Mountain Musings with Uncle Mott
Roll Out the Barrel

It’s that time of the year again when we get to roll out the barrel and, what do you know, it’s Oktoberfest time.
Well, we already had the Lake Arrowhead Brewfest a couple of weeks ago to usher in the beer-swilling season. By the way, you probably didn’t know this, but I (yes, me) was the beer chugging champion of Alpha Phi Omega fraternity at Chapman College (now Chapman University) back in the early 70s. Here’s another little factoid – Coors was the beer of choice among students at Tustin High School back in the early 60s. Shhhhh, don’t tell the principal.
I love how they used to have Oktoberfest in the garden at Center Stage in Lake Arrowhead Village. However, this year there is a new garden venue located at Waterfront Park at the end of the Village peninsula.
There’s a garden, what a garden, only happy faces bloom there and there’s never any room there for a worry or a gloom there. Roll out the barrel, we’ll have a barrel of fun, roll out the barrel, we’ve got the blues on the run. Sing boom tararra, ring out a song of good cheer, now’s the time to roll the barrel, for the gang’s all here. (“Beer Barrel Polka” – Lawrence Welk, et al – 1950s) “Wunnerful, wunnerful, please turn off the bubble machine.”
According to historians, the festival originated in 1810, in celebration of the marriage of the Crown Prince of Bavaria. I bet that was a festive ceremony, lots of Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier. I can’t wait to wrap my lips around a tall cool one of those. Just a moment while I wipe the foam off my moustache from the last stein of Erdinger Kristall; not bad brew, I must say.
Now for the piece de resistance – Wow, what a heady brew, almost as good as Homer Simpson’s Duff Beer. As Homie would say, “Mmmmmmmm, beer… burp!”
Now celebrating its 44th year at Lake Arrowhead, this year’s Oktoberfest began on Sept. 17, so you better hurry because all the games, raffles and prizes are going to wind down come Oct. 29.
Oh, and a word of advice: If you’ve had occasion to imbibe a bit too much, don’t hesitate to call a cab. OK, so there are no cabs around these parts, but there is Mountain Transit’s Dial-A-Ride or, if you prefer privacy, try Lake Arrowhead A1 Car Services, which did a great job of getting folks home after the Brewfest. I’d give you the number, but you can Google it.
Don’t be like the doofus who got pulled over by the CHP and told the arresting officer, “What’s thaaaat you shay ocifer? Are you trying to shay I was drivvvving under the affluence of inkahol.” “Alright, buddy, duck your head and get into the back seat,” said the ocifer… uh that’s officer, I was just kidding (or was I?).
Roll out the barrel, we’ll have a barrel of fun.
Keep it flyin’
Uncle Mott