The 17th Annual California Brewers Festival took place this past Saturday at Discovery Park. Through the efforts of the Point West Rotary club, cheerful beer enthusiasts enjoyed an afternoon of cigars, beer and cider tasting, all while supporting a great cause. The Assistance League of Sacramento will receive the majority of event proceeds. Their successful Operation School Bell program provides school supplies for children in the Sacramento area.
“We sell booze for kids,” joked one friendly Rotary member who was donating his time to pour this past Saturday afternoon. Doug Weill and his wife Marcia poured at the Black Diamond Brewing Company station that afternoon.
Point West enjoys working with the Assistance League, Weill explained, because of the way they ensure that money and supplies get to the kids. The rotary club and its 150 members want to make sure that they really are making a difference in the lives of the children in this area. Over the years, the organization has raised over $250,000 for charitable causes.
Weill was very happy with the year’s turnout. He explained that this was the first year they used an online presence to advertise and sell tickets for the festival. This new strategy helped the rotary club sell over 700 tickets.
Discovery Park hosted breweries from all over the region, country and world on the sunny Saturday afternoon. Primator had more than a few bottled imports for beer lovers to try, including both Czech and Polish brews. Strangford Lough Brewing Co., whose slogan is “Born in Ireland, matured in America,” provided an Irish style ale for festival attendees. On the other end of the spectrum, River City Brewing Company came from just across the river. The brewpub had an interesting big amber ale called Woodhead. The nearly imperial amber was hoppier than their usual brews, oak aged and 7.2% percent alcohol by volume (ABV). River City was showing off 5 liter mini kegs, their kind of growler, available for sale at the pub.
Regional favorites were in abundance and they all brought their best and brightest. Moylan Brewery & Restaurant of Novato, Calif. had a couple of great brews on tap including the delicious Hopsickle and their most popular beer, a scotch ale called Kilt Lifter. Bear Republic Brewing Company had Racer 5, their well known IPA, as well as Heritage, their new scotch ale. Anderson Valley Brewing Company also kept their line long throughout the day, pouring Hop Ottin’ IPA.
Old favorites Lagunitas, Stone and Sierra Nevada were also present. Lagunitas had both their Pils and their IPA on tap. Stone’s representative, while manning their booth, was tweeting to get more people at the event. Sierra Nevada, in their shady green tent, was stocked with representatives. They, in particular seemed to enjoy hobnobbing with visitors and explaining all that Sierra Nevada has to offer.
The more distant Alaskan Brewing Company had several tapped and bottled selections including their 2010 Barley Wine. Just the wooden coin’s worth of tasting made me excited for the upcoming barley wine season. This particular barley wine is 10.7% ABV and has been a bronze medal winner at the World Beer Cup.
The festival had many brews available, and many genres to choose from, starting with the previously mentioned Black Diamond Brewing Company. The delta area brewing company had an extremely likable Belgian blond on tap, Freestyle Belgian blonde.
In terms of ciders, Hornsby's may have maintained the longest line throughout the day. They had two types of cider available, their amber and a crisp apple. Their small Hornsby's towels also provided head coverage for many festival-goers. ACE Ciders had a substantial line as well, although mostly female.
In my modest opinion, Mammoth Brewing Company of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. took best brewery of show. The up and coming brewery was pouring four beers. Their IPA 395, a double IPA brewed with wild desert sage was a favorite for many. They also had their Double Nut Brown on tap, as well as Epic IPA, another delicious choice on a hot summer day.
I was able to speak at length with Sean Turner, the owner of Mammoth Brewing Company. Turner explained that Mammoth, known for brewing in cans as well as bottles, is the only microbrewery to have an independent standing contract with Yosemite National Park.
As I was listening to Turner describe their brewery and location, it made me yearn for a Yosemite vacation and I found myself drifting into a hoppily delightful daydream. A Double Nut Brown with pancakes and maple syrup in the morning outside my tent, then a can of Epic IPA in the sun after a long afternoon hike. Before a campfire, I’d share a bottle of their newest beer, IPA 395, while watching the sun set over Yosemite Valley.
