Das Bier: Oktoberfest

By Amanda

When I think of Oktoberfest, the first word that comes to mind is: beer. In Hyde Flippo’s book, When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do, he goes into further detail of the history of beer. The word “beer” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word barley, “baere” denoting back to the 5^th century (Flippo, 2002).  Beer was an important drink in ancient cultures for the Egyptians, Incas, Sumerians, and Chinese (Flippo, 2002). These cultures used beer for religious practices and curing sicknesses as well as an upscale drink for bartering trade (2013). Centuries ago, beer was solely made out of barley, hops, yeast, and water (Flippo, 2002). In today’s culture, beer is typically made of the same ingredients, including the original barley and hops with additional ingredients such as fermentable carbohydrates (maize, wheat, rice etc.) and other natural ingredients to create a vast variety of flavors (2013). This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend Munich’s 180^th annual Oktoberfest on opening day.

           

There are fourteen large tents set up indoors and outdoors for Oktoberfest which serve over six million people during the sixteen day festival period. Over seven million liters of beer are consumed which equates to each person to approximately drinking one full liter of beer (an entire stein). A rectangular blue and white sign is framed at the top of the entrance reading, “Willkomen Zum Oktoberfest”; this was the moment I had to pinch myself to realize I was not dreaming.

I had reached the Hofbräu-Festzelt tent (which is the biggest of all fourteen tents) at eight o’clock in the morning. The crowds were growing by the minute, but at least our group of four was only a couple hundred feet from the entrance. However, once the clock struck nine, the gates opened and people stampeded for the entrance like nothing I have never seen before, worse than any Wal-Mart Black Friday video I had ever seen. People were jumping on tables, running and shoving through the crowds to make way for a spot at a table. That’s the gist at Oktoberfest: if you don’t receive a spot at a table, you will not be served alcohol in the tradition style. It was pertinent to find a space, so as soon as I burst through the crowds, my friends and I ran to the back as fast as we could.  We were lucky enough to grab a table and meet up with another one of our friends, but we still had another three hours to kill before the keg would be tapped. The opening of the keg signifies the start of the festival and no alcohol is served until that joyous moment.

In anticipation for the opening ceremony, marching bands of local townspeople and children

paraded the tent. Everyone in the beer hall was singing until the mayor came out to give the opening speech. During the final ten second countdown, all I could hear was thousands of fans cheering in excitement for the first rounds of beer.

Once the first keg was tapped and the beers started coming out in one-liter frosted mugs, everyone in the hall just got a little bit crazier. At least every minute there was a new group yelling “PROST!” and clinking glasses while standing up on the tables. Some brave souls chugged beers with a support system of fan groups cheering them on from all the way to the back of the tent. The hall was buzzing with incessant laughter and jokes; simply put, it was a huge party and everyone was just looking to have a fun time. There was something electrifying in the air though, the influx of energy in the room was indescribable and everyone had a smile on their face.  It was one of the most sensational events I have ever experienced, certainly a big check off of my bucket list.

It was hard when it finally came down to leaving the festival at the end of the day. My last sight of the day was of the rainbow, vibrant colored lights, rides, with everyone classically dressed in dirndls and lederhosen flooding the streets. I could not have asked for a better experience, Happy Oktoberfest!

References

Flippo, Hyde. When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do: The Clued-in Guide to German Life,    Language, and Culture. (2002). 50.  Chicago: McGraw-Hill.

Beer Academy, The Beer Education Trust. (2013) What is Beer? Retrieved from             http://www.beeracademy.co.uk/beer-info/what-is-beer/