Craft beer fans will be the loudest voices singing Ein Prosit at this year’s Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest — or at least at a new K-W alt ale fest.

After almost 50 years of big beer flowing and spilling at various festival halls in the Twin Cities, it’s craft beer that’s raising eyebrows now, thanks to Bingemans, the largest beer hall venue (4,500 drinkers!) in the Oktoberfest family.

Only it’s not. In order to serve people the craft they crave, Bingemans had to quit being an official part of Oktoberfest because sponsor Molson Coors, obviously, wants its beer served.

Tough decision. Bingemans, a huge family-owned entertainment and hospitality complex in Kitchener, was a driving force behind the first K-W Oktoberfest in 1969.

Make no mistake. This is a seismic shift, a milestone moment and show of respect for Ontario craft brewers and beer drinkers who are sold on taste and freshness.

“It’s what we believe the market wants,” Mark Bingemans said in a telephone interview.

Bingeman said the festival needed to modernize and respond to shifting consumer preferences. Craft beer has been de rigueur at Bingemans’ year-round venues, including Taste at the Tannery, the company’s new downtown restaurant, where the craft beer list is pretty decent.

Consider also that Waterloo Region and neighbouring Guelph are hotbeds of craft brewing with places like Innocente, Abe Erb, Waterloo Brewing (nee Brick) in K-W, Block 3 in St. Jacobs, Barncat in Cambridge, and Wellington in Guelph.

No one should be more pleased than the Ontario Craft Brewers, the industry association of independent beer-makers.

“Pubs and restaurants have learned that their customers want craft beer,” said Steve Beauchesne, co-founder of Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. and vice-chair of Ontario Craft Brewers. “ I think we will see more restaurants, arenas and stadiums realize that taking a one-time payout from a macro brewer is not worth disenfranchising your core customers. People have spoken; they want high quality, locally brewed beer by independent breweries who actually work and live in their communities.”

Going big with craft beer wasn’t allowed under the Oktoberfest banner because of the sponsorship agreement with Molson Coors.

The split means no Oktoberfest signage, no politicians opening kegs, no Onkel Hans, the trademarked Oktoberfest mascot, at Bingemans..

In preparation, Bingemans reached out to craft brewers and fans, sifting through proposals until settling on featuring Waterloo Brewing beers and imports from a couple of Munich breweries, Hacker-Pschorr and Paulaner. .

Then, craft beer fans were enticed by a contest to vote on what else should be served and 15,000 voters decided on Innocente Brewery of Waterloo and K-W Cider.

Bingemans will open Kool Haus beginning Oct. 6, same day as the two-week Oktoberfest opens.

Bingeman acknowledges the split with Oktoberfest was emotional and resulted in a mixed bag of comments, but “mostly positive.” The proof of whether or not Bingemans is on the right track will come with ticket sales, which as of our conversation were similar to past years.

“There’s clearly a difference of opinion on which way to move forward and after three or four years of no movement forward, we just found ... if there’s proven to be no movement, then we’re going to have to move it on our own,” Bingeman told CBC Radio Kitchener.

The look of the venue will be different to set it apart from accredited Oktoberfest halls. There will be nightly keg tapping, but doing the honours will be regular Joes.

Sam Roberts Band highlights the entertainment Oct. 11. One wonders if Sam Roberts Band Session Ale (yes, he’s a craft beer fan with a beer of his own) will be on tap that night.

By next year, who knows? Maybe Oktoberfest will become North America’s biggest craft beer festival.

Wayne Newton is a freelance journalist based in London.

wayne.newton@bell.net

Twitter.com/WayneWriteOn