Ryetoberfest

Although I've visited Germany a few times, I've never been to Oktoberfest. A loud hall full of drunk tourists squeezed shoulder to shoulder, front to back, just doesn't appeal to me. I'm no germophobe, but even pre-COVID, that seems like a pandemic waiting to happen. I prefer the beer gardens and cozy stone taverns Germany has to offer instead. They can get rowdy as well, but it's much more of an authentic and intimate experience. And you can still get liters of delicious beer at those places!

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Although speaking of authenticity is a little misplaced here as I've brewed something German brewers would consider sehr verboten - I've taken a traditional Märzen lager and loaded it full of rye. Reinheitsgebot be dammed! I feel like the maltiness of Märzens can quickly overtake any semblance of balance and not lend itself towards drinking liters at a time. Rye adds an earthy spiciness to help cut through all that caramel malt sweetness, while providing additional complexity.

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Rye is actually one of my more favorite malts to brew with. Most brewers will tell you to use no more than 10-20% rye in a beer. It's one of those written rules those of us with common sense follow. Well, I use 25% here. Why? Because I can. Brewing dogma be dammed! Also, I believe if you're going to call something a Rye Beer, it better have a lot of rye in it. The only thing crazier than adding this much rye would be to  fill a rye whiskey barrel or two with this beer to get even more rye flavor! Oh wait...

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Prost!