Strap on your lederhosen, Petaluma, it’s time for Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest would be nothing without beers and brats. As luck would have it, my favorite makers of each have collaborated to bring us something special this October.
Thistle Meats has teamed up with Petaluma Hills Brewing Company to create the “Petaluma Hills Tripel J Bratwurst,” soon to be a Petaluma/German classic for sure. Tripel J is a Belgian-style Tripel, made with a complex mix of German and Czech hops that layer nicely over Belgian pilsen and Belgian aromatic malts. Sounds to me like Thistle picked the perfect beer to inspire and infuse into their Oktoberfest brat.
Learn how the sausage is made
For a hands-on experience in the art of sausage making, don’t miss Thistle Meat’s Sausage Making classes. The next three-hour class, scheduled for Oct. 17, is very limited in size, offering a personalized experience that includes charcuterie and other snacks. Thistle is also offering a Whole Hog Butchery class on Oct. 10, where students will not only learn the ins and outs of butchering a whole hog, but will leave with pounds and pounds of ethically raised pork for their own home consumption.
More Oktoberfest
Petaluma’s annual Oktoberfest Celebration lands yet again at Hermann Sons Hall on Oct. 9. Beer, brats, raffles, dancing, the parade of flags and other great activities will be on tap starting at noon with dinner available until 4 p.m. Dancing will be a bit later. We never miss this Oktoberfest because there is nothing quite so “Gemütlichkeit” - a state of warmth, friendliness and good cheer - as visiting with other Petaluma festival-goers while dining on a few plates of great German food and delicious desserts.
Jamison’s Roaring Donkey is currently hosting a tap takeover in honor of Oktoberfest, with seasonal specialties such as Lagunitas Brewing Company’s TuberFest, Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest, Samuel Adam’s Oktoberfest and others.
Day of the Dead
Petaluma’s month-long El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) focuses on remembering family and friends who have died, and helps support their spiritual journey. Well underway by now, one of its main fundraisers, Taste of Mexico Mole tasting and contest, will be held Oct. 8 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Vaca Family Ranch on East Washington Street, with a panel of celebrity judges crowning the best Mole.
The $15 entry fee ($5 for ages 5 to 12) gets you live music, a delicious chicken dinner and beer and wine. Tickets can be purchased by calling 479-4164.
Another highlight of Petaluma’s El Dia de los Muertos celebration is the Tequila Pairing Dinner on Oct. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Petaluma Historic Library and Museum. At $60 a ticket, $100 for a pair, this event sells out every year, which is no surprise considering that Amber Balshaw of Preferred Sonoma Caterers is an expert at pairing the five-course meal with hand selected tequilas from Wilibees Wine & Spirits.
Ranch tours
Fallon Hills Ranch is hosting a tour and lunch on Oct. 8 from 2 to 6 p.m. This is a great opportunity to learn about Fallon Hills’ stewardship of this fifth generation Tomales family ranch, as well as dine on a selection of their sausages and sliders. I recently tasted quite a few of their products and can attest to their high quality and incredible flavor. Tickets are available at Eventbrite.
Mac n’ Cheese Challenge
After dashing over to the Oktoberfest celebration mentioned above, I will be on hand at this year’s Mac n’ Cheese Challenge as both Master of Ceremonies and “celebrity” judge. This event is a main fundraiser for the Petaluma Animal Shelter and will be held Oct. 9 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Lucchesi Center. Tickets are $24 ($5 for ages 3 to 12) at www.macncheesechallenge.com.
A need for mead
Heidrun Meadery will introduce its two new fall releases at an open house at their Point Reyes Station meadery on Oct. 15 from 12 to 4 p.m. Mead is honey wine, but is not as overly sweet as it might sound. Heidrun uses “method champenoise,” meaning it is made like champagne, which adds complexity to the mead’s flavors and is unlike anything you have drank before.
Their new Bo’ Wildflower mead comes from honey gathered out in Bolinas and has herbal hints of eucalyptus, while their new Arizona Desert Mesquite mead has a subtle mesquite woodiness, as one might expect from nectar collect by bees pollinating desert scrub plants.
Sonoma Coast Shuckers will be on hand selling Tomales Bay’s best fresh raw and grilled oysters. If you’ve never had raw or grilled oysters, SCS’s are the ones the start with. If you are a connoisseur, like myself, it’s a rare occasion when you’ll have better ones than theirs.
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