Guten Tag! It’s time to get out your stein, put on your lederhosen and join in the Oktoberfest fun (which confusingly starts in September!).
That’s because Oktoberfest is in September to take advantage of longer, warmer, and drier days compared to October in Munich.
What will you fill your stein with? There’s Radlers, Helles, Munchner Hell, Dunkel, Pils, Weisse, Munich Red, Altbier, Bock, Doppelbock, Berliner Weisse, Imperial IPA, Kolsch, Marzen, German Pale, Schwartzbier or Hefeweizen to name a few.
Oktoberfest is an annual festival in Munich, Germany, held over a two-week period and ending on the first Sunday in October. The 191st Oktoberfest in Munich runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026. It draws over 6 million visitors to the Theresienwiese festival grounds in Munich every year. The event features giant beer tents, amusement rides, games, and traditional Bavarian food like pretzels and sausages.
The festival started on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to join the royal wedding celebration on the fields outside the city gates, which included a horse race.
The party was so popular that officials decided to repeat it every year, eventually transforming a royal wedding commemoration into a massive celebration of Bavarian culture and community
By the late 20th century the original booths had developed into large beer halls made of plywood, with interior balconies and bandstands. Each of the Munich brewers erects one of the temporary structures, with seating capacities of some 6,000. The mayor of Munich taps the first keg to open the festival. Total beer consumption during Oktoberfest is upwards of 75,800 hectolitres (about 2 million gallons). The breweries are also represented in parades that feature beer wagons and floats along with people in folk costumes. Other entertainment includes games, amusement rides, music, and dancing.
If you can’t get to Germany then a number of Welsh Breweries can bring Germany to you, here’s a few to fill your stein, Prost!
MANTLE – HOODWINKED GERMAN LAGER 5%
Mantle Brewery is a family-run microbrewery located in Cardigan. Established in August 2013 by engineer Ian Kimber and his scientist wife Domi.
A blonde coloured crisp premium Lager, brewed with a blend of classic German Lager hops. Top fermented for a superior flavour. 500ml. In Cask, this beer won the 2019 Gold Award in category in the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) regional awards.
BRAGDY MONA – HELLES LAGER 4.5%
Based in Anglesey, Bragdy Mona produces a light, crisp and refreshing Munich style Helles Lager. Carefully crafted, it has a clean flavour profile where malt is truly the hero!
Also one to look out for is their gorgeous sessionable 4.5% Hefeweizen, very authentic to the style.
ANTUR – NEW ALTBIER 4.7%
‘Antur’ being the Welsh word for ‘Adventure’. A microbrewery and bottle shop on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, producing high quality beers to suit every beer drinkers needs.
A deep amber/red colour with crisp and moreish malt character, our ‘New’ Altbier is a modern twist on a German classic. Their ‘all British’ version features only the best of UK grains and hops, showcasing a complex depth of sweeter malty notes and finished with a crisp medium hop bitterness.
WREXHAM – PILSENER 4.6%
In 1882, two German Immigrants, Ivan Levinstein and Otto Isler, set forth to brew lager beer in the UK, and so Wrexham Lager Brewing was born. A premium German pilsener-style lager with subtle notes and a refreshing finish. Its golden amber glow and light body make it the perfect all-rounder.
GEIPEL – BOCK 6.5%
Founded in 2013, Geipel microbrewery specialises in bottom-fermented beers, more commonly known as lagers. The 7 barrel (1,000 litre) brewery lives in a barn on a hillside in rural North Wales.
The Bock style originated in 17th century Munich as a strong dark lager. Lighter
(Maibock), stronger (Doppelbock) and even stronger (Eisbock) styles followed but the
original Bock style remains the standard bearer for strong lagers. By definition, it must have an original gravity greater than 16.3 ºP and in practice has a high final gravity too leaving lots of flavour and sweetness. Just enough noble hops are used to balance the sweetness and thus let the flavour be dominated by malt.
