Prost! Happy Oktoberfest

The weather may be brisk, but Oktoberfest is peak season for fall feasts. Roll out the barrel for a quick tap—invite your friends over to hoist some steins and join you in ein prosit (or maybe zwei) with our boozy Oktoberfest invitations. A party is brewing.

So you want to host your own Oktoberfest party? Wunderbar! Salty soft pretzels, sizzling sausages, ice-cold brews — could Oktoberfest get any better? Historians say that Oktoberfest originated in 1810 as a wedding feast over in Bavaria. But who cares about little details like that? Despite the name, Oktoberfest is held during the last two weeks of September. Though the official two-week festival in Munich, Germany wraps up by early October, it's a beer stein clink heard all month long, all around the world. While you don't have to go all-out as they do in Germany, you will find hosting your own Oktoberfest party can be fun and easy.

Beer:

It's a festival centered around beer, so if you want to save some serious cash, have your guests bring their favorite brews. Beer is obviously very important for any Oktoberfest party. Starting in August, you’ll be able to find a number of Oktoberfest-style beers at your local grocery or liquor stores. Grabbing a few six packs of these or other German beers is certainly a good option. While you’re at it make your party truly unique by having everyone bring their own stein and filling it up for them when they arrive. This is an especially fun idea if you plan to make it a yearly gathering.

• Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen: Earthy, malty, smooth, and sweet -- this Berlin-brewed beer has it all!

• Samuel Adams Octoberfest: The ruby-hued crowd-pleaser tastes of caramel and light, herbal hops.

• Left Hand Brewing Oktoberfest Marzen Lager: The Colorado brewery's medium-bodied lager has a spicy, dry finish.

• Widmer Brothers Brewing Okto Festival Ale: This amber ale tastes fruity and floral.

• Shiner Oktoberfest: Texas's finest malty marzen is a bracing palate refresher.

• Full Sail Brewing LTD Oktoberfest: Smooth and nutty, this award-winning Oregon lager goes down easy.

• Deschutes Fresh Haze IPA: Taste the tang of juicy orange with a malty flair.

• Southern Tier Pumking Imperial Ale: This sweet and spicy brew is for the true pumpkin lovers.

Food:

Believe it or not, there are more options for Oktoberfest fare than pretzels and sauerkraut. Even though the beer is the star of the show, food is a key part of a successful Oktoberfest party. For a complete Oktoberfest menu, we recommend the following:

• Appetizers:

  • The Bavarian pretzel is a very common starter. Often, these soft pretzels are served with the Bavarian cheese delicacy obatzda

  • Hard stick pretzels. These are a great substitute if you don’t have the time or funds to prepare fresh warm pretzels for all of your guests.

• Dinner:

  • Sausages (Frankfurter, Knackwurst, Bratwurst, Kielbasa, Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, Bier Brats)

  • German Potato Salad

  • Sauerkraut

  • Red Cabbage

  • Käsespätzle

  • Boiled Potatoes

  • Roasted Chicken

• Dessert:

  • Apple Strudel

  • German Chocolate Cake (Although this is not actually a traditional German dessert, it is enjoyed by many.)

  • Various European Cookies. Heart-shaped gingerbread cookies are a particular Oktoberfest favorite.

Don’t feel like cooking?  Search for a local German shop or restaurant in your area that you could purchase the food pre-made for that day. 

Clothing:

Stylized clothing is the quickest way to get into the right mindset for any theme party, and an Oktoberfest celebration is no exception. Lederhosen and dirndls are the most popular attire worn at Oktoberfest. If you're not a sewer or don't want to throw down a wad of cash on something you'll wear once or twice a year, then make an easy facsimile. For the men, don khaki shorts, a button down shirt, suspenders, and tall socks. For the ladies, a full skirt, puffy blouse, frilly apron, and an optional corset will do it. It's nothing a trip to the thrift store shouldn't fix. When hosting a backyard Oktoberfest party, encourage your guests to don the traditional attire, or at least novelty T-shirts that make it look like they are.

Music:

Even if you cannot afford a band, you should still play music at your party. Luckily, free services like Spotify and Pandora have you covered with German-themed playlists and stations. Put one of these on and do your best to sing along. It’s a great way to keep guests entertained and encourage them to get into the spirit of the event. You may be surprised to learn that German oompah music is not the only kind of music played at Oktoberfest. There is a good mix of traditional oompah and other German tunes, but there are also a number of popular English songs.

One requirement of any authentic Oktoberfest party is playing "Ein Prosit" every 20-30 minutes, just like they do in Munich. Every time this song is played, encourage your guests to stand up, raise their glasses, and sing along. At the conclusion of the song, everyone should clink their glasses and take a drink.

Decorations:

Oktoberfest is meant to be outside, usually in a biergarten or under a big tent.  Setting up a biergarten is much easier than it sounds…a real “garden” isn’t even necessary.  Rather, assemble a collection of picnic-like tables in a small outdoor area, cover the area with lights and you’ve set the scene!  

Traditional Bavarian blue and white is the most common way to decorate your space. Hanging a Bavarian flag, banners, streamers, wreaths, or evergreens will add to the Bavarian feel. Feel free to incorporate these traditional elements into your design or to create a new look specific to your party. All that matters is that you create a space that makes your guests feel welcome. The only thing better than cool decorations are ones you can eat! Make a pretzel garland (thread twine through the top loops or use an upholstery needle) and hang it. Tell guests to tear them off if they're hungry!

Games:

• Don't forget to gather the troops to do the Chicken Dance after everyone has guzzled a couple of beers.

• When your guests become bored with the Chicken Dance, line them up for beer stein races. Fill their hands with loaded steins and have them race to a finish line. The person to finish with the most beer left in his stein wins the race.

• Another popular game is a drinking game. Usually a team is sitting on each side of the table. There are 2 ways to do this; either everybody starts drinking at the same time, the fastest team wins. The other way (and our favorite) is that on one side of the table, the first people in both teams starts drinking. When the first person is done, the next can start. And so on, until the last person finishes their beer. The fastest team, wins. But please drink responsibly!

Chill your beer, warm your bretzels, savor some weisswurst, and schunkel the day away with your nears and dears.

So put on your best lederhosen, crack open a cold one and get to party planning.