Oktoberfest 2011 at Sofitel Harbor Garden Tent : Beer-ey Bavarian Bash

When In Manila, get yourself ready for Four Long and Amazing Nights of Bavarian Food, Beer and Music by German Club Manila at Sofitel Philippine Plaza:  OKTOBERFEST – 20 to 23 Oct 2011.

At the Sofitel, unlimited San Miguel Beer and Bavarian food buffet will be served to the tunes of traditional Bavarian music from Oct 20th 6.30 pm when the first beer cask will be tapped in Manila— in line with 201 similar ‘Oktoberfests‘ worldwide! 

This is the 2nd year of this German festival in Manila but way back Oktoberfest was actually an extended wedding celebration of a German Prince and his beautiful bride who wed in 1810. The unique thing about it was that the royalty extended this invite to all their citizens who feasted on the finest dishes and home-grown beer (till date considered a ‘food’, not a drink!)  

German club in Manila with an array of sponsors have promised extravagant raffles–Tickets to Munich, Over-night stays at premium hotels and resorts and Cash as well as Gift Coupons. Beauty Contest for fun and of course the crazy Beer Drinking Contest will be the chief attractions. These events brought nearly five thousand people to last year’s Oktoberfest….and this year Sofitel is ready to host 6.5 thousand!

Bollywood movie fans can think of the ‘Tomatina festival‘ in the recent hit ‘Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara’ and get the idea of what this is gonna be lyk…

Helpful Rumour:

I have heard that Friday 21st is already sold out but Thursday and Saturday are still open for bookings. So is Sunday, 23rd Oct 10am-12 noon- which is traditionally a family day.

Kids games, pool-side fun, inflatable jumping castles, magicians, face-painters and food will make an ideal Sunday by the sea-shore Sofitel. Non-drinkers can have their sodas and colas and something called ‘Cali’ which is 3% alcohol in Pineapple soda and enjoy the lavish food spread. 

Traditional favorites of authentic Bavarian fare are Pork Knuckles, Apple Strudel, Red-cabbage and a huge variety of gourmet Sausages. Vegetarian options are also there: Check out my non-alcoholic beer mug and Veg Platter: Potato and Bread dumplings and Stir Fried veggies…Aren’t I having as much fun or more as my more daring counterparts…well-almost… 😆

This four day fest is actually an abbreviation of the traditional 14 day long celebration. In Munich, only the beer brewed within city-limits was allowed to be served. When In Manila, the natural outcome is to celebrate with the ‘World-famous Philipino brand’ SAN MIG ! Next year they even plan to produce special Oktoberfest Beer.

 As I said, Oktoberfest is really a celebration of the love-story of the German Crown Prince and Princess Terese who wed way back in 1810 and celebrated an extended wedding where all citizens were invited to endless drinking and most lavish and rich food. No doubt, Filipinos have loved the concept! Aren’t they as crazy (or more) for Beer, Music and Eating out as the Germans! I find it intellectually stimulating—how every culture has its greek god Bacchus worshipping version. HoLI festival in India for my Indian friends is similar. ‘Do crazy things Day’ kind of affair…. and its a class-less , friendly, family affair, not a clandestine get-high pub crawl. At least it was not meant to be. 

I was told by a German, “Remember– for us — BEER IS ‘FOOD’! ” So in that spirit and given the lovely location of the fest, I am gonna take my family to get a taste of German festivities right here in Manila (Sunday morning).

BTW the Filipino staff dressed in Bavarian Costumes looked so cute 🙂 and the fair garden setting with its benches and tables is a total ambience!