Beer Valley Brewing Company of Ontario, Oregon was an afternoon delight as well. They had an American style imperial stout available that was rich and delicious and boasted a bitter hoppiness that was nicely balanced with the rich darkness the stout had to offer. The blend of flavors found in Black Flag Imperial Stout was something that I’ve never before found appropriate in a stout, but that they did well. Beer Valley also brews the notable Leafer Madness, an Imperial Pale Ale. We can likely expect many more delicious brews from this brewery in the future.
There were many success stories at this year’s California Brewers festival. Knee Deep Brewing Co. of Lincoln is one such example. Knee Deep had three beers on tap, an IPA, their newly tapped Citra and Tanilla. Their Citra had a fresh bite that went well with the summer sun and the relaxing Discovery Park atmosphere. It was brewed using only citra hops and had a huge, fresh flavor.
Brewmaster Jeremy Warren was available to talk to visitors throughout the day. Warren informed us that Knee Deep is about to open a big production facility in either Reno or Lincoln. The brewmaster was quite pleased with their progress. They recently expanded to add eight more states to their distribution area. They now distribute to 13 states and hope to eventually have nationwide distribution.
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers of San Francisco mentioned that they were in the process of opening a tasting room as well.
Overall, cans are hot was the catchphrase for this summer’s beer season. Besides Mammoth, Caldera Brewing Company packages their beer in cans, as does Boulder Beer Company, the makers of the well-liked Hazed & Infused.
Gold Country Brewers Association had a flock of homebrewers, family members and children in their tent. They had both taps and bottles, provided by numerous members of the association. As always, group members were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Jason Kelly, who provided several bottled selections for Saturday’s festival including a wit, a stout and a porter, spent more than a few minutes sharing his knowledge on brewing and beer styles, as well as valuable advice on growing your own hops.
It’s these guys who really make the events and help to build the local brewing and beer loving scene.
The California Brewers Festival at Discovery Park is an annual event that is not to be missed. The open lawn on which the event was held was a great location for beer tents and food tents of all kinds. Surrounding the clearing, the shaded areas were a great place for beer drinkers to mingle and rest before selecting their next sample. In another area of the park, a cigar dealer had a tent where beer drinkers could purchase one their many cigar varieties.
Food vendors for the day included barbeque, teriyaki, Mexican, hot dogs, restaurants G-Dubbs and Pete’s, and a stand selling Tyson hot wings. Music provided by J Ras, ZuhG and Wooster added to the day’s ambience.
Event sponsors included Tyson and their hot wings, American River Bank, Clark Pacific, Fuse 3 Communications, Wells Fargo, Brew Your Own Adventures, AquaPerfect, Cherry Creek Mortgage Company and Warren G. Bender Co.
In addition to their annual brewers festival, Point West Rotary hosts a wine festival each April. For additional information, contact a Rotary member or visit the Point West Rotary website.
Originally written for Sacramento Press
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Oktoberfest in SactoBavaria 2011
Dirndls and lederhosen on men, women and children of all ages were abundant this Friday and Saturday at the Sacramento Turn Verein (STV). Friday evening and all day Saturday the organization, founded in 1854 as a gymnastics club, hosted its 44th annual Oktoberfest.
The Turn Verein is a place “where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate.” From the atmosphere this weekend, the STV has made it easy for families in the Sacramento area to keep their German heritage alive and thriving.
Surrounded by Bavarian blue and white, nearly every moment was filled with great German food, entertainment and company. Differing from typical Oktoberfest celebrations, real German beer brought in from Munich and sausages piled high with sauerkraut were only the tip of the iceberg.
The Gruber Family Band was a great addition to the weekend’s events. The band played throughout, integrating various competitions for Oktoberfest participants, a women’s stein holding contest and a children’s yodeling contest included. Nearly all of the participants wore traditional German dress. One got the feeling that the parents of the young yodelers have been training them for years.
One tiny participant, still too young to officially compete as a yodeler, was 17 month old Riley. Her mother, Cyndi McCluskey, found Riley’s tiny dirndl online. When asked if this was a family tradition, McCluskey responded positively.
“Every year!” She said.
Perhaps Riley will be ready for next year’s yodeling contest.
Later on Saturday night, a supposed men’s stein holding contest was announced. Eager participants gathered only to find that they would actually be participating in a yodeling contest. The results were quite extraordinary, really; the final yodel-off involved some mighty fine yodeling.
The Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, a traditional German folk dancing group, performed numerous times throughout the event. Their dances included a grand march, German hat dance, wooden pole dance and a maypole dance, among others.
Friday evening, the 2011 Turn Verein Oktoberfest maxed out at around a thousand people. This doesn’t usually happen on Friday evening, explained Heinz Ludke, Recording & Financial Secretary of the STV, though they usually reach maximum capacity sometime Saturday evening each year. Already at 4:00 on Saturday, the crowds were larger than usual. The Main Festhalle was full already at 4:30 and only got more packed as the night went on.
A lively rendition of “The Beer Barrel Waltz” really got things going Saturday night. Along with the lulling winding and unwinding of the maypole led by the Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, this perfect Oktoberfest only got better as the night went on.
There were German sing-a-longs and American sing-a-longs, the chicken dance and then the young folk dancers were up again. The dance floor cleared and the strapping young lads remained. There was dancing and box jumping, followed by a go at the Bavarian Hat Dance that broke out into a mock fight between two shirtless lads in lederhosen.
At times, if you found a spot on the dance floor you were lucky; a seat was a near impossibility.
In the upstairs hall, the mood was a bit more modern, with AKAlive rocking the room.
For a quiet escape, you could visit the Kaffeehaus for a cup of Jo(han) and a piece of cake.
Joann Schuler, a member of the Turner Harmonie, the choir that performed several times this weekend, helped man the Kaffeehaus. She seemed delighted to be a part of the event and was perfectly willing to discuss German culture, family stories, and best of all – she offered tips on the best German desserts at the Kaffeehaus.
The fruit basket dessert came highly recommended, as did the Black Forest cake, of course, and the Bienenstich, which Schuler described as containing, “almond and honey and creamy yumminess.”
One of the best parts of the event was the family feeling that filled the air. Everywhere you looked there were children, and large families congregating, usually three generations strong.
“Last time I was forced to wear lederhosen at the age of seven,” said Jordan Hess of Sacramento, “and now at the age of 27, I get to enjoy the beer!”
Hess’s parents were married at the Turn Verein and his grandfather participated in the STV soccer league in the 70’s. Saturday night it was just him and his younger sister Aubrey, who recently returned from a lengthy study abroad in Bremen.
Outside, both sides of the hall were flanked by a beer garden. While the white plastic chairs in the Turn Verein Biergarten were less charming than the wooden picnic tables in Bavarian beer gardens, everything else about the event certainly held its own.
I’ve been to the Hofbräuhaus, to a beer hall in southern Bavaria and a biergarten in Munich’s city park, but I never imagined that I would find such an enjoyable event right here in the middle of Sacramento.
“Durst ist schlimmer als Heimweh!” reads a sign in the main Festhalle.
“Thirst is worse than homesickness.”
There are many Oktoberfests that excel in celebrating drinking delicious German beer a liter at a time, but the Sacramento Turn Verein does much more than that - although there was plenty of good beer to go around. They show off the marvelous methods of celebration in Bavaria, bringing out German American families and friends for a night of celebrating what they are and what they have, a shared German heritage.
Late Saturday evening, while the rest of The Gruber Family Band took a break, Michael Gruber played “Amazing Grace” on what can only be described as a super-length beer bong. I had been there for almost six hours and I wanted to go home so badly. At the same time, I knew that if I went home, this magical German world would disappear.
Until next year.
Image by: Ed Fogle The next event at the Sacramento Turn Verein will be their annual Christkindlmarkt. The Christmas market will include a unique holiday shopping experience, glühwein (spiced wine) and their usual abundance of delicious German baked goods. Admission is free for the whole family with the donation of a children’s coat.
Besides numerous annual events like the Oktoberfest and its spring counterpart, the STV Bockbierfest, the Turn Verein offers German language classes, athletic clubs and various other social activities.
The Turn Verein is a place “where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate.” From the atmosphere this weekend, the STV has made it easy for families in the Sacramento area to keep their German heritage alive and thriving.
Surrounded by Bavarian blue and white, nearly every moment was filled with great German food, entertainment and company. Differing from typical Oktoberfest celebrations, real German beer brought in from Munich and sausages piled high with sauerkraut were only the tip of the iceberg.
