We must celebrate beer. We don’t need a reason to celebrate beer, but if we must give a reason—we owe it to the makers.

Millions of people are involved in making a beer until it arrives in our hands. There have been multiple beer festivals followed worldwide to thank and honor the makers. Here we provide them to document and know for future use.

Asia

Beerfest Asia: Singapore holds this annual Beer Festival every June. The first festival was in 2008, attracting over 30,000 beer followers.

China conducts the Qingdao International Beer Festival.

Europe 

Germany

Oktoberfest: The largest known beer festival in Germany is Oktoberfest. It is a folk festival mainly. But so are many German beer festivals. They are primarily folk festivals that sell beer.

Cannstatter Volksfest: Cannstatter Volksfest is the second-largest beer festival in Germany and Europe.

Berlin:

The International Berlin Beer Festival consists of more than 2,100 different beers. They come from 86 countries.

United Kingdom

British beer festivals include quality and quantity. They include real draught ale, bottled beers, and ciders.

CAMRA: The festival runs by volunteers directed by local branches. It bears beer styles not available during the summer festival. It takes place every February.

The pubco Wetherspoon beer festival: The pubco Wetherspoon is a pub-based beer festival happening twice a year. It lasts two weeks. They have a variety of 15 to 100 beers.

GBBF: The Great British Beer Festival, or GBBF, is known for “nips.” It is one-third of a pint of beer. The Campaign organizes the festival for Real Ale.

Belgium

• The BAB festival takes place every year on the first weekend of February.
• The Brewer’s association organizes Belgian Beer Weekend.
• Karakterbieren Festival happens in Poperinge, Belgium’s hop-growing capital.
• The Beer Passion magazine holds Beer Passion weekend each July.
• The Christmas beer festival in Essen.

Czech Republic

• Pilsner Fest is a big beer festival held every year in August.
• Český Pivní Festival (Czech Beer Festival) is the most significant Czech beer festival. It happens for about 17 days long every year in May in Prague.

Poland

• Festival of Good Beer happens every year on the second weekend of June. It is easily the third-largest beer festival in Europe.

Israel

Jerusalem Beer Festival: the Jerusalem Beer Festival is the largest and oldest. It serves 120 different kinds of beer.

North America 

United States

• The Great American Beer Festival: This festival hosts and selects medal winners among breweries.
• Garden State BrewFest: This festival celebrates the best local brewery. The GSBF is an outdoor beer festival. It happens on Mother’s Day Saturdays and sells beer-infused foods and the most sought-after beers in the world.
• Brewtopia: The Great World Beer Festival, or Brewtopia, is the largest in New York.
• The Oregon Brewers Festival is one of the largest beer festivals in the country.
• Philly Beer Week: It is a 10-day series of beer events. These events happen on the first weekend in June.
• The Great International Beer Festival happens twice a year.

Canada

Great Canadian Beer Festival: This festival hosts over 60 craft breweries.

Others include Toronto’s Festival of Beer, Lauder Beer Festival, Vancouver Craft Beer Week, and Ontario Craft Beer Week.

The Golden Tap Awards by The Bar Towel is an annual beer awards event. It honors microbreweries.

Australia:

• WA Beer Week, Elmar’s Food & Beer Festival, Perth Beer Festival, FeBREWary, South West Craft Beer Festival, and Sprung in the Alley Craft Beer Festival.
• The New Zealand Beer Festival

 South America:

• Other than Oktoberfest, OVIVA Cerveza takes place in Ecuador.

The state of Vermont is home to several breweries and types. It has the most significant number of breweries per capita. Vermont beer also has an economic impact contributing to the nation’s GDP.

Vermont’s beer alone has raised over $271 million for the state’s economy and $55 billion for the United States economy.

With these records, there is no reduction in demand for these highly flavored craft products.

Where it all started

Vermont was the pioneer of craft beer. Greg Noonan, the founder of Vermont Pub and Brewery in Burlington, wrote the famous “Brewing Lager Beer” guide. This book became the recipe for many small-scale home brewers and even some larger-scale professionals.

