Back in the long-ago year of 2017, I was lucky enough to go to one of the most famous and historic beer festivals in the entire world: Oktoberfest. We’d planned two weeks in Germany, and our time in Munich was right in the middle of the festival’s run, so we got to spend a day and a half soaking up all that Oktoberfest goodness. I can remember it all so clearly: the music, the sing-a-longs, the incredible street food, and how intentional it all felt. The best part, though, was the liter steins of delicious, golden Helles beer.
To say that the beer at Oktoberfest went down like water would be a bit of an understatement. For 11€, we were presented with enormous steins full of Paulaner, Augustiner, Lowenbrau, or Marstall. It seemed we’d never been closer to heaven.
Since that amazing trip, I have tried to recapture the Helles magic whenever I can. It seems like a lot of breweries these days are producing their own versions, and while they’ve all been tasty, so far, none of them have really evoked the same feelings as to what I experienced in Munich. Luckily, this past weekend, I stumbled upon Edelbrau Brewing Company in Ann Arbor.
A last-minute addition to our day, Edelbrau was located in an industrial loading area off a highway on the way to I-94. Entering the building, I was a bit skeptical at first – it’s a cavernous space that is mostly covered by a curtain. The tasting room is a tiny nook near the front of the building. I was reassured by the promise of German-style beer, though, along with the comfortingly old-school feel and friendly atmosphere.
One sip of Edelbrau’s Helles brought fresh Oktoberfest memories to mind. The sights! The smells! The soft pretzels! The clean, crisp taste of this Helles transported me right back to that September weekend in Munich. The beer had a warm gold color with a light biscuit smell, just like in Germany this Helles was perfect with food.
I am so glad we found Edelbrau Brewing Company! Of course, I had to take some of this delicious beer home (something I was not able to do after Oktoberfest). Hopefully, this beer and brewery will continue to be a part of the Michigan beer scene for years to come because I think there is always room for true-to-style beers.
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