Would you care for glimpse of Oktoberfest?

By Bae Ji-sook

From late September to early October, Germany greets beer-lovers from all around the world for its annual Oktoberfest.

Millions of liters of beer are consumed by approximately 7 million people visiting Munich and its surrounding areas. Over 15 million jugs of beer are consumed.

Among local delicacies to fill the table are hendl (chicken), schweinsbraten (roast pork), saxn (pork knuckle), steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), wurstl (sausages) and brezel (pretzesl). Other dishes include knodeln (potato or bread dumplings), kaasspotzn (cheese noodles), reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), sauerkraut or blaukraut (red cabbage), obatzda (a fatty, spiced cheese-butter concoction) and weisswurst (a white sausage).

Forget about the cold and reserved Germans: this time, everyone becomes friends with another over glasses and laughter. Strangers become friends singing along to strange tunes while waiters and waitresses dressed in traditional costumes busy themselves delivering alcohol and sausage.

The festival is often picked as one of the world’s three largest festivals alongside Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro carnival and Sapporo’s Snow Festival. Foreigners or even Germans from other parts of the country fill the hotels and streets while various affiliated events wow the tourists.

“The strength of the festival lies on the fact that nearly everyone likes beer in the city,” Sung Hee-yun, who had stayed in Germany for a year and have visited Munich during the Oktoberfest season, said.

“At supermarkets, there are scores of brands of beer and individuals have their different favorites. They have their own breweries, which make and sell beer of their own, and their favorite recipe for sausage. Those affections get maximized during the festival: No one is in a hurry and no one gets angry. Everyone smiles, laughs and giggles for nearly a month and swallows beer they have always loved,” she said.

After returning from Germany she often visits German breweries in Seoul to reminisce on the good times. This year, she may consider visiting hotels re-enacting Oktoberfest in their restaurants or party halls.

One that stands out is the Grand Hilton Seoul. The hotel’s general manager Bernhard Brenner was born in Germany but having trotted around the globe as an international hotelier, he chose to create an Oktoberfest of his own. This has become a ritual for not only him but beer lovers all around Seoul.

This year, the date is set for Sept. 10 to 12. The hotel will hold an Oktoberfest at the grand convention center. This has become a popular event for not only those who seek for reminiscence of their life in Germany but for those who want a glimpse of the glamour of the event.

A German band and barrels of beer will be flown in from Germany while the large convention hall will be redecorated as a festival field. A lucky draw event will be held to give out presents such as vouchers.

“The event has been hailed by many businessmen who buy dozens of tickets and bring their co-workers or someone to impress. It isn’t as wining-and-dining as other business dinner tables but you can still have fun. The unlimited authentic German cuisine is a bonus,” he said.