They have bagged regional and national beer awards thanks to this approach.

The state law

Initially, the state prohibited the selling of beers where they produce. Then predicting the potential of business in the area, the legislature changed the law to adapt.

Also, the state allows the beer to identify as a “malt beverage. “It defines its craft beer as a beverage containing “not less than one percent or more than 16 percent of alcohol by volume made at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.”

The state allows the selling of malt beverages during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. the following day if the holders have first and third-class licenses. Holders of second-class licenses may sell between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. the following day.

If not for re-sale, anyone can import or transport up to six gallons of this beverage.

This free flow ensures large-scale production and consumption.

The beer-craze secret

There are long lines in local retailers every day for this hand-craft beer serving as a testament to the quality of this beer.

Providing high-quality beer and attractive business strategies work best for the breweries here. However, they also keep changing and improvising to adhere to the consumers’ changing palates.

The brewers act as “good corporate citizens” by giving back to the state. They follow the trend of ‘community involvement. Their beers contain local ingredients only.

Varieties and variations

Much like Greg Noonan, Bill Mares co-authored the book “Making Beer.” He and his business partner Todd Hair played a significant role in the success of breweries, Magic Hat and Switchback. They provide a unique variation of “blendery,” manufacturing a line of sour beers.

But they don’t comprise the quality of the line of craft-beers in any way.

New-age technology

Both the mammoths of breweries and their small-scale local brewing competitors are consistent with their quality. This state has also been possible due to the advancements in brewing technology. Mobile canners help smaller brewers transport their products. Such advancements make the process a bit easier.

The Beer Business

Almost all breweries keep pushing themselves to redefine their style every day. Some professionals help people to gain employment in the industry by teaching them knowledge. What was a business has now moved to become a food movement thanks to the people’s lookout for local, high-end artisanal products.

Did you know Vermont was the first state to abolish slavery? This state of freedom also offers a free flow of craft beers. Many international breweries sell their craft beers here. They make the state home to those unique kinds of beers you can’t find anywhere else.

The cities with such independent breweries include Bennington, Brattleboro, Bristol, Burlington, Essex, Middlebury, Northfield, Norwich, Springfield, Stowe, and more.

Here we feature some of the breweries which have gained worldwide recognition.

Hill Farmstead Brewery

The Hill Farmstead Brewery is a family business run by the Hill family. It is situated on their farmland and has been on the run for over two centuries. It holds the alternative name of the world’s best brewery. It owns eight of the top 10 beers in Vermont. It is also a delight to visit, located in the remote Northeast Kingdom, offering a treat to the eyes. You can consider it a short vacation with a small drive from the city to the bottle of wonders.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist is in Waterbury, Vermont. The success of their beer lies in its strength.

It has a fruity, hoppy taste and is smooth to drink.

This place allows dogs and is family-friendly. The brewery also gives back to society by donating the tour money to local youth programs.

To enjoy their stretched line-up of craft brews, visit on Thursdays at 4 p.m. or Sundays at 11 a.m.

Lawson’s Finest Liquids

Come to Lawson’s Finest Liquids for Double Sunshine. To those who have witnessed the Double Sunshine, they know how perfect it is. The Double Sunshine has perfect 100 scores from both Beer Advocate and Rate Beer.

This brewery is rooted in Waitsfield, Vermont. This lip-smacking beer has the famous Vermont maple syrup in it.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

The Magic Hat Brewing Company is the largest brewery in Vermont. It produces a whopping amount of 175,000 barrels each year. This beer is known for its psychedelic qualities.

This trippy beer will add to the beauties of your South Burlington tour. Along with the beer, get ready to witness an Artifactory Tour.

The company also holds Magic Hat Mardi Gras.

