Where to Drink Beer in Ensenada! & other things

Ensenada is a gem. It's sort of a Spanglish gem.  I'm not sure if you knew, or if many people know. 

 

No, that can't be true.  There's a smattering of wooden houses and Swiss-like houses that clearly demonstrates that at least a few foreigners discovered Ensenada and then decided to settle down there long ago.  One of the first spots for cheap retirement?  A mere two hours from the border by bus, Ensenada is a great place to get a little Mexico without a flight (West coasters, at least) and without too many border issues, particularly if you're going for less than a week.

 

The main part of Ensenada surrounds the harbor, where a couple hundred cruise ships stop every year.  I thought there would be more of an onslaught of tourists streaming from the ship, and there was a bit of an influx every once in a while, but overall, far fewer day tourists raged the city than I thought.

The downtown is centered around Calle Primera and the Boulevard.  You can also walk along the Embarcadero (the boardwalk) and just check out the harbor.  For leaving downtown (in the inland direction), Calle Ruiz and Gastelum are good options with plenty of possibilities for food.

Calle diez (10) is another interesting street.  A lovely day might include starting at Cafe au lait for coffee (Gastelum), where there is an amazing roof deck for sipping coffee and eating some crazy kind of crepe cake, and good wifi.  Actually, in general, the wifi in Ensenada is amazing (6/2016).  Almost every cafe, bar and restaurant has wifi and many have the password posted.  Back to Cafe au lait--  After your coffee and a nice long sit and read, you could head just up Gastelum to El Pinche Frances, a great outdoor vivero (nursery) where they serve delicious crepes and fries from a permanent truck in a garden.  Alternatively you could walk over to the nearby food collective (Area 86).  There's not a ton of Mexican food there, but seafood pasta, beer and things like Sushipotle (?? :) ??)

A quick introduction to the bus system.  There are many local buses, there is no real schedule, and there is a very detailed price schedule that, from what we could tell, is essentially ignored.  To go pretty much anywhere, we paid 10 pesos ($.80, change can be given-- I even saw a Mexican uni student get change for a 500 peso bill.  Wow!   I would not recommend).

The main areas of Ensenada are, starting from the south - The Bufadora, a point where water sprays up really high on the rocks.  People eat this up--lap it up--with their photos and videos.  I'm not exactly sure of the appeal.  It isn't really my style of tourist attraction.  Playa Hermosa then downtown, passing by the Hotel Riviera (more info further on down), downtown, then el cerro de ...I can't remember right now (A cerro is a big hill).  On the coastal side of this hill there are a couple of nice hotels, but not too much that we found, to be honest; on the inland side of the hill is La Moderna (a large, slightly older, city neighborhood).  Buses were consistently 10 pesos from downtown to La Moderna, or from La Moderna to Sauzal

(Taxis varied, from 30-80 pesos), though 40-50 pesos is reasonable for a tourist, depending on the time of day.

After the Moderna neighborhood is the area around the university (Universidad Autonoma) and Sauzal, a different town.  In Sauzal, the coastal Highway (Hwy 1) hits Carreterra 3 (Hwy 3), important because it leads you to Valle de Guadalupe and La Ruta de Vino (the wine trail).

To sum up: The layout of the region from north to south:

• Sauzal
• The university
• La Moderna
• The cerro
• downtown
• the hotel Riveria
• Playa Hermosa
• and the Bufadora further down

Now let's chat about Valle de Guadalupe, a beautiful wine area just inland and a little north from Ensenada.  Many take tours there, rent cars, drive their own cars, Uber (si, se puede), or a taxi.  We took a micro, a mini bus that can get you there in about an hour for 25 pesos (US$1.50).

Once on the micro, there are several options, heading from downtown out towards the Valle.  First is San Antonio.  This town is not quite as far out (maybe a half hour bus ride), but is surrounded by wineries/vineyards and chock full of restaurants.  We didn't stop there because we didn't have time, but I would recommend it, especially if you're interested in a somewhat quicker trip out of town or a cheaper taxi/uber ride.

The bus continues on to Guadalupe (you'll hit the river and cross it).  You could get off immediately and find your way down the Calle Principal, or stay on the bus as it meanders through town, eventually coming back to the Calle Principal.  There are several tasting rooms/colectivos (wine collectives) on this street, as well well as some beautiful looking winery tasing rooms on the way out of town.  Some are free (Sol), some charge.  If you are interested in the full winery experience, you should continue through the town, either on the bus or on foot.

