Everything About Oktoberfest [Infographic]

Brian and Bianca http://www.homebrewwest.ie 3m 874 #oktoberfest

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Everything You Need To Know About Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest originally formed in 1810 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16-day festival and tradition that occurs every year beginning in September and usually ending on the first Sunday in October. Oktoberfest is one of the most popular events in the world, attracting over 6 million visitors from around the world. Oktoberfest is a fun-filled day for many people with new events happening every year, new beers to try each year, and a lot of alcohol consumption, specifically with beer around 5.0% to 6.0% alcohol content.

Not only is alcohol served and enjoyed, but a lot of great food is consumed including Hendl (chicken), Schweinsbraten (roast pork), Haxn (knuckle of pork), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Würstel (sausages) along with Brezel (Pretzel), Knödeln (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut or Blaukraut (red cabbage) along with such Bavarian delicacies as Obatzda (a fatty, spiced cheese-butter concoction) and Weisswurst (a white sausage).

We created this infographic to give you a lot more information and facts about Oktoberfest.

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Everything You Need To Know About Oktoberfest

The historical Oktoberfest in Munich has morphed from a local festival into an international event Running from September 20^th to October 5^th, over six million visitors will come to enjoy the beer, food, and fun the festival is famous for!

Oktoberfest by Numbers

15 days of fun, beginning in September 20^th to October 5^th

103 acres of grounds – That’s the equivalent of 80 football fields!

13 beer tents

98,000 visitors can be seated at any one time in all the tents and beer gardens

6 breweries – Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten

10 Maß (one-litre mugs of beer) is the amount that servers must be able to carry at a time

6 million visitors come to Oktoberfest every year – That’s the population of Washington DC!

1.5 million gallons of beer served during Oktoberfest – That could fill over two Olympic sized swimming pools!

200,000 pork sausages eaten

480,000 spit-roasted chickens consumed

450 million euros are added to the Munich’s coffers each year during Oktoberfest – That could buy two tickets to space on Virgin Galactic!

The big tents of Oktoberfest

1. Marstall
2. Armbrustschützen-Festhalle
3. Hofbräu-Festzelt
4. Hacker-Festzelt
5. Schottenhamel
6. Winzerer Fähndl
7. Schützen-Festzelt
8. Käfer’s Wies’n-Schänke
9. Winzelt
10. Löwenbräu-Festhalle
11. Bräurosl
12. Augustiner-Festhalle
13. Spatenbräu-Festhalle
14. Fischer-Vroni

What is New for 2014?

NEW TENTS

The Marstall (successor to the Hippodrom)

Will have a theme focused on horses. Inside the tent, there will be room for approximately 3500 guests and there will be room for another 900 visitors.

The Kalbsbraterei

There will be room for 300 guests. Proprietor Erich Hochreiter will serve calf-dishes and other traditional meals.

NEW RIDES

The “Encounter” ride will transport visitors into worlds of science-fiction and suspense as you witness a medical experiment gone bad and an alien on the prowl.

The “Big Bamboo” zone which is a 200 square meter fun-parkour with a Caribbean theme. Balance across barrels and bridges and dance to Mambo tunes.

NEW FEATURES

An artfully designed, one hundred year old merry go round

A shooting gallery with parts dating as far back as 1880

THE BEERS

Augustiner Helles (5.2%)

Edelstoff (5.6%)

Augustiner Weissbier (5.4%)

Fact: Augustiner Weissbier and Edelstoff are the only beers served from wooden barrels.

Where to get it: Augustiner Festhall and Fischer-Vroni tents.

Paulaner

Paulaner Amber (5.8%)

Fact: It is the weakest beer served at the festival

Where to get it: Armbrustschützenzelt, Winzerer Fähndl and Käfer Wies’n-Schänke tents.

Hofbräu

Hofbräu’s Märzen (5.8%)

Fact: In 2008, this brew won the gold medal at the World Beer Championships!

Where to get it: Hofbräu Festzelt tent.

Spaten-Franzishaner

Pils (5.0%)

Oktoberfestbier (5.7%)

Diät Pils (4.9%)

Fact: Pils was the first beer to be brewed in Munich and Diät Pils has only 32 calories

Where to get it: The Hipodrom, Schottenhammel, and Oschensenbraterei/Spatenbräu tents.

Hacker-Pschorr

Oktoberfest Märzen (5.8%)

Fact: This beer is fermented three times longer than a regular beer.

Where to get it: Hacker-Festzelt and Bräurosl tents.

Löwenbräu

Wiesenbier (6.1%)

Fact: The beer is named after the field or ‘Wiesn’ wehre Oktoberfest is held, it literally means ‘beer of the field’.

Where to get it: Schützen-Festzelt and Lowenbrau tents.

DRESS TO IMPRESS

MEN

Checkered Shirt
Leather trousers (with suspenders if possible)
Off-white Slouch socks
Haferl Shoes
No scarf (even if they sell it to you!)

WOMEN

Short-sleeves white blouse
Traidtional Dirndl Dress
Pinafore
Sheer pantyhose
Low-heeled loafers

BRUSH UP ON YOUR BAVARIAN

Prost! – Cheers!
Traditionally said before drinking

O’zapft is! – It is tapped
Said by Munich’s mayor to mark th eopening of the first beer barrel and the commencement of drinking

Oans-zwoa-drei-gsuffa – One, two, three, bottoms up!
Self-explanatory!

Nur ein schwein Drinkt Allein – Only a pig drinks alone
A toast when someone new joins the table. Swiftly followed by a large swig of ale!

Wo befinden sich die Toiletten? – Where are the toilets?
A helpful phrase after drinking a few beers!

Beerleichen – Beer Corpses
The affectionate nickname given to passed out attendees

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