Ellicottville Brewing Company - Fall Festival

Ellicottville’s Fall Festival is brewed as a märzen, the style made famous by Bavaria’s Oktoberfest. This brew presents a rich medium amber hue with good clarity, topped by a plentiful cap of lasting beige foam. In the aroma, look for an underpinning of Munich malt to deliver a pleasant dose of toastiness and caramelization, overlaid with classic spicy, herbal, woody, and grassy notes from the use of Bavarian Hallertau noble hop varieties. On the palate, that toasty malt is really engaging, delivering a robust and flavorful central core with a dash of residual sweetness. While some Oktoberfest/Märzen-style beers have a rather mild hop presence, Ellicottville’s version is delightfully hoppy, delivering plenty of perceived bitterness along with that spicy-herbal Hallertau character to give the finish a nicely drying and crisp bite. For pairing options, we can’t help but recommend German dishes like various sausages, spätzle, and schnitzel – in fact, most bready or breaded dishes should pair well. Stews, grilled meats, and all manner of stick-to-your-ribs fare should also play nice with this food-friendly brew. Prost!

Ellicottville Brewing Company was started in 1995 by Peter Kreinheder and Allen & Walter Yahn out of a desire to open a family business. The inspiration struck while on a ski trip to Vail, CO, where craft brewing got an early foothold. There was the realization that Ellicottville, sometimes referred to as the “Aspen of the East,” would be the perfect location for a craft brewery and grill. Their instincts were proven right, and almost 30 years later EBC is a thriving craft brewery with a devoted following in Ellicottville and throughout western New York.

The original brewpub location in Ellicottville was expanded in 2013 and now boasts a German-style beer garden along with a restaurant and brewhouse. Additionally, EBC has three other locations in western New York state: EBC West in Fredonia, near Lake Erie; their Bemus Point location, which opened in 2016 along the shores of Chautauqua Lake; and a location in Little Valley which opened in summer of 2018, featuring an outdoor concert venue, a beer garden for the summertime, and winter activities perfect for snowmobilers riding the Pat McGee Trail.

For more information about the brewery and their various locations, check them out at ellicottvillebrewing.com.