I’m a little behind on getting this posted for you, because we’re already midway through American Craft Beer Week, but as we roll into spring the Christian Moerlein lager house is using the opportunity to celebrate the week with a fun menu of beer and food pairings that I wanted you to make sure you knew about!
What Is Maifest?
You know how we roll here in Cincinnati – we like our German celebrations. Maifest is another one of those celebrations that provides us an excuse to celebrate our German heritage, and also to knock back a couple of beers along the way. It’s a real thing, though, rest assured.
Traditionally, Maifest is celebrated around the first of May. It’s a celebration of the end of winter, and the beginning of Spring. It was (historically speaking) the time when early Germans would return their animals to the warm pastures after a long, cold winter.
The pagans? They (in typical Pagan fashion) saw it as a great time to get out and sing, dance, and celebrate. They would shake off the cold of winter with a festival, which over time… was obviously adopted by secular folks as well. Maifest is celebrated with decorations of ribbons, and flowers. You’ll find bonfires, dancing and singing – and of course – special food and drinks
The Moerlein Lager House Way
The Moerlein Lager house has been making beer here in Cincinnati since they opened their doors in 2012, and loves to put together fun beer and food pairing menus like this to celebrate when they can. For Maifest 2021, you’ll find:
- Schnitzel a la Holstein – with fried egg, Parmesan, lemon beer blanc, speaetzle, and cucumber salad – paired up with Se7en Hefeweizen (read more about the beer here)
- Jägerschnitzel – with jager sauce, fennel fronds, wild mushroom, spaetzle, and cucumber salad – paired up with a Märzen
- Sauerkraut & Pork Shank – with garlic mashed potatoes, apple kraut, mustard demi – paired up with Saengerfest Maibock
- Dijon Hops Crusted Chicken – with a half rotisserie chicken, spaetzle mushroom, and beer blanc. They are offering two suggested beer pairings with this one, the Lager House Dortmunder lager or for the “more adventurous” their Juicy Press IPA.
For Dessert? You know they wouldn’t leave you hanging, here.
- Sweet Bavarian Pretzels – A Bavarian pretzel with cinnamon sugar, chocolate sauce, salted caramel – paired up with their Barbarossa dunkel. (read more about the beer here)
