You might think that, since I enjoyed a new Oktoberfest brew today, I’d take this post as an opportunity to write about the history of the German Oktoberfest celebration… But you would be wrong. Don’t worry, the “Oktoberfest backstory” post is coming soon! Today, I’ll be connecting my beer with a book I literally just finished.
I stumbled upon both by accident; I read about Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation in this review (spoilers for the entire trilogy abound. I read far enough to decide this was a series worth checking out, then quickly closed the tab!) and I picked up Santa Fe’s Oktoberfest on a whim. I had tried one other Santa Fe brew as part of a mix-a-six, and while not blown away, it was certainly an acceptable beer. The Oktoberfest can is adorable and being able to try just one (thanks again, Craft Beer Cellar!) made the risk-to-reward odds quite favorable.
Santa Fe’s Oktoberfest is an enjoyable beer, best enjoyed on a sunny mid-afternoon like the one Saint Louis experienced today-perhaps the last mild weekend of the summer/fall transition. I paired it with a turkey sandwich and found they complemented each other well. Lots and lots of maltiness with a very clean finish- not much of an aftertaste and a very light mouthfeel. It’s a lovely coppery color and is a solid representation of American Oktoberfest beers; it would be a great addition to an Oktoberfest tasting panel or an introduction to the style. At 6% ABV, this isn’t something I would drink many of in a day, but could definitely see myself enjoying a couple around a bonfire with some friends.
The story laid out in Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation is never what I would call a pleasant one. It is the story of a dystopian wilderness, Area X, which is shrouded in mystery. Many expeditions have ventured into Area X, sponsored by an organization called the Southern Reach. None of these expeditions have been successful. We follow the 12th expedition from the point of view of the team’s Biologist. She is joined by a Psychologist, a Surveyor, and an Anthropologist, and the experiences they grow to share are both haunting and enthralling. At under 200 pages, this is a book meant for devouring, for making 4 hours disappear.
I’m not usually a fan of stories told from the first-person perspective (The Hunger Games trilogy was difficult for me to get through, but I managed), but in Annihilation, it works. The questions posed by the story are enough to keep your interest piqued. The biologist’s backstory, filled with ecological obvservation, provides an interesting account of the habits of nature that is not prevalent in pop culture. As Vandermeer himself said in an interview, “I think there are so many limiting ways human beings think about nature. Some of us think of nature as there to be exploited. Others think of us as being stewards of something more primitive than we are. Still others are enraptured by talking mice in movies and think animals actually might act that way. Or are enamored of the romanticism of animals in folktales. Whereas in fact, we live on an alien planet filled with incredibly sophisticated organisms that we only partially understand. The fact that we only know now that plants engage in quantum mechanics during photosynthesis or that sunfish and the albatross have a complex symbiotic relationship shows that our so-called smart-phones and other advanced technology is incredibly dull and primitive next to the diversity and intensity of other life on Earth.”
The strange nature, archaeological mysteries, and complex characters in Annihilation build a fascinating world, and I can’t wait to see where the other two books in the trilogy lead.
For more information about Santa Fe Brewing, you can follow these links and to read more about Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach trilogy, you can read an excerpt here and a review from Entertainment Weekly.
That’s all for this post! I’ll have a very special Oktoberfest post up sometime in the next week as well as a review of North Peak’s Wanderer!
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