Shipyard Brewing Company - Tremont Mr. Oktoberfest

Clutch hitting in the post-season—that’s what gave Reggie Jackson the nickname “Mr. October.” Well, it’s the post-season-with-the-most-reason to pick up a brew: Oktoberfest! And this clutch hitter combines the heavy hitting of an Oktoberfest beer with the soft touch of a British pub ale. On the nose, expect a powdery orange note with clean, fresh grains, caramel, and bread. Mainly sweet on the nose with flashes of hops. Tremont Mr. Oktoberfest goes down with a touch of hot booziness, apropos for the style, and a funky, Ringwood yeast character (think “buttery”), with moderate bitterness in the finish. This beer is a sort of hybrid brew that blends the distinct “hotness” of a Märzenbier (the style name for oktoberfest) finish, with the easy-drinking, citrusy, buttery notes of an English pale ale. If there’s such a thing as English Märzen, this is it, and we dig it. Something a little different for the post-season.

The history of the Shipyard Brewing Company began around 1992 when real estate developer Fred Forsley hired British brewer Alan Pugsley as a consultant to set up a brewpub within a port revitalization project in Kennebunk, Maine. The two set sail into brewing history upon founding Federal Jack's Brew Pub, the birthplace of The Shipyard ales. Federal Jack's, named for one of the most famous ships built in the port back in 1908, quickly rose to local fame, with Fred and Alan seeing consumer demand for The Shipyard beers soar. Eager to meet the challenge of expansion, they acquired four acres on Portland's historic working waterfront in 1994, with Alan moving out of his consulting role and joining The Shipyard as Master Brewer and part owner. Alan Pugsley, often referred to as the Johnny Appleseed of brewing in the USA, has worked with many breweries and brewpubs in physical and recipe design. In 1993, he was contracted as a consultant to the Tremont Brewery installation and recipe development in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Between 1997 and 2002 Tremont was awarded Boston Magazine’s reader’s poll “Best of Boston” five times. Not exactly an atypical result for projects touched by the hands of Alan Pugsley. But for a variety of reasons, the brewery closed down in 2001. Brewing of the Tremont beers was transferred to a contract-brewing facility in upstate New York for two years before being re-worked to their former glory by Alan at his Shipyard Brewery from 2003-2005. The Shipyard purchased the right to the Tremont Brands in 2005 and has been lovingly looking after them since then—it’s a story where despite the ups and downs of the market, businesses folding, and brewers getting fed up with it all, some good beers find a way to keep on living—and some folks like Alan Pugsley are the thoughtful stewards this world needs to spread the better beer around. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (800) 789-0684 or check out their web site at www.shipyard.com.