rare appearance of Buxton’s imperial smoked rye porter (Smokie and the Band Aid), Tyne Bank’s well-received Black Kolsch, and Allgates Wheat Master T’sizenbier – of which, I know absolutely nothing. This, of course, is the beauty of beer festivals – trying something completely new. So head down to the Bow from tomorrow and give yourself over to the wonders of Germany (Lederhosen optional).

2012 Bow Bar Oktoberfest Lineup
Saturday October 13th to Sunday October 21st

Keg
Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest (5.8%)
Paulaner Oktoberfest (6.0%)
Schneider Aventinus (8.2%)
Weihenstephan Hefe Dunkel (5.3%)
Weihenstephan Festbier (5.8%)
Riegeler Pilsner (4.9%)
Furstenburg Premium Lager (5.3%)

UK Cask
Allgates 4T’s Wheat Master T’sizenbier (4.9%)
Ascot Oktoberfest (4.8%)
Buxton Smokie and the Band-Aid (7.0%) Imperial Smoked rye porter
Downtown German Pale Ale (4.2%)
Double Top Munich (4.2%)
Elland Frau Brauer (4.9%)
Highland Island Hopping Spalt Dry-Hopped (3.9%)
Houston Dunkelweizen (4.9%)
Little Valley Oktoberfest (4.6%)
Lymestone Ein Stein (5.0%)
Mauldons Oktoberfest (5.0%)
Naylors Cravenbrau (3.8%)
Quartz Brau (5.2%)
Stewart Brewing Edinburgh Gold XH Dry-Hopped Tettnang (3.9%)
Tryst Zetland Wheatbeer (4.5%)
Tyne Bank Black Kolsch (5.0%)

German bottles
Augustiner Weissbier (5.4%)
Ayinger Celebrator (6.7%)
Erdinger Oktoberfest (5.7%)
Hacker Pschorr Hefe Weiss (5.5%)
Hofbrau Oktoberfest (6.3%)
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen (5.1%)
Schlenkerla Eiche Doppelbock (8.0%)
Spaten Oktoberfest (5.9%)
St Georgen Brau Annafestbier (5.6%)
Weihenstephan Vitus (7.7%)