La Mesa Oktoberfest returns this weekend – San Diego Union-Tribune

Oktoberfest in La Mesa features the traditional hallmarks of this fall festival: German beer, bratwurst, oompah music, lederhosen and dirndls.

Still, this isn't your Bavarian grandfather's O'fest. Just listen to Laurel McFarlane, founder of McFarlane Promotions, producer of the festival and, in her own words, “the queen of fun.”

La Mesa's Oktoberfest, which opens today and runs through Sunday, has a 51-year history, making it one of the oldest Oktoberfests in the county. In the beginning it was a modest affair, involving a makeshift beer garden in the middle of a parking lot. By the time McFarlane took over seven years ago, the event had expanded further into the city's central village but remained focused on beer and brats.

The Queen of Fun saw room for improvement.

“We added a lot of elements,” she said.

A partial list: rides, an arts and crafts area, yodeling contests, bounce houses, “dashhound” races (dachshunds and, as McFarlane said, “dogs that think they're dachshunds”), karaoke, face painting, a pumpkin patch and even that traditional beer mug competition.

There are three beer tents – one serving German lager, a second serving craft beer and the third, the Palm Tree Pub and Grub, designed to maximize your football enjoyment.

All of them, including the beer tents, are open to all ages.

“It was important to include the family aspect,” McFarlane said. “It prevents people from becoming overly aggressive.”

And overly drunk. In previous years, it was not uncommon for La Mesa police to arrest one or more drunken festival attendees. There were no arrests last year.

End up in the drunk tank? No fun.

“We do all sorts of fun things,” said the queen, “for everyone.”

La Mesa Oktoberfest takes place today from 4 to 10 p.m. on La Mesa Boulevard between Spring Street and Allison Avenue; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. lamesaoktoberfest.org

Dramas of arrogance

No one confuses beer with whiskey, but there is a family connection between the two drinks.

Wort, the grain and water stew that is an early step in beer making, can be distilled to make whiskey — as San Diego brewers have long known. Case in point: Yuseff Cherney and Earl Kight founded Cutwater Spirits in 2006 when both worked for Miramar's Ballast Point Brewery.

Stone entered these high-octane waters in 2021, collaborating with Iowa's Foundry Distilling to produce Arrogant Bastard Whiskey. Foundry used Stones Russian Imperial Stout as the base for a 2022 whiskey and ventured again this year into Arrogant Bastard.

This year's AB Whiskey, released last month, was aged in new, charred oak barrels for more than four years, about twice as long as the '21 version. Both were bottled at 97 proof.

How does it taste? A message stamped on the bottle indicates that this won't be a crowd pleaser: “Loved by a few. Hated by many.”

An early reviewer disagreed.

The whiskey is “surprisingly fruity and light,” wrote Robb Report whiskey critic Jonah Flicker, “with notes of green apple, pear, berry and citrus, along with some spice and vanilla on the palate.”

The next round

Today: O'Brien's annual Wet Hop Beer Festival begins today and runs for 10 days – or until the last keg explodes. O'Brien's Pub, 4646 Convoy St., San Diego. obrienspub.net

Sunday: This is the final day for Oktoberfest festivities at Blue Fire Brewing in North County and Deft Brewing in San Diego. Blue Fire, 2892 S. Santa Fe Ave., Suite 107, San Marcos. bluepointbrewing.com; Deft, 5328 Banks St., San Diego. deftbrewing.com

Quick Sips, O'fest Edition

Beer: Ohana ManaOut of: San Diego Brewing, San DiegoABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.5 percentStyle: Wet Hop IPADrink or throw away: Drink. As mentioned in a previous Brewery Rowe column, fresh hop or wet hop beers are brewed with hops that are picked from the vine and then piped into a brew kettle over the course of a few hours. The result: beers with plenty of hop flavor and aroma. Ohana Mana emphasizes the herbal qualities of its hops, adding some bitterness to the finish and combining it with a light body.

Fresh hops Cole IPAOut of: Living Haus Beer Co., Portland, Ore.; and Humble Sea Brewing, Santa CruzABV: 7 percentStyle: Wet Hop IPADrink or throw away: Drink. Fresh Hop Cole entices with its powerful citrus aromas and then enchants with grapefruit notes and oily resins. A hop bomb without excessive bitterness, Cole is a king. (Living Haus has local ties: Co-owner Mat Sandoval is a former Modern Times brewer.)

Wet exitOut of: Kern River Brewing, KernvilleABV: 6.8 percentStyle: Wet Hop IPADrink or throw away: Drink. Bubbly, lively and a little spiky, Wet Exit – that's a kayaking term – floats on currents of Strata, Mosaic and Amarillo hops. There are some berry, orange and mint notes and a sharp, crisp finish.