About Oktoberfest
Presented by Schulz Bräu Brewing Co.
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Oktoberfest was first celebrated on October 12, 1810 in Munich as a celebration of the marriage between Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese Charlotte Luise of Saxony-Hildburghausen.
Nowadays, Oktoberfest dedicates itself to fall harvest and beer. It is currently one of the largest festivals in the world and brings in 6 million visitors.
Additionally, only six Munich breweries are allowed to serve beer to those 6 million people! Five million liters are annually consumed at the 16-day festival.
Schulz Brau participates in Oktoberfest in true fashion. Whatever time Munich starts, Schulz Brau matches it with their first tap pour – even if it’s at 6:00 am!
The original Oktoberfest, which started as a marriage celebration, originally lasted five days. Slowly, Oktoberfest’s dates expanded to last sixteen days. With this, the celebrations were moved earlier and earlier into the year to take advantage of better temperatures and later sunsets.
1. Prost! = Cheers!
2. Oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa! = One, two, three… drink!
3. O’zapft is! = It’s tapped!
4. Ich lade euch ein. = This round is on me.
5. Du hast eine super geile Lederhose an. = Your leather pants are really cool.
6. Dirndl = the traditional dresses you’ll see women wearing
7. Lederhosen = the traditional leather pants you’ll see men wearing; though, in Bavaria, they may be referred to as Krachlederne
Ein Prosit means “a toast to well-being” or “be well”. It is used to wish good health before drinking and is especially popular at Oktoberfest. Known as a traditional song, Ein Prosit plays an average of every 15 minutes throughout the Munich Oktoberfest tents.
You’ll find this song performed by almost every polka band that visits us during Oktoberfest. To join in, raise your beer in the air and sing along to the following lyrics:
“Ein Prosit, ein Prosit (A toast, a toast)
Der Gemütlichkeit (To cheer and good times)
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit (A toast, a toast)
Der Gemütlichkeit (To cheer and good times)
OANS! ZWOA! DREI! G’SUFFA! (ONE! TWO! THREE! DRINK UP!)”
Märzen or Märzenbier (March beer) is a lager that originated in Bavaria. Märzen’s development is predicted somewhere in or before the 16th century and was brewed from fall to spring – due to summer heat creating skunky, off-flavors in beer. This time-strict process wasn’t based on brewing preference but was actually a law established by a Bavarian brewing ordinance to maintain beer quality.
With such a focus on beer quality, it’s wondered how brewers kept their beer fresh enough to be served the following autumn season. This issue was solved by storing their Märzen in cool caves during the summertime (along with a higher ABV for preservation).
Märzen, being largely available at the time, was the main beer present between the marriage of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen and thus became known as Oktoberfest Beer.
Locals Call Oktoberfest “Wiesn” – Pronounced “Vizen” (After the Married Princess)
The Amount of Goat Hair on a Bavarian Hat (a Tirolerhüte) Symbolizes the Owner’s Wealth
The Beer in Munich is Specially Brewed for Oktoberfest and Made to be Strong!
In 1896, Albert Einstein Worked as an Electrician for Oktoberfest
Postcards and Gifts are Sent from the Oktoberfest Pop-up Post Office