Skip to Main Content
Skip to content
Hand Family Companies
Hand Family Companies
Breweries & Beverage Partners · About Us · Contact Us
  • Breweries & Beverage Partners
  • About Us
    • History
    • Our Team
    • Careers
    • Coverage Notice
    • Notice of Creditable Coverage
  • Contact Us
Distributor Locations
  • Lakeshore Beverage (IL)
  • Bluegrass Beverage
  • TriStar Beverage of Clarksville
  • TriStar Beverage of Cookeville
  • TriStar Beverage of Chattanooga
  • Sunset

The Beer Blog

Your guide to craft beer news, events, and breweries in Chicago! Signup for our newsletter for notifications on new posts.


Oktoberfest Beers
Five Oktoberfest Beers To Try Out This Season ›
On September 20, 2019  ·  in Bell's Brewery, Burnt City Brewing, Goose Island Beer Co., Spaten, Tasting Notes, Urban Chestnut Brewing

Guten tag, Chicago! 

Oktoberfest is officially underway!

Bars, pubs and restaurants across the city are pouring German beers, serving up traditional German fare and raising their steins to celebrate their German heritage.

No matter if you’re celebrating at one of the many Oktoberfest parties across Chicagoland, celebrating at a German style pub, or having a small gathering among friends, here are five Oktoberfest beers that should be in your liter sized stein glass these next two weeks.

Read More


4 Oktoberfest Beers from Lakeshore Beverage ›
On September 13, 2018  ·  in Behind the Beer, Burnt City Brewing, Goose Island Beer Co., Spaten, Urban Chestnut Brewing

Well, it’s September which means it’s time for…Oktoberfest beers! And despite their name, Oktoberfest beers are not actually brewed in the fall. Say wha?!

That’s right, these beers are an outgrowth of the traditional, strong spring brews called March beers or Märzenbier in German. These beers were brewed in the springtime and then put aside in ice-filled caves or cellars to be stored and consumed over the summer. The leftover Märzen was usually finished off in the fall which is when a new season of brewing would begin after the late summer’s grain and hop harvest. So it was almost by default that Märzens became the official beer of Oktoberfest which made its debut in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding in Munich.

Today’s Oktoberfest has morphed into an 18-day celebration that kicks off in September and includes parades, carnivals, music, art, and civic engagement. Want to celebrate here in the states? You can see all of our Märzen-style beers HERE.

Read More


Tasting Notes: 8 Beers for Oktoberfest ›
On September 12, 2016  ·  in Burnt City Brewing, Central Waters, Goose Island Beer Co., Old Style, Shiner, Spaten, Tasting Notes, Upland Brewing Co., Urban Chestnut Brewing, Video

IMG_8809

Time to dust off your lederhosen and/or dirndl, it’s Oktoberfest! The 183rd annual German beer festival kicks off year this weekend and we’re here to give you a rundown of some of our favorite Märzens to celebrate with. Read More


    Search The Blog

    Categories

    • 18th Street
    • 3 Sheeps Brewing
    • Against The Grain Brewery
    • Alaskan Brewing Company
    • Ale Syndicate
    • Alter
    • Aquanaut Brewing Company
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Atlas Brewing Company
    • Bantam Cider
    • Beer Pairing Guide
    • Beer Prints
    • Beer Review
    • Beer Trips (Driveable Craft Beer Destinations)
    • Behind the Beer
    • Bell's Brewery
    • Best Damn Brewing Co.
    • Boulevard Brewing Company
    • Breweries
    • Brewery Ommegang
    • Buckledown
    • Bud Light
    • Budweiser
    • Burnt City Brewing
    • Central Waters
    • Chicago Craft Beer Week
    • Deschutes
    • Duvel
    • ERIS
    • Estrella Jalisco
    • Event Spotlight
    • Evil Twin Brewing
    • Founders Brewing Co.
    • Giveaway
    • Golden Road Brewing
    • Goose Island Beer Co.
    • Gueuzerie Tilquin
    • Guinness
    • Haymarket Beer Company
    • Holidays
    • Jolly Pumpkin
    • JuneShine
    • Kona Brewing Co.
    • Local Option Bierwerker
    • Michelob Ultra
    • Moody Tongue
    • Motor Row Brewing
    • New Releases
    • Okocim
    • Old Style
    • Pabst Brewing Company
    • Press Release
    • Rogue Ales
    • Schlafly Beer
    • Seattle Cider Co
    • Secret Beer Parties
    • Shiner
    • Small Town Brewery
    • Spaten
    • Spiteful Brewing
    • Staff Highlight
    • Stella Artois
    • Stone Brewing
    • Stone Brewing Co.
    • Summit Brewing Co.
    • Sun King Brewery
    • Super Bowl
    • Surly Brewing Company
    • SweetWater Brewing
    • Tallgrass Brewing
    • Tasting Notes
    • The Hopewell Brewing Co.
    • This Weekend in Beer
    • Trumer
    • Uinta Brewing
    • Uncategorized
    • Upland Brewing Co.
    • Urban Chestnut Brewing
    • Video
    • Virtue Cider
    • Wiseacre Brewing Company
Be the First to Know

Get updates on products, breweries, craft beer events, private tastings, and more.

Subscribe

Hand Family Companies
  • Find Beer Near You
  • Breweries & Partners
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Careers
Our Distributor Locations
  • Lakeshore Bev. (IL)
  • Hopkinsville, KY
  • Clarksville, TN
  • Cookeville, TN
  • Chattanooga, TN
Privacy Policy · Sitemap
·Copyright © 2025 Hand Family Companies