Do we Pacific Northwesterners inherit our craft beer prowess from the German immigrants who settled here in the late 18th century? After all, they brought their farming practices over here from the old country. Their wheat, barley and hops liked our weather and our soils here in Washington. And those hard-working farmers liked a home-brewed cold one (or two or three) after a long day in the field.
So instead of commemorating Crown Prince Louis of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen tying the knot in 1810, let’s raise a few steins to our own lederhosen and dirndl-wearing forebears, and put our Town & Country spin on a few great German food and drink traditions.
Your itinerary: cheese section (and then the meat section, the bakery section, and oh yeah—the beer section)
There’s no time like Oktoberfest to try some cheese from Champignon Käserei, a dairy cooperative that’s been working with small family farms in Bavaria for three generations. Shauna Howell, our Director of Culinary Services says all their cheeses are worthy of a spot on an Oktoberfest platter.
Hunt a little more, and you’ll find lots of intriguing ingredients for your Northwest Oktoberfest. We make Our Own bratwurst sausages with fresh pork, right in the market. So we can make them the way we like them here—really big, and bursting with amazing flavor when you bite. We like to boil them in beer, grill them, and serve them on Pretzilla buns with Olykraut sauerkraut from Olympia. But you do you.
Need some fun sides? We’ve got everything you need to make your own schnitzel, spätzle, pickled herring and apple cake. On our website, you’ll find plenty of traditional recipes like German Rouladen, Bratwurst & Cabbage Soup you can make with our fresh, flavorful local produce, and a traditional German Potato Salad you can New World-ify by adding some awesome Niman Ranch bacon from our meat department.
But really, isn’t it all about the beer? Or should we say bier?
Did we mention beer? You’re going to need beer. And we apologize in advance if making your way through our vast selection of local and international brews—in bottles, cans and growler-ready on tap—causes any delay in your festivities.
Now all you need to do is brush up on your polka steps, remember the lyrics to Edelweiss, invite some friends over—bonus points if they bring a dachshund or a German Shepherd with them—and learn the word for “cheers” in German (hint: it’s “Prost!”)