Oktoberfest Review Guide: Intro

It's October again.  The time of year most Americans wrongly think Oktoberfest is celebrated.  While the festival does end the first weekend in October, it actually takes place primarily in September.  Thanks to the neck on the Sam Adams Octoberfest I am enjoying at the moment, I can tell you the tradition dates back to 1810 when Munich decided to brew a special beer to celebrate their Crown Prince's wedding.  This celebration lasted 16 days, and still does to this day.  It is perhaps the most famous beer festival in the world, and any beer drinker worth his (or her) weight in beer will tell you that experiencing the pilgrimage to Munich in September is something that should be experienced at least once in one's life.  I myself was fortunate enough to take part one year and had a great day (at least as far as I can remember), which I'm sharing with you.  What will follow these next several days is El Guiri's review guide of Munich's famous Oktoberfest.  Prost!

First off, Oktoberfest is more than just beer.  Basically it is a big fairground with carnival rides, food, beer, etc.  The main focus here though is still clearly the beer, and lots of it found in the numerous beer tents.  There are at least 6 big hitters when it comes to tents, and they are all associated with one of the official Oktoberfest brews.  To be an official Oktoberfest beer, it has to be brewed in Munich, and it has to conform to the famous German Beer Purity Law, the Reinheitsgebot.  Try saying that one 6 times fast...  Anyway, the 6 beers are, in alphabetical order: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau, Lowenbrau, Paulaner, and Spaten.  Stay tuned for the next entry where I'll begin my day as Oktoberfest opens at 9am.  Tschuss!