🎉🍻 Oktoberfest – Partying like it’s 1810 🎉🍻

 

Who in their right mind would get up in the middle of the night to drink beer at 6 a.m.? Well, if you know us, then you know the answer. But it’s not just any morning! Every year, Munich, Germany kicks off the annual celebration known as Oktoberfest. The festival begins at noon local time in Germany with a tapping of the kegs.

Knoxville is blessed to have one of the most authentic German breweries around – Schulz Brau. It’s owned by a family from Munich and every year they tap kegs at the same time as Munich. Here, that’s at 6 a.m. And after a two-year pandemic break, Oktoberfest is back, both in Munich and in Knoxville!

Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a royal wedding celebration. It’s not actually a celebration of the month of October. In fact, it usually begins the third Saturday in September and concludes the first weekend of October, or on October 3, which is German Unification Day.

The OG celebration in Munich attracts approximately six million visitors over the three weeks. We were fortunate to be among them in 2018. For the trip, we bought our lederhosen and dirndl and found that we fit in nicely, even among the businesspeople in downtown Munich. Many of them wear their traditional garb to work so they can be ready to enjoy at the fairgrounds later!

The fairgrounds is the green space that houses the gigantic tents for the six main breweries at Oktoberfest, as it has since the original. We visited each one but spent much of our time imbibing at the Hofbrau tent. We paid for a guided tour that included the visit, a liter of beer, and food (an entire half chicken each). That was a great deal and definitely a #tipsypick!  We highly recommend a package like that, especially if it’s your first time.

We mingled with drinkers from all over the world that day, hoisting our liter steins for frequent toasts or “Prost!” and sang everything from traditional tunes to “Sweet Caroline!” Each tent has a theme, color scheme, and holds about 5,000 people at a time. There were three basic beer offerings – light, dark, or Radler – a mix of beer and juice or lemonade. And yes, you drink them by the liter.

Aside from the tents, the festival grounds look much like a typical fair with rides, games, and food. We rode on the Ferris wheel, which was included in our package. In hindsight, we’re not sure that was the best idea after drinking several liters of beer . . . but it was fun!

There’s also a section of the grounds known as Old Oktoberfest, where you can get your liters in traditional clay steins for an additional fee. They say it’s less of a party atmosphere. We didn’t try it, but we will have it on our list for next time!

We spent some time exploring Munich outside of the festival and found some impressive cocktail bars, including Schumann’s, often named among the top bars in the world. We found a great speakeasy called Jaded Monkey where Christy had her first gin drink and fell in love with the Gin and Tonic! Lots of excellent cocktail bars . . . too many to name. But let us know if you want the full list! There are plenty of beer halls and gardens open all year round for the authentic experience, including a large one at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden that we found on our last day there.

Enough reminiscing . . . back to this year in Knoxville. If you’ve never been, Schulz Brau is as close to an actual German brewery as you can get in the states. The owner’s family is from Munich and the beer garden is populated with authentic tables and chairs from Munich biergartens. The food is excellent German fare, with some wood-fired pizzas for those not so inclined. The beer menu runs the gamut of German styles: Helles, Marzen, Festbier, Hefeweizen, and a Radler. This year, the tickets included either a liter stein or a two-liter boot! (Note, they didn’t have the boots in Germany . . . but it was a fun addition.) And yes, breakfast was included starting at 6 a.m. – very necessary with beer by the liter (or two)! As in Germany, they celebrate every day for the entire period. So there’s plenty of time to enjoy!

More and more breweries in Knoxville are getting in on the fun. The last two years, we ventured out West to Orange Hat for their Oktoberfest and found it to be pretty authentic and definitely fun. Of course, we were dressed for the occasion. And most breweries in town are at least offering a version of fall beers including Marzen or Festbier. No, there’s no pumpkin beer at Oktoberfest!

If you haven’t noticed, we love this time of year! So get out and enjoy . . . and “Prost!”

Up on the Roof in Downtown Knoxville

 

Late Summer into Fall is the perfect weather for cocktails on the patio … but why not take it “up” a few notches literally TO THE ROOF! There are a growing number of rooftop bars in downtown Knoxville that let you enjoy your favorite drinks indoors or outdoors with a view from the top of the town!

We’ll start with the “OG” rooftop in downtown Knoxville – the Moonshine Roof Garden at Preservation Pub. This rooftop space has been around long enough to see Market Square thrive and give patrons a bird’s eye view of what’s going on below. With the arrival of Bernadette’s Crystal Gardens next door, the roof garden is now double the size, and so is the Magic Beer Tree! The drink menu at Preservation Pub itself is extensive and fairly basic, with beer, wine and shine as the showcase. However, the real “gem” (pun intended, as you’ll see in a minute) is the cocktail menu at Bernadette’s!

Bernadette’s is the brainchild of Bernadette West, using hundreds of actual crystals that once were housed in the World Grotto, an earlier bar in the basement of one of the other West buildings on the square. Bernadette’s also has its own outdoor space, actually above and overlooking the roof garden, known as the Citrine Mezzanine. It’s enclosed but with an open-air view of the rooftop. Here is where you’ll find some of the most creative drinks on the square – our personal favorites are the Amethyst and the Moonstone, not to mention the mimosa flights (on special every Wednesday night). The first is a refreshing take on an old fashioned and the second is a coconut drink with cream and quite the presentation. You can get both up on the Mezzanine! And don’t miss out on our favorite bar snack … the Tetris Tots with the rainbow palette of dipping sauces.

 

Yet another rooftop on Market Square is just next door at Scruffy City Hall. This is another venture from Scott and Bernadette West. The first two floors are mainly a performance venue, but the rooftop space is wide open and dedicated to a more laid back atmosphere than its neighbors. It may have the best view of whatever is on the square’s performance stage! The second floor also has an open-air mezzanine with great views.

Now we move just off the square to South Gay Street, where dueling rooftop bars make for an attractive competition for best views! Both Embassy Suites and Hyatt Place opened within the last few years, both debuting some fantastic rooftop spaces, and both with excellent cocktails. We have done weekend “staycations” at both so we can safely say we’ve done the necessary research. Since these are also hotel bars, we covered some of this in a previous post. Here’s our lowdown on each from a rooftop view.

At Embassy Suites, Radius Rooftop Lounge has the distinction of having the highest rooftop view of downtown. We have to admit that we weren’t overly impressed the first time we visited, but that was in the middle of the pandemic. It struck us as a frat party. On our most recent visit, it’s clear that they’ve stepped up their cocktail game, including a whole Old Fashioned list. You know we love that! They also have a rooftop outdoor pool area with cabanas that are great for a small group party. And yes, the views are spectacular!

And last but certainly not least, Five Thirty Lounge is a fantastic space with indoor and outdoor areas on top of the Hyatt Place downtown. Their indoor bar is pure eye candy and the drinks are excellent. Full disclosure – we spent our New Year’s Eve here and watched the Independence Day fireworks from the outdoor patio! They make a wonderful Old Fashioned and have a nice wine list. We aren’t a fan of the extra “hospitality tax” on drinks, but don’t let that stop you. Take advantage of the reservations here to get ahead of the crowd. Definitely a #tipsypick!

With basically five rooftop options to choose from within a few blocks, it is technically possible to do a “rooftop bar crawl” in one day/night!  Let us know if you try it! If we do, we’ll let you know!

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