Oktoberfest – Covid-19 Style

Beer • Breweries • Holiday

October 10, 2020

“I’m not giving up Oktoberfest,” cries San Diego Beer, Wine & Spirits Tours owner Shira Bliss.

Along with co-owner Paul Anthony, she decided to throw a party that will rival all the Oktoberfests that have
gone before!

With Covid-19 restrictions in place, inquiring minds want to know: How will they pull it off? 

Here’s our very own Shira Bliss to tell you exactly how:

• Assemble Your Ingredients
  • Pick any day in October that suits you
  • Decide on a time to throw your party
  • Invite yourself
  • Add a quarantine buddy or three (optional)
  • Procure online delivery (or mask up and go to your local store) of German sausages, buns, salty soft pretzels, sauerkraut, pickles, and mustard (Shira loves Stone Delicious IPA mustard):
•  Gather your Oktoberfest Music Playlist
  What’s a party without a playlist? Here’s Shira’s favorite Oktoberfest playlist to get you in the mood.
• Don Your Outfit
  While traditional Oktoberfest outfits of dirndl and lederhosen might be hard to find in your closet, you can nonetheless get into the spirit with a festive outfit that makes you think of München bierhausen (or what you imagine them to be). If you’re feeling especially abenteuerlich, Amazon has a wide selection of Oktoberfest-approved attire. No matter what you choose to wear, make sure it makes you feel fabulous!
• Procure Your Beer

For this year’s festivities, Ballast Point has released six Oktoberfest-themed beers:

• 1. Dead Ringer (Amber Lager, 6% ABV), 
  2. Schlenkerlish (Rauchbier, 6.6% ABV), 
  3. Helles Bock (Helles Bock, 7.5% ABV),
  4. Uber-to-Helles (Munich Helles, 5.4% ABV), 
  5. Dortmunder Export (German Helles Exportbier, 5.6% ABV) or 
  6. Fiestbier (German Festbier, 5.5% ABV). All are available on draft at all three Ballast Point locations while supplies last.  For $10, try Ballast Point’s Oktoberfest special: a customized stein filled with the Dead Ringer – ballastpoint.com<http://www.ballastpoint.com>
• Choose from a world of Wursts

Germans have a sausage for every occasion. Here are some of Shira’s liebling Würste:

• • Frankfurter: The prototype for the American hot dog, this slender, traditionally all-pork wiener is usually seasoned with garlic and spices.
  • Knackwurst: There’s beef and pork in these finely ground sausages, named for their snappy casings (“knack” means “crack” in German).
  •  Bratwurst: There are many varieties in Germany, but here in the States, they’re plump pork links — a Midwestern specialty.
  • Kielbasa: Grill these smoked, oversize Polish pork sausages and serve them in bite-size pieces.
  • Nurnberger Rostbratwurst: These thin, marjoram-spiced pork sausages are the ideal cocktail frank. Bet you can’t eat just one!

PROTIP: Make it an OktoberFEAST
Add: Red cabbage, German Potato Salad AND, drum roll….

DESSERT!
Grab yourself a ready-to-make chocolate cake mix, add some nuts (optional), bake that up and when cooled top it with coconut ice cream and Heiliger Strohsack! you have yourself an easy “German Chocolate Cake”!

• Decorate and Celebrate
  Consider adding Oktoberfest party decorations to add some flair to the festivities.
• And, what’s a party without GAMES?!
  Paul Anthony and Shira will be enjoying their favorite Oktoberfest game, the Stein Holding Contest – Challenge participants to hold a full stein for as long as they can. Each participant must hold their stein one-handed while extending their arm straight out at shoulder height. The goal of the game is to hold the stein the longest without spilling. Participants are disqualified if they bend their elbows or drop their glasses below their shoulders.

Now, you’re all set. Before the end of the festivities, we know you’ll be casually throwing out deutsche Sprache like a pro!

  *   “Bock haben” – The literal translation is: “To have a goat”. This expression derives from the old Rotwelsch word for “Hunger” (hunger). Commonly used to show that you like something.

  *   “Ich hab voll Bock auf Bier” (I’m totally up for a beer)!

  *   “Wurst” to “Wurscht” – southern slang for sausage.

We’d love to hear how your party turned out. And/or join us on a wine tour, we’ll make it a party, and you don’t have to do a thing! BOOK NOW.