BOSTON (September 16, 2008) – As temperatures cool and leaves change their hue, the months of September and October also bring about some of the world’s most festive celebrations: Oktoberfest. As Beer enthusiasts travel near and far to commemorate an important part of Bavarian culture at America’s popular Oktoberfest celebrations, they can make the most of their trip by sampling local beers at the airport. The new “Beer Lovers’ Airport Guide” from travel search engine Cheapflights.com provides thirsty travelers with a collection of 15 airport bars that offer the best regional brews.
Pubs at some of America’s largest airports serve craft-brewed beers that are oftentimes produced within a few short miles, providing visitors with a quick taste of the local flavors. To help in-transit Oktoberfesters better navigate a lengthy layover or unexpected delay, Cheapflights.com has compiled a sky map (downloadable at www.cheapflights.com) to some of the best airport pubs in the country.
“More airports are transforming themselves into places that travelers enjoy,” said Carl Schwartz, chief travel officer for Cheapflights.com. “The addition of specialty brews to their beverage lineups are helping to decrease stress levels while providing unique enjoyment at the same time.”
Highlights of the Cheapflights Beer Lovers’ Airport Guide:
• Boston – Bostonians know beer. In a town that gave birth to Samuel Adams (both the Patriot and the brew), lots of locals harken to Harpoon (www.harpoonbrewery.com). Harpoon is a brand of beers that’s quintessentially New England and is brewed just a few miles from Logan International Airport (BOS). The best part? BOS also boasts its own Harpoon Brewery Tap Room in the Terminal A Satellite. Several brews are available, but the hands-down favorite is Harpoon I.P.A., or Indian Pale Ale.
o Chicago travelers headed to the Newport, RI 16th annual Oktoberfest celebration (www.newport festivals.com/Oktoberfest/) from October 13-15, can experience the Big Taste Grill, a 65-foot-long smorgasbord that can cook up to 2,500 bratwursts an hour. Round-trip fares from the Windy City to Boston—a 1½ hour drive away—can be found for under $250.
• Portland, Ore – You’d be hard-pressed to find an airport with more handcrafted
beer options that Portland International (PDX). One of PDX’s most enticing enclaves is the Laurelwood Brewing Company (www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com), with post-security locations on both Concourses A and E. And one of Laurelwood’s most fascinating flavors is its Organic Tree-Hugger Porter, brewed with 100 percent organically-grown malt. It’s robust, and dark – with a chocolate malt ambience and a dry, roasty finish. So renowned is this stuff that it won the Silver Medal in during the 2002 World Beer Cup competition.
o Heading east to Soulard Oktoberfest (www.soulardoktoberfest.com) in St. Louis, Mo? Dubbed as “The Fastest Growing Oktoberfest in America,” this three-day event takes place from October 3-5 in the Gateway City’s Soulard Market. Round-trip flights from PDX can be had for as low as $316 on Cheapflights.com.
• San Francisco – San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is one of the most romantic airports anywhere. It sports a fine on-airport museum and lots of history. SFO is also the place to quaff one of the most favored beers brewed today: Hefeweizen. Go to Gordon Biersch (www.gordonbiersch.com) in Terminal 3 and ask for a glass. It’s amazing stuff, suffused with citrus, clove, bubblegum and banana flavors – all produced naturally from the yeast and malted wheat.
o For a quick flight, Oktoberfest Denver (www.oktoberfestdenver.com) is attended by more than a quarter-million people each year. Now in its 39th year, the festivities occur in Denver’s Ballpark Neighborhood on Larimer Street and round trip tickets start at $179.
• Denver – The Rocky Mountains are synonymous with one brand: Coors. Great stuff, but there’s another far smaller brewery that’s winning friends and influencing flyers out of Denver International Airport (DEN). It’s New Belgium (www.newbelgium.com) and it sells its product at the Mile High aerodrome on Concourse B in the Regional Jet Terminal. It’s worth the trip, regardless of where your departure gate is located. The pub itself is called “The Hub,” and the most popular brew is the nicely balanced Fat Tire Amber Ale.
o Both Denver and San Francisco celebrate Oktoberfest in their own unique ways and we suggest the local residents trade places! Oktoberfest by the Bay (www.oktoberfestbythebay.com) in Fort Mason, a former U.S. Army post alongside San Francisco Bay, includes nonstop music, dancing, singing, and of course the very best in German food and drink.
• Munich – No Oktoberfest discussion is complete without at least a mention of the festival for which all celebrations are based: the 16-day Oktoberfest (www.oktoberfest.de/en) in Munich, Germany. More than six million people attend one of the most famous events in the city—not to mention the largest fair in the world. In its 175th year, Oktoberfest in Munich serves up almost 40,000 kilos of fish, 140,000 pairs of port sausages and nearly 70,000 hectoliters of beer.
o Round-trip flights to Munich are available on Cheapflights.com for as low as $732 from San Francisco, $598 from Boston and $586 from Washington, D.C. Travelers can also reach Munich by train from Frankfurt, which offers nonstop service from several U.S. cities, in a matter of hours.
About Cheapflights.com
Cheapflights.com gives brew pub aficionados who are flexible with their travel schedules and destination choices the opportunity to score cheap flight deals to Oktoberfest celebrations everywhere. The site’s unique destination-first model uses a simple “From” and “To” search model, so there’s no need to always worry about specific dates and times to slow you down.
