Oktoberfest season has come and gone in Kansas City. One of the best celebrations, “KC Oktoberfest”, was held at Crown Center this year.
Hosted by KC Bier Co, KC Oktoberfest is a huge event where thousands gather for games, live entertainment, Bavarian fare, and copious amounts of beer.
Entry is $10. For another $12 you receive a festive souvenir stein and 4 tokens for 2 cold beers (or more, for more) of your choice.
The beer selection was provided by KC Bier CO, a local Kansas City brewery specializing in authentic German-style ales and lagers that are unpasteurized, unfiltered, and naturally carbonated. All of the hops and malts used in KC Bier Co’s brews are imported from Germany. The founder of KC Bier Co acquired their primary yeast strains from a Bavarian monastery, making this local brewer a perfect choice for an Oktoberfest celebration.
The Beer
FestBier – A Vienna style amber lager with a stunning reddish gold color. The FestBier has caramel, biscuit, and honey malt flavors. This is a seasonal offering only available in the fall – so grab some while you can because this malty brew is crisp and delicious. (5.5% ABV, 25 IBU)
Dunkel– Appropriately named with the German word for “dark”, this Munich style brown lager is a tried and true favorite for darker beer lovers. The rich flavors of toasted bread crust and caramel malt have a smooth finish, and a lower IBU helps keep the bitterness at bay for easy drinkability. (5% ABV, 18 IBU)
Helles Lager – This Munich-style golden lager is KC Bier Co’s best-selling beer, and for good reason. The golden biscuit and honey malt flavors are refreshing, and reminiscent of what you’ll find in familiar domestic favorites. But the Helles lager has a malty full flavor and clean finish that make it a popular year-round favorite. (5.1% ABV, 22 IBU).
Pils– If you enjoy a dry finish, the Pils is the way to go. A pilsner-style golden lager, the Pils has a spicy hop aroma and crisp, slightly bitter taste. (5% ABV, 35 IBU).
Hefeweizen – My personal favorite. The Hefeweizen, which means yeast and wheat in English, is a Bavarian-style wheat ale with a pale color and bready malt flavors. This brew is full bodied and has fruity banana esters and spicy clove-like phenols that give it a subtle sweetness. (5.2% ABV, 13 IBU)
The Hefeweizens were mis-labeled as having a 32 IBU rating on KC Oktoberfest flyers.
If you’d like to try one of KC Bier Co’s beers, you can a find a store that sells them near you here. Or you can visit them in person for a drink, meal, or brewery tour at 310 W 79th street (happy hour is from 2-5).
Prost!
The Food
KC Oktoberfest hosted a multitude of food vendors this year, including some local standouts: K&C Tropical whips, Chicken N Pickle, Scimecas, and Grunauer.
In keeping with the theme, I chose to try 2 delicious Bavarian favorites: sausage and bratwurst. In an unconventional move, I chose to try them from the VegLife KC food tent.
VegLife KC is a division of the nonprofit organization, Voice for Animals Kansas City, that partners with local restaurants to expand plant-based menu items and hosts community events educating and introducing the public to eco-friendly, vegan foods. They came out to KC Oktoberfest this year to showcase some vegan alternatives to the typical, heavily meat-based Bavarian cuisine.
I tried “The Herbivorous Butcher” beer brat and the “Beyond Meat” sausage, each topped with roasted red and green peppers and the holy grail of German fare – sauerkraut (German for “sour cabbage”).
If you didn’t already know you were eating a meat alternative, there’s a very good chance you would try one of these and not notice a difference. This was my first-time trying vegan meat alternatives, and I was shocked at how meaty they tasted. The texture, juiciness, and flavor were all similar to what you would find in a beef or pork-based sausage; but the beer brat is made with wheat and beer, and the sausage is made with pea protein.
If you’d like to learn more about VegLife KC or where you can find plant-based food in Kansas City, you can visit them here.