Oktoberfest at Löwenbräu Keller

Oktoberfest celebrations kicked off at Löwenbräu Keller on Saturday 22 September with the official tapping of the first keg at midday. The occasion also marked a milestone for the popular venue at the Rocks as it celebrates 35 years of the Munich-style festival in Sydney.

Oktoberfest at Löwenbräu Kellerwith Miss Oktoberfest 2012

There were dirndls and lederhosen to be seen with an oom pah pah band entertaining diners as they tucked into traditional Oktoberfest dishes and sipped on a range of authentic Oktoberfest biers from Munich.

Oom pah pah band

Oktoberfest dates back to 1810, to the time of the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Tradition has it that once the keg is tapped, guests are invited to fill their glasses until it is dry and raise a toast to the world’s largest festival.

Tapping of the keg

Throughout the festival, Löwenbräu Keller is serving special Oktoberfest menus and five official Oktoberfest biers on tap, all from within the limits of Munich and specially imported for the occasion: Löwenbräu, Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner and Hofbräu.

Despite the name, Oktoberfestbier is not brewed in autumn but in March before the weather turns warm. The bier has a higher alcohol content, usually 6.2% to 6.8% compared to regular biers (4.8% to 5.2%). The purpose of drinking the cellar dry in October is to make room for new bier.

Rudi Heider

“On a good bier, you get a good head,” Rudi Heider, General Manager explains as he pours the Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier. The head locks in the flavour which is medium-bodied with only a slight bitterness on the finish which makes it very easy drinking.

Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier

Special Oktoberfest dishes are also being served at Löwenbräu Keller prepared by head chef Mirco Jacobs.

The Oktoberfest Sharing Platter is the perfect dish to share among two or more hungry persons. There are house-made sausages served with Sebago mashed potatoes, Spatzle, red cabbage, sauerkraut and Löwenbräu bier jus. The standout component of the sharing platter is the 10 hour slow cooked pork shoulder in sous-vide that yields tender and flavoursome meat. Indulge in it first, as this may be the dish you don’t want to share.

Oktoberfest Sharing Platter

The popular Schlachtplatte is also a share plate and offers Bavarian specialties such as sausages, chicken schnitzel, meat loaf, roasted pork belly with mashed potato, sauerkraut, braised red cabbage, bread dumpling and Löwenbräu bier jus with a delicious oven-roasted pork knuckle on top.

Schlachtplatte

If you still have room for dessert, and you will, as the bier is cleansing after the meal, try the Ofenfrischer Apfelstrudel ($10.50) with a light, delicate pastry encasing soft, stewed apples and served with fresh cream and strawberries.

Ofenfrischer Apfelstrudel

Griess Flamerie mit Kirschen ($10.50) is a German semolina pudding with a delectable cherry sauce. Of course, there is always the Black Forest Cake if you’re after a chocolate hit.

Griess Flamerie mit Kirschen

This October, you can be part of all the fun and festivities of Oktoberfest in Sydney at Löwenbräu Keller which is holding many eventsincluding the inaugural Miss Oktoberfest crowning  on Thursday 11 October. Get yourself a good bier, hearty food and sing along to Ein Prosit. Prost!

Want more? Check out all the fun photos if the event on the Gourmantic Facebook page.

Löwenbräu Keller
Corner of Playfair & Argyle Streets
The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9247 7785
www.lowenbrau.com.au