Tag Archives: Easter

Bunnies & Beer = Brende Easter Bash!

Brende Easter Eggstravaganza
Brende Easter Eggstravaganza

One of my favorite family holidays is Easter time.  Each year we celebrate at my uncle’s home in the Hollywood hills with perfect weather and picture perfect views.  The traditional prayer, food, egg decorating contests and egg hunts take place.

My favorite event is the adult beer hunt.  Forever kids at heart my cousins and siblings line up with buckets in hand in anticipation for our big hunt.  The goal is

Cousin Steve claiming his prize!
Cousin Steve claiming his prize!

to pick up 5 beers with attached poker cards, any beer with nothing on it is free game, and we must find one Mexican coke bottle usually containing a $2.00 bill on it.  Once we gather back on home base we play poker.  Whoever has the best hand wins first prize. The good news is that the prize table is full and all of us walk away winners.

Now, I have shared this tradition with friends before.  It’s amazing how this concept can grow with creative input!  Alterations to this idea may

Caroline & Alan Brende
Caroline & Alan Brende

include champagne and wine in lieu of beer.  Or, maybe more money is attached to the bottles! However you spin it, this activity is a hit and it will live on for generations to come in the Brende family.

And poor Easter bunny, he always seems to end up in the pool! LOL. Nonetheless he always manages pick himself up and stop by the house for the festivities year after year.

A very dapper Jan-Oliver Schmidt
A very dapper Jan-Oliver Schmidt

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Trende Brende scores big!
Trende Brende scores big!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floating Easter Bunny
Floating Easter Bunny

The Annual Brende Beer Hunt!

Cousins! Nicole Brende & David Brende
Cousins! Nicole Brende & David Brende

Most of my family lives in sunny southern California.  Every year it is tradition to visit.  My uncle hosts a massive party on Easter Sunday.  Besides all of the festivities including egg decorating contests, pop quizzes, egg hunts, count the jelly bean in the jar contest, traditional holiday food like lamb, ham, and the fixings, the adults participate in a beer hunt / poker game!  In the past few years I have shared this concept with my friends and some have reported back to me and decided to create one of their own as well!

Beer hunters getting set!
Beer hunters getting set!

In simple terms this is how the official Brende Beer Hunt game works:  count your hunters, hide beer bottles knowing that each hunter can pick up 6 beers or whatever amount you decide, place a poker card on some of them, money on others for fun, then the hunters can only pick up 5 beers with cards (a complete poker hand) then the rest is a free for all.  When all hunters gather they get one chance to trade cards they do not like with the dealer.  The person with the best hand gets 1st prize, and so on.  Basically we all get a prize.  We have a table full of prizes including bar accessories, liquor, BBQ stuff, etc.  If you are not a beer person substitute it with soft drinks, champagne, wine (mini bottles), or flavored waters.  Get creative.  I recommend getting a big plastic pail to carry the goods in too.  A basket would not be strong enough.

So have fun hunting your favorite liquids next year! No matter how old I get, this is something I truly get excited about.  It’s fun, some of us get really competitive, and a cool bonding experience too.

Nice prize Jan Schmidt!
Nice prize Jan Schmidt!
Trende Brende scores big!
Trende Brende scores big!