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With his other true love, Mullaney married into a prominent German family with generations of Cullman roots.
“My wife’s ancestors were hard-working German businessmen and farmers, who have been prominent citizens of Cullman from the earliest days of the city,” he said. “One of my wife’s great- grandfathers was O.F. Richter, who started O.F. Richter and Son’s Painting and Contracting, which is still in business to this day.”
Mullaney shared more about his wife’s family tree. His great-great-grandfather-in-law was Wilhelm Friedrich Richter. Mullaney’s wife Lisa’s ancestor owned Richter’s Hotel and Saloon and was a well- established businessman. Years ago, Mullaney said, he found one of Wilhelm’s ancient beer recipes on faded paper. On a whim, they brewed a batch, and Richter’s Pilsner, Goat Island Brewing’s second highest selling beer, was born.
Despite Cullman’s deep German heritage, its Oktoberfest wasn’t always celebrated with steins brimming over with pilsner from generations-old recipes.
Beginning in 1982, Cullman celebrated Oktoberfest; however, the celebration in those days was kicked off by the tapping of the root beer keg due to Cullman’s localized prohibition. It was in those years that Mullaney’s earliest Oktoberfest memory occurred, and he still chuckles retelling the story.
“My first Oktoberfest memory is way back before we went wet when (TV station) Comedy Central came. It was so funny! We had our dry Oktoberfest and we were drinking our special sparkling
apple cider. Pastor Bob Kurtz from St. John’s was interviewed by Comedy Central, and they also interviewed Free the Hops in Birmingham,” he laughed. “They took a lot of video and just laughed at our little dry Oktoberfest. It was hilarious. We made national news!”
Mullaney family: Emily, Lisa, Mike, & Kate
Richter family attending Oktoberfest
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Mike & Lisa Mullaney