Without a doubt, Oktoberfest is the world’s most famous beer festival. The festival was originally celebrated in the city of Munich in Bavaria, Germany in the year 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. The resulting party was so enjoyable Munich decided to make it an annual tradition. Since that time Oktoberfest has evolved into a 16-day festival of beer, celebrating the arrival of autumn and all things associated with beer, food, and fun. If you’ve never visited Munich for Oktoberfest, put it on your bucket list today.
Beer is the star of the show at Oktoberfest and the Germans are rightfully proud of the many distinctive styles of beer brewed in Germany. Germany is renown for its beers and for good reason. They are truly world class. 
Since the 16th Century, German beer production has been governed by a strict set of laws called the Reinheitsgebot. These laws set forth the official “do’s and don’ts” of beer production and resulted in Germany’s reputation for producing beers of the finest quality and utmost purity. The Reinheitsgebot laws still exist today and are one of the many reasons for German beer’s continued strong popularity in the world market.
Light golden lagers and pilsner-style beers dominate the German market but you can also find dark beers, smoky beers, and red-brown hued Bavarian Dunkels. These beers are fuller in body and weight, and may have flavors of mocha, chocolate, burnt toffee, or smoke.
There are more than 1,300 breweries in Germany today. Most of them are located in the south of the country. Bavaria alone has more than 700. Many towns are famous for their production of a single style of beer such as “Gose,” a unique beer flavored with coriander and salt, only produced in the little town of Leipzig. Such beers are almost impossible to find outside the region, except during Oktoberfest when producers bring their mouthwatering wares to the festivals.
This year, Oktoberfest started on September 22, and the revelry continues through October 7. Munich comes alive with beer-centric festivities. Parades, music, dancing, traditional and contemporary bands, yodelers, comedians, and a great program of events are scheduled. More than 6 million revelers, both young and old, join in the merriment each year.
Local breweries sponsor events and each has a massive tent erected to accommodate thousands of guests, with beer, food, and entertainment. Truly, the party never stops. Beer at Oktoberfest is enjoyed in Beer Gardens or Beer Tents with different themes, and sipped (or gulped!) out of magnificent and enormous glasses called “steins.”
There’s no shortage of food during Oktoberfest and you’ll be tempted to try German delicacies and traditional Bavarian food such as spicy sausages or “wurst,” delicious roast chicken, boiled beef, succulent suckling pig, and enormous Bavarian pretzels. Dive in. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of delights.
Fortunately for beer drinkers today, Oktoberfest is also celebrated in international cities around the world. Everyone wants to share in the golden wealth of a German brew and enjoy rich German cuisine.
Look for local festivities in your area or throw an Oktoberfest party of your own and seek out a spectrum of German beers to share with your family and friends.
Cheers! Or as they say in Germany, “Prost!”
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