Oktoberfest, Translated: Your Guide To Festbier, Märzen And All Things Beer

It’s Oktoberfest season, the happiest time of the year! The annual Bavarian celebration has a culture and language all its own—including “festive” beers, fashion, food and, of course, fun! Here’s a primer to help you navigate Oktoberfest season like a pro.

Wiesn: The German Word For Oktoberfest

If you talk to a Munich native, they will ask if you are going to the “wiesn” when asking if you are going to Oktoberfest. Wiesn is the Bavarian word for “meadow,” and its full form is “Theresienwiese,” taken from the bride Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen who married Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) in 1810.

Their wedding was the first Oktoberfest; after their nuptials, a grand horse race was held in the meadow outside the gates of the city for everyone to attend. The city had such a fun time that they turned the race into an agricultural fair that became the root of the modern Oktoberfest. The former meadow is now firmly in the heart of the modern city and is still used as a fairgrounds when not being used for Oktoberfest.

Festbier: The Official Drink Of Oktoberfest

Since the late 1980s, or maybe it was the early 1990s (no one really knows for sure, as beer history is a lot of hearsay), the official beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich is known as festbier. This beer style is usually above 6% ABV (for example, Hofbrau’s is 6.3%) and is smooth with notes of cracker and a slight herbal hoppiness. If you’ve ever had a helles, which is a popular beer style in the South of Germany, festbier is akin to a stronger version of that beer.

Märzen: The Beer Associated With Oktoberfest In America

Märzen is the beer style that used to be served at Oktoberfest. This amber lager is what most Americans associate with the season. Order an Oktoberfest-style beer in America and chances are you’ll get a märzen. Order an Oktoberfest-style beer in Munich and you’ll get a festbier.

Märzens are usually light copper in color with notes of toast and that slight herbal hoppiness that’s similarly found in festbiers. Märzens are also usually around 5.8% to 6.3% ABV. German breweries know the popularity of this style with Americans, so if you are looking for märzens, make sure it says so on the label. If you see a German brewed beer that just says “Oktoberfest” on the label, that’s a festbier.

Maßkrug: The Glass Of Oktoberfest

The big mug that is one of the hallmarks of Oktoberfest is called a maßkrug (pronounced “masskrug” and usually shortened to “mass”). In America, it is more popular to see smaller versions of these which hold a .5L or about 17 oz. of beer. In the tents of Oktoberfest in Munich, it’s one beer size, and that’s a liter—or for Americans, roughly about a quart of beer per glass. No wonder Oktoberfest can get a bit rowdy!

Stein: The Original Drinkware Of Oktoberfest

Many people mistakenly call a maßkrug a stein, but a maß is not a stein. Stein is the German word for stone and refers to classic stone drinkware that is still found at Oktoberfest but only at the “Oide Wiesn,” a pay-to-enter smaller part of Oktoberfest with old-timey rides, German oompah music (you won’t hear the band play “Sweet Caroline” here) and a more family-friendly vibe. Before glassware was cheaper to mass-produce, steins were an important part of drinking culture throughout Europe.

Tracht: Dirndl And Lederhosen

The official costume (a must wear for visiting Oktoberfest in Munich) is called “tracht” (German for “what is worn”). Tracht can signify various folk costumes throughout Germany.

Lederhosen (German for “leather pants) are traditionally made of deerskin and are cut above the knee for added mobility; perfect for those who were working the steep mountain passes back in the day. The dirndl is a traditional alpine outfit that consists of a bodice, skirt, blouse and apron. These can be in many designs and fashions from short and sassy to long and modest.

The alpine hat has also become a very popular accessory. Known as a “Tyrolean hat,” it can be decorated with colored bands, flowers, feathers or a “brush.” The brush is known as “gamsbart,” and is made up of individual animal hairs like the chamois, a goat-antelope animal that lives in the Alps. Tyrolean hats with a big and showy gamsbart can cost thousands of dollars.

Wherever you are celebrating Oktoberfest, be it under a big tent in Munich with thousands of revelers or in your backyard with a few close friends/family, be sure to party responsibly and enjoy these beers and celebratory times with the people you care about. Cheers!