This is going to be a special Oktoberfest, as it’s the year that MultiLotto launch the Oktoberfest lottery. It’s a time of celebration and joy after all, and there are few things worth celebrating more than a lottery win!
So, as you wait to join-in with the other revellers, take a look at these five facts you didn’t know about everyone’s favourite beer festival.
5. The Beer Has to be From Munich
All of the beer served during Oktoberfest was brewed in Munich by local brewers using local ingredients. It is a celebration of local agriculture after all, so don’t expect to find any Heineken or Budweiser here.
But don’t dismay about missing out on your favourite brand, because Bavarian beer is some of the best in the world, made using the purest ingredients, with nothing added or taken away. It is beer at its purest.
4. It Wasn’t Always About Beer
Seen as we’re on the subject of beer, we should point out that Oktoberfest wasn’t always about this drink. The very first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 as a wedding celebration, one that revolved around horse racing.
It was so successful that they decided to stick with it, shifting the focus to a celebration of agriculture. They kept the horse races for 150 years, before getting rid of them in 1960 and slowly transforming into the festival that we all know and love to this day.
3. It is Old, But It has Missed Many Years
Oktoberfest has been a major part of German culture since it was first founded over 200 years ago. But a lot has happened to this country during that time and this has been reflected in the way that the festival has been hosted.
It was forced to skip a few years very early on due to the Napoleonic wars, and then there was an outbreak of cholera in the area that forced other suspensions. Years later it was put on hold for the First and Second World Wars, and in the 1980s there was even a terrorist attack! It has been through a lot, but like the country in which it takes place it has emerged all the better for it.
2. No One Drinks Until the Mayor Says So
The drinking doesn’t start until the mayor taps the first keg, declares “O’ zapft is!” (or “it’s tapped”) and then pours out a mug for the president of the State of Bavaria. Once this little ritual is over then everyone else can raise a toast and start drinking.
1. The Food is Just as Impressive
You don’t need to enjoy beer to have fun at Oktoberfest. There are many wines to drink, as well as a host of soft drinks. And this is a foodie’s paradise, as millions of sausages are consumed here every year, not to mention barrels of sauerkraut and other German foods.
German food is often overlooked in favour of their European neighbours like the French, Italians, and Greeks, but they have a great and varied cuisine and Oktoberfest is when the rest of the world gets to see and taste the best of it.
