Not many events make their second year, let alone their tenth year, but that’s exactly what the SCBA and the New Bedford Oktoberfest has accomplish in 2015. With over $500,000 raised for at-risk youth & educational based charities along the Southcoast, Oktoberfest not only brings you incredible brews, but does incredible things for the community.

With that being said, there is one thing that can be a bit overwhelming when you step into Oktoberfest and that is what tasty beverage to pick. We decided to simplify things for you this year and create a beer guide for all the beers. We scoured the internet and pulled in all the information you’ll need to plan your beer choices for next Saturday. We know many of you, including myself, might not know what an ABV or IBU’s is, so we turned to resident beer expert Beer Advocate for the definition of ABV and About.com for the definition for IBU’s. They both explain it way better than I can in my limited knowledge of the much used beer acronyms.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV) – “Alcohol by volume (ABV) simply represents what portion of the total volume of liquid is alcohol. Our liquid of choice is, of course, beer. And to determine the ABV of a beer, a brewer typically uses what’s called a hydrometer, which is an instrument that aids in measuring the density of liquid in relation to water (it essentially free-floats in a cylinder or liquid). The hydrometer will be calibrated to read 1.000 in water (at 60°F), and the denser the liquid (example: add sugar to the liquid), the higher the hydrometer reading.

Okay, so how does this relate to beer? Well, before yeast cells are introduced to ferment beer, the liquid is called “wort (pronounced wert),” and it’s full of all kinds of sugars that were previously extracted from the grain. A brewer will take a hydrometer measurement of the wort (at 60°F) to determine what’s called the original gravity (OG). Then yeast is pitched into the wort, and fermentation begins. As the yeast cells eat the sugar in the wort, they create two wonderful by-products: carbonation (CO2) and alcohol. And once the brewer has determined that our hungry yeast have had enough (could be days, weeks or months), s/he’ll go ahead and pull another hydrometer reading (at 60°F) and record what’s called the final gravity (FG).

Notice that all measurements were taken at 60°F. That’s because the temperature of the liquid will impact the hydrometers’ measurement of the liquid, and the hydrometer was calibrated with water at 60°F. So in order to maintain controlled calculations … you get it. Otherwise you’d need to make adjustments in calculations, and we don’t want to worry about that.”

You can find the original ABV article here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/518/

International Bittering Units (IBU’s) – “This is a measure of the actual bitterness of a beer as contributed by the alpha acid from hops. Because the apparent bitterness of a beer is subjective to the taste of the drinker and the balancing malt sweetness of the beer this is not always an accurate measure of the “hoppiness” of a beer. But, generally speaking, beers with IBUs of less than 20 have little to no apparent hops presence.

Beers with IBUs from 20 to 45 are the most common and have mild to pronounced hops presence. Beers with IBUs greater than 45 are heavily hopped and can be quite bitter.”

You can find the original IBU article here: http://beer.about.com/od/glossary/g/ibudefined.htm

With those very important definitions out of the way, lets get to the beer!

Buzzards Bay Brewing

IPA

“Our American grown version of this classic ale. Using 2 caramel malts, victory malt and wheat malt along with a complex blend of hops (including: warrior, cascades, palisades, ahtanum, zythos, simcoe) and dry-hopped with several of these.”

6.1% ABV     44 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Moby D

“Inspired by the clean, crisp Altbiers of Germany, our Moby D is a year round favorite. Brewed with 3 different caramel malts and bittering hops.”

5% ABV     21 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://buzzardsbrew.com 

Narragansett Brewing Company

Town Beach IPA

“We brew our Town Beach IPA with Pale, Cara Pils and Wheat malts along with an assortment of three of the finest hops (Hallertau, Nugget, and EKG). It is then dry hopped with Citra at the finish to deliver a well-rounded and balanced hop profile. Crisp, clean and just the right amount of bite from our distinct blend of hops make the Town Beach IPA a thoroughly enjoyable beer that offers tremendous drinkability. Golden amber in color, with a sweet aroma this beer is perfect for late summer or early fall drinking refreshment.”

4.7% ABV     55 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Porter

“It is brewed with chinook hops for bitterness, simcoe hops for aroma, black malt, pale malt, chocolate malt, munich malt, crystal malt, roasted barley, and ale yeast. Giving it an imperial taste. ansett Porter offers an extremely approachable craft experience that, unlike many of the other porters on the market, is not overly smoky or bitter. The Narragansett Porter has a deliciously mild chocolate flavor with just a hint of smokiness and hops to balance out the finish.”

7% ABV     28 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.narragansettbeer.com/beer

Berkley Beer Company

Harvest Ale

“The perfect blend of sweet and savory is the distinctive feature of Berkley’s Harvest Ale. It’s rich, malty flavor, makes this Oktoberfest-style ale not only very drinkable, but also the ideal autumn treat.”

