We did something on Saturday at Pints&union that I hadn't done for a long time. There was a 30-liter gravity-pour Weihenstephaner Festbier to serve as centerpiece of the Oktoberfest celebration -- and a tap, and a wooden mallet. Back in the glory days at the Public House, each autumn we'd do a dozen of these drawn from the Shelton Brothers portfolio.
I tapped it outside just to be safe, then carried the keg behind the bar and started pouring 18 liter "boots," which sold out as fast as the boots could be filled. The keg's remaining half-liters held out for about 30 more minutes; next to go was a half-full keg of Spaten Oktoberfest. Hofbrau Oktoberfest replaced the Spaten and also was depleted by night's end along with a few remaining bottles of Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest.
Chef Dalton Gahafer's schnitzel and food specials were devoured, too -- and the Pints&union team was hoofing it throughout.
For me it was pure fun being behind the bar and filling those boots. Okay, maybe not as much fun as riding bicycles through Bavaria like we used to do, then stopping at places where someone else did the work and handed us those lovely beers and plates of schnitzel, but plenty of fun nonetheless for a little pub in New Albany.
Thanks to everyone for a stellar Old World party yesterday. There are no more gravity pour kegs this year, but Oktoberfest lager reinforcements will arrive on Tuesday, and it is my aim to continue pouring one or the other brands of Oktoberfest through Harvest Homecoming, wholesaler supplies willing. Vielen Dank, and we'll keep the Gemütlichkeit rolling as long as we can.
The photos above and below were taken by my friend John L. Smith, except for this selfie with meine Fräulein.
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