Five surprising things about Oktoberfest

A European experience isn’t complete without attending the world famous Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. It’s a celebration of Bavarian beer and locals will feverishly argue that their beer is the best. Six Munich breweries set up beer ‘tents’ - the impressive temporary structures look nothing like what you would see on a camping trip - to showcase their Wisen beer brewed specifically for the 18 day event. I had a lot of fun going to the opening weekend but it was nothing like what I thought it was going to be.

1. It's not just about drinking

Trashy movies about European backpacking trips had led me to believe that the objective of attending Oktoberfest was to get extremely drunk. With beer served in 1 litre glasses, even one could get you on your merry way, but the objective isn’t to get drunk, it is to have fun. The beer is to be enjoyed instead of downed as quickly as possible. The 2017 festival had an estimated 6.2 million guests - the population of New Zealand and then some - but only 7.5 million litres of beer was consumed. Sure you do see some drunk people wandering round but they tended to have Australian, American and I hate to say it, Kiwi accents - most likely misled that getting drunk was the aim of the game.

2. The fair ground

I wasn’t expecting the Easter show on steroids. Carousels, Ferris wheels, roller coasters and every ride you can think of was there. During the day, Oktoberfest belongs to the families with kids lining up for rides and getting high on sugar coated almonds, candyfloss and chocolate coated fruit. My favorite ride was one of the oldest called Toboggan. If it had been invented in New Zealand, health and safety would have probably shut it down, but it is protected by tradition and it is a lot of fun. The objective is to ride a steep conveyor belt all the way to the top - many people fall over providing slapstick comedy for spectators  - however the ones that make it up usually get a clap. Those who don’t like humiliating themselves can get helped up by an assistant.

2. Dirndls and lederhosen

A lot of tourists attending the event seemed to treat the traditional Bavarian dress of Dirndls and Lederhosen as if they were fancy dress costumes. They are not. Many people from Bavaria wear them on special occasions, such as Oktoberfest, and don’t appreciate their tradition being butchered - for example, a ‘sexy’ Drindl with an extremely short skirt.

4. Germans, especially Bavarians, are very serious about beer brewing

Inside a beer 'tent'

Beer brewers from Germany almost never deviate from the four traditional ingredients used to make beer - grains, hops, yeast and water. All the Bavarians we talked to felt extremely strongly about beer making, defending their methods, and claiming their way of beer brewing tasted the best. It seemed the Germans feel as strongly about beer as the French do about wine. Suggesting adding coriander or, heaven forbid, chili, to a brew could prompt vehement anger.

5. The locals love it

With the world-wide popularity of Oktoberfest, I thought the festival would be overrun with drunk tourists, with locals avoiding it at all costs. I thought people from Munich would be sick of having their city filled with people putting pressure on their infrastructure, clogging their transport systems, and generally making life a bit harder. But I was so wrong. Instead of heading for the hills,a lot of people clear their calendar to make sure they are in the city to be part of the festival. Local companies book tables in the beer tents and take their employees out for the day, massive business deals are done at the festival, and apparently it’s an acceptable excuse to leave work at midday to attend Oktoberfest.

Munich is a beautiful city to visit at any time of year, but during Oktoberfest, it is magical. Be prepared to drink good beer, eat good food and make new friends. It is a festival not to be missed.