Celebrating Oktoberfest in Melbourne

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PROST!

Can’t make it to Munich this year? Don’t be too sad because Melbourne throws some of the best Bavarian celebrations this side of the beer hall. It’s that great time of year again when the hair is braided, dirndls are dusted off and lederheson are let lose.

If you’ve been following along for a little while no doubt you’ve seen these photos from our personal Oktoberfest celebrations. If you haven’t then welcome to the party.

Every year we celebrate Oktoberfest during the end of September and early October. There’s a good group of around 15 of us, with most having been to Munich to celebrate in earnest. In all honesty it’s one of the festivals I’m desperate to go back to again. The last time we where there our day ended early about a stein was accidentally smashed over my hands and resulted in me being kicked out and needed first aid.

Melbourne has really take on the fun and frivolity of Oktoberfest and indeed German styled eateries. Here are two things Bavarians have in common with Melburnians – we both live in the south-east corners of our countries and we’re by far the coolest and most cultured of our countrymen (and women, of course)! Wondering where to go? Here is my quick overview of what’s on in Melbourne and worth visiting.

1. Hofbrauhaus Market Lane, Melbourne

Das Original und das Beste.I really can’t argue with their catch line or their sassy words. I like sass and schnapps which they have plenty of.

 

 

Against the rising tide of franchised predictability, the Hofbräuhaus set its course in 1968 and continues to march to its own beat. With no corporate puppeteers pulling our strings from afar, Hofbräuhaus Melbourne is independently owned and fiercely independent….

 

In recent years this place has gone under quite a few changes, whilst keeping to their original values. They’ve been here since 1968 and looks like there are no plans of moving on or changing much. There are three areas available- down stairs traditional restaurant, the Alpine Bar that’s great for pre-drinks and the Beer Hall upstairs. The music is free flowing and the dancing is worth getting involved in.

Offering some of the best pretzels in town, a variety of biers on tap and bottled. Most importantly they offer a good range of wine and cocktails for those of us who don’t drink bier. Seriously food wise I haven’t had better Bavarian food in Melbourne. Yet.

2. Hophaus, South Bank Melbourne
cosmopolitan reinvention of the great Bavarian Bier Halls for Melbourne.

So I think the google lineage above gives you a really heavy handed hint at what you’ll find at Hophaus. Thankfully their marketing team are doing some great things like the recent teckelrennen- running of the weiners in support of Dachshund Rescue Australia

The food here is worth trying out and for the area is reasonably priced. Honestly I would say it was inspired by Bavarian dishes. Not quite the traditional bier hall offerings though. It’s on the more expensive side of things. A great place for a Sunday afternoon session as there is a great selection of bier on tap and the staff are great. There’s plenty of smaller events to go to during Hoptoberfest. As well as regular Friday night tapping of the keg. Last year we celebrated Oktoberfest here and found the music wasn’t terribly traditional and things got bit crowded. Now in their second year of operation we think there’s great things hopping around here.

3. Oktoberfest Geelong 10 October 2015

Going a little further afield this is a newbie event for 20-15. On offer-There will be Stein races, beard competitions, strong woman battles, miss Oktoberfest, oompah bands and of course beer, lots and lots of beer. Oddly there is a $35 cover charge and to gain entry into the bier hall you need to book a table of 8. And there’s a 3hr limit. But there’s applewein so let’s go.

These guys though win all the laughs with their Oktoberfest Survival Guide. It’s full of interesting facts on Oktoberfest and the event itself. Kudos to the media team behind this guide.

4. Munich Brauhaus-Where every day is Oktoberfest day

Warning- this place is a sausage fest and a bit of a boys club. Which as a female can be more annoying then anything else. The venue is huge and has a lot on offer. Food is more traditional Bavarian than Hophaus but the poor choice of booby-licous advertising around Melbourne and the poor girls wearing teeny tiny lederhosen working outside in the wind makes me a little angry and less inclined to return. As does the set menu for groups. On the upside they staff here are super efficient with drinks arriving as we where paying for them. There’s three areas- Bar, Bier Hall and the freezing cold area outside.

Tuesday nights you can take on the schnitzel challenge for a mere $28.

On offer for Oktoberfest is the Bier Passport (among other offerings). For every Oktoberfest bier you try during our celebrations, receive a stamp! Try all 5 of our special Oktoberfest biers and receive a stein of your favorite Oktoberfest bier on the haus!

5. Oktoberfest in the Gardens– Melbourne

Taken from their website- Inspired by our love of the traditional Bavarian festival and great beer, Oktoberfest in the Gardens features a massive beer hall, authentic German food stalls, roving performers, sideshow alley, silent disco and an eclectic mix of entertainment and competitions across multiple stages throughout the afternoon and evening.

Now in it’s fifth year Oktoberfest in the gardens seems to be more of an expensive Bavarian picnic in the park. Tickets are still available but are $65 each. That’s a lot of schnapps just for entry. Have you been? We’d love to hear about your experience at Oktoberfest in the Gardens.

Quick history of Oktoberfest-

Oktoberfest is a wedding celebration. Yeah that’s right boys it’s all about the wedding. So let’s look at 1810 Munich-

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields have been named Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s fields”) in honor of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the “Wies’n”.

Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.

Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavor characteristic of the 21th century: some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.

And secretly Aldi brings out a great range of goodies if you want to DIY in the safety of your home. I just bought a freezer full of pretzels and some pork knuckle for the next time we are feeling Bavarian.