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After years living in Munich and running Oktoberfest Brisbane here in Australia, we’ve put together a few quick tips to make your own DIY Oktoberfest the talk of the town … or street !
Clothing
Dirndl and Lederhosen are the “standard dress code” at any Oktoberfest event. For truly authentic clothing in Australia plus all the accessories you can’t go past Schnucki Dirndl + Lederhosen .
Food
Oktoberfest is so much more than Pork Knuckle and Bratwurst.
Did you know that Roast Chicken is a staple and crowd favourite at Munich’s Oktoberfest … and it always goes down a treat with Aussies too!
There are many different types of German sausages, so why not try something new? The wide range from Gotzinger is available throughout Australia and covers all styles and flavours.
Don’t forget the mustard and sauerkraut! These are “must haves” for any authentic German sausage experience. Look for Thomy or Kuhne mustards, and remember a mustard is not just a mustard! For instance, Bavarian white sausages taste best with a sweet Bavarian mustard – other mustards are too strong for the delicate flavour of this sausage style.
Pretzels and/or crusty long rolls are also a go-to for any Oktoberfest feast.
What about the salads?? We love our salads and I’ve chosen two typical German/Oktoberfest salad recipes for you to enjoy here WITHOUT any heavy mayonnaise or sour cream. Give them a try!
Beer
We’ve got you covered with our German classic and specialty craft beer range, brewed by our family-owned brewery partner for five generations – Leikeim. Find your favourites here.
Why not check out our curated Beer Infosheets full of fun facts, tasting notes and even food pairing suggestions:
• Pilsner-style “Premium Pils”
• Wheat beer “Weizen”
• Lager-style “Kellerbier”
• Black beer “Schwarze”
• Stone beer “Steinbier”
Our Oktoberfest food-beer pairing tips
- Pork Knuckle: Schwarze, or Premium Pils
- Bratwurst: ALL our Oktoberfest pack beers!! … depends on your personal beer preference
- Weisswurst (Bavarian white sausage): Weizen
- Roast chicken: Kellerbier or Weizen
Decorations
White and blue – the Bavarian colours – are the essential colours, and add some rustic elements to give it some genuine atmosphere.
There are lots of shops offering Oktoberfest-style decorations, or simply grab some plain white and blue plates, napkins, table clothes etc. and alternate them to get the look.
Plastic steins are not only ideal as drinking glasses (no glass breakages) but also for putting cutlery in.
Don’t forget some wicker baskets or bowls as practical ways to give your display more character and are great for serving bread rolls and even drinks.
Music
It’s hard to know where to start … and finish. Everyone has their own Oktoberfest favourites and Spotify has a huge range of playlist, but here is a solid Top 10 Oktoberfest Songs selection .
My favourites MUST include: Prosit, Fliegerlied, Rock Mi, Cowboy und Indianer, Hey Baby (DJ Ötzi), In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus … and soooo many more!
Dance favourites?
- Chicken Dance: Everyone knows this song, but did you know the Chicken Dance originated in the German-speaking part of Switzerland? Now THERE’S a question for your next Trivia Night!
- Fleigerlied : This has become the big hit since a decade years for all ages. Here are the original dance moves, so get practising.
- Cowboy und Indianer: You’ll find many versions on youtube – from fitness groups to kindergarten kids or dance parties
Ahr wines: top quality rises from the floods
Despite the devastating flood disaster a year ago, on 14th July 2021, wine lovers can now look forward to top Ahr wines from the latest harvest.
Ahr valley winegrowers were able to harvest high-quality grapes from around 90 percent of their vineyards for the 2021 vintage, according to the German Wine Institute (DWI) . This was only possible thanks to the amazing solidarity of the entire wine industry and the help of many volunteers from near and far. The high harvest quantity was also due to the location of most of the grape vines – growing on the higher slopes of the river valley, where they were spared from the raging water masses. (more…)
Hike the Ahr valley: Landmark of Wine Culture 2022
The popular “Red Wine Hiking Trail” through one of the smallest but finest winegrowing regions in Germany, the Ahr valley, has been named a “Landmark of Wine Culture 2022” by the German Wine Institute (DWI) .
Here’s what the German Wine Institute has to say about this true gem of wine and hiking tourism. … (more…)
A juicy climax to our product guide trilogy!
It’s what you’ve been waiting for! Finest German Juices as a mouth-watering e-magazine, completing our online library – a worthy companion to German Beer and German Wine!
So many new juices introduced to our Winter 2021 range! You will be spoiled for choice in nutritious and tasty drinks to help support your winter wellbeing! Savour the fruits (and berries!) of more than 200 years of German expertise in Rabenhorst’s careful selection and sensitive processing of only the very best organic and vegan produce! (more…)
Hot on the heels of our German Beer best-selling online magazine*, comes the sequel – a beautifully illustrated GERMAN WINE e-Magazine. It’s proof that the sequel is sometimes even better than the original!
Join us on this journey of discovery, stories, tradition & history, and damn good German wines! Find your personal favourite – whether a classic Riesling, rare and new grape varieties, or wines from prestigious ancient growing regions kept a secret by German wine-lovers for way too long. (more…)
Each beer has its own story waiting to be told, and each beer is unique and different in its own way. Hot off the press, here is our first-ever brand-new best-seller*, an illustrated (flipping) book that tells all ! (more…)
Celebrate Year of the Ox – Louise’s food-drink pairing
I love Chinese & Lunar New Year. I love the festive celebrations, the banquets of exquisite dishes bringing together of family and friends for evenings on end … and I love German wines, beers and juices too.
Today, I’ve brought these together – discover my personal food+drink tips for Chinese & Lunar New Year. (more…)
Check out HERE our specially designed 2021 calendar with the most important dates of the year, such as World Riesling Day or International Beer Day.
It’s a great reference for the whole year, and its 1- page format means you can just print it out or keep handy on your desktop or device for quick access. (more…)
German wines made to enjoy & share – Zum Wohl!
Just arrived, explore our rare and new German wine delights – just waiting for YOU to enjoy and share. Bring wine appreciation to a new level!
- Rare & new wine specialties! popular in the region, rarely reaching far shores. Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) with centuries of German wine-making; highly prized Ahr valley Pinot Noirs from Germany’s premium Pinot Noir growing area; new organic Riesling vintage plus other premium Rieslings.
- Bubbles galore! Delicious white, pink and red sparkling wines made for celebrating the bright new year, or for that big special Festive gathering.
- Practical Piccolos! These 200ml gems are the cutest bottles on the block – a great small gift or “thank you”, food hamper addition, and the perfect BYO fit for your handbag or simply a quiet evening with your favourite Netflix show.
Discover our new beers … PROST!
Ready for you, your beer-loving friends/family and for Christmas. You particularly asked us for new German craft beers – premium new breweries, new/rare German beer styles. DONE!!
- Special German craft beers and style: new to Australia, award-winning Altenburger Bock, Altenburger Schwarzes, Leikeim Steinbier & non-alcoholic Weissbier, plus all your Koblenzer favourites!
- Family-owned craft breweries: with generations of beer-making expertise, passion and making beers of tradition plus new styles for new generations.