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SUMMARY:Grey Sail Oktoberfest Brings German Music\, Steinholding and a Bavarian Menu to Westerly
DESCRIPTION:Grey Sail Oktoberfest Brings German Music\, Steinholding and a Bavarian Menu to Westerly on Sunday\, Oct. 11\, turning the brewery’s Canal Street beer garden into a six-hour celebration with German music\, seasonal beer\, bratwurst\, pretzels\, wood-fired pizza and a qualifying round of a national steinholding competition. \nThe party runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the Grey Sail Taproom\, with the brewery leaning further into the German festival tradition than simply putting an Oktoberfest beer on tap. The Vagabonds provide the soundtrack\, Vetrano’s Wood Fired serves a special Bavarian-inspired menu and guests can try both steinholding and yodeling competitions. \nFor Grey Sail\, there’s also some history behind this particular Oktoberfest. The brewery is approaching its 15th anniversary\, while the German band playing the festival is preparing to call it quits after 40 years. \nThe Vagabonds Bring 40 Years of German Music to the Beer Garden\nThe music comes from The Vagabonds\, a New England German band formed in 1986 specifically to preserve and perform German-American music. \nThis appearance carries more weight than a typical Oktoberfest booking. The Vagabonds have announced that 2026 will be their final season\, ending a 40-year run. \nTheir farewell schedule is filled appropriately with Oktoberfests and German-American celebrations around New England\, including appearances in Connecticut\, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The band specifically describes its Grey Sail stop as an outdoor beer garden event. \nThat should give Grey Sail’s Oktoberfest something close to the atmosphere the event calls for: German festival music played live in a brewery courtyard rather than a generic cover band added to a beer festival. \nThe Beer Is Built for October\nGrey Sail is bringing out two of its fall beers for the occasion. \nAutumn Winds Fest Bier is Grey Sail’s take on an Oktoberfest-style lager\, built around a malt-forward profile with toasted flavors\, a touch of sweetness and a clean finish. \nThe considerably more Halloween-minded alternative is Headless Oarsman Pumpkin Ale\, a 6.5% ABV seasonal inspired by the legend of Sleepy Hollow. Grey Sail brews it with pumpkin spice purée\, producing cinnamon and clove notes over a rich malt base. \nFall-inspired cocktails will also be available. \nGuests who want to go all-in can purchase Grey Sail steins and use them throughout the day. \nVetrano’s Gives Its Wood-Fired Menu a Bavarian Detour\nThe food side gets its own Oktoberfest treatment. \nVetrano’s Wood Fired\, which operates its pizza shed at Grey Sail\, is serving a special menu built around bratwurst\, pretzels and an Oktoberfest pizza. \nThe Bavarian Bratwurst is grilled and served with sauerkraut and a choice of spicy brown or yellow mustard. \nHeadless Oarsman Pretzel Bites pair warm pretzels with a beer-cheese sauce made around Grey Sail’s pumpkin ale. \nThen there’s the Beer Hall Brat Pizza\, a wood-fired pie topped with bratwurst\, beer cheese\, mozzarella\, caramelized onions\, crispy onions and spicy brown mustard. \nIt’s a substantial departure from Vetrano’s regular pizza menu\, which normally ranges from Margherita and pepperoni to Calabrese\, Diavola and other wood-fired specialty pies. \nOct. 11 also has another significance for Vetrano’s: Grey Sail currently lists it as the final day of the pizza shed’s 2026 season at the brewery. \nHold a Stein. Go to the Regional Championship.\nAt 4 p.m.\, the afternoon becomes competitive. \nGrey Sail is an official U.S. Steinholding Competition qualifier venue this year. Competitors attempt the deceptively simple Bavarian endurance challenge: hold a filled beer stein straight out in front of the body for as long as possible without lowering or improperly supporting the arm. \nThe Grey Sail winner receives a stein and advances to the regional championship. \nSteinholding\, or Masskrugstemmen\, has become one of the most recognizable American Oktoberfest competitions. What initially looks like a test of arm strength quickly becomes one of endurance as competitors try to keep a heavy filled stein extended horizontally. \nThere will also be a yodeling competition\, with another Grey Sail stein going to the winner. \nOktoberfest Inside a Former Macaroni Factory\nEven Grey Sail’s home has a food-and-grain connection stretching back nearly a century. \nThe brick building at 63 Canal Street was constructed near the end of the 1920s as the Westerly Macaroni Factory. It later housed a U.S. Postal Service parcel operation and NAPA Auto Parts before Jennifer and Alan Brinton acquired it for their brewery. \nGrey Sail moved into the building on April 4\, 2011. After seven months of renovations\, its first batch of Flagship Ale was brewed on 11/11/11. \nFifteen years later\, the brewery has expanded beyond that original brick building. The neighboring Taproom at 65 Canal Street provides indoor seating and the outdoor courtyard that has become a warm-weather gathering place for live music\, food and community events. \nGrey Sail will celebrate its 15th anniversary later in October\, making Oktoberfest part of a particularly busy month at the brewery. \nOn Oct. 11\, though\, the formula is much more German: Fest Bier in a stein\, bratwurst and pretzels from the wood-fired kitchen\, a veteran German band playing its final season and\, for anyone with enough shoulder endurance\, a chance to advance in competitive steinholding. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Grey Sail Oktoberfest\nDate: Sunday\, Oct. 11\, 2026\nTime: Noon–6 p.m.\nLocation: Grey Sail Taproom\nAddress: 65 Canal Street\, Westerly\, RI 02891\nMusic: The Vagabonds German Band\nFeatured Beer: Autumn Winds Fest Bier and Headless Oarsman Pumpkin Ale\nOther Drinks: Fall-inspired cocktails and additional Grey Sail offerings\nFood: Vetrano’s Wood Fired Oktoberfest menu\nBavarian Bratwurst: Grilled bratwurst with sauerkraut and spicy brown or yellow mustard\nHeadless Oarsman Pretzel Bites: Warm pretzels with Headless Oarsman beer cheese\nBeer Hall Brat Pizza: Bratwurst\, beer cheese\, mozzarella\, caramelized onions\, crispy onions and spicy brown mustard\nSteinholding Competition: 4 p.m.; U.S. Steinholding Competition qualifier\nSteinholding Prize: Grey Sail stein and advancement to the regional championship\nYodeling Competition: Winner receives a Grey Sail stein\nSteins: Grey Sail steins available for purchase\nFamily Friendly: Yes\nDogs: Leashed dogs permitted in the outdoor Taproom courtyard\nParking: Brewery and Taproom lots plus satellite parking at 75 Canal St. and 39 Canal St.; municipal parking is available at 14 Canal St. near the Westerly train station\nTaproom Phone: 401-596-4151 \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/grey-sail-oktoberfest-brings-german-music-steinholding-and-a-bavarian-menu-to-westerly/
LOCATION:Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island\, 63 Canal St\, Westerly\, RI\, 02891\, United States
CATEGORIES:Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island
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