Oktoberfest

12 Stories

Break Out the Beer Steins, Lederhosen

Oktoberfest has kicked off in Munich

(Newser) - The beer is flowing and millions of people are descending on the Bavarian capital to celebrate the official opening of Oktoberfest. With the traditional cry of "O'zapft is!" — "It's tapped!"— Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon...

For First Time Since 2019, Oktoberfest Taps Its Kegs

German beer fest in Munich was canceled in 2020, 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic

(Newser) - The beer is flowing at Munich's world-famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019. With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!"), Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon local...

Eating Banned at Hong Kong Food Festival

Munich's Oktoberfest, however, is returning with no restrictions

(Newser) - Announcements in Hong Kong and Germany this week show a sharp contrast between their current approaches to the pandemic. In Hong Kong, the annual five-day Food Expo begins next week, with exhibitors from around the world—but for the second year in a row, eating has been banned, RTHK reports....

Germany Just Canceled Oktoberfest Again

COVID situation is too 'precarious,' officials say

(Newser) - After a shaky start, vaccination programs in Europe are picking up speed—but German officials still had bad news for beer lovers Monday. Bavarian state Premier Markus Soder and Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter say this year's Oktoberfest is being canceled for a second year because of the pandemic, Deutsche...

Bavaria Nixes Oktoberfest
Bavaria Nixes Oktoberfest
Apr 21, 2020 6:20 PM CDT

Bavaria Nixes Oktoberfest

Public health risk will still be too high in 5 months, authorities say

(Newser) - Since social distancing and Oktoberfest go together about as well as beer and milk, this year's festival in Bavaria has become the latest COVID-19 casualty. This is the first time the beerfest has been cancelled since World War II and Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter says it is a "...

World's Biggest Beer Festival Opens Amid Tight Security

Organizers say the Oktoberfest party must go on

(Newser) - Beer lovers from around the world are streaming to Munich's Theresienwiese for the start of this year's Oktoberfest, where security has been tightened following recent attacks. The annual celebration is expected to draw some 6 million visitors to the Bavarian capital by Oct. 3, the AP reports. By...

Oktoberfest Brawls Down, Mug Thefts Up

One Munich reveler attacked haunted house puppet

(Newser) - If you're missing a set of dentures, a cat carrier, cymbals, a French horn, or a German Federal Cross of Merit second-class medal, you may have had a few beers too many at this year's Oktoberfest in Munich. A list of lost property has been released, along with...

Utah May Face a Beer-Free Oktoberfest

Liquor board cracks down on single-event permits

(Newser) - Oktoberfest may be a little less jovial this year, at least in Utah. Snowbird Ski Resort's annual Oktoberfest celebration is at risk of running dry as the state liquor commission cracks down on giving single-event permits to businesses, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The chairman of the commission admits...

Germans Rail Against Sexy Oktoberfest Outfits

Updates on traditional trecht garb annoys Bavarians

(Newser) - Oktoberfest has exploded from a provincial southern German celebration to an internationally celebrated phenomenon, and a lot of Bavarians can’t stand it, the Wall Street Journal reports. “It’s become like Mardi Gras—it’s appalling,” says one Munich tailor. She, and many fellow residents, are especially...

Oktoberfest Battles Stench of Stale Beer

World's biggest beer festival prepares for 200th anniversary

(Newser) - For the first time in its 200-year history, Munich's Oktoberfest plans to do something about the stench of stale beer. Countless gallons of beer end up sloshed onto the floor of beer tents during the 3-week festival, leaving behind a stink that in previous years was largely masked by cigarette...

Oktoberfest Hikes Security After al-Qaeda Warnings

Beer tents busy despite terror group's threats

(Newser) - The world's biggest beer festival now resembles a beer fortress after al-Qaeda videos hinted that the Munich Oktoberfest would be a target. Armed policemen now guard all the entrances to the festival, and fighter jets are patrolling overhead. People have been warned not to bring in large bags, and the...

Oktoberfest Brews Gotta Be 'Poundable'
 Oktoberfest Brews 
 Gotta Be 'Poundable' 
BEER REVIEW
Oct 1, 2008 2:48 PM CDT

Oktoberfest Brews Gotta Be 'Poundable'

A tasting panel names the best in Bavarian style

(Newser) - To wash down sausages, sauerkraut, and pretzels, Oktoberfest beer must flow like a dinner wine: "Worthy of attention without demanding to be the center of attention," writes Eric Asimov in the New York Times. And with festive consumption measured in liters, it must also be "poundable."...

12 Stories