Oktoberfest kicked off its 181st celebration on September 21st in Munich. The German jubilee lasts until October 5th and is considered the world’s largest beer festival. Over six million people eat, drink, and have fun. You might not be able to make it to Germany, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate. Whether your city has a big German population or just a lot of people who want to have a good time, an Oktoberfest can be a fun way to bring in customers. If you want to host a killer Oktoberfest celebration at your bar, here are a few things to keep in mind.
It’s all about the beer. No matter what you do, keep the beer first and foremost in your celebration plans and your Oktoberfest party is likely to be successful! The real Oktoberfest has some stringent requirements—in keeping with the Bavarian Purity Requirements, all Bavarian beer should be made using only water, hops, and barley. Of course, this doesn’t mean your Oktoberfest celebration has to be quite so strict…chances are your customers won’t mind. As long as you’re serving German beer, customers will likely be happy. Try offering half off of all German beers all day, or include German beers in your happy hour deals. You also might want to offer a German beer tasting. Flights of German beers can be a fun way for customers to try some new drinks they’ve never had before.
Don’t forget the food! If people are drinking, they’ll also want to eat. Your best bet is to provide plenty of traditional German food. Sauerkraut, bratwurst, dumplings, cheese, and strudel are all popular ideas. And Bavarian pretzels are a great snack idea!
Focus on your staff. Are your staff members interested in getting a little dressed up? Traditional Oktoberfest outfits are a fun way to add some festivity to your bar. For men, this involves lederhosen, while women wear dirndls (traditional Bavarian dresses). But if you don’t want to deal with getting entirely new outfits for your staff members, consider having them simply dress in the colors of the Bavarian flag: white and cobalt blue.
Bring in some tunes. It’s just not a party without the perfect music! If you want to be super-traditional, book an Oompah band, a band that plays traditional German volkstumliche music. However, these bands can get pretty popular during Oktoberfest and they can be difficult (and expensive!) to book. If you can’t justify the expense, that’s okay! A CD of traditional Bavarian music is great, too.
Even if you’re not in Munich, Oktoberfest can be a fun and exciting way to bring in customers. Are you planning on having an Oktoberfest celebration at your bar?
Article provided by Buzztime.
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