We're all about to go BEER crazy

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:07 am

Yes, I know this is a whisky forum, but I suspect many folks around here also like an odd beer or three.
As you may know, that great annual event called "Wies'n" or Octoberfest is just about to begin here in Munich.

Last year this one event, lasting around 3 weeks, attracted over 6 million visitors!

It is held on a piece of open land near to the heart of the city (called Theresienwiese) and construction of the so-called tents begins in early July.

This years event begins this coming Saturday (16th September) so yesterday, whilst in town I went along to see how things are progressing.

Here are a few of my pictures, just in case anyone wonders exactly what Octoberfest is like, at least when empty!
Believe me, there's no room to move once it opens!

The largest 'tent' is the one from a brewery called "Hacker-Pschorr".
This tent (OK, they're really pretty solid buildings, but we call them tents) seats 9300 people at any one time:

As for inside:

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:10 am

The second largest tent is one of the two "Paulaner" ones called the Winzerer tent.
This one seats 8450 people inside at any one time, but it also has an outdoor beer-garden area for another 2450 people!

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:15 am

The second "Paulaner" tent is the "Ambrustschützenzelt" which seats 5830 people inside and another 1600 outside.

A quick calculation tells me that at any one time there are over 18000 people drinking Paulaner beer just at Octoberfest in these two tents!

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:18 am

A famous name that many of you may recognise is "Hofbräu" who of course are also present with their 6896 person capacity tent, plus an outside beer garden holding another 3022 people:

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:21 am

One of the smaller tents, holding only 3200 people inside and just 1000 outside is the "Hippodrom"

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:23 am

Löwenbräu is another large one with 5700 capacity inside and 2800 outside in their adjoining beer garden

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:25 am

Another Munich brewery represented at Octoberfest is Pschorr with their Bräurosl tent holding 6000 inside and 2200 outside

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:30 am

My final featured Munich brewery is possibly my favourite, even though I drink very little beer and not very often. This is Spatenbräu who also have two tents.
The first is the ochsenbraten tent which means Roast Ox and yes, you guessed, their speciality is constant, never-ending spit roast oxen!

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:32 am

The second Spaten tent is this one which holds 8264 people inside and 4000 outside!

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:39 am

So, with a total of 14 different beer tents, each catering for different tastes, Octoberfest seats very nearly 100,000 people at any one time and is always full (and sold out with reservations) during every afternoon and evening of the three weeks. But if you turn up early, around 11:00 on weekdays, then you may get a seat for 2-3 hours before you have to give up your seat to people having reserved in advance.

But Octoberfest is also a great funfair for all the family, take your kids along and let them enjoy the amusements whilst "Dad" has a beer or seven!

And don't forget the cuddly toys and silly hats!

Have fun

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:04 am

Malt-Teaser wrote:A famous name that many of you may recognise is "Hofbräu" who of course are also present with their 6896 person capacity tent, plus an outside beer garden holding another 3022 people:

Surely they could of added in a small table for 4 just to nicely round it up to 6900 :lol:

Thanks Keith loved the Pictures....

by **Aidan** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:22 pm

I've been, and it is honestly one of the wildest things I've ever experienced. It's almost lawless, especially in the Hofbrau tent (forgive my spelling). Some lovely beer on sale.

by **rthomson** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:04 pm

Great pics! I've yet to experience the event in person but several friends have been. In the U.S. we have many events inspired by yours but they're not nearly as grand as what you show in your pictures. Will you be attending this year and will you take more pictures when the tents are packed with people?

Cheers,
Ron

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:28 pm

Hi Ron,
I have not booked a place with any of my friends who are going, but I may just "call in" one afternoon and if I do, then I will take my camera.

MT

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:37 am

Thanks for the glimpse, MT. When I was a lad, I thought that I would love to attend Octoberfest. Nowadays the idea of being in a sea of 100,000 beer drinkers sounds like my worst nightmare! A half a dozen civilized folk in a highland pub is more my speed. I am glad to get an inkling of what I have missed, though. Thanks again.

by **MGillespie** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:39 am

That's true...sounds like a college fraternity party...still, it's something I'd like to experience once...

Mark

by **Jobi** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:20 pm

So where was the Budweiser tent? I hear it was a big hit during the World Cup... :lol:

by **MGillespie** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:43 am

Jobi, I hope you have a fire extinguisher handy...

Mark

by **Deactivated Member** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:58 am

Budweiser is fine beer. It is, however, Czech and not German. (You weren't talking about that slop from St Louis, were you?)

by **Deactivated Member** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 8:31 am

Mr T. You are correct about it being excellent and Czech.
Unfortunately, due to copyrights on the name, the original (Czech) drink is called Budvar and as mentioend, is a great drink.

As for the World Cup, there was no interest in selling Budweiser in Bavaria, even though they held the rights to be the only official beer supplier at the competition.
The last I heard was that the local Bavarian breweries were shipping in empty Bud bottles and filling them with real Bavarian beer!

:roll:

by **Aidan** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 8:54 am

I worked in VAG in Munich when I was a student. There was an unwritten rule on the factory floor that you were not allowed to have over 8 beers during the working day. They sold beer from fridges in huts and in the canteen.

The 8 beer rule was to limit the forklift drivers to 20,000 DM worth of damage each week.

Augustiner is my favorite beer. It is really wonderful, but very hard to get outside Munich.

by **Jon Barleycorn** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 3:06 pm

Those are lovely pictures indeed - I'm getting thirsty just looking at them! It would have been interesting, though, to get a look at the facilities provided for the 1,000 or more people having to, um..., recycle their beer at any given moment.

by **MGillespie** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 5:18 pm

Jon, why would you want pictures of a ditch?

Mark

by **Jobi** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:08 pm

MrTattieHeid wrote:Budweiser is fine beer. It is, however, Czech and not German. (You weren't talking about that slop from St Louis, were you?)

I was indeed talking about the St. Louis slop, but purely as a joke. What a stupendous blunder to assume that they could foist Bud on Germans without any backlash.

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:19 pm

Jobi wrote:
MrTattieHeid wrote:Budweiser is fine beer. It is, however, Czech and not German. (You weren't talking about that slop from St Louis, were you?)

I was indeed talking about the St. Louis slop, but purely as a joke.

What?!? Now see here! We take this forum very seriously. Joking is not permitted!

(Yes...for the record, I am joking....)