Fruhlings-First in Wilmington

If you’re a beer nut, you gotta love Wilmington. Even though October was six months ago, the now-transplanted PubScout missed attending his usual Octoberfest events up in the Tri-state area. But Wilmington came to the rescue big time.

Don’t get me wrong. That’s not to say I didn’t have Jersey Oktoberfest beer six months ago. My old buddy Dave Hoffman, Der Braumeister at Jersey’s Climax Brewing, sent me down some of his true German Oktoberfest lagers to ease the pain. And, as usual, they did.

But Der Braumeister himself would have have given a hearty "Ein Prosit!" und “Jawohl!” to the event I attended March 7 at Wilmington’s sparkling and spacious Convention Center on the Cape Fear river.

Billed as “Marchtoberfest,” the event saw more than forty NC brewers bring their pilsners, kolschs, doppelbocks, lagers, Helles and hefeweizens to more than a thousand thirsty attendees.

Two ticket types were available: a general admission one for $40 which got you three hours of sampling, Biergarten music from a twenty-piece authentic German band, and a host of games to play while enjoying the atmosphere. Even the Ricola guy was there (below), in the event you felt a tickle in your throat.

If you spent an extra $15, you got the VIP treatment, which meant an hour earlier admission, some delicious German food, a special Bavarian style Biergarten seating area and a shot at free tickets for two, including airfare and accommodations to the real Oktoberfest in Die Faderland next year.

And although billed as “Marchtoberfest,” this is really a tip of the chamois to Bavaria’s Fruhlingsfest, the spring version of Oktoberfest held in München.The principal organizer of the event was ILM Beer, a 501c (3) that raises money for charities and others in need. Being a German-inspired beer event meant five -oz. tasting mugs, not those little 2-3-ouncers you sometimes get a festivals. I sampled many excellent beers from the various breweries, but, as usual, after the first eighty or ninety samples, I lost track of what they were.

I did, however sample two great ones from Tarboro Brewing: a magnificent smoked marzen and an outstanding classic doppelbock. (Mental note made: Visit—or at least search for— Tarboro.) I also enjoyed a very tasty Red Roan Dopplebock from Broomtail Brewing.

And I did manage to dance a polka with a delightful, sprightly fraü named Hannelore Phillip (above). I guess the old feet can still keep a beat, because she invited me to come see her when she’s doing her Dirndl Mädchen thing at the 7th Annual Oktoberfest in Calabash next Fall. (Mental note made, her business card retained.)

And just as at Fruhlingsfest, there were performers, jugglers, an angel gal on stilts and, for you fans of Jonathan Swift, a Brobdingnagian-sized version of Cornhole. ( I still have trouble with that name.) There was even an Am-BREW-lance on the premises to keep everyone properly hydrated with water, though with beer being 90% water, that seemed a bit superfluous. Not that there’s anything wrong with drinking lots of water. I just prefer mine having been run through a brewery first.

The entire operation, especially for a first-ever event, ran exceptionally smoothly, and the organizers, who saw 1100 attendees visit, can probably count on just as big a turnout (if not bigger) next year. The PubScout will assuredly be back, and will attempt to maintain a tradition begun yesterday at Marchtoberfest—being the Fruhlings-first in the room.

And if I win the trip to Oktoberfest in Germany next year, I’ll bring you...

in my thoughts.