2010 Stella Artois World Draft Master Competition

I had the privilege of being one of five U.S. media to travel to London to experience the Stella Artois Draft Master Competition. It was three days filled with fish & chips, pub crawls, beer drinking and a mastering of the 9-Step Pouring ritual. Stella takes pouring beer seriously. It's an art form; similar to decanting wine, pouring a beer in specific manner will reap the most flavor rewards. Chris Meyers from Madison, Wisconsin was crowned the winner and he’ll be traveling around the world educating culinary types re: the 9 - Step Pouring Ritual.

2010 Stella Artois World Draft Master Competition

Lunch with Harald Stückle of Beck’s Oktoberfest

Last week I had a chance to meet with German brewmaster, Harald Stückle who is the brains behind Beck’s seasonal Oktoberfest offering. Brewed in Bremen, Germany, Beck’s Oktoberfest is brewed using fresh glacier water, Beck’s exclusive strain of yeast that’s been nurtured and cultivated for generations, top-grade barley, and hops hand-selected from the Bavarian Hallertau region by German brewmasters. Stückle, a Beck’s brewmaster who lives in Germany and has spent 14 years perfecting the science of brewing, came to Chicago to talk to with me over a leisurely, nearly two-hour, European-style lunch. We chatted about the Beck’s brewing process and the tradition behind Maerzen-style Oktoberfest beers, which are traditionally only available September through October. We sipped and sampled original Beck’s and the Beck’s Oktoberfest, all from souvenir steins, which conveniently hold a Beck’s bottle. The Oktoberfest was rich with caramel and spice undertones: A perfect fall beer.

Be sure to check out the October issue of Scene where I cover off on other seasonal brews that have reached Chicago just in time for Oktoberfest; well, the tail end of it at least (the Bavarian beer fest traditionally runs from the end of Sept. to early Oct.)