Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest!

Saturday, we went to the 18th annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest hosted by Capitol City Brewing Co. in Shirlington. 

Guests enjoyed more than 65 regional breweries, over 100 taps and 30 local restaurants during a perfect familiennachmittag, or family afternoon. We snapped eDiscovery’s Cory Wagner and PBS’s Brian Westley with Rachel O'Holla.  

Many among the thousands in attendance donned traditional German garb and enjoyed Alpine music and the tastes of authentic Bavarian brews, bratwurst and brezlen, the German-style pretzel. Notable breweries included Fairwinds, DC Brau, Hardywood, Heroic, Port City, 3 Notch’d, James River, Heritage, Atlas and Caboose. Here, Betsy Reid, Black Lotus’s Mark Bellamah, Sherry Bellamah and Leah Tarbell.

Capitol City offered samples of its featured fall beers, including the classic Oktoberfest Lager and a new signature brew, the Grumpkins & Snarks Pumpkin Ale. Here, Capitol City Brewing Co. Shirlington GM Al Chadsey with Cap City brewer Dan Coon, brewer Julian Pelkey, brewmaster Bo Elliott, brewmaster Bret Kimbrough and brewer Matt Headland.  

Capitol City also held a Best Fest competition for Oktoberfest-style beers. A panel of judges, all certified by the Beer Judgment Certification Program, tasted and voted on the top Oktoberfest brew at the festival. Here are the winners: Solace Brewing Co.’s Drew Wiles, which earned the silver with Gute Nacht Oktoberfest lager, Old Ox’s Veruska Veiga, who took home the bronze with Oxtoberfest, and Yuengling’s Trevor Reaske, who won the competition with Yuengling Oktoberfest.

Christopher Klose with Michelle Klose.