How to Celebrate Oktoberfest at Home

If you’ve ever longed to attend Oktoberfest, we get it: The two-week Bavarian bonanza in Munich, Germany is a veritable Disneyland for beer- and food-lovers worldwide.

As Berlin-based author of Classic German Cooking and Classic German Baking Luisa Weiss says, “It’s literally one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world." That appeal extends to Germans who hail from regions outside Bavaria, too, but “Oktoberfest is a Bavarian thing,” says Weiss. 

Read: You've got to go to Munich for the real deal.

Sound pricey? Fear not. Oktoberfest is easy and delicious to pull off at home. Weiss's Classic German Cooking features recipes for essentials such as potato salad, Obatzda and Apfelküchle (fried sweet apple rings). But, she noted, Oktoberfest foods come second to the #1 essential: beer. Read on to learn how to create a knockout Oktoberfest this fall.

DESIGN AN OKTOBERFEST MENU

First things first: There must be pretzels. Ideally, you’ll serve them with Obatzda, what Weiss descibes as a “creamy, very pungent cheese spread.” For your main, choose between roasted chicken with potato salad, Schweinshaxe (roasted pork knuckle or ham hock) with Knödel (potato dumplings) and gravy, or Käsespätzle (a creamy dish made with tiny homemade dumpling-like pasta) for vegetarians. For fish lovers, an Oktoberfest classic includes skewered fish like trout or mackerel slowly roasted over a fire. Fancy a crispy cutlet? Opt for Wiener Schnitzel and potato salad, instead.

“Germans consider it completely typical and normal to drink beer before noon,” said Weiss. With that in mind, though Bavarian Weisswurst (made with veal and bacon) is traditionally served only at breakfast, you could get away with a Weisswurst-based Oktoberfest brunch with sweet Bavarian mustard, pretzels or crusty white rolls, and beer. Traditionalists can opt for Bratwurst with sauerkraut (a more Northern-style dish nonetheless seen in Oktoberfest tents).

For dessert, make Kaiserschmarrn, a torn pancake dusted with powdered sugar and served with stewed plums or cherry compote. Apfelküchle are a traditional option, too, said Weiss (who includes a recipe for this treat in her cookbook). To make them, dip slices of cored apple in a batter, deep-fry them, dust them with powdered sugar, and serve them with vanilla sauce or vanilla ice cream.
 

SOURCE SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS GERMAN BEER

Beer is perhaps the most important element of your Oktoberfest celebration. In the Munich tents, expect liter-sized steins filled to the brim with local beers, but when hosting your own Oktoberfest, you can decide among beers from one of the six traditional Munich breweries allowed to sell beers at Oktoberfest: Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten. 

Alcohol-free beers are increasingly popular in the tents and are a totally viable option for your Oktoberfest celebration. Looking for something that isn’t beer at all? Make an Apfelschorle, a popular German mixture of apple juice and sparkling mineral water.

CHANNEL AN OKTOBERFEST TENT

Once you’ve got your menu planned and the beer situation sorted, the final thing you need to do to celebrate Oktoberfest at home is to channel the atmosphere of the festival. “People are in such a good mood at Oktoberfest,” said Weiss, “it’s a vibe.” What does that mean, in practice, though? Set the scene for a good Oktoberfest with a playlist: Spotify, for instance, has classic Bavarian brass band playlists, but for a true nighttime vibe, you’re going to want to add in the bangers common in Oktoberfest tents after 6pm like "Codula Grün" by Die Draufgänger or "Layla" by DJ Robin and Schürze.

5 CLASSIC OKTOBERFEST DISHES

LAUGENBREZELN MIT OBATZDA (BAVARIAN PRETZELS WITH OBATZDA SPREAD)

If we haven’t convinced you that pretzels are a must, perhaps the prospect of making your own pretzels will motivate you. It's easier than you think: Make a simple yeasted dough to shape into pretzels (duh), boil them in a baking soda mixture, then bake them until golden-brown. (The tradition in Germany is to cook the pretzels in food-grade lye, which is not advised in the U.S. due to its dangerous properties.) It also wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without Obatzda. To make this cheesy dip, stir together Camembert, cream cheese, butter, caraway seeds, hot and sweet paprika and a bit of wheat beer. (Of course, you could just buy pretzels and make the Obatzda for a less-involved recipe.)

Get the recipe for Laugenbrezel mit Obatzda (Bavarian Pretzels with Obatzda Spread).

KÄSEPÄTZLE (CHEESY SPÄTZLE CASSEROLE)

Imagine a dumpling crossed with a noodle and you’ll understand the glory that is Spätzle, a Schwabian specialty that’s a must-eat at Oktoberfest celebrations. First, you'll make a simple batter with flour, eggs and sparkling water and cook it in boiling water. Then, you’ll sauté onions in butter until golden before stirring everything in a nutmeg-flecked cream sauce that’s enriched with a strong Alpine cheese such as Allgäuer Bergkäse, Appenzeller, or Gruyère. It’s an incredibly rich dish that pairs perfectly with a wheat beer.

Get the recipe for Käsespätzle (Cheesy Spätzle Casserole).

BRATWURST MIT SAUERKRAUT (BRATWURST WITH SAUERKRAUT)

Of all the German dishes, this is perhaps the most famous. You’ll enhance a jar of store-bought sauerkraut by simmering it with spices and sautéed onion and apple. Served with pan-fried sausages and a generous dollop of spicy mustard, it’s the perfect easy Oktoberfest meal.

Get the recipe for Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut (Bratwurst with Sauerkraut).

SCHNITZEL MIT KARTOFFELSALAT (SCHNITZEL WITH POTATO SALAD)

Though breading and frying pounded cutlets of veal or pork is an Austrian tradition, it has been embraced by Bavarians and is a popular dish in Oktoberfest tents. Our version of Wiener Schnitzel can be made with veal or pork and comes with a German-style potato salad, which features a broth-based dressing and thinly sliced cucumbers.

Get the recipe for Schnitzel mit Kartoffelsalat: Schnitzel with Potato Salad.

Na los! It wouldn’t be an Oktoberfest celebration without round after round of toasts and beer glasses clinking, so make sure to work that into your plan, too. Prost!