Von Trapp Brewery & Bierhall

The Austrian beer sold by Von Trapp Brewery & Bierhall will make you sing with joy. It comes from the singing hierarchy of the homeland of “The Sound of Music.” You can enjoy the beer while mountain biking or skiing on the resort’s trails. It is open for guests and non-guests alike in an area of 30,000-square-foot.

Foley Brothers Brewing

What if you like beer and your lady likes wine? Or vice-versa? Head to Foley Brothers Brewing, which also manages the Neshoba River Winery. You can find this brewery in the foothills of the Green Mountain National Forest.

Their Double IPA, Prospect, is available in small-batch samples. Their dark sour beer, Funk #3, is wine-barrel-aged, offering a wine-like experience.

Visit the Neshoba River and stay at the Inn to enjoy the beer and serenity.

Harpoon Brewery

Harpoon brewery was the first in the locality. Now it is grown and is the 12th largest craft brewer in the nation. They are innovative and continually expanding. The brewery has guided 30-minute tours with tasting too.

They also host Harpoon’s October fest.

Craft beer is beer not brewed by brewery corporations. Instead, it finds its home in small, independent, traditional breweries. These craft breweries are independent and produce smaller amounts of beer.

History

The art of traditional artisanal brewing began in Europe and spread to other countries. The microbrewery movement began in both the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1970s. These breweries are keen on introducing new flavors and using varied brewing techniques. Then came craft beer.

Microbrew vs. Craft Beer

The small, independent brewers’ crafted beer changed its name from microbrew to craft beer now. The name change is due to the change in the size of the breweries. A Microbrewery must produce a limited number of barrels of beer only.

The age of “Craft” Beer

The Brewers Association defines craft beer. Along with the definition, they also host their annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

The Brewers Association helps new breweries with guidance and resource allocation. In addition, they publish beer books on brewing, beer styles, and reports.

The producers

Microbrewery

The microbrewery was the rage of the 1980s and produced fewer than 15,000 U.S. beer barrels annually.

Nano brewery

Nano brewery is a down-sized microbrewery. An independent entrepreneur runs it.

Craft brewery

Craft brewery gains popularity in the late 20th century. It is typically a small, independent commercial brewery. It employs traditional brewing methods and accentuates beer’s general flavor and quality.

Farm brewery

Farm brewery is old and traditional. However, it has a distinct style of brewing and fermenting compared to the larger breweries. This particular style creates unconventional beer flavors.

Brewpub

A brewpub combines a brewery and a pub or a public house. It sells 25 percent or more of its beer on-site, along with selling food. The beer is primarily for sale in the taproom.

New Age Developments

Marketing strategy

Craft beer is successful because of its marketing strategy. Quality and low price make it the winner of beers.

Canned beer

Craft beers adopt new technology to stay ahead in the market. For example, they use cans, which are resistant to oxygen and beer-degrading light and are portable. They also require less area for storage or transportation.

Barrel-aged beer

Craft beers age in barrels. They are called sour beers. This variation is a new trend and gives a twist to age-old technology.

Non-alcoholic craft beers

Some breweries produce unique beers with non-alcoholic elements. There is a massive market for non-alcoholic beer and wine, and this need will grow daily.

Globalization

Craft beers originated in the United Kingdom as microbreweries in the 1970s. Inspired by this, Canada started producing all of its beers by itself. This change became possible by the 1990s. Before all this, the American era of craft beers started as early as the 1960s. Apart from this, craft beers have origins worldwide and are still spreading.

How many types of craft beer can there be?

Many. Since we lost count of finding them, we offer you the list of some commonly known and must-know types here. Have a look, and you will be astonished.

1. American Lager

American lagers are light with little hop or malt presence. This quality makes them perfect for outdoor events such as fishing, camping, or kayaking. They are straw or golden colored.

It has an alcohol composition of almost 6%.

2. Vienna Lager

Vienna Lager is darker in color, primarily in amber shades. It has a light flavor. It has an alcohol composition of 4.5 to 5.5%.

