Oktoberfest in Australia is a very festive place to be to celebrate this Bavarian tradition up through the end of October.
If you find yourself in Australia during that time of the year, do your best to try to get to enjoy Oktoberfest celebrations in Sydney. If you’re right within or nearby the city, by all means get out there and join in the fun! And if you aren’t near Sydney, go out of your way to get there. The Oktoberfest experience, especially for lovers of great beer and authentic German cuisine, is one to behold.
Lowenbrau Keller
One place in Sydney that simply must be visited this Oktoberfest season is the Lowenbrau Keller.
Inspired by traditional German restaurants and pubs, this is a Bavarian brewery and restaurant that has the look, feel, and atmosphere of traditional Oktoberfest beer tents in Munich, albeit on a smaller scale.
Head on in, and take a seat at one of the long wooden tables, where waiters and waitresses, dressed in their finest lederhosen (leather pants) and dirndls (dresses) come and take your order. As you should order a beer (after all, this is Oktoberfest, the world’s greatest celebration of beer), there is a wide variety of ‘biers’ in which to choose from.
Traditional Bavarian beers, imported from Germany, and very popular at the Lowenbrau Keller include Lowenbrau (naturally!), Spaten, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Hacker Pschorr, Steigl, Franziskaner, and a great many others.
Oktoberfest beers
You may, in this spirit of the Oktoberfest season, get really bold, and try one of the Oktoberfest beers brewed exclusively for the festival, and only available this time of year. Why not try all 5? These beers are:
Lowenbrau Oktoberfestbier, 6.2%: This beer, with a sparkling white head, is bright, a full-bodied brew that is malty, with a hint of spice. Its yeasty tang and perfectly balanced hops are supplemented by a malty and grassy hop aroma.
Spaten Oktoberfestbier, 5.9%: Having the appearance of brilliant pale ale gold, it’s full-flavoured, having a malty sweetness, with a hint of nuts and fruit, with an aroma of herbal hops and malt caramel.
Paulaner Oktoberfestbier, 6.0%: This beer is so popular, it’s brewed year-round, lagered for 4 weeks to enhance its dominating light honeyed malt character, than leaving an aftertaste of elegant flowery hops. With a rich yellow-gold appearance, it’s aroma is that of flowery hops and honey malt.
Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier, 6.3%: Hofbrau, in business for over 400 years, features this bier, noted for its subtle beady notes, grainy malt character, finishing with a deliciously bitter, slightly spicy taste. The spice, malts, and yeast lend to its aroma.
Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfestbier, 5.8%: With a captivating brilliant pale ale gold appearance, its taste is that of subtle malt caramels, with hints of citrus and nuts providing balance. The aftertaste is restrained sweetness and slight bitterness, with an aroma of citrus hops, malts, and nuts.
After trying some (or all, if you’re really lucky) of these extraordinary beers, and have acquired a taste to try an even greater variety of beers brewed from all over the world, go and read this post on the Beer Cartel blog. There you’ll find the list of the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers for 2014. Take a look around there, and find some beers you might like to try. If so, go on ahead and order 1 or more. After all, you don’t need to enjoy great beer only during Oktoberfest!
So, wherever you choose to celebrate Oktoberfest, get out there and do it right. Have some authentic German food (you’ll need to eat something from time to time), and try sampling beers you’ve never had before, especially those that’re only around during Oktoberfest. Have a beer and a brat with a stranger also celebrating Oktoberfest, to many the greatest time of the year!