The Springfield Museums are launching Culture & Cocktails, a new series of evening events planned for the first Thursday of the month. The first program in the series will be Oktoberfest: The Art of the Brew on October 7 from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.

Admission is $5 and includes beer-tasting provided by eleven local breweries and food courtesy of The Student Prince restaurant. Guests will also receive a free Culture & Cocktails glass. For reservations, call 413.263.6800 ext. 266, visit springfieldmuseums.org, or pay at the door. 

Oktoberfest will feature a homebrewed beer competition; informal talks on the homebrew process, the history of brewing, and cider fermentation; and a display about Dr. Seuss’s family’s Springfield brewery, Kalmbach and Geisel.

Beer tastings are compliments of Amherst Brewing Company, Berkshire Brewing Company, Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams), Green River Ambrosia Meadery, High and Mighty Beer Co., Northampton Brewery, Olde Burnside Brewing Company, Opa Opa Brewing Company, Paper City Brewing Co. Inc., Thomas Hooker Brewing Company and Williams Distributing.