Wow. What a month. This seriously has to go down as craziest month ever. I'm going to have to say 'wow' again. Wow. Ok, so here goes...
First, Oktoberfest. This was our 2nd time holding a full-on Oktoberfest in Vankleek Hill, and we nailed it this time. Last year we got overwhelmed by the turn-out, but this year we really pulled it off. Not without a hitch, mind you, but pretty close.
Saturday was a complete sell-out and Sunday was pretty full as well. We raised over $30,000 for charity and had a whole pile of fun. The bands were amazing, the kinderfest was awesome (Doo-Doo the clown is the best kids entertainer, ever), the speakers series was super cool, Cask Days was phenomenal, the activities went really well and the brewery tours were enjoyed by folks, too.
I didn't post a pic, because you should check out the soundslide that Justin at our local newspaper, The Review put up. http://www.thereview.ca/story/soundslide-oktoberfest-ist-wunderbar
The next weekend, Riotfest. Nothing to do with the brewery, but there's a really cool punkrock festival in Chicago every year called Riotfest and a bunch of us went down for Rob's bachelor party...hey, Rob works for the brewery, so I guess it sorta has a little bit to do with the brewery. Also I went to Piece brewpub and drank a whole pile of 3 Floyd's beer while I was there...
And then Rob and Robyn's Wedding...The next weekend was the wedding. The night before the wedding Rob and Robyn held a show at Sneaky Dee's and they convinced my old band to get back together for a set. That was really cool and their wedding was awesome fun, too. And I must say that after spending so much money at Sneaky Dee's during college, I'm glad to have gotten a tiny bit of it back (our beer was on tap for the night).
Then Organic Week and the reception on Parliament Hill. It was a cool day spent remembering why we spend the extra time and money to make organic beer and do a bit of organic food lobbying. An interesting side note, was that in speaking to Steve Abrahms from Mill St Brewery in Toronto that he also was in a band back in the day called Skinnerbox, and I use to listen to their stuff all the time.
Then came Mondial. Wow, was that a party. This is the 2nd annual Mondial de la Biere held in Strasbourg, at the far corner of France, just next to the German border. The show itself was a bit rough on me physically, but great fun as well. At night though, everybody was out partying like it was 1999. I can't go through the list of awesome people I was hanging out with without sounding like I'm name dropping, so instead I'll say this: During my nights there I was enthralled with conversations with Swedes, Italians, Americans, Belgians, Brits and fellow Canadians. I'd come solo and was worried that I'd spend my nights bored and alone, but instead I think I saw the wrong side of 5am everynight thanks to the efforts of my intrepid brewing colleagues.
So yeah...this weekend is Cask Days and Halloween in Toronto with Nicola and the kids (who, I'm happy to say still remembered that they had a husband/father when I returned from France yesterday). That will put the final, wonderful cap on a wonderful, busy month.
