Day 12 of Oktoberfest, and still going strong! We hope everyone out there has had a chance to bring a bit of Bavaria into their life because - may we tell you?
It's kinda nice.
When Jen's parents suggested they might visit during Oktoberfest, we were so excited at the prospect of new palates from which we might extract opinions! Of course we were excited just for their presence, but we didn't need to tell you that...did we? Jen made it clear it would be a working weekend, and they happily obliged. So cheers to the Bish clan!
You will recognize Jen of Ms. Schnitzel fame, and GK from previous posts, we're sure. The lovely Adrienne, who has participated in a couple of other tasting panels, is standing above them. And meet Bob and Janet on the left!
We arrived at Wirtshaus in Hollywood to waving banners, flags, and a friendly German host who really wanted to take our picture. With our phone, of course. It wasn't creepy.
We settled into a sturdy wooden table with long benches, cozied right up next to another group of Oktoberfest revelers dressed in costumes (right?!), with images of the alps on the wall, steins hanging from the bar, and an incredible accordion player setting the ambiance for the whole scene. He played the chicken dance song a lot, and we mean to investigate whether this song has Bavarian roots. Anyone, anyone?
We did eye the outdoor beer garden with a bit of envy at first, it was a perfect night and it really looked like a biergarten right out of Munich...or at least just a festive, fun patio. We weren't aware of it whilst making reservations and the place was packed, so indoors it was. This did not in any way sully our good time. We even got to see a (semi) celebrity. No night in LA is complete without that.
There were some other stars of the night, however. So many, in fact, that we decided to split this experience into two posts.
Enter Beer, stage right.
It's somehow become a thing where Tara ends up with the crazy foamy heads on her beer, almost invariably, as above. Who's complaining? That Erdinger Weiss had a lot to say, and how else is a beer to express itself? The ensuing Paulaner Oktoberfest was equally expressive. She gives a big thumbs up to both.
Adrienne was more of a fan of the Krombachner Pils. She described it as crisp, with a light taste but not at all lacking in flavor. She gave it an 8 out of 10:
Yeah, she was double-fisting.
She did not love the Erdinger Weiss, but passed it on to Janet who seemed to enjoy it.
GK also tried the Krombachner Pils, which he found to be "smooth, flavorful, and delicious". He preferred it over his first beer, Jever, which was a "light, Stella-esque" brew.
Janet's first beer was the Fruh Kolsch, of which she said, "Well, I only drink Miller Lite, MGD 64 or Bud Light so... All I can say is that it was smooth, no harsh after-taste, and on to Erdinger!" Thank you for your willingness to try German beer, it's not for the faint-hearted and you've proven yourself an adventurous frรคulein!
Jen also tried the Erdinger Weiss, a popular choice because we all love German Weissbiers, and she found it to be light and refreshing. But she was hooked on the Paulaner Oktoberfest, as pictured above, which went over so well in our initial tasting. It's dark in color and rich in flavor, yet light and balanced at the same time. Jen and Tara both found it even better on draught than the bottled version.
So there you have it. Go out and get yourself some Paulaner Oktoberfest while you still can!
And a big thanks to Bob for being our designated driver!
Schnitzel Notes:
* When making a reservation at this or any local German place, make sure to ask if they have a biergarten. Having said that, our indoor experiences have been adventures with a decor, charm, and ambience all their own!
* Tune in for Wirtshaus Part 2, all about food!
* A special "Prost!" to Will Chalut, who would have loved this!
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