Marketing idea of the week: Four Peaks teams with U.S. Steinholding Association for official state-wide contest

At the Oktoberfest celebration in Munich, Germany, there’s a tradition known as Masskrugstemmen, or a stein-holding contest. This month, Four Peaks Brewing Co. is partnering with the U.S. Steinholding Association (yes, that’s a real thing) to bring the Masskrugstemmen to Arizona. With more than a dozen qualifying events at bars and restaurants across the state—including three separate events at Four Peaks’ 8^th Street location in Tempe—fans will have the chance to compete in official, sanctioned stein-holding contests. 

To win, competitors must hold a 1-liter stein full of beer at shoulder level with their arm extended for as long as they can. No beer can be spilled, no elbows can be bent, and your arm must stay parallel to the ground. The winner is the person who can keep their stein aloft the longest.

Qualifying rounds for the Four Peaks Stein-Holding Contest are taking place all September long. The top stein-hoisters in the men’s and women’s categories from each qualifier will move on to the finals, which will take place at the Four Peaks Wilson location at 2401 S. Wilson St. in Tempe on Oct. 9.

“If you can hold up a glass for a few minutes, you have what it takes to compete in the Four Peaks Stein-Holding Contest,” says Four Peaks co-founder Jim Scussel. “And here’s the best part: Even if you lose, you still get a big mug full of beer, which is its own kind of victory. We’re excited to partner with the U.S. Steinholding Association to bring this sanctioned event to the Valley and give our fans a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Oktoberfest in Munich!”

Entry to the Four Peaks Stein-Holding Contest includes a commemorative stein filled with beer. Anyone over the age of 21 is welcome to attend a qualifier and compete for the grand prize: An all-expenses-paid trip for two to the 2022 Oktoberfest in Munich and a private tour at Spaten Brewery in Munich. 

The contest coincides with the release of Four Peaks’ popular seasonal, Masskrug Monsoon. A collaboration with Spaten Brewery, the toasty, chocolate-brown lager was crafted using American hop varieties grown in Germany and German hop varieties grown in the U.S., then fermented with Spaten yeast at Four Peaks’ brewery in Tempe, Arizona.