The 10th Annual Oktoberfest Batch Brewing celebration in Detroit drew a big crowd for fabulous food, a Steinholding competition, and plenty of super beer.
Batch Brewing Oktoberfest
For the last nine years, I’ve longingly looked at posts on social media about Batch Brewing Oktoberfest celebrations. Photos of fabulous German food, smiling folks enjoy tasty Batch beer in giant 1-liter mugs and general merriment. Sadly, we were either out of town or had another gig and couldn’t make it. This year, the stars have aligned, and we made it to Batch Brewing for their 10th Oktoberfest celebration as a tune-up for the real deal in Munich in a couple of weeks.
Big Tents and Big Beers
When we pulled up, the fieldhouse and another large tent in the open beer garden were filled with people enjoying a stellar day of blue skies. You could pick up a Batch Brewing 1-liter glass mug for a reasonable fee. For a bit more, they had German-made ceramic mugs. Regardless of your vehicle of choice, the beers on tap were spectacular.
Keeping with the Oktoberfest theme, Batch had a pils, a festbier (pale lager with a little more kick), Munich Helles (bright pale lager), Schwarzbier (dark lager), Altbier (German brown), Roggenbier (rye ale), Kölsch (nice and tight riding the line between lager and ale), Zwickelbier (slightly hazy and super sessionable), and a Hefeweizen (wheat).
In addition to covering all the German styles, Batch threw in a couple Czech beers (a pils and a dark lager), but my personal favorite Chela Familiar (Mexican-style Vienna lager). Knowing my love for this beautiful beer poured me a full liter. You see, I’d entered the Steinholding contest!
Official Masskrugstemmen
My first exposure to Steinholding or masskrugstemmen was at the World Beer Expo in Frankenmuth. I entered and, I think, held my stein for perhaps a minute, maybe a minute and twenty seconds. It was actually fun. We ran across Steinholding again during our Day With Jay in Grand Rapids at Arvon Brewing, but it wasn’t a sanctioned event.
Batch Brewing went the extra mile to become an official qualifying competition for the US Steinholding Association Steinholding State Championship. For $25 bucks, you got a glass Stein full of beer and a chance to make it to the Steinholding State Championship (held on Saturday, October 26th, 2024, during the Trenton Halloween Festival),
I entered the competition with the goal of not being the first guy out. I barely made it with about a two-minute hold. Clearly, I’m improving, yet I’ve got a ways to go. The competition was stiff (no pun intended), and the winning times were quite impressive. Congratulations to these masters of the mug!
Men
- Champion – Aaron Ferrante – Official Time: 5:28.16
- 2nd Alex Alexander
- 3rd Jimmy Hickok
Women
- Champion Krista Klas – Official Time: 4:19.18
- 2nd Nicola Cortese
- 3rd Erin Rose Briggs
If you are curious, a Stein of beer weighs about 5 pounds. Michael Tyler holds the men’s record with 21 minutes, 17 seconds. Taylor Handy sets the women’s record with 6 minutes, 10 seconds.
Music and Food
I failed to get a quality photo of some of the food options at Batch Brewing Oktoberfest. We wolfed down ours, and I didn’t want to stick my camera into someone else’s plate, no matter how accommodating they were. However, I asked this nice fellow who had shown off the massive plate of lamb shank. What I can relay is that if you went hungry, it wasn’t for lack of food. In terms of traditional German fare, Batch had it covered with plenty of roasted chicken, brats, sauerkraut, spätzle, and more.
Rolling out a barrel of tunes was Die Dorfmusikanten playing traditional Oktoberfest music geared to make you feel happy and, of course, drink beer. Their set included the goofy song Fliegerlied (The Flying Song), where you fly like a plane, get strong like a tiger, and other silly dance moves.
Later that evening, Motor City Soul Club got the party started with some serious grooves.
Pictures
We’ve got a few more photos from the 10th annual Batch Brewing Oktoberfest in our gallery.
Become a Supporter!
We warmly invite you to join our Life In Michigan community. Your support is not just appreciated—it is essential. It enables us to continue sharing the unique and captivating stories that showcase Michigan in all its vibrant glory. Whether you buy us a beer or provide ongoing support through Substack, every contribution enhances our mission.
If our content resonates with you, we encourage you to become ambassadors of our stories. Share our work on your social media or forward a link to someone who would appreciate it as much as you do. Your support, in any form, breathes life into our cause and keeps the spirit of Life in Michigan thriving.
Thank you for being a vital part of our community.
Stay Connected
We’d love it if you’d like our Facebook page. Better yet, subscribe to our Sunday Sip newsletter through Substack. You can also find us on Instagram.
Cheers!
