Yaktoberfest 2011 Wrap: 10 Beers + Fundraising Success = Great Party

Perfect weather was the first clue that Yaktoberfest 2011, which took place on a dead end street near Hancock Drive in Austin last Saturday, was going to be a good success.  Two years ago when we held the first edition, we ran into unlikely bad weather.  This time though, the skies were mostly blue and the air warm but not too hot.  The party was underway on schedule at 2:00, and by 2:15 all of the homebrewer contributors had set up shop.  Steve, the Grand Yak, had four different beers, and with my three, plus three more from other brewers, we managed to hit double digits:

• Steve the Grand Yak offered up one of his signature beers, the Barton Creek Greebelt Pale Ale, along with an Irish Red Ale and two more unusual offerings: a Whiskey Barrel Porter (fermented with whiskey barrel chips and spiked with a touch of whiskey) and a Ginger Lemongrass Ale.  The porter was a great sipper, although you had to be careful not to drink too much, especially if you planned on tasting a lot of different brews.
• Sammy, with help from Steve and the absent Nick, produced a replica of Russian River Brewing's "Pliny the Elder" American Double IPA.  Seriously hoppy, the IPA lovers tended to pick this one as their favorite of the day.
• Steve No. 2 was a late addition and brought a replica of a Deschutes Pale Ale.
• Brandon, another brewer who chose a replica this year, made his version of local brewery Rogness' Double IPA, high in hops (and alcohol).
• Finally, my three beers were a Texas Red Ale, the return of the Baltic Porter (which appeared at Yaktoberfest 2009), and a last-minute Kölsch, which I was worried would be under-carbonated but turned out to be fine, and because it was about the lightest thing on the menu, the people who like lighter beers were big fans.

We also offered up two things that made our table a popular one: four cheeses selected by Shawn at Antonelli's Cheese Shop in Hyde Park, and my mate (and good sport) Fabian, who brought a sprinkle of real Oktoberfest with him by donning his lederhosen.  Many people commented on how delicious the cheeses were.  And Fabian, a veteran of many Bavarian Oktoberfests, made everything feel a bit more authentic.

Ready for bier

Our grub wasn't the only draw though, and neither was the beer.  A couple of young whippersnappers from the neighborhood put together a pretty solid magic show, which entertained kids of all ages, especially Steve (in the hat).

One of these things just doesn't belong ...

We also managed to raise over $1,000 for our two charities, Heifer International and Crowe's Nest Farm.  Everyone associated with the event was excited, and every guest looked like they had lots of fun.  Beer does that.  So two days later, we've already picked a date for Yaktoberfest 2012: October 13.  Mark it down!

Here's the full slide show from the day.