The Gruber Family Band was a great addition to the weekend’s events. The band played throughout, integrating various competitions for Oktoberfest participants, a women’s stein holding contest and a children’s yodeling contest included. Nearly all of the participants wore traditional German dress. One got the feeling that the parents of the young yodelers have been training them for years.
One tiny participant, still too young to officially compete as a yodeler, was 17 month old Riley. Her mother, Cyndi McCluskey, found Riley’s tiny dirndl online. When asked if this was a family tradition, McCluskey responded positively.
“Every year!” She said.
Perhaps Riley will be ready for next year’s yodeling contest.
Later on Saturday night, a supposed men’s stein holding contest was announced. Eager participants gathered only to find that they would actually be participating in a yodeling contest. The results were quite extraordinary, really; the final yodel-off involved some mighty fine yodeling.
The Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, a traditional German folk dancing group, performed numerous times throughout the event. Their dances included a grand march, German hat dance, wooden pole dance and a maypole dance, among others.
Friday evening, the 2011 Turn Verein Oktoberfest maxed out at around a thousand people. This doesn’t usually happen on Friday evening, explained Heinz Ludke, Recording & Financial Secretary of the STV, though they usually reach maximum capacity sometime Saturday evening each year. Already at 4:00 on Saturday, the crowds were larger than usual. The Main Festhalle was full already at 4:30 and only got more packed as the night went on.
A lively rendition of “The Beer Barrel Waltz” really got things going Saturday night. Along with the lulling winding and unwinding of the maypole led by the Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, this perfect Oktoberfest only got better as the night went on.
There were German sing-a-longs and American sing-a-longs, the chicken dance and then the young folk dancers were up again. The dance floor cleared and the strapping young lads remained. There was dancing and box jumping, followed by a go at the Bavarian Hat Dance that broke out into a mock fight between two shirtless lads in lederhosen.
At times, if you found a spot on the dance floor you were lucky; a seat was a near impossibility.
In the upstairs hall, the mood was a bit more modern, with AKAlive rocking the room.
For a quiet escape, you could visit the Kaffeehaus for a cup of Jo(han) and a piece of cake.
Joann Schuler, a member of the Turner Harmonie, the choir that performed several times this weekend, helped man the Kaffeehaus. She seemed delighted to be a part of the event and was perfectly willing to discuss German culture, family stories, and best of all – she offered tips on the best German desserts at the Kaffeehaus.
The fruit basket dessert came highly recommended, as did the Black Forest cake, of course, and the Bienenstich, which Schuler described as containing, “almond and honey and creamy yumminess.”
One of the best parts of the event was the family feeling that filled the air. Everywhere you looked there were children, and large families congregating, usually three generations strong.
“Last time I was forced to wear lederhosen at the age of seven,” said Jordan Hess of Sacramento, “and now at the age of 27, I get to enjoy the beer!”
Hess’s parents were married at the Turn Verein and his grandfather participated in the STV soccer league in the 70’s. Saturday night it was just him and his younger sister Aubrey, who recently returned from a lengthy study abroad in Bremen.
Outside, both sides of the hall were flanked by a beer garden. While the white plastic chairs in the Turn Verein Biergarten were less charming than the wooden picnic tables in Bavarian beer gardens, everything else about the event certainly held its own.
I’ve been to the Hofbräuhaus, to a beer hall in southern Bavaria and a biergarten in Munich’s city park, but I never imagined that I would find such an enjoyable event right here in the middle of Sacramento.
“Durst ist schlimmer als Heimweh!” reads a sign in the main Festhalle.
“Thirst is worse than homesickness.”
There are many Oktoberfests that excel in celebrating drinking delicious German beer a liter at a time, but the Sacramento Turn Verein does much more than that - although there was plenty of good beer to go around. They show off the marvelous methods of celebration in Bavaria, bringing out German American families and friends for a night of celebrating what they are and what they have, a shared German heritage.
Late Saturday evening, while the rest of The Gruber Family Band took a break, Michael Gruber played “Amazing Grace” on what can only be described as a super-length beer bong. I had been there for almost six hours and I wanted to go home so badly. At the same time, I knew that if I went home, this magical German world would disappear.
Until next year.
Besides numerous annual events like the Oktoberfest and its spring counterpart, the STV Bockbierfest, the Turn Verein offers German language classes, athletic clubs and various other social activities.
Originally written for the Sacramento Press
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