Oktoberfest this year takes place from September 22nd to October 7th. With the event right around the corner, we thought it was appropriate to write a post about the two week period of year that we all inexplicably start having massive beer and pretzel cravings and a bit of history about this storied celebration . Surprisingly, Oktoberfest didn’t start out as being the celebration that it has come to be today. The German-centric event was started on October 12, 1810 with the wedding of Prince Ludwig l of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony- Hildburghausen in Munich. Unlike most royal weddings, the citizens of Munich were invited to the celebrations. AKA it turned into a huge party. The celebrations included a horse race that became an annual event in the years that followed thus transforming the singular event into the tradition of Oktoberfest!
Over time Oktoberfest has been cancelled due to war, disease outbreaks, and a toilet bomb. (!!!) And while the horse race no longer takes place, Oktoberfest is now celebrated every year in not only Munich, but around the world! The original sheds where beer was served have now turned into huge tents that can hold thousands of people. All dancing to German music, eating Bratwurst, sauerkraut, and most importantly: drinking beer in large, large quantities. The style of beer served at Oktoberfest has varied over the years with the Bavarian Dunkel being the favorite for the first 60 years or so. Now, there are strict regulations on the beer that is served for Oktoberfest. Only the large breweries located inside Munich’s city limits are allowed. That means no small breweries and DEFINITELY no out of town brews. In fact, the regulations are so strict that Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, until recently the owner of “Kaltenberg Brewery”, made several attempts to have his beer included at Oktoberfest but every time was denied! A literal Prince was denied. I think it’s safe to say that they take their tradition very seriously.
As for Sterling Pig, while our Oktoberfest brew won’t be making its way to Germany, it WILL be available in Media and the surrounding areas starting September 29th! Join us on September 29th & 30th at the brewery for our Oktoberfest celebration and the tapping of our delicious Oktoberfest bier! There’ll be German food, tunes, games and obviously the most important part: beer! PROST!
