Ah, Labor Day. In honor of the labor movement. Those hard working men and women who not just built this country from the sweat of their backs, but who sometimes died fighting for the right to be treated fairly.
So if you’ve benefited from the efforts of labor, hoist a beer this weekend! And that is literally everyone, due to the creation of the 40-hour work week (with mandatory overtime pay after that), a minimum wage, laws against child labor, safety protocols, and even the existence of the “weekend” itself! And we haven’t even touched on the things they’ve built! So, yeah, that’s gonna be a lot of beer.
But every yin has its yang, so if you’re working hard, so shall you party. And the biggest party in the world is Oktoberfest. Maybe you won’t be going to Munich this fall to join the millions who annually make the beer pilgrimage, but fortunately here in Grand Rapids we have Klocktoberfest the last Saturday in September! And we have just the right beer for the occasion. Which brings us to…

Ok, What Is That?
Every late summer and early fall, breweries everywhere are releasing Oktoberfest beers. Maybe they’re your favorites. Maybe not. Maybe you don’t even know what I’m talking about. But odds are good you’ve seen that word associated with a cold, carbonated beverage.
Given how common it is, you might think this is an odd choice of beer to write about in this segment. But this beer came from somewhere, and it was called something else before we all just nicknamed it Oktoberfest. So let’s take a minute and learn about Märzens.
The German word März literally means the month of March, which is when Märzens are traditionally brewed. The beer then spends the entire summer slowly cold fermenting before being ready to drink by early September. The end result is a malty lager with a deep amber hue, and a clean, bready flavor. They’re a great cross-section between rich flavor and and smooth drinkability, making them a great beer for drinking copious amount of while celebrating. Though be mindful when doing so; they’re not a super high alcohol beer, but they’re no session either. Expect the ABV to be around 6%. As we like to say, enjoy responsibly.
Even though the Oktoberfest celebration has been happening annually since 1811, the Märzen as we know it today didn’t really come into existence until about 1841, though the name had been around for quite some time earlier. But Märzens are synonymous with Oktoberfest today because they were the official beer of the festivities from 1872 until 1990, when a golden malt Festbier became the new standard. That change didn’t matter to the millions of people that attend smaller Oktoberfest celebrations throughout the world, including here at Klockow. Our Münchkin Oktoberfest is the official beer of our annual Klocktoberfest, which will be on Saturday, Sept. 28. A Märzen in every sense of the word, including being brewed in March, Münchkin is a robust and toasty beer, with no notable hop character and a beautifully smooth mouthfeel.

But if you’re now feeling sad because it just sounds so delicious and Klocktoberfest seems so far away, fear not! Münchkin will be released this Friday! We’ll have plenty for the fest, but come get your first taste this weekend.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Early 20th Century Laborer
Q: Thanks for joining us today!
ECL: It’s a fine break to be away from the high steel.
Q: So how long have you been a laborer?
ECL: Since I was just a wee lad. Tall enough to hold a shovel, big enough to work.
Q: Oh my… well, you’ll be glad to know that things have changed.
ECL: What d’ya mean?
Q: Well, child labor is illegal now.
ECL: So what’s all this I hear about goin’ on in Arkansas?
Q: Nevermind that. Let’s get back on track. What’s your favorite Klockow beer?
ECL: Whatever one gives me the nutrients and calories to keep my hammer swingin’, and enough alcohol to numb me from the drudgery of my existence. So probably Downwind (Smoked Chocolate Stout).
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what else do…
ECL: Whiskey. Next question.
Q: Um, ok, uh, what are some of your favorite foods?
ECL: Whatcha mean, favorite? You ask your car what its favorite gasoline is? I dunno…potatoes, bread, meat when it’s available. Next.

Q: What do you like to do for fun?
ECL: In my limited free time, I like to dream of a life other than one that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. That and rest so I can do it all over again the next day.
Q: I see. Well, what’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
ECL: I worked 80 hours last week, and I don’t know what PPE is.
Q: Last question, if you could have one wish, what would it be?
ECL: Am I allowed to say unionize with my coworkers in order to advocate for better wages and safety? Because either that or drag the bosses into the street and beat them for the crime of our ongoing abuse in the name of record profits, which they make solely off our blood and sweat.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River
Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids
Bottles & Brews - Grand Rapids
Frontier Liquor - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
Gosh Dam Place - Deer River
Balsam Store - Bovey
Pokegama Lake Store - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids
Rocket’s - Cohasset
Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids
Ron’s Korner Market - Bovey
Blackberry Junction - Grand Rapids

Bigfork, etc -

Big Fork Wilderness Bar
Frontier Sports - Marcell
Timberwolf Inn - Marcell
North Star Lake Resort - Marcell
Hayslips Corner - Talmoon
Antler Store and Motel - Bigfork

Greater Range, etc -

Silver Creek Liquor - Virginia
KM Corner Store - Nashwauk
The Great Outdoors Bottle Shop - Pengilly
MJ’s Resort - Pengilly
SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing
SuperOne Liquor - Virginia
Burnt Onion Kitchen & Brew - Biwabik

Ely, etc -

Mike’s Drive-In Liquor - Ely
Ledge Liquor Store - Tower
Ely Liquor
Insula - Ely
Stinky Pete’s Tiny Weed Shop - Ely
Boathouse Brewery - Ely