Celebrating Oktoberfest
As autumn approaches, brewers are adjusting their brewing schedule by adding more dark and malty styles to the list. When beer drinkers think of “fall beers”, the name Oktoberfest usually comes to mind. Oktoberfest refers both to a malty, light-golden lager (something like an imperial Munich Helles), AND the largest beer festival in the world!
Oktoberfest is an annual two-week festival held in Munich, Germany that ends on the first Sunday in October. The original festival took place on October 12th, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Teresa of Sassonia-Hildburghausen. This wedding festival concluded five days later with a horse race held in a huge open space perfect for a large crowd. The following year, the horse race was combined with an agricultural fair that showcased beer and food from the area. Each year, the festival seemed to grow with booths turning into beer halls and bandstands, and people coming from all over the world to experience the bounty of Bavaria.
If you plan to attend the festival this year, you will find over 6 million fellow visitors/locals in attendance during the two-week period, around 16 beer tents (each holding over 100,000 people), and over 8 million liters of German beer served. Top that with tasty Bavarian pretzels, pork knuckle, German potato salad, and live Oompah music, and it’s a recipe for a good time!
Word spread about “Oktoberfest-like” events happening in other parts of the world, and locations in the United States were taking notice. The first Oktoberfest in America happened in 1961. The idea came to light in 1960 when two malthouse employees from G. Heileman Brewing Co. in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, mentioned the festival in passing during a meeting with city officials and staff from the brewery. The workers were both of German descent and had attended the festival in Munich and thought it would be a great event for the area. Since the city hadn’t had a large festival since their “winter fest” back in 1921, they welcomed the idea. The name, “Oktoberfest USA” came to be, and the city of LaCrosse hosted this grand event. It is now known to be the largest and longest-running Oktoberfest in America, and in addition to the tasty beer and polka dancing, you may also find “cow chip” throwing contests and a greased pig chase.
The tradition has spread throughout the world with most major cities holding their own Oktoberfest events including a 50th Anniversary Oktoberfest Celebration in Orlando hosted by the Orlando German Club.
Here at Deadwords, Brewer Alex is finalizing his recipes for an Oktoberfest and a Doppelbock that will be on tap this September to celebrate the change of the season. Check Untappd and our website for updates on these two new beers and we’ll see you soon. PROST!