German supermarket chain Aldi has Oktoberfest supplies on sale starting this week as it does every year. So if you’re planning your own private beer drinking festival go and stock up.
You’ll find plently of traditional Bavarian treats such as saurkraut, German style mustards, potato rösti, bretzels, Weisswurst and plenty more.
It was a rainy day in Munich for the opening of the 183rd Oktoberfest but that didn’t dampen the spirits of plenty of festival goers who began queing before sunrise for prime open ceremony positions. Some 6 million people are expected to attend this years festival.
As is tradition, the first keg was tapped in the Schottenhamel Tent by the Mayor of Munich followed shortly after by the other tents.
Construction of the beer tents at Theresienwiese in Munich is well underway with Oktoberfest 2016 due to begin on September 17th. Of course the local Oktoberfest events here in Australia tend to begin long after Munich has settled down and the beer tents are going back into their storage containers.
Image Source: www.oktoberfest.de
For those lucky enough to be attending Oktoberfest in Munich this year, there are a few security changes due to recent events both in Germany and around the the world.
Previously entry to the Oktoberfest grounds was uncontrolled with patrons free to come and go as they please. Begining this year the number of entry points will be reduced with fencing put in place and security checkpoints at those remaining entries.
Image Source: www.oktoberfest.de
Backpacks and large bags will be prohibited inside the grounds however places to store them will be available nearby. Handbags and the like are still permitted however will be subject to inspection on entry. ID checks will also be conducted so ensure you carry some form of photo ID for hassle free entry.
With 5.9 million people attending Oktoberfest last year, that’s a lot of beer drinkers to keep safe!
The big new player in Melbourne for the past year has been the Munich Brauhaus, and I mean BIG! It’s capable of seating over 700 diners at any one time and has space for up to 1100 guests when you include the bar areas. It’s run by the same group that brought you the Bavarian Bier Cafe’s in New South Wales and Queensland and also Löwenbräu Keller in Sydney so they should have an idea of how to run German restaurants.
Located at South Wharf beside the Yarra River a short distance from the the Exhibition Centre, the venue has several bars, dining areas, mezzanine dining levels and an outdoor dining area.
They have the main Munich beers; Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Spaten and Hacker-Pschorr. Plus at the moment they have the actual limited run Oktoberfest brews straight from Munich.
There’s entertainment at peak times plus throughout October there’s additional events including competitions and events for kids on Sunday’s.
For current event info and menu’s check out their website at www.munichbrauhaus.com.
Löwenbräu Keller in The Rocks, Sydney, has been operating since 1976 and takes its name from one of the 6 Munich breweries represented at Oktoberfest.
The restaurant offers a traditional Munich basement style venue with all of the traditional German food and beer to match. As you’d expect they have several of the regular Munich and Oktoberfest traditional beers including Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Spaten. During Oktoberfest they import some of the special Oktoberfest brews with their stronger taste and higher alcohol content.
Oktoberfest celebrations are running through to the end of October with set menu’s available in several options from $49-$65 which includes, entree, main and dessert. Friday and Saturday’s they have Oktoberfest keg tapping nights and live music.
If you’re looking for an Oktoberfest event in Sydney but Oktoberfest In The Gardens doesn’t take your fancy, then this is probably a better option for you.
To see the menu and more info about their special events check out www.lowenbrau.com.au
Do you want to go a step further in bringing that authentic Bavarian beer garden or Oktoberfest experience to your own home? Well there’s a certain style of table and bench seat that anyone who’s been to Munich would be quite familiar with.
They’re in all of the Oktoberfest beer tents, they’re in the beer gardens at the Englischer Garten and Augustiner Keller and just about any other outdoor beer garden in the region.
They’re strong, sturdy and built for beer drinking! You can cram in at least 5 people on each side and the seats can handle being danced on!
BBT Import in Sydney sell authentic Bavarian beer tables. The traditional style tables are 2200 x 500mm and will set you back around $330 with a pair of bench seats, not including shipping. They also sell variations on the original including different colours and a wider 700mm version. The original 500mm table is fine for drinking and eating at, however if you’re wanting to put platters or similar in the middle of the table then things can become a little cramped.
