On a recent flight from Brussels, Belgium to New York City, I grabbed a copy of the latest Delta Sky Magazine. I didn’t get far before finding an article about Oktoberfest. If you remember #EuroBeerTrip16, we started our travels in Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. My buddy Daniel is there right now, and I have fond memories of big beers, crowds of people and brathendl.
The article talks about Oktoberfest and shares some interesting stats. Here is what the article said for reference:
This month, crowds of brew lovers will flock to Munich, Germany, for the start of the 183rd Oktoberfest. Bound by a shared love for rich, malty Bavarian lager, they’ll consume millions of liters of beer, emptying their Bierkrüge (steins) while filling their bellies with pretzels and pork knuckles. While there will be plenty of libration-induced laughter, Oktoberfest beer itself is a serious affair: It can only be made by six approved Munich breweries, al of which strictly adhere to the methods set forth by the Munich Purity Law of 1487. The sole ingredients permitted are malt, hops, water and yeast. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Munich. Doppelgängers of the festival abound, with annual celebrations in South Africa, Hong Kong and the United States.
I forgot about the pretzels… They are HUGE and affordable. The pork knuckles are delicious, too. Oktoberfest is about more than just beer. We did, however, over four days in Munich, manage to have a beer in six tents. Each participating brewery has a large tent filled with tables, like that in the photo above.
This article also mentioned some Oktoberfest stats that are somewhat mind blowing. For example, in 2015, there was be an estimated 7.5 million liters of beer consumed at Oktoberfest. In 2014, 7.7 million liters were consumed. That is a lot of beer!
Also, in 2015, 742 wallets were lost and found, 804 passports were recovered and 497 cell phones. Oh, and three wedding rings. Right?! We didn’t lose anything… I don’t think.
While we were in Munich, they warned us not to take a beer stein. You can buy one for roughly $35. However, in 2015, 110,000 people tried to smuggle a stein and were caught. I don’t know the exact punishment, but they take that serious, too. We had a great time while in Munich, and it was nice to be reminded with some of these numbers. We rarely visit the same city/country twice, but I can foresee a time when we swing by Munich again for Oktoberfest. Prost!
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