Photo by ERIK HILL / Anchorage Daily News
Steins decorate a shelf at Schwabenhof, where Oktoberfest celebrations feature German food and live music every Friday and Saturday this month. The bar in Wasilla has 20 beers on tap and 11 more in bottles. Ja, bitte.
Fantastic reasons to celebrate October just keep flowing
Down the Hatch
Published: October 5, 2006
Last Modified: October 5, 2006 at 08:10 PM
In my previous column, I weaved what I thought was a comprehensive list of Oktoberfest events into an impeccable narrative about the beer drinking life. Unfortunately, I made a major omission. Several, probably.
As one loyal reader noted, how could I write an Oktoberfest article without mentioning the Schwabenhof in Wasilla? The cozy log building on a hill at Mile 6.5 of the Palmer-Wasilla Highway opened about seven years ago and often appears in publication and Web sites with "Bavarian Restaurant and Beer Garden" attached to its name. Don't let that fool you.
"It's not a full-fledged German restaurant, it's a bar," said David Grathwohl, the new owner.
Perhaps, but the place has a genuinely warm feel to it, which is probably why Grathwohl bought the place. After retiring from the Air Force in April, he got a loan and jumped into the food and beverage biz in July, then moved house to the Valley from Eagle River last month. Anyone with a taste for the bar business knows the feeling: the need to stay on top of things from the ordering and payroll to the beer and dirty glassware.
"This is far from retirement, sister," he said.
Some people get into the business after many years of thinking about it and working in the trenches, but Grathwohl never imagined running a bar. So why did he do it? Well, at 41, he still has plenty of life and energy, but mostly he just likes the place.
"I've been coming here since they opened," he said. "I was stationed in Germany for six years. I knew when I first came in here that I loved the place."
He doesn't plan to change much and is now in the thick of the Schwabenhof's yearly Oktoberfest celebration, which includes weekend meals of thoroughly German fare along with live music. Look for sausages and side dishes, drinking songs and dancing, plus 20 beers on tap and 11 more in bottles. They pour some of the finest German lagers by breweries such as Spaten, Warsteiner and Aventinus, along with Belgian ales and local brews.
The Oktoberfest spread takes place every Friday and Saturday through the month, starting tonight. Hobo Jim plays this weekend, and other acts will follow all the way through the bar's Halloween festival on Oct. 28. Don't go to the Valley without stopping by. Call 1-907-357-BREW for more information.
Pass the pumpkin
While out and about this month, look for pumpkin beers on store shelves and bar taps everywhere. Even Anheuser-Busch got into the fray last year with its own pumpkin beer, and for good reason -- don't think squash, think pumpkin pie.
Keep in mind that pumpkin makes for a sticky mash because it creates a gelatinous layer that develops on top of the wet grains. Anytime a brewer makes beer, she drizzles water over the top, which then seeps through the grains and out the bottom as wort, the wonderfully sweet liquor that transforms into beer when coupled with yeast.
Imagine the brewer's frustration when the water can't seep through the grains quickly.
The brewers at Midnight Sun Brewing Co. never balk at a little frustration and hard work, however. Like last year, they will put out two pumpkin beers this month, including tonight's release of Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter.
"That beer was a huge hit last year, so we decided to make a full batch and bottle it," said head brewer Gabe Fletcher.
His recipe requires fresh cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cocoa nibs, plus pumpkin in the mash. As they often do, the brewers will stash some of it away for later release, but you can get some at the brewery tour tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. at 7329 Arctic Blvd. The walking tour starts around 6 p.m., but most people come early or stay late to try what's on tap.
At next Friday's tour, look for Humpback Jack Pumpkin Ale. It debuts on Friday, Oct. 13! Coincidence?
You can get Midnight Sun beers at local liquor stores, but the brewery's specialty beers often sell out fast. If you want to secure pumpkin beer, head to the upcoming tours or drop by the brewery. Find out more at www.midnightsunbrewing.com.
• Daily News reporter Dawnell Smith can be reached at dsmith@adn.com.
Schwabenhof
Bavarian restaurant and beer garden
Location: Mile 6.5 Palmer-Wasilla Highway, Wasilla
Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Saturday
Phone: 1-907-357-2739
