Joburg And Cape Town Go Bavarian

Around 10,000 litres of beer was downed at the Oktober Bierfest in Cape Town this past weekend and now the organisers of the event are expecting Gauteng’s beer lovers to show they have a bigger thirst at the Montecasino Outdoor Event Area in Johannesburg at the end of the month.

Over 6,000 people attended the Cape Town festival which took place on the Newlands Brewery Village Green.

In addition to the beer, 400 bottles of wine were sold and helped to wash down 3,000 sausages, 2,000 portions of chips and 2,000 portions of chicken strips.

The South African events are modelled on the annual Oktoberfest in Munich which is the world’s biggest beer festival and this year attracted 6.9-million visitors who each drank more than a litre of beer.

While the two South African events may be smaller, they offer many traditional features, such as frauleins serving armfuls of Bavarian-styled beer, an Oompah band and an array of German cuisine.

The German ambassador to South Africa is scheduled to open the Montecasino event on October 27 which will run for three days.

Oktober Bierfest has partnered with the South African Breweries Ltd (SAB) which has brewed three Bavarian-styled beers for the event. SAB’s chief brewer Martin Brooks said: “SAB has a long and established tradition of brewing excellence in South Africa. Behind the big brand names at SAB are some of the country’s best brewers, who are responsible for making the micro-brewed craft beers that we are showcasing at the Oktober Bierfest.
“They have harnessed their passion and expertise to produce the Munich Dunkel, Krystal Weiss and Oktoberfest Bier which will delight beer lovers.”
Raith Gourmet’s German chefs are responsible for the food at the two SA events and Southern Sun is offering discounted rates at its hotels to Oktober Bierfest ticket holders.