Cultural Experience - Sommerfest 2009

Needless to say, I was a bit giddy. In the preparations for our yearly Sommerfest, I convinced Eva to let me get a small keg of beer from the local brewery instead of the 'hassle' of bottled beer (so my argument went).

Storchenbier from Steinbachbräu is one of the best beers in Germany, and with the brewery about 2km away, it is super fresh and yummy.

You can order old fashioned oak kegs in various sizes...and the cute little guy you see above is the 15.8l variety.

There is no need for CO2...but you do need to make sure you drink it in one setting. You just need to pound these wood taps into the top and side to tap the keg...something I had never done with this version of a tap.

The top tap went fine...but shortly after the pic of me and the side tap, I gave the tap one more 'tap' of the mallet, and I succeed in pushing the rubber grommet, more or less, into the keg. The result: in 'boy and the dike' fashion, I shoved my finger in the whole to keep the tasty beer from spraying all over my lawn and flowers.

I was soaked in beer, and my 15.8l keg was about a 13l keg before it was said and done.

The flowers were very happy that night.

The weather wasn't ideal, but it was mostly dry...we played a bit outside with the kids and chatted inside.
Quinn even played nicely with the younger daughter of our friends.

All in all, it was a lot of preparation for the 20+ guests, but it was worth it. I will be better prepared for my next keg from Steinbachbräu. Next year, we just hope the weather plays a bit more nicely.