3. Japanese Rice Lager

Japanese Rice Lager contains rice, as the name suggests. The rice flavor makes it unique with a dry finish and pairs best with sushi. It has an alcohol composition of 4 to 5%.

4. German Pilsner

German Pilsner is sweet and malty. It is flavored with a slight bitterness to balance out the sweetness. It has an alcohol composition of 5%.

5. Helles

Helles German beers are light-colored and sweet. They are slightly spicy, and their malt quality is bread-like. This composition makes them fuller. It has an alcohol composition of 5.5%.

6. Kolsch

Kolsch is spicy with an herbal infusion. They are similar to ales. This similarity is because they are made in ale temperatures using large yeasts.

7. Cream Ale

Cream ales are creamy with lesser alcohol content. They also little on carbonation. They are one of those hybrid beers brewed with ale yeast and finished with lager yeast.

8. Blonde Ale

As the name goes by, Blonde Ale is blonde in color, similar to blonde ales. They are smooth in flavor and have no prominent malt or hop presence. The alcohol content range is from 4 to 5%.

9. Hefeweizen

German hefeweizen beers are 50% barley and 50% wheat. Hence they are light in color with a chewy texture. The yeast has a banana flavor, and some beers have a clove flavor attached. They have a cloudy appearance.

10. American Wheat

The American Wheat is the American version of German hefeweizen beers. They are clove flavored along with extra fruit elements. But they don’t have the cloudy appearance of German hefeweizen beers. Americans add slight bitterness to balance the flavors. They have 4 to 7% alcohol.

11. Belgium Witbier

Belgium’s Witbier is a wheat beer with oats addition. Hence they are dark and pale in color and have a cloudy appearance. The yeast makes it spicy, and the added coriander and orange peel give the fruity feel. The alcohol content can be as high as 7%.

12. Farmhouse Ale

Farmhouse ales are a group of beers. They are farmhouse flavored with a crisp finish and reminders of wet hay. They are funky and low in alcohol.

13. Saison

Saison is a Belgian beer. It is the most popular farmhouse ale. They are extra yeasty-flavored and are generally light and crisp. Their alcohol content can be as high as 8.5%.

14. Session Beer

A session beer can be an IPA, pale Ale, and amber. It is easy to drink, light, and revitalize. They have an alcohol content of 5%.

15. American Pale Ale

American Pale Ale can be dark gold to amber. It is caramel flavored. Their alcohol content is from 4.5 to 6.5%.

There is no combination like the one of beer and food. Beer and food are just two people who bring the best out of each other, like Laurel and Hardy.

Learn how to pair food with beer taste.

Here’s how:

Contrast:

Contrast particular food to the taste of the beer for some mouth-watering combos. Pair sweet foods like rice, pasta, starchy and sugary vegetables, crustaceans, cooked ham, and rare meat with bitter beer. These beers are acidic and savory, complementing the sweetness of the food.

Food with a slight bitterness, like grilled meat, herbal infusions, and acidic food, bitter salads, and artichokes, taste best paired with pale beers.

Oily meats and most seafood taste best with beers with good alcohol content and tannins. Cheese also tastes best with such beers.

Also, you can use this method to cleanse your palette to the welcome next item.

Combine:

Food that isn’t overpowering or is consistent with its taste requires structured beers. These beers are whole bodies with different elements.

Similarly, delicate foods pair best with beer with fewer elements.

It is also essential to pair fragrant foods with beers having the same or similar notes.

Tried and Tested Combinations

To help, we have provided some best tried and tested combinations. Try one of these and you will thank us later.

Light Lagers

Light lagers are pale in color and taste. They are hence crisp and refreshing. Since they don’t have a solid hoppy or bitter flavor, they are best to pair with spicy food. Here are some food ideas: Buffalo wings, French fries, Hot dogs, Noodles, and Fried fish. Instead, you can go for other light food too. For example, European light lager goes well with appetizers, lightly fried food, salads, vegetables, pizza, and stretched curd cheeses.

