Palm Coast, FL (October 9, 2021) – When you think of Oktoberfest, you probably think of bratwurst, a stein of beer and a polka, but at Moonrise Brewing Company in European Village, it’s all that and more.

Celebrating the German-based holiday with the unveiling of a new Oktoberfest lager, the local brew house added fun to the mix by crowing a king and queen – of keg lifting.

Making it look easy, ladies lift the kegs to see who will be queen at Moonrise Brewing Company in European Village, during the Octoberfest celebrations.

While the kegs were empty, they weren’t light, and made short work of the contestants aiming to win the crown, with Mezzaluna’s Brad Chandler taking top honors in the men’s category.

Returning to reclaim her title, Jillyan Perrine beamed as the crown was placed on her head and she posed for photos after officially being deemed ‘Queen of the Keg’.

“I’ve been a part of it since the first year, that’s when I won. Last year my friends defeated me for an hour and a half with the smaller keg but this year I was ready for it,” said Perrine proudly with a chuckle.

Jillyan Perrine wins the crown for the second time during the Moonrise Brewing Company’s Octoberfest celebration on Saturday, October 9, 2021 in European Village, Palm Coast.

“I do work out but I don’t practice this. It’s exciting (to take the crown back) especially with the new pretty crown this year.”

It’s out-of-the-box activities and events like Oktoberfest that have been a hallmark of Moonrise Brewing Company’s appeal over the past four years, and their connection to the community on deeper level helped carry them through during the pandemic, according to owner Ashley Davenport.

“We do an annual Oktoberfest, and this is the first year we brewed our own Oktoberfest style lager. We always had a lot of German offerings and Florida craft offerings.  We brew our own beer here in house but it was our first time we were able to do our own Oktoberfest lager, so we’re really excited to have that on draft right now,” said Davenport. “It’s kind of a malty lager. It’s very drinkable, very bready and it pairs perfectly with food.”

Owners Ashley and Benjamin Davenport celebrate Octoberfest with a variety of festivities at Moonrise Brewing Company on Saturday, October 9, 2021.

“We are so lucky to have such good customers. We were able to do a lot of to-go growlers and to-go sales during COVID and since we’ve reopened, our regular have just been here to support us. It’s been fantastic to be part of this community and have that support,” she said.

The European Village is set to host a larger Oktoberfest event on Wednesday, October 13th.

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