By — Andrew Mach Andrew Mach Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/prost-millions-cheer-beer-oktoberfest-germany Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Prost! Millions cheer with beer at Oktoberfest in Munich World Sep 19, 2015 3:46 PM EDT Beer drinkers from around the world converged in Munich, Germany, on Saturday, to raise a stein to the start of the 182nd Oktoberfest. More than six million revelers dressed in traditional Bavarian lederhosen and dirndl dresses were expected to flock to Theresienwiese, the 420,000-square-meter official grounds, over the next two weeks for the 16-day beer bash. Held annually in the Bavarian capital since 1810, the festival is a mainstay of German culture, featuring a smorgasbord of southern fare, including roast chicken and pork, sausages, dumplings, Sauerkraut, pretzels — and, of course, Oktoberfest Beer. Visitors cheer with beer during the opening ceremony for the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Only beer brewed within Munich city limits and that adheres to the “Reinheitsgebot,” or German Beer Purity Law, which limits ingredients to only water, barley and hops, can be served at the official Oktoberfest. More than 6 million liters were consumed last year. Other cities around the world also hold their own Oktoberfest celebrations modeled after the original Munich event, which runs this year until October 4, one day after German Unity Day. A general view shows the festival ground during the opening day of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Customers fill a tent after the opening of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. A waitress carries beer in a tent during the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michaela Rehle/Reuters. A waiter carries plates with snacks in a tent during the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Women decorate gingerbread Oktoberfest hearts with icing at the Fesey company factory in Munich, Germany September 15, 2015. Fesey will produce about 1000 gingerbread hearts with the word ‘tolerance’ for the upcoming Oktoberfest. Photo by Michaela Rehle/Reuters. Visitors ride a ferris wheel during the opening day of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Visitors arrive on the opening day of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich September 19, 2015. Photo by Michaela Rehle/Reuters. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Andrew Mach Andrew Mach Andrew Mach is a former Digital Editor for PBS NewsHour in New York City, where he manages the online editorial direction of the national broadcast's weekend edition. Formerly, Mach was a news editor and staff writer for NBC News. He's also written for the Christian Science Monitor in Boston and had stints at ABC News, the Washington Post and German network ZDF in Berlin, in addition to reporting for an investigative journalism project in Phoenix. Mach was a recipient of the 2016 Kiplinger Fellowship, the 2015 RIAS German/American Exchange fellowship by the Radio Television Digital News Foundation and the 2012 Berlin Capital Program Fulbright. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is a native of Aberdeen, South Dakota. @andrewjmach
Beer drinkers from around the world converged in Munich, Germany, on Saturday, to raise a stein to the start of the 182nd Oktoberfest. More than six million revelers dressed in traditional Bavarian lederhosen and dirndl dresses were expected to flock to Theresienwiese, the 420,000-square-meter official grounds, over the next two weeks for the 16-day beer bash. Held annually in the Bavarian capital since 1810, the festival is a mainstay of German culture, featuring a smorgasbord of southern fare, including roast chicken and pork, sausages, dumplings, Sauerkraut, pretzels — and, of course, Oktoberfest Beer. Visitors cheer with beer during the opening ceremony for the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Only beer brewed within Munich city limits and that adheres to the “Reinheitsgebot,” or German Beer Purity Law, which limits ingredients to only water, barley and hops, can be served at the official Oktoberfest. More than 6 million liters were consumed last year. Other cities around the world also hold their own Oktoberfest celebrations modeled after the original Munich event, which runs this year until October 4, one day after German Unity Day. A general view shows the festival ground during the opening day of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Customers fill a tent after the opening of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. A waitress carries beer in a tent during the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michaela Rehle/Reuters. A waiter carries plates with snacks in a tent during the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Women decorate gingerbread Oktoberfest hearts with icing at the Fesey company factory in Munich, Germany September 15, 2015. Fesey will produce about 1000 gingerbread hearts with the word ‘tolerance’ for the upcoming Oktoberfest. Photo by Michaela Rehle/Reuters. Visitors ride a ferris wheel during the opening day of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 19, 2015. Photo by Michael Dalder/Reuters. Visitors arrive on the opening day of the 182nd Oktoberfest in Munich September 19, 2015. Photo by Michaela Rehle/Reuters. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now