Wheat Beers

Wheat beers are a mix of wheat and barley grains. Hence they are smooth and light. However, some wheat beers are citrusy and have other fruity flavorings. This pairs best with spicy food, fruits, and desserts.

India Pale Ales

India pale ales or IPAs are famous in America more than in India. The reason is that they are the most famous craft brews made in the country. They are medium amber in color and are bitter. Some breweries add citrus or herbal tones to the beer to reduce the bitterness. There are also double IPAs with double the bitterness. Pair the light IPAs with sandwiches, steak, barbecue, Mexican food, vegetables, and medium-aged cheeses.

Amber Ales

Amber ales are deep reddish-gold beers. These vibrant colors make it a feast for the eye and pair best feasts. Go heavy with pizza, fried food, smoked pork, Jerk chicken, and Brisket. They have a sweet caramel taste and malt flavors to balance spicy food. They are not very sweet as they could oppose smoked meat. They have a balance and are also pleasing with their flowery aroma.

Dark Lagers

Dark lagers have roasted malts and caramel syrup. Hence they are sweet. The malts give the beer a nutty flavor. They are popular in Europe, so best pair them with European food. Some suggestions are sausages, Goulash, Bangers and mash, stews, red meats, roasts, medium-aged cheeses, cured meats, and desserts with residual sugar.

The best beer is simply a best-tasting beer. Because there is no bad beer. The taste varies because of the yeast used.

Making of better tasting beer

The yeast in beer imitates the smell of fruits and secretes certain chemicals to attract flies. As yeast attracts more flies, they help produce esters. Unfortunately, mutant yeast varieties don’t produce esters that add flavor.

Factors Making Up For a Good Beer

Smoothness

The fermentation process of beer produces Diacetyl. This compound gives the beer a buttery, smooth flavor. However, it becomes a butterscotch flavor when it goes to higher levels. Hence a slight bitterness is needed to balance the sweetness.

Bitterness

The bitterness of beer is due to the hop flower. The % α (alpha acids) and the composition of the essential oils give the bitterness scale. These alpha acids isomerize to create bitterness. This quality, combined with malt sugars, is the secret to beer’s unique taste.

Freshness

The freshness of beer is due to the oxygen amount exposure. Fresh beer often has a better seal. Stores don’t have a ‘best before date’ for beers, but canned beers are fresher because of their seal.

Hop Varieties

Hops are flowers. Using different hop varieties produce the different taste of beers. Traditionally hop flowers treat nervous disorders. That may be why beer makes one happy. Anyway, noble hops give an herbal flavor to beer with a spicy hint. This beer is the most sought-after. Other hop varieties differ in their bitterness scale.

Malt Bill

Beer is 60% malted barley. This percentage is the elemental composition of all beers. Other grains such as oats, rye, and wheat should only constitute 30% of the grain content or bill. This bill is the “malt bill” factor of beers.

Yeast Strain

Good yeast is a must-have for a good beer, as the different fermentation levels cause different beer flavors. The four most common yeast strains are ale yeast, lager yeast, Belgian yeast, and wheat beer yeast. In addition, the yeast must be active, which is the primal quality.

Temperature

The optimum temperature needed for a beer is about 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. Generally, they grow beer at 0 to 47 degrees Celsius temperatures. The best beer also requires the yeast to grow in acidic conditions at pH 4 to 4.5. There must be sufficient oxygen also.

Production equipment

Good beer needs reliable equipment. First, proper sanitation is necessary to keep the equipment clean. The next big secret is the package. The package must also have a time check. Without this, the beer may fail.

Relish

A good beer is enjoyable. But most beers lack that ooh factor of a unique style. Mainly it shouldn’t have a metallic aftertaste.

Balance

Finally, everything is about balance. A beer is sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The components such as Hops for bitterness and Lactobacillus for sourness are some elements that need moderation. The carbonation levels also decide sourness.

You can prefer the refine European beers or the novel American craft beers. But, the above given are the ingredients of a good beer, and use this knowledge next time you buy a beer.

