And then there were 16.

It’s been a big month of Oktoberfest brews and lots of tough decision to halve the initial field of 32. There’s been a number of tremendous brews and a few who were unlucky to lose out in the first round.

The support I have received from the breweries who elected to compete and the community around Sgt. Suds has been great!\

So, now things start to get serious. Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect in Round 2 of the Master of Marzen 2019.

The Bouts

Round 2, Bout 1

It’s an all DFW affair as Legal Draft (Arlington, TX) takes on Hop & Sting (Grapevine, TX). Legal Draft got a 3-2 win over Franconia in round 1 and Hop & Sting got a 4-1 win over Longmont, CO’s Left Hand Brewing. This is going to be a great matchup between two great Texan Brewers.

Round 2, Bout 2

New Orleans’ Urban South Brewing will go toe-to-toe with Houston, Texas’ Klaus Brewing. Urban South got a solid 3-2 win over California’s Belching Beaver in round one, while Klaus progressed against another Californian Brewery, 8 Bit, also winning 3-2.

Round 2, Bout 3

Urban South was the only brewery to enter two different beers in this tournament. They went 2/2 in the first round and Bout 3 of Round 2 will see their Festbier take on Saint Arnold Brewing of Houston, Texas. Urban South got a tight victory against a strong Third Space (Milwaukee, WI)  in round 1 and Saint Arnold also secured a 3-2 victory against a Wisconsin brewery, besting Ale Asylum from Madison.

Round 2, Bout 4

North Carolina’s Southern Pines takes on Austin, Texas based Live Oak in what may be the bout of the round. Both of these brews were technically sound and showed tons of potential in round 1. Southern Pines progressed 3-2 against Utah’s Bohemian while Live Oak took down Texan juggernaut Shiner, also 3-2.

Round 2, Bout 5

It’s a cross-country clash as Tucker Brewing (Georgia) takes on Dust Bowl Brewing (California). Tucker got a 3-2 win against an unconventional but impressive Stacked Deck (St. Paul, Minnesota) and Dustbowl also secured a 3-2 win over San Antonio, Texas’ Freetail Brewing.

Round 2, Bout 6

Bout 6 sees San Antonio, Texas’ Ranger Creek take on Aviator Brewing from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Ranger Creek secured a 3-2 win over Due South (Boynton Beach, FL) and Aviator also managed a 3-2 win over Texan based Oak Highlands Brewing.

Round 2, Bout 7

Vermont’s Von Trapp Brewing (of Sound of Music fame) got a strong 4-1 victory over Conroe, Texas-based Southern Star in round 1. They will meet McKinney, Texas-based Tupps Brewing who picked up a 3-2 win over Oklahoma City’s Coop Ale Works. This should be a hard fought battle to progress to round 3.

Round 2, Bout 8

In the final bout of the round, it’s a North-South battle for supremacy between Bauhaus Brewlabs (Minneapolis, MN) vs. Rahr & Sons (Fort Worth, TX). Bauhaus slipped by Texan juggernaut Real Ale with a 3-2 win in round 1 and Rahr and Sons also progressed 3-2 with a hard-fought win against Strongsville, OH’s The Brew Kettle. I’m really excited to see how these two stack up against each other.

About the Master of Marzen

For a breakdown of the tournament and the rules, be sure to check out this post.

Stay Up-To-Date

The bracket’s progression will be updated regularly on this website and YouTube, as well as regular posts on Instagram.

Be sure to check in regularly. Instagram followers can vote for their favorite beer in each of the bouts. Poll winners will receive one of the five points of adjudication with the four remaining points being awarded for packaging, aroma, flavor and body (texture, lacing, head retention, color, etc.).