Oktoberfest 2013 - Interesting trivia!
“When in Bavaria, do as the Bavarians do”- said no wise man ever. But a mug of fresh beer from the six listed breweries of Munich and you are wiser than ever! Did I say only six? Yes!
The Germans take their beer rather seriously. For a Beer to be designated as Oktoberfest beer, it ought to be approximately 6% alcohol by volume and must be brewed within Munich city limits. Only six breweries meet this criterion. The oldest is Augustiner, founded in 1328. Today, it has a beer garden onsite, proffering eight branded brews, including the six-per-cent Oktoberfestbier, served exclusively at Oktoberfest. (augustiner-braeu.de).
Also, in case if you are wondering why Oktoberfest is not happening in every nook and corner of the world- Oktoberfest Beer is a registered Trademark by the Club of Munich Brewers.1810 The inaugural year of Oktoberfest. The event started in Munich when Prince Ludwig I & Princess Therese invited citizens to celebrate their marriage on the lawns in front of the city gates. The party originally took place on 12 October and it was later lengthened and moved to September, in the hope of better weather. Accordingly, the modern-day version starts on 21 September and continues for 16 days.(oktoberfest.de).
Beer & Pretzel: Deserves to be taken seriously
A few beer related numbers at a glance:
6.3 million visitors drank roughly 6.9 million litres of beer. That’s roughly 1.1 litres of beer per person (assuming there were no tee-totallers of course.)
160 thousand plus attempts were made to steal the beer mugs. Surely, Beer brings out the best in every person.
116 oxen and 57 calves were eaten by the guests. food for thought for PETA activists!
827 inebriated people needed medical assistance and the number of police callouts went up to 2,031.
14 The number of large tents that will serve festival goers. Of course the word tent is a misnomer when one tent seats 5020 and takes 14 weeks to build.
420,000 The size, in square metres, of the Theresienwiese, official site of Oktoberfest, equivalent to 10 Wembley Stadia put together. The park comprises beer tents, carousels, rollercoasters and Lederhosen-wearing locals.
Be sure to book your tables well in advance. Germans do it months before the due date. If you don't then be prepared to lose your seat on the table even if you take a bathroom break. yes! it's that crowded! Cheers to that fresh beer!