Beer and food are one of the best combinations ever. Nothing beats a sunny day with beer and some light food. While we know some general food that goes best along with our favorite beers when it comes to having an exceptional experience, we must do some research.

To save you time and energy, we have done the necessary beer-tiful research and have come up with the deciding factors of the best combinations. Let us see them.

Tastes in Beer

First, know the composition of beer to know what to include and what not to. Beers taste so because of the following compositions and their different effects.

• Hops: the hop flowers add to the bitterness of beers. Different hop flowers create different levels of bitterness. They also add floral content to beers. But not all hop beers are bitter. There are exceptions because fruity flavors that add sweetness to beers to balance the bitterness. Adding malty flavors also balances the bitterness and makes them calm.
• Bitter: A good beer should be bitter. Some like bitterness and some find it less tolerable. A beer has listed components that make us calculate how bitter it can be. Just look for more added fruits if you want sweetness. They also carry an IBU number. IBU is International Bitterness Units or unit levels of bitterness in beers.
• Malt: Malt can come from the barley grain, and sometimes brewers add wheat or oats. The roast barley makes the beer nutty and toasty. The roasting process also releases the sugars in the barley to caramelize. This process makes the beer sweet with a caramel taste.
• Dark: Dark is not just the color. Much like dark chocolates, dark beer is a variety in itself. Dark beers are dark color roasts of malt grains. This roasting gives them a more prosperous and hefty taste. Dark beers also taste like dark chocolate and coffee.
• Light: Light beer is the first light in color. They are clean and crisp and taste refreshing. Light beers are not as strong as dark beers and are not entirely bitter or hoppy. Hence they might have low alcohol content too.

Elements Determining Food and Beer Pairing

Now that we know to judge beers without tasting them, thanks to the lesson on their composition, let’s move to the final step. Here are the 3 C’s that decide which food goes best with which beer.

1. Compare: Compare and contrast pairing works best if you want to shock and surprise your taste buds. To do this, choose intense, dominant flavors of beer. They are sweet, rich, and can be oily. Then, depending on the intense flavors, you can add opposite-tasting food.
2. Counterpart: Counterpart, as pairs works best if you are a perfectionist and don’t experiment to destroy your palette. Then you must pair rich foods with heavy beers, like stouts or porters. Couple light food with light beers or wheat beers.
3. Cleanse: What if you want to cleanse your palette before going for an enriching experience to try contrast food pairing? We have got the issue covered. Beer can also be a palate cleanser. After eating spicy, fried, or overpowering food, go for the light beer to wash down the taste. Alternatively, you can use food to balance and wash the bitterness of beers, such as an IPA. To do this, make use of fatty foods like nuts.

If you love beer, then a beer festival is the perfect event for you! These festivals are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer a great opportunity to sample a wide variety of beers from different breweries.

But if you’ve never been to a beer festival before, you may be wondering what to expect. In this blog post, we will give you a rundown of what you can expect at a typical beer festival.

Tips for Attending a Beer Festival

If you’re looking to attend a beer festival, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

• Check the age requirements – most festivals are 21+ only.
• Drink responsibly! Many festivals offer unlimited tastings, so it’s important to pace yourself.
• Don’t forget to eat!
• Have fun! Beer festivals are a great way to try new beers and meet people who love craft beer.

What to Expect at Different Types of Beer Festivals

If you’re thinking about attending a beer festival, you may be wondering what to expect.

Here’s a look at some of the different types of beer festivals and what you can expect at each one.

Brewery-sponsored beer festivals are usually held at the brewery or a nearby venue. These festivals typically feature beers from the sponsoring brewery, as well as other local and regional breweries.

Beer festivals sponsored by a particular brand or company are usually themed around that company’s products. For example, there may be a Miller Lite Beer Festival or a Samuel Adams Beer Festival.

These types of festivals typically feature beers from the sponsoring company, as well as other local and regional breweries. Brand-sponsored beer festivals are a great way to sample various beers from different breweries all in one place.