6% ABV     20 IBU’s

Untappd Review(s)

Golden Ale

Berkley’s Golden Ale is a drinkable, well-balanced ale that features a smooth, crisp taste paired with a slight malty finish making it gloriously golden and pleasantly refreshing.

5% ABV     15 IBU’s

Untappd Review(s)

Hog Oiler Double IPA

8% ABV

Untappd Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.berkleybeer.com

Naukabout Beer Company

White Cap IPA

“Whether you’re unwinding after a long day at work, tinkering in the garage on the weekends or gearing up for the big game, Naukabout IPA is the perfect brew for all those once-in-a-lifetime Naukabout moments.”

6.25% ABV     47 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Lighthouse Blonde Ale

“Lighthouse Blonde Ale is the perfect brew for playing backyard games with your friends, kicking back and relaxing on the beach with your family, or stocking up for that long weekend in the mountains. Whatever your passion, Naukabout Lighthouse Blonde Ale is a tasty year-round choice for inspiring those once-in-a-lifetime Naukabout memories.”

4.0% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.naukabout.com

Mayflower Brewing

IPA

“Mayflower IPA balances a powerful hop profile with full malt flavor to create a smooth brew with well-rounded bitterness. Four varieties of American hops lend a delightful piney flavor and fruity aroma.”

6.1% ABV     77 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Porter

“Mayflower Porter is a rich, complex brew that is smooth and full-flavored. Five varieties of malted barley provide notes of roasted coffee beans and bittersweet chocolate with a hint of smokiness.”

5.2% ABV     34 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Autumn Wheat Ale

“Mayflower Autumn Wheat Ale is a dark wheat beer. Flavorful and medium-bodied, it combines the fruity aroma and bready character of traditional wheat beers with the malty richness of dark ales.”

4.8% ABV     22 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.mayflowerbrewing.com/

Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier

“Ever since 1818 we have brewed our bottom-fermented Oktoberfest Bier during Oktoberfest – Germany’s favourite Oktoberfest beer and a true institution in Munich. The glass is full of October sunshine, strong and golden. The perfect balance of a light taste of hops and a strong note of malt. A feast of a beer, which always goes down well. This beer is only brewed for the Oktoberfest. That’s where it belongs, along with all the fun of the fair like the Ferris wheel and roasted almonds.”

5.8% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.paulaner.com

Shipyard Pumpkinhead

“Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale is a crisp and refreshing wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spiced flavor.”

4.5% ABV     18 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of https://www.shipyard.com

Weihenstephan Oktoberfestbier

“A full rich bodied, hoppy, seasonal lager. Especially brewed for the Festbier season. This beer truly represents the Bavarian way of celebrating. Deep gold color, great mouth-feel and lots of flavor.”

5.8% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://us.weihenstephaner.com

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

“Our version of this classic style blends hearty malts for a deep, smooth flavor with notes of caramel creating a brew that’s perfect for the season, or whatever you’re celebrating.”

5.3% ABV     16 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of https://www.samueladams.com

Jack-O Traveler Pumpkin Shandy

“Jack-O Traveler is an alluring wheat beer illuminated by the tastes of fall. He strikes a perfect balance between bright refreshment and seasonal spice. Jack is brewed with fresh pumpkin, for a delicious dark-hued, Shandy-inspired beer.”

4.4% ABV     7 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.travelerbeer.com

Brooklyn Oktoberfest

“Brewed from the finest German malt and hops, Brooklyn Oktoberfest is true to the original style, fullbodied and malty, with a bready aroma and light, brisk hop bitterness.”

5.5% ABV     25 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.brooklynbrewery.com

Wachusett Octoberfest

“Draft Magazine called it one of the Top 10 Octoberfest’s Available in North America. Using traditional Octoberfest specialty malts and hops, we’ve handcrafted an interpretation of the style that has both a balanced bitterness and a beautiful copper coloring.”

5.2% ABV     21 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.wachusettbrew.com

Cisco Brewers

Sankaty Light Lager

“A light American Golden Lager. This delicious creation is light-bodied with tremendous balance and distinct hop character. At 3.8% alcohol and 126 calories this light beer has true flavor and body while being easy to drink and easier on the waistline. It is named after the famous lighthouse that has stood on a bluff on the southeastern side of Nantucket Island since 1849.”

3.8% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

Pumple Drumkin

6% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.ciscobrewers.com/brewery

Tröegs Hop Knife Harvest Ale

“Hop Knife Harvest Ale recognizes the meticulous, time-honored tradition of hand-harvesting hops at the peak of maturity. Our HopCyclone process creates an inward spiral of hop dispersal during fermentation, releasing a bounty of citrus, resin and tropical aromas.”

