**Disclaimer; Brisbane Devoured attended Oktoberfest with complimentary entry tickets. All beer and food was paid for by us**
Oktoberfest is on again in Brisbane, in its 8th year it is the largest Oktoberfest event and German festival in Australia. It is held over two weekends, 9-11th and 16-18th October. We visited last Sunday to check it out, but there is plenty of time left to head to the festival this weekend.
Saturdays are the busiest days of the festival, with Sundays being quieter as the Family days, with more events for children.
The main attraction of the festival for us was the German food. You can get your schnitzels from K & K Schnitzel House, giant pork knuckles the size of a soccer ball at Haxen Haus, and the German version of pizza at Wood-Fired Flammkuchen. We sampled a Cheese Kransky on a roll from the German Sausage Hut, and also a huge pretzel and Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce from King of Cakes. The cake selection from those guys is fantastic, I almost went back for the Bee Sting and a slice of Black Forest Cake.
The giant Bier Tent is larger than it has been in previous years. I was quite surprised by its sizing in fact. It is certainly the loudest area of the festival, with a VIP section at one end and the bar at the other, there are folks lined up at each table eating pork and drinking from large steins (which are unfortunately/inauthentically plastic due to poo Queensland liquor laws). The band playing apparently flew in directly from Munich to headline Brisbane’s Oktoberfest.
I am not a frequent beer drinker, but hey, when in Rome. I found the Tucher Weizen (wheat) Beer to be fairly easy to drink and quite fresh in flavour.
We sat down in the afternoon at the German Connections tent to listen to the OktoberFeast presentation from beer conoisseur Matt Kirkegaard and 2014 Masterchef contestant Emily Loos (who has now gained a position in the GOMA kitchen, lucky girl). Matt ran threw the various beer styles available at the festival, whilst Emily whipped up this Korean Fried Chicken which went perfectly with beer on the side. OktoberFeast is on at 3pm again this Sunday.
There are also rides galore and a petting zoo for kids, heaps of tables underneath the large trees in the RNA showgrounds, yodellers, cowbells, a pop-up Barbershop for those who want a fine German mo’, and a German Strongman competition.
Oktoberfest final weekend hours 16th-18th October:
Friday 4pm-Midnight
Saturday 11am-Midnight
Sunday 11am-8pm
Oktoberfest is held at the RNA Showgrounds, 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills.
www.oktoberfestbrisbane.com.au
