Don some lederhosen and fill your stein, Oktoberfest 2012 is here. The Bavarian autumn holiday began several days ago but the fever is rising like the head of a freshly poured beer. And lucky for Miami, we all get to take the proverbial first chug at several locations around town in the following weeks.
Oktoberfest is the fall harvest festival of Germany. The original Oktoberfest was held when the citizens of Munich celebrated the marriage between King Ludwig and Therese of Sax-Hildburghausen. Two hundred years later, the festival is celebrated all over the world. Oktoberfest is not just about beer. What's a German holiday without German food? Sauerkraut, pretzels, fancy mustard and wurst of all kinds will most likely pass through your Deutsche-stive tract this time of year.
There are several events and locations around town for this year's upcoming Oktoberfest. We managed to dig up six places to show off your trachtenblausen.
Hofbräu München Beer Hall
We have to start with the obvious. Hofbräu is as good as any place to celebrate Oktoberfest, even though there is no celebration here per se. Opened in 2007, Hofbräu München is a German specialty restaurant that is modeled on the Hofbräuhaus, one of Munich's oldest beer halls. Hofbräu is perhaps best known for the most its two liter "boot size" mugs of beer priced at $26.50. The proper way to celebrate Oktoberfest is chugging one of these monsters.
The Federal Food Drink & Provisions
Until this past Sunday, The Federal turned its front deck into a bier garden, where all taps are German-style craft beers. To finish out this year's Miami Spice, the place will be doing an Oktoberfest-inspired menu based on lots of pork and lots of beer. The price for the dinner is $33 plus tax and gratuity and $12 for a beer flight of four German-style beers.
Grovetoberfest
Only in its second year, Grovetoberfest is one of Miami's newest Oktoberfest celebrations and it's only a one day event falling on Saturday, October 13 this year. If you want to get to see what Miami home brew is all about, this is the place to be. The beer socialite package sold out, but there are still VIP tickets left.
Brickell Oktoberfest at Miami Circle
Another Miami Oktoberfest celebration in its infancy, the Brickell one is also in its second year. The first of the Miami Oktoberfests, running from October 5 to 7, it is a bit more of an upscale event. This year's event will feature beer from Radeberger and acclaimed Austrian chef Wolfgang Ban, who will be hosting a pop-up three-course beer dinner. Three full days German beer and food, tickets start at $15 for one-day access to $200 for a three-day VIP ticket.
Coral Gables Oktoberfest
The place to be for the Coral Gables Oktoberfest is Fritz and Franz Bierhaus, where the German cuisine found here is more authentic than in Deutschland itself. German beer flows like the Danube River in here.
German American Social Club of Miami Oktoberfest
The GASC of Miami Oktoberfest celebration is in it's 55th year and goes from October 19-21, then picks back up from October 26-28. It also happens to be the longest running Oktoberfest and largest German cultural even in the state of Florida. It's held way out in West Dade on Miller Road, in horse country.
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