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Head brewmaster Justin Meyers brings Oktoberfest to Malai Kitchen.
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Malai's Marzen version of Oktoberfest beer is semi-sweet with a crisp finish.
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Malai Kitchen is offering its full lineup of Oktoberfest beers until Oct. 3.
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The Schwarzbier is a dark lager with light hints of chocolate and dark coffee roast flavors.
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Malai's Bavarian-style beers will be offered at all four of its Vietnamese kitchens.
Flaunting inspired wok-fired entrees, fresh noodles and inventive curries from the husband-and-wife team of Braden and Yasmin Wages, Malai Kitchen has become renowned for eclectic dining at all four locations, including its Southlake outpost within the Park Village shopping district.
Thai and Vietnamese food enthusiasts may not fully appreciate this restaurant’s self-contained nano-brewery, but they should. The restaurant has been faithfully brewing its own beers since 2014. Malai keeps six beers on tap including its Peach Wheat Tea, 3C Porter and its most popular offering, a lemon grass and ginger-inspired glass they affectionately call Thai PA.
Currently under the helm of brewmaster Justin Meyers, who was classically trained in Munich, they are offering a pop-up style experience of Bavarian-style beers from Sept. 16 through Oct. 3 just in time for Oktoberfest.
“It’s great to be back brewing [Oktoberfest beers],” Meyers says, who spent years honing his craft while working for Paulaner Brewery. “It’s like a long-lost friend you haven’t caught up with in years.”
The brainchild of Meyers, these new brews are the first time Malai will be taking the plunge into Oktoberfest.
“They let me have autonomy,” he says. “I don’t have the culinary side like Braden does, so it’s fun to be able to pick his brain. We just want to make good beer.”
And that’s just what they’ve done with a traditional Marzen version of Oktoberfest beer, which is an amber-colored lager that is semi-sweet with a crisp finish. The flavors are caramel toffee and toasted sourdough bread crust. It's sharp and dry with a hint of sweetness due to its specialty amber malt.
In addition to their Oktoberfest beer, Malai is offering a Helles Lager. This pale German lager is rounder and fuller-bodied than a typical light lager or pilsner. Their Hefeweizen is a yeast-forward, unfiltered wheat ale that derives its clove and fruit-like aromas from the fermentation process.
On the darker side, their Schwarzbier dark lager or “black beer” has a light body and moderate hop bitterness with light hints of chocolate and dark coffee roast flavors, while their Munich Pale Ale is rich and amber red.
But what may possibly take the cake in this lineup is their Apple Strudel Milkshake IPA — Meyer’s take on a popular Oktoberfest dessert made by using apple puree, milk sugar, oats, cinnamon and vanilla.
“I’ve added a lot of oats and wheat to give it that pie crust flavor,” Meyers says. “Then I add almost 100 pounds of apple puree. It’s like a German grandma’s apple pie.
“This pop-up event is something exciting and very close to my heart. I’m having the time of my life.”