The ode to beer and Bavarian culture
There is no Madrid stew without chickpeas or a welcome to autumn without Oktoberfest , that massive beer festival that has been held in Munich since 1810 and has become popular throughout the world. This year, the novelty in Madrid is that in the absence of a party, WE HAVE TWO . The traditional Paulaner Oktoberfest changes location and the Palacio de los Deportes welcomes a new guest. Next, we disembowel them for you.
VISTALEGRE: An entire Oktoberfest marathon imported directly from Munich
Paulaner has been the face of the Oktoberfest at the Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid until this year that Mahou-San Miguel has occupied the space. But this has not been a relay. Paulaner convenes the IV edition of his party at Madrid's Palacio de Vistalegre, which is expected to be attended by 30,000 people , some will be consumed 45,000 liters of beer and more of 60,000 kilos of Bavarian gourmet specialties . The dates? Of September 21 to October 1 , twice as many days as in previous editions and with free admission.
In the ** Vistalegre Oktoberfest ** what they are looking for is to replicate the spirit that is lived in Munich, not to copy the event. They look for the fun, good atmosphere and in short the festival of the German city , with the well-known Paulaner beer by flag; a typical Bavarian wheat beer that is acclaimed as a benchmark for the German festival. Taking into account that the festival takes place in Spain, the Spanish character becomes evident, to give the easiest example, in the music enjoyed during the session.
The beer at this festival is not just any random beer. Javier Galindo Jimenez, Paulaner's marketing manager reveals the secret: "We count on Paulaner because it is one of the six official beers of the Munich Oktoberfest , which makes us more faithful to the authentic. Also, for the Madrid edition , we have two varieties of Paulaner beer, which we bring from Germany: Paulaner Weissbier (wheat beer) and Paulaner Oktoberfest Bie r, which is a seasonal beer that is only brewed for this festival, both are served in the most traditional Bavarian style, with its drafting rituals and appropriate glasses”.
But what can we eat? The gastronomic offer will be borne by the Group of restaurants Factory . Without a doubt, they cannot miss the appointment imported German specialties of Bavarian origin . Great presence will have the sausages of all kinds of the region and from which an outflow of more than 30,000 units . And not to mention that it will rain pretzels , knuckles, roast chicken and salads such as potato , typical of Bavaria.
And in October, the party continues in Barcelona. They confirm it to us from Paulaner, where they assure us that two cities that are so important and world-renowned for their good atmosphere could not fail to enjoy such a mythical event. Being a brewer and missing out would be sacrilege.
PALACIO DE LOS DEPORTES: rescuing a century-old beer
From October 5 to 7, the Palacio de los Deportes (WiZink Center), the original location of the festival in recent years, will host the Madrid Oktoberfest . Its more than 4,500 m2 of track are transformed into a gigantic tent in the image and likeness of those in Munich, with its benches, its wooden tables, and a large central stage for the performances scheduled in the program.
This atmosphere, which improves every year since the party was held for the first time in 2014, has managed to create a community that remains faithful year after year, that reserves a table months in advance so as not to miss it, and that has even been done with a bavarian traditional costume that they dress to attend the event, in the image and likeness of the people of Munich. To date, the organization has already confirmed that the 3,000 reservations , which suggests that the full house of the previous editions will be repeated. In total, it is estimated that around 25,000 people will pass through the venue during the three days.
Madrid Oktoberfest
Konig Ludwig, the original beer that gave birth to the Munich Oktoberfest tradition in 1810, will be master of ceremonies. This beer became popular for being the one that was served at the wedding of King Ludwig I with Princess Teresa of Saxony, a celebration in style to which all citizens were invited. The result of a meticulous production process, its ingredients and its ancestral recipe strictly comply with what is dictated by the German Purity Law of 1516 . It is closely linked with the House of Wittelsbach and is owned by Bavarian Royal House since its origins in 1260, when the first brewery of the same name was built.
In addition to König Ludwig, you can also find other top-level beers such as Warsteiner, the Most Premium international Pilsen from Germany, and Grimbergen , the well-known belgian abbey beer , which has been made since 1128 according to the traditional recipe guarded by the monastery's fathers. Among others, you can taste the well-known All Day IPA and Dirty Bastard by Founders Brewing , and the Passionflower and Petrichor from Nomada Brewing . All of them are high-quality beers with somewhat more complex flavors. This year, in addition, craft beer will also have its place with Founders Brewing, Y Nomad Brewing.
bavarian still life
It is the first time that Mahou enters the festival. When asked how they face this first challenge, it seems that in Madrid they are clear that they play with an advantage. “We maintain a strong commitment to disseminating beer culture and, therefore, we are enormously excited to be able to share with the people of Madrid such an important event as the fourth edition of the Madrid Oktoberfest. An example of this is the range that we have prepared for this fourth edition of the Oktoberfest , with a wide selection of high-quality beers designed to satisfy the different profiles of beer lovers”, they confirm from the organization.
In the gastronomic part, the trip to Munich will stop at the best varieties of German sausages, such as the Bockwurst, Bratwurst and Nurenberger , and a selection of best typical dishes of the region of Bavaria . This includes, but is not limited to, specialties such as boiled and roasted knuckle , The popular pretzel and a wide range of Bavarian starters of the highest quality. But of course, until October 5th we won't know anything. There are still more surprises.
Do not ask yourselves to which of the two parties you have to go. The answer is easy: AT TWO