The tables do require a little wood maintenance if you intend on leaving them outside permanently in the weather unless they’re under shelter. Ideally they’re best packed away during the wet winter months to preserve them, however I personally like the weathered look mine has developed from 3 years permanently in the back yard.
Check out their website at www.beertable.com.au.
The German Club in Adelaide is run by the South Australian German Association which was formed in 1886 by German immigrants and their descendants. Of course is goes without saying that if you’re looking for an Oktoberfest celebration in Adelaide, it doesn’t get much more authentic than theirs.
Hosted over 4 Fridays in October (9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th), the event will be sponsored by a different German beer each week and the opening night will begin with a keg tapping by the Adelaide Lord Mayor.
Entry is $12 at the door and includes an Oktoberfest stein to keep. Be sure to get there early on the night of your favourite beer!
www.facebook.com/AdelaideOktoberfest
WEEK 1: FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER
Beer of the night – Hofbräu
Adelaide German Band
Bund der Bayern Dancers
DJ Herbert
The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Martin Haese, will be tapping the keg to officially open Oktoberfest.
WEEK 2: FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER
Beer of the night – Warsteiner
Adelaide German Band
Bund der Bayern Dancers
Party Band “Happy Endings”
WEEK 3: FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER
Beer of the night – Weihenstephaner
City of Enfield Brass Band
Bund der Bayern Dancers
Party Band “Amplitude”
WEEK 4: FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
Beer of the Night: Erdinger
City of Enfield Brass Band
Bund der Bayern Dancers
Party Band “Rushmore”
The Hofbräuhaus in has been a Melbourne icon since it opened in Market Lane in 1968. Thanks to German ex-pat Helmut Meyer, it was the first of the Hofbräuhaus franchises to open outside of Europe. Badly damaged by a fire in 2011 it was fully renovated and reopened
Serving all of the traditional German dishes you’d expect and of course a selection of Hofbräu beers on tap. The Market Lane premises has 3 distinct areas available including the Restaurant which is the largest of the 3 and caters for dining and entertainment. Next door, the Alpine Bar caters for a casual drink and well as food and upstairs is the Bier Hall which is fitted out with long tables and bench seats. The Bier Hall offers a slightly more casual dining experience than the restaurant.
A sister venue at Docklands is also now open called The Hof Downtown. It’s designed as a bier hall come cafe and has all the German food and beers of the original venue although some might say not quite as entertaining.
Bookings are often essential to guarantee a table at the Hofbräuhaus on Friday and Saturday nights and even more so around Oktoberfest time. Competitions are running during the Oktoberfest period including a chance to win a trip to Germany to attend next years Oktoberfest.
Check out their website at www.hofbrauhaus.com.au.
Their Facebookpage has more current information on specials and events.
Every Oktoberfest München TV is broadcast on regional television with hosts Marion Schieder and Alex Onken. They cover the entire festival from a live broadcast daily from Hofbräu Festzelt along with prerecorded segments throughout the day. Even if you don’t speak any German you can get a real feel for the atmosphere at Oktoberfest.
You can watch the München TV live stream at www.muenchen.tv/livestream. Every now and again they speak to random people in the crowds and a few Australians have popped up in previous years, although the hosts tend to move on pretty quickly when they don’t speak any German.
If your internet connection isn’t up to the task, you can watch prerecorded segments on the München TV youtube channel at www.youtube.com/user/muenchentv.
Planning to have your own Oktoberfest celebration? Well the German supermarket chain Aldi is a good source of supplies. Each year around this time they stock some specialty Oktoberfest items and this year is no different.
Aldi special buys starting Wednesday 23rd September include German style beer steins and glasses. The 1 litre and 500ml steins are the traditional dimpled glass style. Also available are a few German foods popular around Oktoberfest including Potato Rösti, german mustards, sauerkraut and red cabbage and peanut puffs.
Some imported German beers are sure to pop up sometime soon so keep your eyes peeled.
See the Aldi catalogue here.
