I’m batting somewhere under .250 as Sandkerwa NA approaches on Friday, August 31.

Let’s have fun mixing baseball and German beer metaphors, okay? First, a reminder: Sandkerwa NA, an homage to Bamberg’s beers, begins Friday, August 31.

Next, the box score:

Base hit: Most of the beers from Bamberg and environs are in stock.

Strikeout: I’ve not been able to get the glassware I wanted.

Groundout: I didn’t allow enough time to get the food I wanted.

Pop-up: Three of the beers originally ordered didn’t make the trip, though in fairness I knew this some time back.

Compounding the annoyance in terms of logistics are the many (ten) leftover kegs from the Greg Koch/Stone visit (don’t worry; they’ll keep for a while) and yet another dozen kegs that are the result of my ordering too much beer when business finally began to slow down during the past week. These are clogging the walk-ins, making set-up for Sandkerwa into a more difficult jigsaw puzzle than even most Gravity Heads.

After careful consideration, my verdict is to simplify.

I’ve calculated the pricing across the board rather than by individual brand, so nine of the fourteen imported German beers slated for Sandkerwa will be sold in our usual Imperial pint glasses, but at the ½ liter price (a savings of about 10%) – and the price will be the same for all nine. The four wheat ales will be a bit less expensive and will be served when possible in wheat ale glasses. The Kulmbacher Eisbock will be priced by the 10 ounce pour.

There’ll be a simple one-page, two-sided program. No frills ... this year.

Just wait 'til next year.

Here are the beers:

20-oz Imperial; $5.75
Aecht Schlenkerla Helles (Bamberg)
Aecht Schlenkerla Marzen (Bamberg)
Aecht Schlenkerla Urbock (Bamberg)
Bayerischer Bahnhof Heizer Schwarzbier (Leipzig)
Klosterbrauerei Ettal Dunkel (Ettal)
Mahr's Hell (Bamberg)
Mahr's Pilsner (Bamberg)
Mahr's der Weisse Bock (Bamberg)
Spezial Rauchbier (Bamberg)

½ liter; $5.00
Aecht Schlenkerla Weizen (Bamberg)
Bayerischer Bahnhof Gose (Leipzig)
Kapuziner Weissbier (Kulmbach)
Schneider Wiesen Edel Weiss (Kelheim)

10-oz; $3.00
Kulmbacher Eisbock (Kulmbach)

Mahr's Ungespundet, Mahr's Weisse Lager (both from Bamberg) and St. Georgenbrau Kellerbier (Buttenheim) were unavailable.

As always, two other permanent guests of German extraction will be pouring in the usual manner during Sandkerwa NA: Pilsner Urquell (Plzen, Czech Republic) and Spaten Premium Lager (Munich).

Finally, we'll also be debuting a New Albanian Brewing Company beer in honor of the occasion: Happy Helmut, named for a merry trinket salesman with whom I once drank numerous half-liters of Spezial in Bamberg. There's a percentage of smoked malt from Bamberg's Weyermann malting house, and some rye in the grist. California Common yeast is used, and Tony's working on the artwork. Diring tastings last week, Happy Helmut was (happily) revealed to be soft and suitably Franconian, with the smokiness and rye qualities both muted, and a noble hop firmness. At less than 5% abv, it's a fine quaffer.