🎉🍻 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!”