Oktoberfest is a beer festival celebrated annually in Munich, in the German state of Bavaria.
Ever heard of Bavaria Beer? Bavaria Beer is owned by a family in Netherlands and has its headquarters in Lieshout, a village in the Netherlands.
Despite beer coming to mind when one hears of Bavaria, Bavaria Beer isn’t from Bavaria, Germany. For a Netherlands-based company to name its beer after a German state, then one should know what the state represents. There is no doubt that Bavaria Beer was inspired by the Bavarians love for beer.
Bavaria is the largest state in Germany. It’s known for its breweries. Bavarians, world’s most beer-loving people, place a great value on their breweries and beer produced. With annual consumption of 170 litres per person, the state becomes the perfect destination for beer lovers.
Bavaria even had its own beer purity law which allowed only three ingredients; water, barley, and hops to be used in making beer. The European Union took that law off because it was incompatible with the European common market but Bavarian breweries still comply with it in order to distinguish their beer brands.
One would not argue why the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, is held in Munich, Bavaria. Oktoberfest is an annual event which welcomes over 6 million people across the globe every year since the year 1810. it is a 16- to 18-day festival running from mid or late September to the first weekend in October.
Large quantities of beer are consumed during the 16-day festival. 2013 alone saw a consumption of 7.7 million litres.
All the fun happens in tents; big and small. Visitors are required to book for tents in advance. The popular and biggest tent, Schottenhamel, opens the festival on the start date by having the the mayor of Munich tap the first keg to confirm successful tapping. It is only after this that all other tents may begin to serve beer.
Tents at the festival accommodate thousands of beer lovers both inside and outside of the tent. Schottenhamel for example has a seating capacity of 6,000 inside and 4,000 outside.
In recent years, visitors are able to download an app that shows nearby tents with available space. The app also helps festival goers find lost friends.
Oktoberfest isn’t just about beer only; grilled sausages, chickens, giant pretzels and other grills are available to accompany the beer. Visitors also enjoy numerous attractions, such as amusement rides, sidestalls, and games. There is also a wide variety of traditional foods available.
The 2019 edition of Oktoberfest comes off in Munich from 8:45am on Saturday, 21 September and ends on Sunday, 6 October.
Over 6 million people are expected to visit Munich, Bavaria for this year’s Oktoberfest. Should Jetsanza.com organise a trip to Oktoberfest?
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