Monte Xanic was amazing, reasonably priced (consider Napa/Sonoma), and had very good wine.  The whites in particular were very nice. The soil is interesting, and you could truly see the minerals in the white wines. You can taste for a fee and buy bottles for drinking there, or to go.  The tasting room staff is very knowledgeable, and bilingual. If you are interested in practicing Spanish with wine vocabulary, it was a great place to do so.  As for the drinking environment, the view of the vineyards and their private pond, complete with rowboats, was fantastic.  I could have stayed there all day.

If walking or driving, there is a closed gate at the entrance to the vineyard. Simply check in with the security guard and give your name--no reservations required. It's a long-ish but beautiful walk up to the pond and tasting room on the hill overlooking the valle. I would highly recommend for those interested in a little build up.

By the way, trips to Valle de Guadalupe should really be done Friday, Saturday or Sunday. We went Thursday and some places were open, but less than half for sure. Check on hours before you go if you plan to go mid-week.

If, at the town of Guadalupe, you choose not to get off the bus, it will continue on to Porvenir, another town with wineries, restaurants, and tasting rooms. It would be fun to try to hit all three of these towns (San Antonio, Guadalupe, & Porvenir-also called Guadalupe on Google Maps), but time did not allow.

The views from the tasting room at Monte Xanic, Ensenada, Mexico

If you're interested in wine and an all-out weekend experience, you could do all three, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and probably have one hell of a time.

Campestres (open-air dining experience, locally grown food) also spot the area and look very delicious, although were on the more expensive end of our taste.

El Ex-hotel Riviera
What a sad name for such an amazing place.  This hotel had its hey-day around the 30s and is beautiful, in good condition, and frequently used for quinceañeras, weddings and parties.  There is a little museo (museum) that is cheap (25 pesos) and interesting.  It provides a basic introduction to the geographical region, the indigenous peoples of the area, and some of development history (missionaries, explorers).  For me, the maps were really interesting.  After finishing your half-hour or hour in the museum, definitely head over to the main entrance.

Wait!  Did you see both of the peep holes that look down into the room that used to be a casino?  Very cool.  It'd be a bent-back but intriguing job.

At the main entrance, facing the hotel, on your right will be the plaza/garden, where beer fests and such are held.  Fun!  Before heading to the ornate wood bar where they serve wine, margaritas, and beer with your peanuts, take a walk around the inside of the building.  We were alone and spent 20 minutes wandering through the various salons, including the main hall for dances and the ex-casino. See you if you can spot the peepholes from within.

At the bar, margaritas are big, good, and very inexpensive (45 pesos).  I love this sort of old wooden bar with an expert barman willing to chat the afternoon away.  If you prefer, he will leave you to your devices--staring around at the old posters of Cuba, Marilyn Monroe and the good 'ole days of Baja.

A note for those interested--when you leave the Hotel Riviera, you will be looking towards the bay, straining to see it because of a huge monstrosity of an interactive Museum (el caracol - the snail).  This is apparently not finished, nor might it ever be.  Certain locals feel strongly about how this "new idea" has destroyed the view of and from the lovable Hotel Riviera.

It's probably time for a beer, and there is plenty of it in Ensenada.  Mexican national cerveza is inexpensive, fresh and great for warm days and with tacos and seafood tostadas.

Fish tacos.  Yumzers.

The ceviche in Ensenada is different from that I had in other parts of  Mexico.  Here it is blended to a sort of  slush.  In other parts of Mexico, it was small chunks of fish, tomato, onion, peppers, etc.  (I have since gleaned that the latter is Sinaloa style ceviche).  Both are delicious.  Both can be de pescado (fish- normal style), camaron (shrimp), pulpo (octopus), mixto (all).  There may also be other possibilities.  The opportunities to eat delicious, fresh seafood in Ensenada are endless.   Other things to try include almeja (clam), erizo (sea urchin), cocteles de camaron, (shrimp cocktails--not the American kind), and OSTIONES! (Oysters! the love of my life).

To digress, one of our very loveliest evenings was at La Manzanilla, a really nice and very well-known restaurant run by a mustachioed chef and wife duo.  It's a little tricky to find because it's on a street heading down toward the docks that has just one entrance before you are stopped by port security.  There is a beautiful wooden bar with a giant blue octopus painted in the center.  The pink-tinted chandeliers create the perfect ambiance for a dozen or so oysters, a bottle of white wine (Sauv Blanc- a pretty nice wine list, not that I can really tell- with prices between $20 and más), and a later tiradito (yummalicious thinly sliced raw fish with soy sauce and chile and seasonings of all delicious sorts.) 

