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The Tapping of the Keg in Munich 2017
We’re not counting down months anymore, or weeks; we’re not even counting down days: no, now it’s only a matter of hours until the ceremonial Tapping of the Keg in Munich. Yes, at 12:00 midday CET on Saturday 16th September, the Mayor of Munich will tap the first keg of golden Oktoberfest beer in Schottenhamel tent and – PROST!!! – the Wiesn will begin. We’re so excited we can barely sleep; and if you feel the same way and want the very latest information on this year’s Oktoberfest, stay with us and read on.
Oktoberfest beer
No point getting annoyed about the steep prices.
Last week, the six traditional Oktoberfest beers were presented in Munich. As ever, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten will be on tap in the tents with their specially-brewed strong Märzen-style lagers. As in previous years, the breweries haven’t got any surprises in store – which is a decidedly good thing. Why change a winning formula, after all? As such, Augustiner is still the strongest (6.3%), Paulaner is still the fullest-flavoured and sweetest, and Löwenbräu is still the lightest and hoppiest. As the beer that is served in Schottenhamel and thus the subject of the ceremonial Tapping of the Keg, Spaten remains the yardstick.
Oktoberfest food
Ahhh, that freshly-baked bread smell!
If for no other reason than tactical considerations, you should never drink a tankard without one of the delicious Oktoberferst snacks or meals. Without wishing to get distracted by a long list of delectables, we’re particularly looking forward to those legendary roast chickens, oven-baked hocks of ham, and Munich-style pork with crispy crackling, all accompanied by sun-yellow dumplings steaming away and pretzels still warm from the ov… Okay, sorry, we did get distracted there. In any case, if you’re an Oktoberfest fan, you’ll know about all of that already. Instead, let us give you an insider tip: head for the smaller tents around midday to enjoy lunch menus at around the €10 mark. Zur Bratwurst is doing (what else) brats with a pint of beer, while Fisch Bäda is serving up fishcakes and potato salad. Also, those of you who eat vegan, it’s now year four from the premiere of the first official vegan dishes at the Fest; this year, expect more variety than ever before. Oh, and let’s not forget that no animals are harmed in the brewing of beer and the ceremonial Tapping of the Keg!
Oktoberfest nights
Disappointing but unavoidable: late-night Oktoberfest.
Another thing not to forget: it’s all downhill from the moment the tents close. There is no such thing as a good night out after a fantastic day at the Oktoberfest; disappointment is all but inevitable. And, that being the case, we go out pretty much every night after the Oktoberfest, obvs. To date, the options consisted of the premium places like P1 (tough door, pricey drinks, lots of botox), the dive bars like SubsTanz or Pimpernell (clue’s in the first syallble of the name), and Bavarian beer halls repurposed as clubs for the Wiesn weeks (most notably, Löwenbräukeller). All disappointing in their own endearing ways. Now, there’s a new kid on the block – not even one block away from the actual festival area, called Bussi Bussi Bavaria. It means “air kiss Bavaria”, so in name terminology, we’re in pretentious fashionista-cum-woo-girl territory, but hey, it’ll be nice to be disappointed in a new way for a change of pace…
Want to stay bang up to date on the goings-on from this year’s Oktoberfest? Follow us on Twitter as we report live from Munich’s Theresienwiese.
