The History and Tradition of
Oktoberfest
Every year from the third weekend in September through the first
weekend in October there is a monstrous party held in Munich, Germany.
This annual event is known as the Oktoberfest, and as a celebration its
majesty is second to none. Hordes of people from all over the world
gather together for two weeks of raucous festivities in which eating and
drinking play no small part. Although the Germans have never had
difficulty justifying festivals or brewing special batches of beer, this
particular tradition has stronger roots than most.
In the early nineteenth century modern day Germany was not yet
existent and the Kingdom of Bavaria was an entity unto itself. The
affairs of the heads of state were often momentous and thus the first of
the fall festivals was on the occasion of crown prince Ludwig's
engagement to the countess Theresa in 1810. Since then the affair has
gathered steam as the population of Munich and the city's attraction as
a tourist venue have grown. The site of the Fest is the Theresenwiese, a
large green that lies Southwest of the city, formerly a racing track it
has since been renamed after the countess. The West side of the grounds
are dominated by a 100-foot statue of the goddess Bavaria. The
ceremonial beginning of the festival starts with the parade of the
brewers, horse drawn wagons carry barrels of beer through the streets of
the city. When they reach the Theresenwiese the city's mayor taps the
first barrel and the party starts.
While there are games and rides for all, the main attractions of the
event are the beer tents. Each of the six major brewers of the city
(Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner, Spaten, Lowenbrau, Hofbrau and Paulaner)
are represented by at least one large tent and each tent is capable of
holding several thousand people. While the Oktoberfest is undoubtedly a
great celebration it is not for the weak of heart as things often get
loud and rowdy. The usual serenity of this beautiful metropolis
undergoes a Dr. Jeckyl like transformation as the mood of the festival
permeates the rest of the city. Everything bustles and it is virtually
impossible to find a vacant hotel or Gasthaus within 15-20 miles of the
city unless you reserve many months ahead of time.
Fortunately for the desiring beer drinker some of the fruits of the
Oktoberfest can still be enjoyed here in the States. In addition to the
many German-American societies that sponsor festivals at this time of
year there is also a good selection of Oktoberfest beers available to
choose from. This particular style is probably the most popular seasonal
brew and is often available year round. The styles association with the
Fall season stems from it being the last batch of beer remaining from
the previous brewing season, which would have ended in March, hence the
name Maerzen (meaning March) is sometimes also attached to this style.
Although there are many variations on this style most of them have
several common attributes. They should all be lager beers and they
should exhibit a smooth, nearly sweet maltiness with very little hop
accent while the aroma will tend to be more malty than the taste. This
complex and well-finished taste results from long lagering times
(traditionally they had lagered from the end of March until the fall).
Most of these beers have a slightly higher alcohol content than average
beers.
When this style first originated in Southern Germany or Austria most
of the beers were amber in color but today many Octoberfest beers are
somewhat more golden. These differences are accounted for during the
kilning process. Kilning is the process of drying the newly
germinated-malted barley, a longer kilning at higher temperatures will
result in a darker color and a slightly sweeter or richer tasting beer.
Being a very popular seasonal style there is generally a good selection
of Oktoberfest beers available locally, both imported and domestic. Some
of the traditional favorites among the Munich brewers are imported,
these include Hofbrau, Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner and Spaten, the smaller
Ayinger brewery outside Munich also produces an Oktoberfest that is
sometimes available. Additional German imports include EKU from Northern
Bavaria and a more recent entry into the Oktoberfest market from Becks.
Many of our country's microbreweries and brewpubs produce fine examples
of this popular specialty, Sam Adams and Stoudts are just two of these.
Stoudts' has produced a Fest beer for many years, it is lighter in color
and more closely resembles today's Oktoberfest beers in Munich. Sam
Adams Oktoberfest is a bit darker and perhaps sweeter than Stoudts, it
is more along the lines of a traditional Oktoberfest.
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© C. Renegar Jr.