6.2% ABV     87 IBU’s

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.troegs.com

Foolproof Augtoberfest

“This festbier is a celebration of Foolproof’s annual Augtoberfest festival, which we host at our brewery in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Augtoberfest is brewed with caramel and Munich malt as well as American hops and is fermented cool to produce a clean, refreshing flavor.”

6% ABV

Beer Advocate Review(s)

All information courtesy of http://www.foolproofbrewing.com

This year’s New Bedford Oktoberfest is certainly a beer drinker’s delight. However, if beer isn’t your thing, they will also have wine, sangria and cider available!

Is there a beer that you want to see at Oktoberfest and it’s NOT listed? Comment below and we’ll pass along the list to the New Bedford Oktoberfest event staff.

 

Rhythm, Blues, and Appalachian Murder Ballads

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn coming to the Zeiterion Theater this Sunday, April 12th, 7PM

Fifteen-time GRAMMY winner, Béla Fleck, and his wife Abigail Washburn have teamed up for an incredible example of the versatility and musicality of the banjo. Stringing together influences from jazz to appalachian murder ballads, the unique result is entirely captivating and a true feat of art. Both industry giants on their own, this partnership has proved to be one of talent, creativity, and ingenuity. The culmination of their eclectic relationship is a moment in music history that is not to be missed. For tickets please visit http://www.zeiterion.org/

I had the pleasure of interviewing Béla, where he revealed his love for the Massachusetts Southcoast, the trifles of being a couple in a group, and what we can hope to see from the duo in the future.

Mia Germain – Have either of you been to this area before? If so, what are your favorite things about the south coast of Massachusetts?Béla Fleck – I have had the good fortune to play New Bedford at least 3 times that I can remember and possibly 4!I’ve played there with The Flecktones, with the African Project, and in duet with Chick Corea. I’m so happy to get to play there again, with my wife Abigail Washburn.Also I used to live in Boston – way back – and I spent a lot of time in the area. I love it. Mia Germain – Both of your careers have taken you to incredible places around the world, how does place and setting influence your music? Béla Fleck – I feel like a great experience can happen anywhere, and some of the best are outside of the major cities. Audiences really appreciate your visit, and you also don’t compete with as many shows for attention. That said, it’s fun to play ‘destination gigs’ like Telluride Bluegrass Festival, or Newport Folk/Jazz Fests, where the location is part of the draw. Give me a funky old theatre though, and I get comfy and tend to play at my best. Mia Germain – You have done some informal collaborations before this album, but what is the musical dynamic between you like when it is all off the record-before this album and now? Béla Fleck – Abby and I have been playing together since we became a couple, music is a part of our couplehood. And when we formalized that natural collaboration, and started taking it on the road, it was an unexpectedly smooth transition. We are very comfortable with each other, and there is a lot of trust, so sometimes it means we push each other into unfamiliar waters, and take more risks that we might in a less safe environment. But mostly it just flows and we have a lot of fun playing our banjos together. Mia Germain – On this album, how was the collaboration and songwriting process as a couple different-or not-from both of your experiences previous? Béla Fleck – This is the first one where it was just the two of us. That felt really good. In the past, I have helped Abby to produce her albums occasionally, and we worked together with the Sparrow Quartet, a wonderful group featuring Casey Driessen and Ben Sollee. But being a couple in a group is a trifle awkward. This is a very direct interaction with no one in between. Mia Germain – How has this experience been, of touring as a family? Béla Fleck – It’s truly ‘living the dream’, as so many people say to us. So many of our musician friends have had to spend a lot of time away from their kids and partners in order to make the family bacon. In this situation we get to do it together, and be with our son Juno most of the time. He’s acclimated well to the touring life, and we have a very special touring team who take care of him when we get busy. It’s very sweet. Mia Germain – Obviously, the birth of your son was instrumental in the timing of this long-awaited collaboration, but how has he influenced your own musicality, and what effect can we hope to see in the future from his presence in your lives? Béla Fleck – Having a child makes a lot of things instantly clear – and what’s important becomes very obvious very fast. So as a couple – it’s no longer just about us, and we have embraced that. He also changed me from someone who really couldn’t relate to kids that well to someone who really enjoys them. As far as the music, my music has benefited from becoming less important in the scheme of things. I think I was overly obsessed with music sometimes, and it didn’t always make the music better – it just made me edgy and nervous. Playing music feels very joyful and complete now. And also I’ve written a few things that I just wouldn’t have written before I became a father. But Abigail is a huge influence on me too, and playing with her has brought out the more sensitive and melodic parts of my playing. I love it…

For more about Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, their self-titled album, and future performance dates, please visit http://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/p/bla-fleck–abigail-washburn/index.html

Like many Americans, the staff at New Bedford Guide loves food and we love eating local. The Greater New Bedford area has been recognized multiple times over the past five years, for various accolades, but one of the categories overlooked is dining. We boast some of the best and freshest seafood in the country, unmatched Portuguese offerings, authentic Italian, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Chinese and so many more options. I can confidently sit behind my laptop and say that we’re a hidden gem in the dining community. Our establishments have been featured all over Phantom Gourmet, making the less fortunate observers left to drool, while we gorge ourselves and expand our waistlines.

