Throw an Oktoberfest Party!

When you think of Oktoberfest, what comes to mind? It’s likely we’re thinking similar things: Women in dirndls, men in lederhosen, oompah music, brats ‘n’ kraut, and, of course, delicious German beer.

Planning your Oktoberfest party

Decide the day, time, who you’ll invite, how you’ll decorate, what music will be playing, and what food and drink will be served. Be sure to pickup or order party favors well in advance.

The day

In Germany, Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival that starts in September and runs through the first weekend of October. However, in America, we take the name Oktoberfest literally — celebrating anytime during the month of October.

The invitation

Use Evite to send FREE cute Oktoberfest invitations and manage your guest’s RSVPs.

The decorations

Start with the colors: Bavaria’s official colors are cobalt blue and white. Make your own decorations using colored construction paper, download photo props from the Internet, or buy them from a party store.

The music

Load up the Bavarian Band and Chorus radio on Pandora and stream the fun, uplifting oompah-music into your party.

The food

Set a spread, buffet-style, for guests to choose from. If your friends are good cooks, assign out recipes for each to bring a tasty German-style dish:

• Apfelstrudel (apple struedel)
• German Soft Pretzel Sticks (serve with assorted mustards)
• Biskuitrolled mit frische Frucht (cream roll with fresh fruit)
• Bierock (hamburger & cabbage rolls)
• German Potato Salad
• German Sausages with Bacon and Apple Sauerkraut
• Blaukraut (German red cabbage)
• Sauerbraten (German pot roast)
• Hendl (German roast chicken)
• Currywurst
• Bratwurst
• Kasespaetzel (Cheese spaetzel)

The beer

Don’t go for all “Oktoberfest” style of beer as that’d be boring to your guests. Instead, pick up a variety of German-style beers, so you’ll have a flavor for everyone. Plus, having a beer tasting is a fun way to entertain your guests. Here’s a list of my personal beer picks, from 99 Bottles beer store in Federal Way:

• Pilsener - Crisp, light effervescent;some may have a biting character.
• • Bitburger Pils
  • Breakside Liquid Sunshine
  • Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
  • Jever Pils
  • Spaten Pils
  • Victory Prima Pils
  
  
• Munich Helles - Light, often with delicate notes of honey and fruit
• • Andechs Vollbier Hell
  • Augustiner Edelstoff
  • Ayinger Jahrhundert
  • Hofbrau Original
  • Maritime Pacific Old Seattle Lager
  • Weihenstephaner Original
  
  

• Munich Dunkel - Dark, muted roasty flavors, with a light body
• • Asahi Kuronama
  • Ayinger Altbairsch Dunkel
  • DAB Dark Beer
  • Der Hirschbraul Holzar-Bier
  • Hofbrau Dunkel
  • Warsteiner Dunkel
  
  

• Kolsch - Light, blonde ales that are crisp like pilsners but are crackery or lightly fruity in flavor
• • Breakside Post-Time Kolsch
  • Double Mountain Kolsch
  • Odin Freya’s Gold
  • Reissdorf Kolsch
  • Seven Brides Kili’s Kolsch
  • Zunft Kolsch
  
  

• Schwarzbier - Black beer, with flavors of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and vanilla
• • Dixie Blackened Voodoo
  • Full Sail Session Black
  • Krusovice Cerne
  • Kostritzer Schwarzbier
  • Shiner Black
  • Uinta Baba Black Lager
  • Xingu Black Beer
  
  

• Weissbier / Hefeweizen - More flavorful than their American relatives, traditional German hefes often have flavors of citrus, banana, clove, spice, or bubblegum from an interplay of the yeasts with the wheaty malts
• • Andechs Weissbier
  • Ayinger Brau-Weisse
  • Erdinger Weissbier
  • Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier
  • Hale’s El Jefe Weizen
  • Iron Horse High Five Hefe (with ginger and honey)
  • Konig Ludwig Royal Bavarian Hefeweizen
  • Leavenworth Whistling Pig Hefeweizen
  • Maisel’s Weisse
  • Paulaner Hefeweizen
  • Schofferhofer Hefeweizen
  • Schneider Weisse Original
  • Silver City Bavarian Hefeweizen
  • Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
  
  

• Dunkelweiss / Dark Hefeweizen - It’s a hefeweizen brewed with dark toasty malts; think: hefe with flavors of caramel, chocolate, and/or ripe banana
• • Andechs Weissbier Dunkel
  • Ayinger Ur-Weisse
  • Bayern Dragon’s Breath Dunkelweizen
  • Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel
  • Leavenworth Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen
  • Shiner Holiday Cheer (coming soon; winter seasonal with Texas peaches and pecans)
  • Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
  
  

• Kristalweiss - Crystal-clear, filtered hefeweizen
• • Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier
  
  

• Oktoberfestbier / Marzen - Lightly sweet and very smooth, these full-bodied lagers have typically been cellared for three or four months — and most are only available in the fall season
• • Epic Fest Devious
  • Erdinger Oktoberfest
  • Firestone Walker OAKtoberfest
  • Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest
  • Left Hand Oktoberfest
  • Samuel Adams Octoberfest
  • Paulaner Oktoberfest
  • Silver City Oktoberfest
  • Snoqualmie Falls Harvest Moon
  • Spaten Oktoberfest
  • Warsteiner Premium Oktoberfest
  • Weihenstephaner Festbier
  • Widmer Okto
  
  

• Doppelbock - Dark in color, thick in body, and roasty flavors reminiscent of caramel, coffee, dark chocolate and dried fruit
• • Augustiner Maximator
  • Ayinger Celebrator
  • Moretti La Rossa
  • Paulaner Salvator
  • Spaten Optimator
  • Weihenstephaner Korbinian
  
  

• Weizenbock - Dark in color like a doppelbock, but the wheat imparts flavors of dark stone fruits and dried tropical fruits
• • Deschutes - Dinkelhauser Doppel Dinkel Bock (limited release/brewed once)
  • Schneider Aventinus Weizenbock
  • Schneider Aventinus Cuvee Barrique (limited release; it’s the Weizenbock aged in wine barrels)
  • Schneider Aventinus Eisbock (fuller flavored and higher alcohol than the Weizenbock)
  • Scuttlebutt 10 Below (coming soon; winter seasonal)

• Berliner Weisse - Tart, lemony and spritzy; Germans often add sweet syrup to cut this style’s tartness
• • Breakside Passionfruit Sour
  • The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
  • Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse
  • Wingman Sour Brett Berliner Weisse (limited release/brewed once)
  
  

• Rauchbier - A style that’s nicknamed “the bacon beer” due to its intense smokiness
• • Aecht Schlenkerla Marzen
  • Friegeist Abraxxxas (hybrid Berliner Weisse - Rauchbier)

Of course, there are many other styles of German beers, but starting with a nice variety like those listed above will give your guests a fun mix at your Oktoberfest party.