Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier & Beer Braised Brat

 "Ozapft    is!"

Oktoberfest officially kicks off in Munich September 19th, but in Nashville it has already begun! 

One of my favorite festivals "Tennessee Volksfest" is held at the Nashville Farmer's Market and this year, it has been extended to 2 weekends! It is a casual event held on Saturday and Sunday  (with an additional night market edition on Thursday the 17th). There are several German beers to choose from including Hofbrau Dunkel and Oktoberfest. All beers and food cost tokens which can be purchased at the door while you get your 16oz beer stein to sip from!

"It's  Not  A  Shoe...It's  DAS BOOOOOOT!"

The event isn't quite that wild, but there is a Nashville based polka band that performs every hour during the fest called The Musik Meisters! They are a lot of fun and very entertaining...you'll think you're actually in Germany!

Also, there is usually a special cask of beer tapped during the fest...so keep your eyes and ears open about that!

Onto the food....

My meal on the left: A beer braised bratwurst with sauerkraut. Ben's meal on the right: hot chicken schnitzel!

The food served is provided by Riffs Fine Street Food. You can actually watch all the brats being grilled while standing in line...it's a pretty amazing smell! The hot chicken schnitzel tasted like it was breaded in panko bread crumbs creating a delicious crispy texture to the thin spicy meat. Nice touch.

I paired my brat with a Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier. I have always been a fan of this beer because it is so quaffable. It pours a hazy golden yellow with a pillowy head of foam. Notes of banana, clove and yeast enrich the palate leading to a smooth, refreshing finish. It was a nice companion to the brat because it was a nice balance of herbal, savory meat to fruity, velvety beer. 

Although, I do believe the Hofbrau Dunkel would have made a finer companion. The Dunkel exudes notes of chocolate malt, pumpernickel bread and a slight bitter finish. The brat exhibits flavors of fennel and caramel char from the grill which would meld into the flavors of the beer in a finer fashion. The bitterness of the beer would lift the fat of the brat and create a less heavy meal. Not to mention, darker kilned malts receive salt better than pale...the sauerkraut would have loved it!

I didn't get a picture of the pretzels...but they were giant and absolutely scrumptious. They were made by the Woodstock Pretzel Company. Check them out as well! They offer a variety of flavors you can get them glazed in...I went with the classic butter and salt!

Ben & I with our steins!

I recommend if you have a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon, go have lunch and enjoy the outdoors at Volksfest! Doors are at 11am this Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th.

And if you're like me, it will be followed by a lovely afternoon nap on the couch.

Cheers to Sunday Fundays.

Lana Del Beer