The menu looked amazing, but we are very committed to just an abundance of raw oysters with lime and mignonette.

Back to the beer.  There are many national options, however, due to the proximity of the town of Tecate, both Tecate and Tecate Light are quite popular and found almost everywhere.  Modelo is shockingly absent in many places.  I'd recommend XX (dos equis), Indio, or Tecate.

Now, on to the microbrews.

Yaaaay, Ensenada had so many good brews!  The best was clearly Wendtland, a microbrewery that is located on the Boulevard, open 'til midnight, closed Monday and Tuesday, and worth basically a stop every night.  The bar staff is great and they clearly know beer and life :)  They have a nice, albeit small, variety of other Mexican microbrews and a few U.S./Euro beers.  I suggest ignoring all of these and drinking Wendtland stuff.  They have 7 or 8 taps and a couple of collaborations, all worth trying.  Prices are good.  Food is good (tiradito, wings).  Really, you're missing something awesome if you like beer and don't stop here.

Fyi, the brewery is over in Sauzal.  Apparently it is possible to get a beer there, but after quite an adventure getting there and some time spent wandering down the side of the dusty highway and then meandering through some very fishy (smelling) warehouses, it was closed, and didn't really seem like a location to frequent.  I'd stick to the downtown location.

However, on your way back downtown from Sauzal (bus or taxi, a little far for walking), there are a couple more great spots.  A new beer collective (Baja Brews) is on the ocean on the way back towards the Centro.  There are currently 7 breweries and four more in the works.  I'll try to remember them all and list them, but for now, I can recall El chivo gruñon (The Grumpy Goat), and Old Mission Brewery.

Outdoor seating at Baja Brews, Ensenada, B.C.

There is also a stall for Le Pinche Frances, which serves papas (potatoes with herbs), calamari, croquette, crepes, etc.  A burger stall was under construction while we were there.

While enjoying one of many brews or a bite, you can sit inside the hall, or you can head outside for an ocean view facing the south side of the bay and a soundtrack of really thundering waves.  This place was great and a revolutionary idea for small breweries that want a central location but less overhead.

Next, easily within walking distance, is Agua Mala.  This is going to seem repetitive, but I have to do it.  Good brews, good bites, amazing ocean view.  Friendly, knowledgeable staff (for those who need it, they also had notably excellent English language skills at Agua Mala).

(There is one more craft beer bar, 4 20s, but we weren't able to go.  Locals say it's nice, with good beers.  There is a nice outside area.  It's closer to Sauzal and on the interior side of the highway.)

 

 

Well, I may have reached the end of my personal description of what to do in Ensenada for a week. Oh, dear.  I haven't said a word about Hussong's!  Perhaps another day.

There are so many things to do in Ensenada- places to see, fish to eat, wine country to explore, deep sea fishing trips to take, harbor tours to embark on, ocean geysers to be splashed by, hikes to take, races to watch, Spanish to study...

Buuuut, after a long quarter of work and grading,  I admit we mostly just slept in and ate, fish tacos, so much pulpo, so many ostoniones, ceviche, tacos de asada,  tamales, cocteles de camaron, you get the picture.  Then we would head out walking around the centro, looking either for our next bite, or for a microbrew from one of Ensenada's various microbreweries.  Sigh.  It was a lovely week in the breeze, in fact.

Comments and questions welcome! Have fun in Ensenada!

Also published at patriciamar.com

Beerfest 2-for-1 at Cal Expo: The Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest 2012

The 2012 Sacramento Brewers Showcase took place this past Saturday, Feb. 25 from noon to 2:30. Already at noon, beer enthusiasts were lined up at the gate ready to taste beers from the nearly 20 local breweries located within an hour's drive. This year, visitors were pleased to see a lineup of food trucks outside of the Cal Expo Pavilion, Wicked ‘Wich, Mama Kim’s, Frickle, Drewski’s and the new Willie’s Burger truck, included.

Local beer enthusiasts thoroughly enjoyed the event. The intimate and community feel allowed attendees to visit with friends, brewers and food truck owners alike.

The Old Hangtown Beer Works El Camino was the first sight for most visitors. Likewise, their IPA was a welcome start to a great day, and had good body and a nice full flavor. With all the new attempts at double and triple IPA’s, it was great to taste a new, high-quality (single) IPA as well.

