Saturday, September 19, 2009

OKTOBERFEST - September 19 - October 4


Oktoberfest began in Germany in 1810, and beer and Oktoberfest have always gone hand in hand. Oktoberfest began when Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Theresia in Munich.
It happened that the occasion fell at the same time as the traditional harvest festivals, so they decided to combine them and threw a huge party. 
It was such a success, Munich celebrated their created Oktoberfest every year.
Now it just may be the world's biggest party.Master brewers  come to Oktoberfest to display their very best each year.
Most beers when Oktoberfest first began were heavy and dark beer.
The Viennese first tried to brew a lighter beer in 1841, and eventually a Munich brewery picked up on that and began brewing what's called Marzen beer, translated as "March beer."
Many beers still have the label of Oktoberfest Marzen, which was a long standing Oktoberfest tradition.
If you want a true Marzen, then look for a darker coppery color.
This year, the 176th Oktoberfest in Munich is expected to serve more than six million guests over the two-week festival. It's not only beer that is a big part of the festival, but more than 200,000 sausages and 480,000 roasted chickens will also be devoured.