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Sausage Fest

Posted by HenryJames on November 11th, 2009 under Uncategorized

So I made it out to Wurstfest in New Braunfels on Sunday, and as I left I wondered why I don’t go every year. Imagine the state fair but with German beer and polka bands. And no Sooners. I think I actually like the food better at Wurstfest because it’s made by local civic organizations and not some shit thrown together by Sodexo or whomever.

All the food booths are located in the Marktplatz, and then right next to it is a giant biergarten called the Wursthalle. They also have a couple of other tents/biergartens with live music.

There are only two rules for Wurstfest. One, shirts and shoes are required for festival patrons. Two, Wurstfest continues rain or shine. Well, there are probably more, but I think these two are the only ones that really matter.

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The Wurstkabob. Five different types of sausages and a roll on a skewer. Yes, please.

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The cups in which beer is served. Six bucks foreign, four bucks for domestic. I was drinking Paulaner Oktoberfest, but they also had Spaaten and Warsteiner. There were two Real Ale trucks parked near the entrance, but I’ll be god damned if I could find any Real Ale on the premises. Ran into Milkman Dan who was holding a pitcher of Oktoberfest in one hand and his daughter in the other. We lightened his load by two cups.

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Sweet pretzel. Yeah, I was eating out of order.

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Slider. Surprisingly good.

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George Romero inspired map and schedule of events. Little zombie children gnawing on intestines sausages.

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The German equivalent of a cheerleader outfit for me. A chick puts one of these on, and she instantly becomes hotter.

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Bottle caps. Beer battered-fried jalapeno slices. These were like crack but more addictive.

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Fried cheesecake.

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Fried pickles. Outstanding. Constant line for these.

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The specialty beer stand.

Walking in to the sounds of the ubiquitous polka music.

Polka band playing Bob Wills’ ‘San Antonio Rose’ in the Wursthalle. Heard another band in one of the tents playing Freddie Fender’s ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls.’ Texas, imo.

Polka Band singing Lee Greenwood’s ‘Proud to be an American.’ It was horrifying, yet I could not look away. So you assholes will suffer with me.

Walking through the Marktplatz.

Walking to the truck in the rain with a pink Spy Museum umbrella. Don’t ask. And the chick in front of us was wearing an Appetite for Destruction shirt. So I had to film her. If you have to ask why, the terrorists have already won.

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37 Responses

  1. uthookem said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 6:51 am

    I have many fond memories of Wurstfest. My girlfriend at UT lived just up the hill from Landa Park, and we went to a few Wurstfests together. Her Mom also worked at the beer ticket booth (and likely still does).

    Good times.

  2. Bateshorn said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 7:30 am

    Awesome. Good Work, HJ. I was practically raised at Scholz’s, as my grandfather was a honorary life member of the Saengerrunde. Lot’s of good memories here.

  3. bob said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 7:55 am

    the guys go every year on the last friday.. Suprisingly the women never want to go. Something about hanging out with a bunch of late 30’s guys in funny hats drunk off their asses that they don’t like.

    It’s probably for the better. They’d just embarass us anyway.

    Made going to the tailgate at UCF a real bear this year. Damn 11am games.

  4. texoz said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 8:10 am

    My frat would send a busload of idiots, including myself, down there. The drive back to Austin reminded me of the trip up the river in “Apocalypse Now.”

  5. Vasherized said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 8:26 am

    Scientists will some day study your culinary habits and shake their heads.

    It has rained every time I’ve been to Wurstfest and it never dampened my enthusiasm for sampling meats on a stick, strong ale, and strong women. We still use those cups for roadies on the way to DKR.

    In the late 80’s I had to drive my parents and brother home from Wurstfest when I was an unlicensed 15 yr old because they got unexpectedly shitfaced on that fine German beer. That tells you everything you need to know about my upbringing.

    The fried jalapeno slices are the tits, as Trips Right would say.

  6. TK said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 8:31 am

    One time I went home with some townies.

  7. Kriess said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 8:49 am

    When i saw the title, “Sausage Fest”, I thought the post was to explain HenryJames’ tailgate parties.

  8. BrickHorn said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 8:53 am

    Ah, good times. The last few years, we’ve chosen the Renaissance Festival as our fall road trip. The kids love it. And nothing’s better than enjoying the sensual undulations of exotic belly dancers whilst gorging on an enormous turkey leg and mead. That’s how Genghis Khan rolled.

    Anyway, after wading through a pack of idiots dressed up as – I shit you not – Imperial stormtroopers, Princess Leia, Snow White, cheerleaders and Native Americans, I think we’ll avoid the Renfest and hit up Wurstfest next year.

  9. BrickHorn said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 8:54 am

    When i saw the title, “Sausage Fest”, I thought the post was to explain HenryJames’ tailgate parties.

    That post is full of double entendre win.

  10. UT_BKC said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 9:05 am

    I went once about 4 years ago and haven’t made it back since. It was full of drunken awesomeness. Everyone was walking around drinking out of a pitcher.

    I saw one very large guy walking around with his ~4-5 year old son on his shoulders. He had 2 empty pitchers and was drinking out of his half full third one. Fucking epic. I plan on having that experience with my son some day.

  11. BateHorn said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 9:11 am

    Realized I cut off my thought.