The Auburn Alehouse had a full schedule planned for their handsome table-top bar. Their Gold Digger IPA and a Scotch Ale, brewed with Peter Hoey, started out the day. PU 240, an Imperial IPA and ZZ Hop, a triple IPA, came later in the day. ZZ Hop went so fast I never even saw it on tap.

Sierra Nevada had more than enough possibilities for tasters, and the tent had something between a line and a small crowd for much of the day. Tasters lingered so they could taste their beers one after another. Their Sloughhouse and Persimmon were experimental brews and were available just for this beer week. Persimmon, a Farmhouse Ale, was a unique and delicious brew nothing like their hoppier varieties, but more appropriate for a lovely afternoon in a sunny backyard reading a book - perhaps a history of Belgian beer styles. It was very light, almost ladylike in taste, but strong enough for a man. Of course, their Harvest Ale was a treat to have on tap as well.

Berryessa Brewing Co. is all over the place this week. They will be working with eight different establishments around Sacramento and Davis, and the majority of their events are listed under “Special Events” on the SBW website. Events include beer and appetizer pairings, cheese and beer pairings and beer festivals such as those that took place on Saturday.

New Helvetia Brewing Company wasn’t pouring, but gave out plenty of information on their upcoming May opening and plans for the future. Later in the day, I found that River City had the Buffalo Lager available along with their own creations.

Sutter Buttes Brewing had a great showing at both the Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest. Along with their Franklin DIPA, which debuted at last year’s Beer Week, they had a 10 percent ABV Imperial Oatmeal Stout. This rich and flavorful brew had a great head and was my pick for the best brew of the first festival. Others clearly felt the same, as when I returned a short while later, the tap was gone and had been replaced by a new strong ale, ‘Ol Lefty.

Loomis Basin had great beers on Saturday as well. Big Boy (aka Alohawk) was a nice strong ale. They also had a double IPA worth checking out.

For their first Beer Week, Ruhstaller certainly had a great day at the festival. Their tasting line was twenty people long almost all day. Businesses all around might want to take note of the PR practices of this gypsy brewery. Ruhstaller poured both Capt. and 1881 from their truck. The old Rusthaller truck was a nice touch. The thick smell of oil that permeated the space around it really made you feel like you were throwing one back in somebody’s garage.

 

The Ruhstaller name might be from 1881, but the QR code is from 2012. (Image by: Matt Doyle)
Other breweries fresh to the scene included Western Pacific Brewing in Oroville, Track 7, ‘Ol Republic and Roseville Brewing Company, which will soon be opening a tasting room.

The Sacramento Brewers Showcase was truly a testament to the upwardly mobile Sacramento craft beer scene. Everyone involved - the people, the breweries and the support - should feel proud of all that has been accomplished. It is amazing that in a world with connectivity that brings everything to your fingertips, local ties have become more important than ever.

Following the Sacramento Brewers Showcase, everyone was herded out of the building for a break from 2:30 to 3. Those with green wristbands who would be sticking around for the second festival in the venue were directed outside. While you would think a half-hour break between the two fests would be awkward, the beautiful weather proved it to be just the ticket. Those sticking around for the Capital Beerfest could be seen enjoying cigars at the cigar tent or snacking on food truck specialties while lounging on the grass debating the intricacies of the IPA or which Runnin’ for Rhett volunteer was the cutest, the nicest or gave the best pours.

The 2012 Capital Beerfest provided an outstanding day of tasting for local beer enthusiasts. The event had nearly 80 breweries present. The second annual fest was a clear success, and the planners should be proud of the small but important improvements that were made over last year’s festival. The presence of local food trucks, for instance, surely made the culinary aspect of the festival way, way, way better. There’s nothing like a hemi from Drewski’s paired with a nice porter or perhaps a Bacon Brown Ale from Uncommon Brewers. Uncommon Brewers, formed in 2008, brews all-organic beers packaged in those handsome 16 oz. tallboy cans.

Heretic Brewing Company was surely a highlight of the day. Evil Cousin, an 8 percent ABV, 100 IBU beer was a great imperial IPA with a hop profile similar to that of Green Flash’s Imperial - a great beer for true hop devotees, a little dank for the rest. While they were not available for tasting, their special brews, all Belgian in character, looked quite intriguing, specifically Worry and Tafelbully, supposedly a Belgian-style session beer with a "mere" 4.8 percent ABV.

