THIS year has seen many things, and one has been wrestling back of the word ‘cancel’ to its original, literal meaning. Sure, people are still getting ‘cancelled’ for an awkward online faux pas on a daily basis, but the coronavirus pandemic had shoved the word back to its more traditional use.
Many annual events have been cancelled due to Covid-19, such as the Olympics and Euro 2020, while others have gamely limped on in some virtual form or another. One event which has fallen foul of cancellation is the world’s biggest beer festival, Oktoberfest in Munich which, despite its name, actually straddles the last week or so of September and start of October.
The shindig first took place in 1810 and was actually supposed to be a one-off party thrown by the king of Bavaria to celebrate his son’s wedding. There was free beer and food for Munich residents and it proved so popular that it became an annual event.
Over the years the style of beer served at Oktoberfest has varied, but the rules are strict on where the beer can come from. Only beer brewed within Munich’s city limits is eligible to be served at Oktoberfest. This led to something of a diplomatic kerfuffle after the modern-day Prince of Bavaria, Luitpold assumed ownership of the Kaltenber brewery on the mid-1970s and wanted to have his beer served at Oktoberfest. However, with the brewery located south of Munich, he was rebuffed.
To get into spirit of the festival I ordered some German beers from one of the many online beer stores which are offering special Oktoberfest boxes.
Every brewery in Munich will brew an Oktoberfest, and in recent times, that has come to been a slightly strong – usually between 5.8 and 6.2 per cent abv – and malty lager, although styles such as dunkelweisse and bock have been traditional Oktoberfest beers in the past.
First up was Hofbrau's festive offering. The ‘state beer’ was crystal clear and amber in the glass. There was a nice malty base to it all with a slight earthy bitterness and even a hint of spice about it.
Next up was Lowenbrau, which was a much crisper and smoother affair but certainly full-bodied lager. My third Oktoberfest beer was from Spaten. This had the sort of subtle honeyed sweetness you get from a Bavarian or Vienna lager. It was crisp and sparkling, with a dry finish. All it needed was a nice juicy bratwurst. Prost!
