For most tipplers, Oktoberfest is a festival after their hearts. It’s not so much about the beer you guzzle or the gleaming pretzels you chomp on, as it is about general merrymaking and Bavarian folk music. Today Oktoberfest, the original version of which is held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, has taken off across the world and there are efforts to recreate a similar spirit and revelry. If you are keen on a bit of trivia about the Munich-based festival, here are some:
Oktoberfest originally started its journey in 1810 to mark the wedding occasion of Ludwig, the prince of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Since then, the festival has grown both in stature and popularity, with facsimiles mushrooming in all corners of the globe.
Beer is the cornerstone of Oktoberfest and only beer from six local brewers, namely Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Spaten and Augustiner can be served in the Munich version.
Beer tents dot the Oktoberfest grounds and some of them can seat 4000 to 10000 people.
Traditional German food items (pretzels, brathendl or fried chicken and more) are available during Oktoberfest to punctuate your beer sessions and line your stomach as well.
There are several watering holes and restaurants in Delhi-NCR that are celebrating Oktoberfest in high spirits. Here’s a ready roster:
Nibble your way through gourmet German fare and Sausages to raise a toast to the beer festival. There’s thuringian rostbratwurst with blaukraut and pretzel that’s served with braised red cabbage, a variety of mustards and pretzel roll. Giving it company is weisswurst mit senf und pretzel brautchen, Munich's famous white veal sausages in its own juices, sweet mustard and pretzel. Of course, you can’t miss the Weiner Schnitzel, flattened veal cutlet that’s fried until golden brown and served with capers and lemon.
Molecule Air Bar in Gurgaon has exciting plans up its sleeves for its patrons, which includes freshly-brewed beer, games like beer chugging, beer pong and an Oktober Fest special food menu, featuring German delicacies. Live bands will be the order of the day and October 7 will see the restaurant hosting a Sundowner (on the tranquil terrace of the outfit), as part of Oktoberfest. Up for grabs are speciality beer like flavoured Mango and a Strawberry Beer, along with lager, the signature Oktoberfest brew.
Oktoberfest is getting a beer hug at the Lord of the Drinks, Barrel House in Gurgaon. Soak up some Munich vibes with beer that’s prepared especially for this time of the year. You can take your pick from German lagers, Hefeweizen, Belgium Witbier, and Marzen, a specialised beer. A specially-curated ButterBeer is also listed on the menu. What’s more, you can go the whole hog here with Bavarian flags and banners, as well as stewardess milling around in traditional Bavarian outfits. To complement the beer extravaganza, there’s an Oktoberfest food menu as well.
Beer-infused delicacies and beer cocktails beckon at Meal-o-drama in Rajouri Garden, which has laid out an elaborate Oktoberfest menu. Menu entries include beer- marinated chicken tikka, beer-infused grilled mushrooms, fusion platters and more. Whacky drinks to get you into high spirits have also been concocted by the restaurant. So wash your nibbles down with beer deer, beer mania and more. To cap it off in style there’s Buy 1 and Get one Beer offer throughout the length of the restaurant’s Oktoberfest celebrations.
To drink up the frothy pints, hotfoot it to Local. The restaurant has created a special category of wheat Beer Pizzas from dough made with beer, including everything from Margherita pizza to Murgh Tikka Pizzas. The outfit has also upped the ante by introducing beer-flavoured golgappas. You can also ring in Oktoberfest in style by availing beers at wholesale bar rates here.
Susmita Saha is a Delhi-based Features Writer. She has worked as an Assistant Editor at India Today and The Telegraph and writes on arts and culture, films, travel, food, architecture, design and various other lifestyle subjects. She has seriously itchy feet and plans to tick the world off her bucket list, one burger at a time.
