2beerguys beer blog

Beer Event – Harpoon Octoberfest is back – 20th year of the celebration

20 Years of Rolling Out the Barrels in Boston‏

For the past 20 years Harpoon has been welcoming New Englanders to the South Boston brewery for the annual Octoberfest celebration. The first festival in 1990 was held amidst the tanks on the brewing floor. Things have changed quite a bit since then and Harpoon Octoberfest has become the largest festival of its kind in New England.

The success and growth of Octoberfest has mirrored the success and growth of the company. Harpoon is on track to achieve the highest sales volume in the brewery’s 23-year history. The 20th anniversary of Harpoon Octoberfest marks a momentous achievement for Harpoon.

Here is the official announcement:

20 YEARS OF HARPOON OCTOBERFEST
The Renowned New England Fall Festival Celebrates 20 Years of Rolling Out the Barrels

BOSTON, MA (August 27, 2009) – At 5:30 pm on October 2nd, the first keg of the Harpoon Brewery’s Octoberfest Beer will be tapped, marking the start of the 20th Harpoon Octoberfest celebration in Boston. What began as a small gathering of local beer lovers at the brewery in South Boston 20 years ago has grown into an iconic fall celebration in Boston, drawing thousands of revelers from all over New England. Close to 14,000 people are expected to attend the 2009 festival.

“In 1990, things were a little rocky for the company. I wanted to make sure we hosted at least one great Octoberfest event before things turned for the worse,” says Rich Doyle, Harpoon CEO and co-founder. “It was really the only time I have ever done something that could have bankrupted us. There were only five full-time employees then, but thankfully our friends and family helped out, people actually came, and we were able to start what has become a classic Boston event.”

The Harpoon Brewery has since grown to become the largest brewery in Massachusetts and the 12th largest brewer of craft beers in the United States. In 2008 Harpoon brewed approximately 117,000 barrels of beer for distribution in 26 states and is on course to break production and sales records in 2009.

“We built the Harpoon business model based on the traditional breweries of Europe where the brewery is the community center, the local gathering place,” says Doyle. “Harpoon Octoberfest has been a great way for us to welcome our community to the brewery to celebrate great beer with us, right where it’s brewed. It’s amazing to see how much the festival has grown and to see how far we’ve come as a company since we threw our first Octoberfest 20 years ago.”

Harpoon’s Octoberfest celebration is an ode to the original Oktoberfest held annually in Munich, Germany. Two massive tents will be erected at Harpoon, transforming the brewery’s parking lot into a Bavarian-style beer garden. A wide selection of Harpoon beers will be poured on draft featuring the brewery’s Marzen-style fall seasonal offering, Harpoon Octoberfest Beer. Live oompah bands will entertain with traditional waltzes and lead the crowd in the beloved chicken dance. Sauerkraut-stuffed bratwurst and knockwurst will be served alongside mustard-covered pretzels.

The 2009 Harpoon Octoberfest will be held at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston on October 2nd and 3rd. More information about the festival can be found on the brewery’s website at www.harpoonbrewery.com.