    I’ve spent half my life around people getting hammered in German settings, speaking german, wearing german outfits, and listening to Polka. Like Vash, I think it’s an old Austin right of passage to have to drive your family home as a teenager after they got drunk in New Braunfels. I did it , my mom and her sister’s had to do it back in the 60’s. Good times.

  12. PatronSaint said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 9:26 am

    I grew up in German towns in North Texas. I just looked up the fest in Muenster and pulled up a list of the winners of the fun run at the fest from 2003 to show how authentic this thing is. Check the last names:

    http://www.germanfest.net/FUNRUNRESULTS.html

    Herr, Schumacher, Schmitt, Gerstberger, Lutkenhaus, etc.

    You’ll see legit lederhosen there. It’s awesome.

  13. texoz said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 9:27 am

    Who’s celebrating Festivus this year?

    Or HJ’s tailgating offshoot, Fistivus?

  14. ponderos said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 10:09 am

    Imagine the state fair but with German beer and polka bands. And no Sooners.

    Wanna bet?

    I couldn’t find any Real Ale, either, which is too bad because Fireman’s 4 > Palauner Oktoberfest. Paulaner Hefe-Weisen, though, different story.

  15. BrickHorn said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 10:34 am

    Paulaner Hefe is excellent. But Franziskaner and Hacker-Pschorr are even better.

  16. HenryJames said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 10:37 am

    And Live Oak is the best.

  17. dick said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 10:54 am

    “Like Vash, I think it’s an old Austin right of passage to have to drive your family home as a teenager after they got drunk in New Braunfels.”

    Make that old Houston right of passage also. My brother a year older than me always had the honors but I remember being 13 in the car with my mom following the slow swerving car in front of me. I hope to one day provide my teenage child that same honor.

  18. Sugarpants said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 11:45 am

    Given this isn’t an Oktoberfest event, I will throw in Shiner Kolsch as a top-notch German-style beer. Very under-enjoyed, and for lager drinkers, Kolsch style will blow them away.

    My buddy and I drank 100 .1 litre Kolsches in Koln while watching a soccer match. It was a hell of a feat.

  19. Roach said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 11:50 am

    Brickhorn is correct Franziskaner Heve is awesome.

    My wife introduced me to Franziskaner – between that and the fact that she can ski better than anyone you know (Austrians not included) and you can see why I married her.

    Too make up for introducing me to fine German beer, I converted her to a Texas fan–I think we are even.

  20. lowery said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    I really need to make it back there now that I’m old enough to make my….err, enjoy it.

  21. NBMisha said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Of course, I have a wurstfest hat with about 40 pins on it, and a horse tail. No lederhosen, though. This is where the NB comes from.

    Of all the food you showed, you missed the must have, the kartofelpuffers, or, potato pancakes. Opening night the line was 30 minutes long.

    Oh, and the other rule is, two pitchers minimum. Wurstfest is greatness. Organize a BC night there next year.

  22. dedfischer said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    So, I wasn’t that far off when I asked if you were partying with the Third Reich or something?

  23. HenryJames said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    The gf had the kartofelpuffer.

  24. John Wayne Bobbit said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    The five different types of sausages on a skewer look strangely familiar..

  25. Dave said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    The rugby team went every year. We had a contest to find the chick with the best luftballoons. That should identify my age, pretty much.

  26. Holy Cow said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    “Given this isn’t an Oktoberfest event, I will throw in Shiner Kolsch as a top-notch German-style beer. Very under-enjoyed, and for lager drinkers, Kolsch style will blow them away.

    My buddy and I drank 100 .1 litre Kolsches in Koln while watching a soccer match. It was a hell of a feat.”

    I heartily endorse this. . but also love me some good German brew. I must find myself down there one year.

  27. HenryJames said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

    It’s a shitload of fun.

  28. texoz said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

    Just went to their website. Worstfest turns 50 next year. That should bump it up notch.

  29. Fried Rice said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    This post with the comment thread is so racist. I feel as marginalized as a black guy on our OL.

  30. MaduroUTMB said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 5:14 pm

    Wait….Brickhorn isn’t dead? I thought that Harvard Law had killed him.

  31. dedfischer said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 5:29 pm

    This must be some event. I trust HenryJames on his sausage evaluations.

  32. 4 turns 2 NYC said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 6:38 pm

    I’m surprised they did not play any music by Wagner like they do at the German festivals in PA.

  33. 4 turns 2 NYC said:

    November 11th, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    Cardiiac arrest fests.

  34. Nelson said:

    November 12th, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Real Ale is made by a UT grad in Blanco Texas

  35. Big Horn said:

    November 12th, 2009 at 9:22 pm

    Oh Henry, where to start…….how about the fact that the “zombie children” are mine. Nice. Luckily they are young and will bounce back.

    I do agree with NBMisha that you all should organize a BC event there for next year for the 50th.

    Holy Cow, Kolsch is drunk from .2 liter glasses in and around Koln, making your feat even more impressive.

  36. jschairb said:

    November 18th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    Wurstfest was awesome. I was just finishing up a blog post on the same thing when I ran across yours that had very similar pictures to mine. Also, that girl on the cover of the brochure is really going to regret having a picture of her scarfing down a sausage in about 5 years.

    http://www.sanantonioramblings.com/2009/11/17/wurstfest-sausage-we-salute-you/

  37. Würstfest | San Antonio Ramblings said:

    November 18th, 2009 at 3:00 pm

    [...] Update: Barking Carnival had a similar experience to ours. Read here. [...]

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