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drinks Monday 3 November 08
I Love A Man In Lederhosen
Oktoberfest is Europe's mammoth beer gala. And now Karen Lister can remember being there. And the tight leather trousers.
It rained all the time. But nothing could dampen the fun of Oktoberfest (writes Karen Lister still recovering in January). It's all about pretzels, people - and beer.
It starts mid-September, so I’d always wondered why Oktober. German friends explained there was a royal marriage back in October 1810. The royals threw a huge 5-day celebration, and because everyone had such a great time, they continued each year after. It got moved to September for the nicer weather - and extended to the event we know today.
The Oktoberfest is an institution - the only word adequate to describe the dedication Germans have for their beer. Their committment has spread to the rest of the world, and now Oktoberfest attracts over 6 million visitors - who drink a whopping 5 million litres of beer.
It's on a huge scale. There are sprawling beer halls, rides, stalls, enormous crowds. The steins are litres - quite clearly, bigger is better. Frauleins carry up to 14 at a time, though not this one - I had enough trouble holding one.
The beer is delicious, tapped straight from the cask. There are no preservatives - so no headache in the morning. At 6.4% alcohol, it has a hell of a kick. I thought I'd be smart, and ate a half-metre bratwurst and giant pretzel before downing my first drink. Three steins down, I was convinced I could speak German. Which explains why the Germans we were sitting with had absolutely no idea what I was saying.
After crawling home and passing out in the dorm, we woke next day for a tour out to Dachau and Andechs Monastery. We set off in the bus with most people continuing to sleep off the night before. Dachau is incredibly solemn and moving - and I really wouldn’t recommend going there mid-hangover.
A few hours later we arrived at Andechs Monastery. Surprise surprise – the monks brew their own beer! They also make the best roast pork knuckles in the known world. With a tankard of beer and a hunk of meat in front of us, we suddenly realised why the Germans are such a well-built race.
Something I loved about Oktoberfest - besides the beer - was the fact that most Bavarians dress for it in their national costume. For women it's the dirndl - a pretty skirt, blouse and corset ensemble.
And for men it is lederhosen. Girls - there is nothing more attractive than fit young German men in tight suede short trousers with socks pulled up. They look like they’ve just come back from doing something rugged and manly in the forest. Yum!
END
(c) Karen Lister 21 January 2006
Karen Lister visited Oktoberfest (www.oktoberfest.de) in September 2005.
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
