Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Winners.

This was posted in another section of the website, but for continuity purposes I’m brining it here.

Wes Dehnke November 6, 2011 at 9:21 am # Edit
Well John,

I’ll give you a little back story first. Perhaps this is why you were given the “honor” of announcing the Hacker-Pschorr BACKYARD Oktoberfest winner. I realize this may sound like sour grapes, but bear with me. Last years winner wasn’t announced until about 2 months after it was slated to end. There were two teams entered…that was it. Packer Hacker-Pschorr and a team from New York. In this lovely contest it was who could get the most “likes” on Facebook for your set of pictures. There is no doubt in the world that ours were better or at least not photo shopped within an inch of their lives. Well the contest ended on Dec. 1. We were of course incommunicado during Thanksgiving Week as any loyal son or daughter of Wisconsin knows, It is Deer Gun Hunting Week, a time honored and holy week to commune with nature, shoot at it, and drink tons of beer every night in primitive surroundings. So after being ahead in the voting for a month and a half, we came home to log on the internet and see we were about 200 votes behind! Fair enough, they stole a march on us. So in the remaining few days it’s time for overdrive! We actually call and talk to EVERYONE we know to garner votes…go hang out in bars and beg everyone with our laptop there, to “vote”. A lot of people aren’t interested or are paranoid about someone they don’t know’s laptop….it’s harder than you think…but still quite a few nice people out there.

We came to find out the person running the contest no longer worked for Hacker-Pschorr USA in early November and NOBODY was actually running the contest, this is something we didn’t learn until well after “voting” ended. Well we got enough votes to take first, so did the other team…problem is they gave December 1 as the end of voting date. Midnight? Which time zone? Who won, it was not clear…we went over the top by about 30+ votes, depending on which finish line was applied. So the “other” team started bitching. We decided that may alienate the arbiter so we took the high ground, assuming that there were some kind of time marks on the site or that being classy would help. Not the case. About two plus months later, after someone new took over, we see pictures of the other team on the Facebook page getting awarded the prize in their backyard…. Then we got a wink and nod from Hacker-Pschorr USA, saying….Next year I know you are going to get “extra consideration”. Well I don’t like being bitter, and didn’t want to alienate them for next year, so I swallowed hard and let it go, with the understanding we’d be given special consideration next time.

So we took everything we learned from last year, and thinking about it for the better part of a year, and redoubled our efforts. We shot some strong pictures, and entered again, ready for battle. Well the Wildfire App they used was clunky….and believe or not…there was nothing on the site about the ending time (date yes) for voting…again! Trust me a group of six was pouring over EVERYTHING at 2am. So we dominated on Monday night, Halloween. Just got tons of votes in 3 different towns pushing for votes with our laptops in hand. We went over the top then started pounding nails into the Queens Creek coffin. So absolutely exhausted and well ahead…finally we went to bed at 3am…I had to go to work at 4am, everyone else worked the next day, very short on sleep as well.

Turns out you couldn’t see it until the next stage of voting, judging began, which you couldn’t open on the site till afterwards, that it ended at 12pm Mountain Time. So they got back ahead of us somehow while we were sleeping or at work. They always found a ton of votes anytime we popped ahead of them. They either have just joined Facebook for this contest or there are even more draconian privacy settings than I knew Facebook had…every other team I could find out some information on…not these guys…I couldn’t tell anything, they didn’t even have anyone commenting on their pictures, a little fishy? I know that “vote” trading and even buying sites exist on Facebook, were they making fake people? I can’t get a feel at all for how they did it in the wee hours of the morning.

Then there is the judging…that can be arbitrary I know. I was expecting “special” consideration for the screw job we got last year and swallowed. I’d say there about 6 really strong entries and would number Packer Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest among them. I’d hate to think you decided….after tweeting about drinking beers in different location that day, that I was glued to my computer for 7 freaking hours waiting for an announcement, just so, with a buzz, you could decide to give it to the team with an lady spanking someone, because someone have a weird fetish. If any other than Queens Creek would have won…I’d put it down to taste…and feel slightly less hosed. But the way they got first in voting rankles.

In closing, I feel Hacker-Pschorr USA, really let me down…they did a poor job of posting updates, and foisted off the announcement to you.

Two of our team members manage different liquor stores….my friends and family drink TONS of beer, this is Wisconsin and we are professionals, I’m a known in home brewing circles (I make a great heavily hopped American Ale) and bit of a social butterfly on the bar scene. Hacker-Pchorr and those involved in this contest have earned my enmity, there is ALOT of beer they are NOT going to sell because of this over the next 40 years.
I was going to take my aging parents to Munich with me, Dad hasn’t been back since the war, and Mom has never been outside the US….I pushed hard and did everything I could, I don’t feel bad about our efforts. The operators of this contest should. Instead of having an ally, quite the opposite has occurred.

Oh and no doubt in the world, New Glarus is making the best beer in the U.S. Blacktop is amazing, the Laughing Fox is awesome…and Spotted Cow is the best all-around drinking beer…it’s good warm or cold! The cherry Lambic is to die for too! I love that brewery; if I was younger I’d beg to work there for free just to learn!

Wes Dehnke, Team Packer Hacker-Pschorr

Wes,
Your note does indeed sound like sour grapes. But it’s understandable given your account of what you say happened last year and the natural reaction we all have when we don’t get
something we want.

Right off the bat I’ll say that I was not aware of your circumstances last year and if I was, I wouldn’t have participated in judging because the deck would have already been stacked against other contestants and that’s just not fair. If you feel like someone at the brewery didn’t meet your expectations or give you “special consideration”, I suggest you reach out to them.

It looked like you guys had a good time at the party and I hope that another team winning doesn’t take away from the memories. Seems like the Packer’s great season were discussed (given that most folks were wearing jerseys) and the hot tub got some good use (although I’m unclear as to what either has to do with Oktoberfest).

As for your personal attack on me regarding my being out in the hours before the post, I was notified of the winner around 3P EST. The votes were tallied earlier in the day (I had placed my votes a day before hand after carefully looking at each and every picture posted).

As I was out working on another story and the call from H-P came unexpectedly I wasn’t able to get something posted as quickly as I would have liked. In the interest in getting something posted, I did it as quickly as possible. I wish that part of the process had been smoother but it is what it was.

Sounds like you’re a man dedicated to beer and I appreciate that. I also couldn’t agree more with you assessment of New Glarus. I’m headed back to your state next week and already looking forward to proper pints from those great folks.

Best,

John