The Different Types of Beers Available at Festivals

When it comes to beer festivals, there is no shortage of options. From IPAs to stouts, there is a beer for everyone at these events. Here is a look at some of the different types of beers that you can expect to find at a beer festival:

IPAs: India pale ales are characterized by their intense hop flavors and high bitterness. These beers are typically very dry, making them perfect for summertime drinking.

Stouts: Stouts are dark, full-bodied beers with a rich flavor. Many stouts are brewed with roasted malt or barley, giving them their characteristic coffee-like taste.

Wheat Beers: Wheat beers are refreshing and light, making them perfect for summer sipping. These beers typically have lower alcohol content than other styles, so they’re perfect for enjoying in moderation.

Porters: Porters are dark, malty beers with complex flavors. Like stouts, porters are often brewed with roasted malt or barley, but they tend to be less heavy and more balanced overall.

Lagers: Lagers are crisp, clean-tasting beers perfect for quenching your thirst on a hot day. These brews ferment at lower temperatures than other beer styles, resulting in their signature smooth taste.

A beer festival is a great way to try out new craft beers and ciders, as well as explore different food options. With so many other vendors, there is bound to be something for everyone at a beer festival. Keep an open mind and be prepared to have a great time trying new things. Cheers!

Oktoberfest has been happening in Munich since 1810. It is locally called d’Wiesn and is the world’s biggest beer festival. The festival happens for 16 to 18 days. The traditional Bavarian costumes and German delicacies available make the fest extraordinary. Of late, Germans in other parts are presenting their beer festivals. They generally occur from late September to early October.

Origin

The beer fest was originally a marriage fest. But, sweet, isn’t it?

King Ludwig married Prince Therese on October 12, 1810. The citizens of Munich attended the festivities to celebrate the royal event. The fields later became Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s Meadow”) to honor the Crown Princess. Horse races are the craze here, and Oktoberfest came along and added to it.

The beer of Oktoberfest

The beer conforming to the Reinheitsgebot and belonging to Munich city enters Oktoberfest. There are two individual beer styles: a traditional Märzen lager and a paler Festbier.

Oktoberfest Beer contains a registered trademark by the Club of Munich Brewers.

The club includes Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Spatenbräu and Staatliches Hofbräu-München. Therefore, these breweries can only produce the beer sold at Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest today

After many years of changes and adoptions, Oktoberfest became “quiet Oktoberfest” to suit the elderly and families. They play traditional folk music until 6 PM and later convert to pop.

In 2008 smoking ban came due to a new Bavarian law curbing the sales of tobacco products in the fest.

Oktoberfest Bicentennial happened in 2010. It marked a horse race adorning historical costumes.

The coronavirus pandemic hit Oktoberfest, too, causing Oktoberfest hiatus. After 2022, it is now happening in 2023.

This 188th Oktoberfest will take place from September 16 to October 3.

Events

The traditional Wiesn tapping is happening on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at noon.

Other traditional events include:

• The parade of the Wiesnwirte.
• The large procession of traditional costumes and shooters on the first Sunday.
• The stand-up concert under the Bavaria shooting.

Tit-bits

Oktoberfest is famous for its clothing. So dirndls with blouses, festive aprons, and leather trousers with traditional shirts and jackets are a must-have.

You can announce your relationship status by wearing the bow of your Dirndls’ apron. (Sorry, this exception is for females, if you are non-binary and welcome Dirndls, then you are okay to do this tradition!)

Dos and Don’ts

• No gas spray cans, coloring substances, cutting tools, or weapons can enter.
• You can carry beverages onto the festival grounds but not into beer gardens.
• They check walking devices or medical aids as you enter. There are cameras also.
• Access to the festival grounds and tents needs pay.
• You can get all kinds of food. So vegans and vegetarians don’t fret about varieties.
• You can take small items like umbrellas and necessities, but you can’t take big bags or backpacks inside.
• Remember to go for the ‘Mass’ or the big glass.