A Toast to Bavarian Beer Culture and Oktoberfest

This toast is to you, dear Bavarian, and your strong beer culture.  

Where beer drinking is not simply a past time, or a binge that college students partake in on weekends, or an act old men perform on riding lawn mowers wearing running shorts and worn-out V-neck t-shirts.

No, dear Bavaria, you have proudly integrated beer drinking into your way of life, to the accolades of beer connoisseurs worldwide.

Yes, my esteemed Bavaria, I lift this frothy pint to you. 

You have intricately thought about the proper glassware for your world renowned styles of beer.  Not just any glass will do.  If a Weissbier is what the afternoon calls for, then a proper wheat beer glass must be used.  If it’s a Kellar, then dust off the old stein.  Or maybe it’s a Rauchbier you crave, then a stange glass must be used.

Or maybe you’re drinking outside on a warm summer day, then all rules are broken and a ceramic stein is the choice to keep the bier cold.

Perhaps maybe the afternoon calls for quantity or over quality?  Then toss out all conventions and skip directly to a liter stein.

Oh dear Bavaria, how I love to watch your roaming fields of hops pass by out the train window as I am lolled to sleep by the sway of the cabin car. 

I doze off to daydreams of a nice, crisp lager when I arrive at my destination.  I will think of the hops dedicated farmer and raise a toast to him.

I raise this mug to you, oh my Bavaria, and your delicate food pairings. 

Not a Bavarian dish exists that does not have a beer to go alongside it.  Roasted pork belly must not be served with a Weissbier.  No, the beer would be way too sweet.  Instead, look for a Rauchbier or a Boch.

Even your snacks were designed with glorious beer in mind.  Giant pretzels, sometimes coated in sweet and salty butter, go perfect in the beer garden accompanied by a Helles.

The sour of your kraut, the savory of your roasted meats, the tang of your mustards, and the saltiness of your sausages, all are best when consumed alongside beer!

I raise this mite once again, to lovely Bavaria. 

Nowhere else in the world can men and women use the excuse of drinking beer to wear traditional outfits to best amplify the beer drinking experience.  And nowhere else in the world is it still envogue to wear lederhosen and dirndls while drinking a liter of beer to the sounds of oompah music, no matter how ridiculous the outfit is.

No, not even the asinine American game of bar golf to the horrific sounds of Journey equals an evening at the Haufbraus Haus in terms of coolness.

My dearest Bavaria, this luscious sip is to you. 

Not even God or governance is outside the culture that surrounds beer.  For centuries, your monks have happily and heartily mastered the fine art of brewing beer.  Even your many halls and gardens are watched over by the Holy Crucifix.

You have also protected this holy craft by creating purity laws.  Only water, barley and hops may be used in the brewing process.  No fillers are permitted.

I lift this liter to Bavaria and its pensiveness on where to drink beer. 

During the warm evenings of Spring and Summer, you cannot confine beer drinking to the drabs of indoors.  No, the beer must be free!  Gardens exist throughout your cities so beer can be consumed in its rightful place under the shade of an oak tree.

Qhen the weather turns cold, you have delighted the world with giant beer halls created to mimic the openness of a shady garden.  You have even filled these gardens and halls with long picnic tables meant to be shared with new friends as beer should never be drank alone.

Lastly, I tip this barrel of beer to your many beer festivals, dear Bavaria. 

From Oktoberfest to Starkbierfest, you have allowed the good people of Bavaria and the world alike to revel in your sudsy treats.

Headed to Munich for Oktoberfest or to explore the beer culture?

Check out the latest hotel reviews in Munich to find the perfect spot! We stayed at the Eurostars Book Hotel. It’s slightly off center (one metro stop from center Munich) saved us money and we dug the spacious, modern rooms. To help find the best restaurants and tourist attractions, we used Lonely Planet’s Munich, Bavaria & the Black Forest travel guide.