The Greenbelt Brewers Association, a group with around 65 members, was a great stop off or starting point. They had twelve beers to taste, contributed by at least ten different members. Their thirteenth, a secret pour, had a story of its own. The sour brown was brewed by a previous Greenbelt president who then passed it on to the current president, who in turn transformed it into a nicely authentic sour beer that has been aging for five years. For those interested in joining the Greenbelt homebrew club, make it quick. Heretic’s head brewer, Jamil Zainasheff will be speaking at their March meeting at Sudwerk.

It isn’t often that you see the line for homebrew tastings rival those of the established breweries. That being said, one of the best beers of the day was the lone nitro tap in the building. Jason Ledford provided an outstanding coconut robust porter. The faint touch of coconut was provided by “dry hopping” toasted coconut. You can always count on the homebrewers to bring new ideas to the table, or should I say, to the tap.

In essence, every brewer starts as a homebrewer, so it is these groups of creative men and women brewing in their garages, basements and bedroom closets that are the real champions of the day. When there is a constant push for new, new, new in the beer world, the momentum and rampant creativity has to come from somewhere.

Even Sierra Nevada, for instance, previously known almost wholly for their Pale Ale, has now taken the tenets of today’s brewing world in stride. Saturday they had so many different beers on tap that I had to look twice to make sure they actually had their Pale Ale there as well.

Continuing around the hall, Drake's also had a nice following throughout the day. Their Hopocalypse is quite smooth in spite of its 9.3 percent ABV and 100+ IBU. In addition, their double IPA, Denogginizer (9.75 percent ABV and 90 IBU), was a nice surprise. It had a clean taste not muddled with the superfluous bitterness that often comes with Imperial IPA's.

Other Bay area contributors included High Water and Triple Voodoo brewing. High Water Brewing was the most likeable brewery of the day. Besides a load of cheerful staff members and great pours that included Hop Riot IPA and Aphotic, they gained my respect when I noticed that they were pouring a few of their personal favorites as well. These included several Alesmith brews as well as something that was both North Coast and barrel-aged. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Triple Vodoo Brewing had several taps and staff members on hand to do the pouring. Their Kaleidescope, made in collaboration with Kneedeep Brewing, was a great beer, something like a heavily smoked Black IPA. The smoky twist was a nice change from the often unfulfilled flavor of Black IPA's.

Russian River was present but ran out early on. Their pours included bottles of Supplication, Redemption and Damnation. In truth, I never actually saw them at their booth. The green button-down Pliny the Elder shirts wandering about the facility may have been just a trick of the eye, a figment of my imagination.

Deschutes Brewing is a brewery that never fails to come without a new brew or two in tow. On Saturday, they brought Hop Trip, a fresh-hopped pale ale. Their heavy and flavorful Jubelale was available as well. Another winter warmer was Shipyard's highlight, Prelude, which had an aroma that could be likened to the bouquet of a good wine. The scent of its caramel maltiness still has my mouth watering, though I admit that I was hoping for more in terms of body.

Lost Coast of Eureka was there pouring their standard favorites. One of their staff members dazzled crowd members throughout the day with his moonlighting gig, Jack’s Caps, aka, bottle cap art. Several members of the crowd wore a sample pair of his “beerings,” as I have decided to call them. In the craft beer world today, the possibilities are endless.

My last taste of the day was, as you might have guessed if you have ever read anything about my beer tastes, an Old Rasputin. Most fortunately, after a taster of Old Rasputin, Ken Kelley of North Coast and a young man I believe to be his son pulled out a box of bottles filled with their barrel-aged goodness. Thus, my last taste of the day was North Coast Grand Cru. It was a perfect end to a terrific day of beer tasting at Cal Expo. It’s hard to believe there is still a full week of great beer events to come.
Check out photos of the Capital Beerfest, Sacramento Brewers Showcase and any of the 400 other events this beer week at the Bokeh Box website. To stay up to date on Sacramento Beer Week events, get the Beer Week app and follow Sacramento Beer Week on Twitter.

  
Image by: Matt Doyle

Originally appeared on Sacramento Press
http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/64114/A_beerfest_2for1_at_Cal_Expo

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.

Originally written for the Sacramento Press

Homebrewing & Marriage

Along with a dozen other projects, I am currently working on compiling ideas, chapters, photos, anecdotes, stories, etc. for an informative (and probably quite funny) book on marriage and homebrewing.  Since this is something that many homebrewers deal with, and I mean deal in the very best and worst sense of the word, I am of course open to hearing what interesting dilemmas, arguments, and 'honey, I love you' moments that have arisen throughout the brewing process.

Let me know your interesting bits and of course, and I'll let you know if this books is every going to get on the shelf.

Happy Marriage & Brewing!