Updated September 5, 2019
SIERRA NEVADA ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE FIRST OKTOBERFEST WEDDING SINCE 1810 VOWS AND BRAUS OKTOBERFEST CONTEST SELECTS ITS WINNING COUPLE
San Franciscans Katie and Andrew to tie the knot at this year’s Oktoberfest celebration
CHICO, CA — Earlier this summer, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. set out to find Craft Beer’s Royal Couple, and they’ve met their perfect match. Andrew and Katie have been selected to partake in an all-expenses-paid Royal Wedding at this year’s Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Celebration in Chico, California.
The contest pays tribute to the first-ever Oktoberfest, which was held in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The winning love birds were hand-picked after over a dozen couples submitted videos making the case for why they’d be the perfect pair for Craft Beer’s Royal Wedding.
More than 20,000 fans voted on social media to narrow the entrants down to the top finalists. An expert judging panel that included Mike Pomranz from Food and Wine, Kimmie Smith from Athleisure Magazine, Janet McCracken from Rachel Ray Every Day Magazine, John Holl, co-host of Steal This Beer and author of “Drink Beer, Think Beer: Getting to the Bottom of Every Pint,” and Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman selected the winner from the final couples.
The judges took into consideration the creativity of the submissions and the couples’ expression of passion for craft beer and each other, but ultimately chose the couple that best resonated with the spirit of Sierra Nevada’s Royal Oktoberfest Wedding.
“Andrew and Katie clearly exemplified their passion for craft beer and the storied tradition of Oktoberfest,” said Robin Gregory, a spokesperson for Sierra Nevada. “And knowing that Andrew’s 102-year-old grandmother will be able to attend his wedding made the selection particularly special and meaningful.”
The ceremony will be held during the opening night of the festival before thousands of people on September 27, 2019, at Sierra Nevada’s brewery in Chico, CA. More than 3,500 festivalgoers will raise a glass to the happy couple as they are wed live onstage. As the winners, Andrew and Katie will receive transportation to the event, a honeymoon suite before and after the wedding, flowers, cake and photos, plus food, drink, entertainment and revelry for a party of 50 guests.
The couple first bonded over Sierra Nevada beers. “I knew it was her when she ordered a Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest on our first date,” said Andrew. “And I had a Pale Ale in my hand when I asked her to marry me,” he adds.
“Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel right now. This is a dream come true for us. We get to stand in front of our friends and family, steins in hand, and share our vows with 3,500 other hopheads.”
About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Inspired by frequent trips to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in 1980. Highly regarded for using only the finest quality ingredients, Sierra Nevada has set the standard for craft brewers worldwide with innovations in the brewhouse and in its sustainability efforts. The pioneering spirit that launched Sierra Nevada now spans both coasts with breweries in Chico, California and Mills River, North Carolina. Sierra Nevada continues to honor its mountain heritage through day-to-day sustainability efforts and programs like Pale Ale for Trails. The brewery is famous for its extensive line of beers including Pale Ale, Hazy Little Thing®, Torpedo®, Tropical Torpedo® and a host of seasonal, specialty and limited release beers. Learn more at www.sierranevada.com.
Event will honor origin of Munich’s first Oktoberfest: The Royal Wedding
CHICO, CA — Today, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. announced that it will kick of its annual Oktoberfest celebration with an expense-paid “royal wedding” at the festival for one lucky beer-loving couple. The celebration harkens back to the very first Oktoberfest, which was held in Munich in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.
The brewery is searching for an engaged couple whose love for craft beer matches their love for each other. A special panel of judges will select the couple to tie the knot on September 27, 2019 at Sierra Nevada’s brewery in Chico, California.
“Love. It inspires our passion to create great beer and it certainly drives the human condition,” said Sierra Nevada spokesperson Robin Gregory. “We are taking Oktoberfest back to its origins as a celebration of the joining of two individuals and two families in front of 3,200 new friends.”
To enter the contest, couples must upload a short video (one minute or less) to sierranevada.com making the case for why they’d be the perfect candidates to wed at Sierra Nevada’s 2019 Oktoberfest Royal Wedding. Sierra Nevada fans will narrow the candidates down to five finalists via social media voting, and a panel of expert judges will select the winning couple. Contest submissions can be made between July 11-August 8.
The winners will receive two round trip plane tickets to Chico, transportation from the airport, a honeymoon suite before and after the wedding, and food, drink, entertainment, and revelry for a wedding party of 50 guests. The ceremony will be officiated during the festival in front of thousands of people.
Each Oktoberfest, Sierra Nevada partners with a German brewery for its collaboration Oktoberfest beer. This year, 200-year-old, family-owned Bitburger Brewery and Sierra Nevada have brewed an Oktoberfest with a secret blend of hops which has never before been shared outside the Bitburger brewery walls. The recipe features what Bitburger calls Siegelhopfen, meaning “sealed hops,” that complement the beer’s strong malt backbone. The flavors are married together with the help of a custom German yeast — another house ingredient gifted for the first time ever.
“It has long been Sierra Nevada’s tradition to partner with a German brewer for our Oktoberfest offering, and that seems truly fitting given the roots of the event,” said Gregory. “Bitburger brings some very special ingredients to this year’s Oktoberfest that our festival guests and all Oktoberfest drinkers will no doubt love.”
About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Inspired by frequent trips to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in 1980. Highly regarded for using only the finest quality ingredients, Sierra Nevada has set the standard for craft brewers worldwide with innovations in the brewhouse and in its sustainability efforts. The pioneering spirit that launched Sierra Nevada now spans both coasts with breweries in Chico, California and Mills River, North Carolina. Sierra Nevada continues to honor its mountain heritage through day-to-day sustainability efforts and programs like Pale Ale for Trails. The brewery is famous for its extensive line of beers including Pale Ale, Hazy Little Thing®, Torpedo®, Tropical Torpedo® and a host of seasonal, specialty and limited release beers. Learn more at www.sierranevada.com.
