This year, Oktoberfest officially starts on Saturday 17th September and ends on Monday 3rd October. This is always slightly confusing as you would expect it to last the month of October! Germans have been celebrating Oktoberfest for over a couple of hundred years and it’s one of the biggest folk festivals in the world and continues to grow and expand year on year. It is an important part of Bavarian culture. When we think about Oktoberfest, we have images in our heads of Steins of German beer, Lederhosen and sausages. If you ever go to Oktoberfest just outside of Munich, then you will see that it’s a family event with fairgrounds, tents and of course plenty of Oktoberfest beers.
This year, we have six different Oktoberfest beers in stock. These are:
- Erdinger Oktoberfest
- Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier
- Paulaner Oktoberfest
- Lowenbrau Oktoberfest
- Spaten Oktoberfest
- Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest
As is the case with all the beers above, these speciality beers are brewed specifically for Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest beers are known as Marzen beers as they are brewed in March, which is the last time to brew a beer before summer. They are slightly stronger so they last longer.
Erdinger Oktoberfest is brewed in accordance with the Bavarian Purity Law. It is a well-balanced wheat beer that combines smooth malt with hoppy bitterness. Erdinger Oktoberfest has an ABV of 5.7% and comes in 50cl bottles.
Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier is a full-bodied, bottom-fermented speciality German beer. It has an alcohol content of 6.3% ABV and is best served at 7 degrees Celsius. It obviously pairs well with roast chicken and a Bratworst.
Paulaner Oktoberfest has a perfect balance of hops and malt and is also bottom-fermented. It is brewed with water, malted barley and hops. It is 6% ABV.