It’s because of our love for all things food that we are proud to announce the launch of our South Coast Dining Guide. The South Coast Dining Guide is unique in that our guide is not only for all the residents of our beautiful area, but also for the restaurants themselves.

Click here for the South Coast Dining Guide

Users are able to navigate our beautiful and easy-to-use layout to find the best dining options, both on their desktop and mobile phones. Our clients (restaurant owners, managers, marketing reps, etc.) are able to enjoy the many features our dining profiles offer, as well as other marketing opportunities with New Bedford Guide, and our incredible growth and traffic (view our analytics and company information here).

Here is a list of features that are offered in the South Coast Dining Guide (version 1.0):

Google Maps API – You are able to quickly locate restaurants addresses through the built in Google Maps API. In addition, users can pull up the location directly on their mobile phone for easy access to GPS directions.

Built-in Social Media – Once a restaurant claims their listing, all applicable social media profiles are linked and featured on their profile. This allows users quick and easy access to view specials, discounts, coupons, photos, news and more.

Mobile Friendly – How people access information is changing, the majority of us get all of our information via our smartphone. This is why it was important to make sure the dining guide had responsive design built-in. As of January 2014, 58% of Americans owned a smart-phone. Making your website mobile friendly is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Our beautiful and easy-to-use dining guide has been designed, developed and optimized for your smart phone.

Video Spotlight – One of the benefits of working at New Bedford Guide is the access businesses give us. We are able to show our users a glimpse into the every day operation of businesses that other media companies simply don’t have access to or aren’t interested in. It’s this personal look into businesses that truly connect the business with their customers. With our built in video feature, restaurants can receive a New Bedford Guide video spotlight, and integrate it right into their dining profile.

Here’s an example of one of our dining profiles with a video spotlight: All Friends Smokehouse & Catering

Dining Blog – We love to write, and we love to write about food. We’ve been fortunate enough to be invited into some of the best restaurants in the area to spotlight and/or write reviews. We’ve enjoyed some truly incredible meals that even the perfect adjective(s) can’t quite describe and need to be experienced personally. With our dining blog, users are able to read our first hand, unbiased accounts of dining in the south coast.

Dining Amenity Tags – One of my favorite features of the dining guide is our tagging/filter system. Once a restaurant claims their listing, we go through all the amenities they offer. This allows the user to engage our filter system to find the exact dining experience they are looking for. Users can look for locations that offer free Wi-Fi, accept the UMass Pass, have outdoor seating, as well as many other options.

With every new product we launch at New Bedford Guide, the strategy behind it always looks to the future. So what features can users and businesses expect in version 2.0?

Online Food & Drink Menus – From a pure consumer stand point, nothing annoys me more than not being able to window shop before I buy. When making the all important decision on where I’m going to eat breakfast, lunch and/or dinner, a glance at the menu before choosing is a must. I’ve spoken to friends, family and New Bedford Guide fans, and one thing they all agree on is that the dining guide has to have menus.

Over the next month, we will be working to develop and integrate food and drink menus into our listings. We’ve set a very ambitious goal of adding 300 menus by the end of 2015.

Events – Trivia question of the day: Does anyone know how New Bedford Guide got its start? The answer is, as an online event system called Local Oracle (some of you might recognize that name). Local Oracle featured the events of numerous New Bedford area businesses, and also the embarrassingly awkward The Dating Game (high five if you were ever on it). As Mike Silvia and I noticed a demand for a broader range of information, we closed the doors of Local Oracle and launched New Bedford Guide, the rest is history.

With that being said, our number one clients on Local Oracle were restaurants. From live music, to trivia, jam sessions and even arm wrestling matches, there is always something to do, on any given day in the South Coast.

With that in mind, we are developing an event system to integrate into each dining profile. This will allow our clients to market their events, and for users to plan out their week. Look for that in the second quarter of 2015.

Do you have an idea for a dining guide feature? Contact us

We are very excited for the launch of the South Coast Dining Guide, and we hope our fans and businesses are also excited. If you are a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, franchise, etc. and want to become a partner of the South Coast Dining Guide, please click here to submit a listing or locate your business and claim it.

Thanks for your continued support of New Bedford Guide and enjoy the brand new South Coast Dining Guide.

Click here for the South Coast Dining Guide

If you are a business owner or manager and would like to discuss a plan and/or claim your listing, please contact Charles Turay at charles@newbedfordguide.com 

 

Do you see a business missing from the dining guide? Contact us and let us know what restaurant(s) we missed.

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