Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. is hosting its annual Oktoberfest celebration Sept. 28 at the brewery in San Jose’s Japantown, and that means it’s time to get a grip — on your beer stein.
One of the fun competitions at the beer festival is seeing who can hoist their stein — a huge glass mug filled with beer — upright the longest. There are divisions for men and women, but it’s a pretty tough challenge no matter who you are as the mug has to be held straight out from your body (though slightly leaning back is legal).
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Gordon Biersch co-founder Dan Gordon says there’s an extra challenging wrinkle this year: Steins must be held by the handle only instead of the often-used method of wrapping your hand around the stein body and resting the handle between your thumb and forefinger.
“That should cost people 39 seconds” off their time, Gordon predicted.
This year’s celebration is also adding a little New Orleans flavor to this year’s traditionally German festival.
That means the food will include po’ boys and jambalaya (from Poor House Bistro) along with German sausages and Bavarian pretzels, and the entertainment will include music from the Creole Bells, Mike Rinta and the Left Coast Syncopaters.
Admission to the event is free — the beer and food aren’t — to the celebration, which runs from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the brewery at 375 E. Taylor St. in Japantown.
