Oktoberfest in Dublin

Prost! Oktoberfest 2015, Dublin Ireland. #erdinger #prost #bier #autumn #oktoberfest #drink #dirndl #dublinlife #dublin #ireland #festival #friday #tgif

One of the best jokes Germany every played on the rest of the world was to name Octoberfest “Octoberfest”. Why? Because the uneducated think that the party is for the entire month of October. Only it’s not. Octoberfest actually ends on the first weekend of October – and it runs for nearly the full month of September. That being said, however, it is just as much fun having Octoberfest in Germany, as it is visiting the sponsored Octoberfest which is held on the Dublin Docklands for the past few years.

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

If you’ve ever lived in Germany, you are familiar with Erdinger Weissbrau. It’s a popular cloudy wheat beer with a light flavor, and it’s quite easy to drink. They sponsored the event, which several of us attended on (when else) the 2nd of October – the very last weekend it was running. It was packed – from the moment we arrived, there was a wait that went from the entry area (where you could buy a few drinks and ride some rides while avoiding the major push of the beer tents). We talked to a couple people in line – and discovered that it was about 3 hours wait (Yah… NO!).

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015 The line is around the square, out from the docklands and all the way up to Connelly station!

Deciding that waiting in line was no fun, we settled just under the arch, next to a ride, and found ourselves some seats (thanks to my endowed chest in the Dirndl!) where we could have a chat, eat a bit, and people watch while enjoying the atmosphere.
Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

While the ladies and I had some traditional bratwurst, sauerkraut and pickles,

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Paddy enjoyed some meat on a stick and a bread bun. And of course, we all had to try the beer.

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

Finally, after hanging out until about 10pm, the line was gone. Why? because unless you had a wristband you couldn’t get served Beer after 10PM. Luckily, when we bought food, we got our wristband. That meant that we waited about 2 hours – and finally were able to get to the main event itself. We crossed a bit of the dock and went through a barricade – where we found lots of tables in the traditional Munich Blue and white – but also with “green” for Dublin. We had arrived!

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

Welcome to the Beer Tent! Yes, we found seats, and yes, we joined in the festival.

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

Naturally, with 1 liter beers, there were plenty of drunk / snoozing folks on the benches (note random stranger below who kept balancing on the bench while snoring quite loudly):

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

(We did eventually convince him to take a taxi home) and the other random stranger who decided to plop down and join our happy little group.

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015S asking “why are you here”?

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015

Of course, what would Oktoberfest be – without the obligatory picture of me in my Dirndl, serving up a couple large liter jugs of Proper German Beer!

Oktoberfest Dublin 2015
And so it is that I say until next year, and….

PROST!

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DBA – Guinness Tour

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the Giant wooden guinness art sculpture

In the last few weeks, I’ve enrolled in the complete bartending course at the Dublin Bar Academy. It’s a 3 week intensive course, designed to teach us everything about being an expert bartender. This includes 30 + cocktails; cocktail flair; history of all the different spirits and how they’re made; master class including tastings for whiskey, tequila/mescale, over 30 different liquors, coffee barista, as well as tasting all the cocktails that we are making. There are exams every day and then a comprehensive exam and a practical behind the bar (double and triple orders) exam which involves making 10 cocktails in under 10 minutes. There are also visits to Guinness and Jamesons for a behind-the-scenes bit of information. This post is a few pictures from the class trip to Guinness, where we spent time on a VIP tour and getting lessons in pulling a pint.

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The famous backward Irish Harp

After walking through the regular plant, we were taken to the special VIP rooms. We had to smell each of the aeromas of the different ingredients in a Guinness. It was a bit surreal and comical at the same time.

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Can you smell it?

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I think Colm smells something Foul… but not me!

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Domo feeling Zen while sniffing away, and I’m not sure what Mike’s doing here – Is he tasting?

From here, we got served mini baby guinnesses to take into the next room.

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Albano doing the honors.

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Alina and Danisa showing off their mini pints.

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The tour guide explaining – To properly drink a pint of guinness, you must stand with your feet firmly apart, elbow out, and arm held at shoulder length. Place glass to lips and take a big swallow to enjoy the full guinness flavor.

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Yes, that’s right… like that.

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The guys demonstrate the proper way to drink a guinness.

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They’re not so impressed with the taste; but then I don’t like it either.

After the tasting, we went into our own private bar, and learned to pull a perfect pint.

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So, gentlemen, what do you think of the tour?

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They give it a one legged double thumbs up and a smile! After all, Guinness is good for you!

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Abandoned Bärenquell Brewery

Main Barenquell Brewery Building

Bärenquell (pronounced Bear-en-quell) Brewery Originally opened in 1888, and was located in the South East of Berlin, near a district called Schoeneweide. It made a local series of beers all the way through the era of the “Communist East”. The plant complex closed in 1994. This seems to consist of several buildings including Main Brewing Facility – above, Control Room, Warehouses, Inspection, Shipping / Receiving Offices, and Administration. You can see most of the photos below, in the slideshow (click on the “arrows” in the bottom right corner to fit it to your screen).

Now, it sits empty and locked up, behind a series of gates and graffiti covered walls. However, because of it’s close proximity to Neukolln, Berlin, there are many squatters and shady characters that to come and this area, thus making it relatively easy to find a way inside (before you’re asking – there aren’t any “no tresspassing signs” – these are few and far between here). Upon Exploration, the photo group found lots of graffiti, old furniture, old drug use type items, trashed out cars and remnants of thefts of various things. Not bad subjects for a day of photography, if you ask me….

Trashed Sofa


Please check out more of the photo set here – and don’t forget to comment!

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