Twice the Oompah at Engine 15 Brewing Oktoberfest

Did I really end up with three
beers at Engine 15 Oktoberfest?

OKTOBERFEST is in full swing! The 183rd official Oktoberfest in Munich has been going strong for over a week now, with 5 days to go. Can you imagine all that German beer flowing in Bavaria? If you didn't get a ticket to Germany, no need to fret -- Thanks to Oktoberfest celebrations happening around Florida, we have plenty of Gemütlichkeit (and beer) to go around the Sunshine State, too. If you haven't seen my earlier Oktoberfest post, don't wait any longer, or you'll miss out (and we wouldn't want that to happen)! The upcoming weekend features a number of Oktoberfest celebrations around the state, so get those dirndls and lederhosen out of your closet and mach schnell to the nearest place you hear the Oompah music. 

Outside biergarten.....

For the first time in the Jacksonville area, you'll be able to shuttle your way between two Oktoberfest bashes by one brewery in two different locations. (Did you follow that?) Ach du lieber! Yes, it's true! At last weekend's "Mash-In"(the Jax Beer Week finale and signature event), Engine 15 Brewing Company opened the doors of its highly-anticipated downtown outdoor biergarten and indoor production facility tasting room to the public. 

And, they'll be doing it again on Saturday, October 1, as the brewery hosts its Oktoberfest party -- downtown, and at its brewpub in Jacksonville Beach. 

Inside tasting room.....

...and brewhouse

Let's start with the Jacksonville Beach brewpub. As Kara Scremin, Marketing Maven for Engine 15 says, "it'll be fun as usual." The Oktoberfest celebration gets started at 11am with the tapping of the Oktoberfest Lager.  As in years past, the afternoon will feature "Chicken Sh*t Bingo," pretzels "as big as your head," crowning of the King and Queen (so wear your Oktoberfest best), live German music at 2pm, and "feats of strength" (practice your stein-holding). 

Take your festive spirit to the next level by purchasing one of the Engine 15 custom ceramic oversized mugs, complete with a first fill of the Oktoberfest Lager, J'Ville Lager, or 904 Weiss Guy Hefeweizen. Reserve your mug now by sending an email to David at david@engine15.com. Or, opt for the traditional liter German Maß ("Mass").  Either way, bring the vessel back during the month for a discounted refill. 

Mug....

...or Maß ... (photobomb not included)

Then, head over to the Downtown Production Warehouse and outdoor biergarten where the party and fun continue, from noon til 8:30pm. The family-friendly event includes a DJ during the afternoon, with an Oompah band in the early evening. Food will be available from Sausage Paradise food truck. It's a true "family-friendly" event, says Kara, as the venue will feature horseshoes, cornhole, bocce ball, Connect 4 and Jenga. And, if your dog is in the German spirit too, the pooch is welcome in the outdoor biergarten (make sure he has the owner on a leash, though). 

Jax Brew Bus...

As if all of that isn't enough, let's say you want to go to both ... just sayin'. Simply "hop on" the JAX BREW BUS for a free shuttle between the Engine 15 Beach and Downtown locations. Yeah, that's "free," as in complimentary. Note, there is one condition: you must want to have some fun along the ride -- no exceptions. And, yes, you can bring beer on the bus. Oompah! The continuous shuttle rides will start at the Beach Brewpub at 12:30pm. The Bus will transport fest attendees to the Downtown Biergarten and back to the Beach Brewpub all day long (an Oktoberfest "loop"), until the last shuttle leaves Downtown at 8:20pm. If you haven't experienced the Jax Brew Bus yet, here's your chance to take a free spin. You'll be booking your three-brewery tour around Jax before you can say Eins, Zwei, Drei. As one of the reps/tour guides for Jax Brew Bus, I can pretty much guarantee you'll have a fun experience!

As you've seen from some of the above photos, and the earlier Oktoberfest post on the homepage of this website, I've attended the Engine 15 Oktoberfest in the past. My dirndl and golden braids are ready again this year.  I won't be too tough to find, and I'll probably have my Engine 15 Maß in my hands at any given moment. G'Suffa!

The Engine 15 Brewpub is located at 1500 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville Beach, in a storefront mall property. Just look for the crowd when you get there. The Downtown Production Facility and Biergarten is at 601 Myrtle Avenue North. 

For more information about Engine 15 Brewing Company, take a look at some of the previous posts on this website, including the recent anniversary story!

Happy Oktoberfest!  

Ein Prosit!

(Note: An edited version of this story also appears on the "Beer Buzzed" page in the "Nightlife" section of http://www.iwantabuzz.com/)

Linda 

©2016 BrewNymph, LLC. All text and photos. All rights reserved. BrewNymph; Peace, Love, Pints; Where the Beer Meets the Beach, and Beer is my Trademark are federally-registered trademarks of BrewNymph, LLC; BeerSphere and I'm Fun; Deal With It! are trademarks of BrewNymph, LLC