Chris Malpas dusts off his lederhosen to bring you the best oompah-parties
October is almost here. Last year’s beery promises to attend Oktoberfest in Munich have fallen through and you and your mates are looking to don your dirndls and lederhosen somewhere a little closer to home. Thankfully, Liverpool is dusting off its steins for a season of Bavarian festivities that’s not to be missed.
Not that we ever really need an excuse to drink our bodyweight in beer, but Oktoberfest is the perfect one. Expect live oompah bands, foamy wheat bears, and enough bratwursts and pretzels to soak up all that booze. Say goodbye to the Aperol Spritz and light beers you’ve been sipping all summer – it’s time for a good old-fashioned piss-up.
Read on to discover the best places to celebrate Oktoberfest, gorge yourself silly and get day-drunk...
Bierkeller
By now, you should know the drill. A year-round Oktoberfest of sorts, Bierkeller is pulling out all the stops for two weekends of special events on 14/15 October and 21/22 October. Expect all the best Bavarian fare, DJs and brass bands. Of course, no Oktoberfest would be complete without an ungodly amount of steins, and Bierkeller is something of an expert on double-pints. Fancy dress is encouraged, but wear something you don’t mind spilling beer down because you’ll be sure to end up dancing all night on the benches.
6-8 Thomas Steers Way, Liverpool L1 8LW
Oktoberfest Sefton Park | 30 September - 2 Oktober
It’s not just the city centre that’s planning to have a mad one. Sefton Park is playing host to Liverpool’s official Oktoberfest, with two booze-fuelled sessions a day. Maxlrainer brewery will be serving up cold ones, but it’s the food that plans to hog the limelight. Visit the Bavarian food village to try everything from sauerkraut and roasted meat to dumplings and pretzels. Plus, if you’re a fan of trumpets and comedy keep an eye out for The Amazing Bavarian Stompers.
Friday session general public 18+, Saturday general public 18+, Sunday 11am-5pm family event, Sunday evening general public 18+. Tickets from Skiddle.
Camp and Furnace | Saturday 8 Oktober, Saturday 15 Oktober
Camp and Furnace rarely does a quiet drink, and this year’s Oktoberfest is no exception, running across two Saturdays in the merry month. German Jukebox will be there for a beery sing-along and Eva Von Schnippisch has her Beer Hall Playlist queued up and ready. Both daytime and evening sessions are on offer, so even if you’re not a night owl, you’ve got no excuse. You’ll probably want to dress-up for the occasion if you stand a chance of blending in with the Bavarian décor. Jeans and t-shirt just don’t feel right when you’ve got a stein in each hand.
67 Greenland St, Liverpool L1 0BY (Oktoberfest tickets £11 from Skiddle)
Baltic Market | 28 September - 2 Oktober
If you’re after a little dash of Liverpool with what promises to be a German-themed onslaught, then Baltic Market is the place to be. A range of food vendors will be keeping up with the Oktoberfest theme, but don’t worry if German beer isn’t your thing because there’ll be plenty of local beers on tap for you to wash down your frankfurters with. You might want to pace yourself though, because Bavaria is coming to the Baltic for five days straight.
107 Stanhope St, Liverpool L8 5RE (Wed & Thurs, free entry; Friday 12-5 free, 5-11pm tickets £12, Saturday two sessions 12-5pm and 6-11pm, tickets £12; Sunday 12-10pm, tickets £6)
Albert’s Schenke | 30 September - 2 Oktober
Prince Albert left a much longer legacy than being known as somebody who married his cousin and had a genital piercing named after him. Beer and brats are in the haus all-year round at Albert’s Schenke, but in honour of Oktober they’ve got five Oktoberfest biers at the ready on tap, steins galore, plus a special keg tapping of Paulaner.
16 Hanover St, Liverpool L1 4AA
Hangar34 | Saturday 8 Oktober
This one ticks all the boxes. Oktoberfest beer? Check. German food? Check. Live oompah bands? Check. It’s a one-day only event on 8 October, so book in advance to avoid missing out. Above all, Hangar34 promises to deliver on atmosphere. It’s as close to Munich as you can get without even leaving Liverpool.
34 Greenland Street, Liverpool, L1 0BS (12-5pm / 6-11pm tickets £16.88 from Skiddle)
Bundobust | Until 23 Oktober
Bundobust’s spin on the festivities sees the launch of four Indian street food interpretations of German festival food standards, two Oktoberfest beer specials and a limited edition ceramic stein crafted by internationally renowned potter, Joe Hartley. Specials on the menu include currywurst koftas, desi dumplings with currywurst sauce, and kartoffelpuffer - potato and sauerkraut fritters served with a cinnamon applesauce dip. Headlining the bar, Bundobust have brewed up the limited edition Bundobar! - 5.2% black lager, a proper German style Schwarzbier with Munich and Vienna malts.
First Floor, 17-19 Bold St, Liverpool L1 4DN
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