Poor weather can't stop goat races at 'Bock Fest'

By: Mike Partel

Posted: 5/8/09

Finally, the cold winter months have given way to pleasant spring Sundays, and with the first of May comes the fresh aroma of new flowers, the cheerful buzz of working bees, the adorable charm of cute baby animals, and in Germany - the irrepressible bounce of polkas, the relentless flow of strong beer and the traditional running of the goats.

Yes, I said the goats are running. Sly Fox Brewery holds "BockFest," its annual festival celebrating Bock and other German beer styles including Maibock, Eisbock, Doppelbock, Vienna Lager and Pilsner. In the past, crowds of people attending have put down hundreds of gallons of beer throughout the day.

Located in the nearby towns of Phoenixville and Royersford, just abutting Valley Forge, Sly Fox is a small brewery that has operated for almost 14 years, run by the Giannopoulos family. Its name, and subsequent label, is taken from a family fox-hunting legacy. Although it has relatively small output, the Giannopoulus Clan has managed to win many national awards from the Great American Beer Festival and at one point was named Third Best Brewpub in the country.

Sunday's weather was by no means a disappointment, if you enjoy spring days that are miserable, cold and damp, with the sun hiding behind heavy cloud covers. We arrived just before lunch - the event began at 11 a.m. - and caught a shuttle bus from the parking at a fairground a mile up the road. It was a school bus, actually. The driver dropped us off in a teeming parking lot littered with tents and soggy, smiling enthusiasts.

Since it was still pretty early in the day, we thought lunch would be in order, and found immediate seating in their Sly Fox's crowded restaurant. Our waitress, Dasha, brought us amazing beers, so fresh in the tap that they still tasted a little green and fantastic food to match. I ordered a Cuban sandwich that I'm still thinking about. I'll get to the beer soon, I promise.

The rest of the day was fairly simple - beer in one corner of the massive tent, bratwursts and Amoroso's rolls in another, and a happy little polka band, oom-pah-ing away across the "track."

With anticipation building, the lederhosen-clad leader would occasionally rouse the eager crowd with a drunken chant, "Zigi zagi, zigi zagi! Oi! Oi! Oi!" Between these attractions were those thousands of attendees: drinking, laughing and having a good time.

On tap, at $5 a glass, Sly Fox had their Pils, Helles, Bock, and Slacker, which doesn't sound as lazy as it tastes. Eventually, the promised, they would tap the Maibock: it would be named after the winning goat!

I grabbed a nice pint of the Helles to start the afternoon off slowly. Good choice. It was clear, crisp and somewhat spicy, thanks to the German hops. Quite the tasty brew, I must say.

The race finally began at 2:30 p.m., with much anticipation and fanfare. Here were introduced the main characters in this little zoo of a beer event: among them, to our own tipsy entertainment, were the emcee, goatmaster Steve, and a panchoed woman that we dubbed thegGoat whisperer. And of course, there were the goats. Running in four full heats, and one final one, the first goat to cross the finish line with its handler would be the winner, the catch being that the goat had to cross first. Racers were disqualified for pulling it across.

After these five, truly enthralling and life-altering races, the Goatmaster named the year's Maibock after the crowd favorite, Dax. Without wasting a second, we rushed to the bar to grab one of the first pints of Dax's Maibock, complete with souvenir glass and warm, victorious flavor. To our chagrin, the bartenders had not yet received word that the beer had been named and refused to serve it. We circled back outside and got it instead from one of the outdoor tables. There was a line, though, and 20 minutes later, we held the holy grail of wet, springtime, goat-ridden festival beers.

Let me tell you, it was entirely worth it. With a white, fluffy head, smooth body, a sweetness that satisfied and a spice that kept you interested, the Maibock far surpassed the Helles from earlier in the day. The best part was it didn't kick too hard afterwards, so that even with a homeward drive looming in our future, we still heavily considered tossing back another, delicious pint.

It was a cold day - a soggy, damp, and miserable windy day. But it was still a day filled with good people, stubborn goats and great beer. I am already looking forward to next year's race and I would highly recommend you all plan on attending then as well. Just remember, "Sly Fox Beer is WUNDERBAR!"