Because the end of the long, cold winter deserves a festival of its own, the good people of Munich, Germany throw a shindig known as Frühlingsfest that goes from the last week of April to the first week of May. The festival held at the same venue as Oktoberfest, is sometimes called the “Kleine Schwester des Oktoberfestes,” meaning “Oktoberfest’s Little Sister.” It is at this festival that Germans introduce traditional brews such as the Maibock (literally May beer in German), which is a Helles lager that is brewed to the stronger bock strength. The brew possesses the strength of a traditional Bock, but is lighter in color and has a stronger hops presence.
Not to be outdone by the beer-drinkers in Bavaria, Engine 15 on Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville Beach is planning their own spring festival complete with a specially-brewed Maibock, live music, and a dunking booth. A special food offering of roasted lamb will also be available for hungry partiers.
One of the highlights of the event will be the traditional crowning of the Mai Queen. For the past few weeks, anyone who purchases a pint at the brewpub has been given a ticket to vote for one of four lovely ladies vying for the title. One of those ladies is fellow blogger Regina Heffeington, aka the Jax Brew Bitch. While the actual vote tabulation is only known to a few select Engine 15 staff, we like to believe that Regina is running strong in the poles.
The festival takes place this Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to close.
The ATL Beer Guy 