Munich Oktoberfest – It’s Not Just About the Beer

I don’t mean to brag, but I believe that I have figured out a very simply solution to achieve world peace. Everyone just needs to go to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany at least once in their lifetime!

I had the good fortune to tag along with Joel on a business trip to Munich. At the end of Joel’s conference, the company treated us to an evening at Oktoberfest which ranks in the Top 10 of my most enjoyable experiences. As a lukewarm aficionado of beer, I was not particularly intrigued with the idea of drinking large quantities of beer for hours on end. What I experienced, however, went far beyond beer. For me, the beer was just the excuse to convene, but the device by which our shared humanity is revealed.

What began as a wedding celebration for Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810, it is now the world’s largest beer festival, attracting approximately 6 million visitors each year, according to Munich’s official website. Wiesn, as the festival is known by the locals, runs for more than two weeks from the middle of September to the beginning of October. The 17 massive tents holding up to 10,000 guests to 21 smaller, more intimate tents invite revelers to enjoy Bavarian culture and tradition through food, music, and, of course, beer.

Donning our traditional Bavarian costumes, the women in dirndls and the men in lederhosen, our group of 25 joined the other 10,000 patrons of the Hofbrau Tent for our 4:00pm seating. I was on sensory overload as we were escorted to three rows of large picnic tables just a few feet from the elevated stage where a band was playing traditional German folk tunes and polkas. The thousands of women wandering about in their beautiful dirndls were like snowflakes – no two alike. The elaborate decorations including wreaths of hops were masterfully arranged with thousands of yards of ribbon adorning the ceiling. The savory scent of meats and spices filled my nose and piqued my appetite. The entire experience was captivating every sense in my body.

Within minutes of being seated, our waitress approached our table carrying twelve 1-liter steins of beer in her arms, an awe inspiring feat which I thought was a fantasy tale promulgated in urban legend. We all raised our thick, heavy glasses of lager and exclaimed, “Prost!”

Within seconds after the delivery of our first round of beers, elegant platters of sliced meats, sausages, breads, and raw vegetables were set before us together with baskets of gargantuan pretzels. The star of the show for me, however, was the obatzda, a uniquely Bavarian cheese spread made of a variety of aged soft cheeses, paprika and other spices, and plenty of butter. Dip a piece of that monster pretzel into that cheesy goodness, wash it down with a healthy swig of lager, and happiness will surely follow.

After we had our fill of the appetizer plate delights, we were each served our own individual chicken. We were told by the locals that approximately 500,000 chickens sacrificed their lives so that all could enjoy this most quintessential entrée of Oktoberfest.

Now, back to the beer. It is not only enjoyable, but very advisable that patrons of Oktoberfest get their fill of food because that may be the best defense against becoming prematurely inebriated by the high alcohol content beer that is served. Marzen, a low fermentation variety of beer containing just over 6% alcohol, is the only variety allowed to be served during the festival. The production of beer is governed by the The Edict of Purity (Reinheitsgebot), signed into law in 1516, which stipulates that only barley, hops, and water may be used in the beer served during Wiesn. It is important to note for Oktoberfest virgins that there is not a menu from which you can choose your beer. So, please, for the love of Bavaria, do not dare ask for an IPA!

As a slow beer drinker, I surprised myself by being able to actually get through my 1 liter stein before it became too warm. I was, of course, helped by the encouragement of the band which belted out “Ein Prosit” about every 20 minutes. Whether it is a ploy to sell more beer or to just keep the festival goers good and lubricated is unclear. But, for me, I saw it as a constant reminder of why we were there – for cheer and good times! Below are the lyrics:

German Ein Prosit Lyrics (Bavarian dialect)

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit

Der Gemutlichkeit

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit

Der Gemutlichkeit

Oans! Zwoa! Drei! G’Suffa!

English Translation of Ein Prosit Lyrics

A toast, a toast

To cheer and good times

A toast, a toast

To cheer and good times

One! Two! Three! Drink Up!

Whenever the song is played, patrons are obligated to stand up, sway along with the tune, and clink their steins with whomever is near. It was through this exercise that I realized that our initial group of 25 had grown to closer to 40! With, a few, ahem, ounces beers in my belly, my inherent shyness and inhibitions went out the window as I introduced myself to our newcomers. The song inspired a sense of belonging and camaraderie and brought joyous laughter that is unmeasured.

As the evening continued, the noise level of rowdy voices raised by about 90 decibels as the music changed from tradition folk to classic rock. By the time 6:00pm came around, we were all standing up on the picnic table benches, singing and dancing along to classic such as “Sweet Caroline”, “Purple Rain”, and “Paradise City. And, a word of caution, don’t actually dance on the table as you may get a sharp reprimand by the local police, just saying.

As the evening progressed, some folks would leave and we would welcome others to join us. By the end of the night, I had met folks from Italy, Romania, Russia, Austria, Canada, Poland, Slovenia, the United States, and of course, Germany. We all hugged and loved on one another as we exited the tent, knowing that we would never see each other again, but the human and emotional connection will never be lost or forgotten.

I left Oktoberfest with renewed hope that if we all just make a toast with strangers, perhaps we’ll see that we are all just humans who all want the same thing – cheer and good times!

PROST!

See you all in Oslo when I accept my Nobel Peace Prize!