OKTOBERFEST

Oktoberfest, the world's largest fair, takes place in Munich, Germany for sixteen days. It begins today and runs through Sunday 04 October 2009. I kept searching through local weekly newspapers (Weekly Volcano, The Stranger, Seattle Weekly) and beer magazines (Celebrator Beer News, Northwest Brewing News) hoping to find the perfect event to celebrate fall beers and German food without having to actually take a trip to Munich.

And then I had a revelation. Troy's Work Table would host its own Oktoberfest. It solves quite a few problems and offers a great solution.

Problem #1: The cost of these Oktoberfest events never quite makes sense. Why pay twenty or twenty-five dollars to attend? Sure, it gets you a souvenir mug, but I have all of the glassware I need. Yes, you get to try different beers, but you only get five or seven or ten tickets to sample beers from thirty or forty or fifty breweries, most of whom have brought multiple beers to sample. The samples are small. You have to buy more tickets in order to try more beers. You end up spending money that could have bought six-pack upon six-pack for home consumption.

Problem #2: There are crowds of people. I don't really want to hang out with crowds of people, especially considering that many of them are drunk, or, at the very least, buzzed. I don't want to make small talk. I want to try some new brews and eat a bratwurst.

Problem #3: The few large-scale beer events that I have attended have been disappointing.

Solution: I would have an at-home Oktoberfest celebration! (Which I just discovered that I did last year, albeit on a much smaller scale.)

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So I headed off to 99 Bottles to pick up some Oktoberfest beers. I also picked up a couple of pumpkin ales, including Elysian Brewing Company's Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale, as well as a stray style here and there.

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On the way back home, I stopped Fred Meyer to pick up a bottle of Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier. This was the beer that spurred my interest in craft beers and helped me to bid farewell to all of the bland macrobrews. Alas, Fred Meyer disappointed. I didn't even see a spot for it any longer. I decided that another Paulaner beer would have to suffice, so I picked up Paulaner Salvator, their signature doppelbock.

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TWT Oktoberfest began with Smoked Bratwursts and Mozzarella Bratwursts from Blue Max Sausage Company (of Puyallup) being browned in an "expired" bottle of Samuel Adam's Brown Ale, which had resided in the refrigerator for far too long. As the brats browned, potatoes and carrots were boiled, onions and red peppers were chopped up, and sauerkraut was heated.

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The Mozzarella Bratwurst was nestled into a bed of sauerkraut and brown mustard on a hoagie roll. It made a great companion for the Paulaner Salvator.

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Salvator, a Doppelbock by Paulaner Brauerei

16.9 ounce bottle, served in mug, $2.59 per pint.

The pour was dramatic, with a thick ivory head building upon a clear orange body. The head diminished slowly, leaving at least half a finger worth by the time I was ready to drink.

The aroma was of caramel, lightly toasted malts, alcohol, dark fruits, and a subtle orange peel. The flavor was of graham crackers and caramel, followed by a quick alcohol "bite" and a sweet finish. The sweetness was unexpected, but nonetheless a pleasant surprise.

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The first day of the TWT Oktoberfest was one of joy and celebration, with good food and good beer, in the company of two of my favorite people—the wife and the child. Prost!