Happy New Year

Happy New Year to my Oktoberfest friends. May 2020 bring you lots of Hops, Happiness,   And Barley. 😀

Prost!

Happy Thanksgiving Fellow Oktoberfestians

 I'm thankful for all the good times and fun all of us have had attending Oktoberfest over the last 26 years. 

Wow! Has it been that long?!

We have a solution to all our problems!

We have all dreamed of this.  Eat a bretzel,  get a beer.

His body was brewing beer.

Anyone concerned about.......

A shower head? A set of teeth?

How do you lose these and not know it?

New place to try???

Chugger (et al)... have you been here?  I heard good things about this!!


Augustiner Schützengarten

Back in the U.S ... Back in the U.S

Back in the U S of A.

While the Rangs continued their sojourn to Salzburg, the Vozel contingent is almost home. Waiting on flight delay to Cincy.

A great time was had by most, and as usual, there are some classic "not for export" stories. Wish everyone else could have made the trip.

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

So I stopped to a local water closet.  I felt much better when it was over!  Maybe it was a two for one?

A New Snack with Bier

Cape Gooseberries !   Yum.

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

A Baby Bier for Einfahrt

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

Just for Paulaner Girl

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

Hofbrau Tent

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

Where did lager come from...

I am hoping the team in Germany right now can ask around.

Lager is from South America

Nw Moniker

We have officially annointed Flying Dan  as....

Dan the Table Man!

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

A message to Barley Man

Just checked into Hotel Alfa with our welcome biers. Anton said to say hello to Barley Man and Paulaner Girl.

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

Father/Daughter Oktoberfest is Underway

Chugger/Traci along with Flying Dan/Allison have begun their separate travels to the land of the Golden Nectar. We will all meet up in about 10 hours to begin our unique and memorable excursion.

The trip will be different without some of you, and we wish you could have attended. Nonetheless, a bier will be consumed in your honor.

Prost!

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

Two hammer blows and Oktoberfest 2019 Munich is open.

Have fun and save travels

Safe Travels

I wish all of this years Oktoberfest participants safe travels, great food and beer, and new memories.
PROST..

Just keeping track....

The Oktoberfestian attendance records:

Time is running out to order your official Oktoberfest shoes from Adidas

Only 200 Euros...

Adidas Oktoberfest Shoes

Final list for this years fest?

I need to update the trip website.  Seems to be a few more than on the official list? Whos Michael K?

Oktoberfest Beer

1.  OK. Not. Bad, but maltier than what you get at the fest.

2.  Why team with Bitburger?  They are not even from Munich and they are not at the fest.

3.  It's 🍻 beer

, and sunny by the pool. No complaints.

A lesson in finance.

Approximate price for a Maß this year is 11.70 €
That exchanges to $12.75

A Maß contains approximately 33.8 ounces
A pint at our favorite pub contains 16 ounces
So, a Maß is 2.1 pints

Now, a good pint (not during happy hour) is $6.00
Thus, $6.00 a pint times 2.1 pints per Maß = $12.60

We will be paying a 15¢ premium for all the fun and frivolity. Can't beat that ....

Yes indeed, we are all champions....

Ok, 3 Weeks until departure....

So let's get this show rolling.

While we never overly plan, we do like to have some idea of our activities, and 2019 will be no different. Flying Dan and I, with very little input for others, have discussed the following:

Friday 
After arrival at the Hotel Alfa,head on over to the Wiesn for an early indoctrination.
Early afternoon head to the Viktualienmarkt (weather permitting)
Late afternoon it will be time for the Hofbräuhaus

Saturday
Dachau? Tegernsee?
An evening at Augustiner Keller

Sunday
Kloster Andechs in the morning/lunch time
Hofbräu Tent in the evening

Monday
Something local to München, maybe Englischer Garten (there is a large bier garten there!)
Maybe a final visit to the Wiesn

Come on, provide your thoughts.

14 Years ago......

We were hailing the exchange rate of $1.21 to the Euro.

My how things have improved. As of today, the exchange rate is hovering around $1.08 to the Euro. We all know what that means....

We are practically drinking for free. Prost with a pic from the archives.

Humm...

Was Einfarht already here at Hofbrauhaus?

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

Oktoberfest Training

An afternoon at the Hofbrauhaus

Flying Dan took the pic

....

Keith

Sent from my iPhone (xcuze any selling misteaks)

Oktoberfest 2019 Official Mug

Another addition for my collection.

Wunderbar!

If I have to catch up on emails and work, I might as well stop at the Chicago Hofbrauhaus and have a Hefe and Dunkel.  Prost!!  Only 30 days and I will be having something like this with no PC!!

Pre-Oktoberfest on a warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon. Enjoying wine and fish. Viktualienmarkt !

Making quarters

As we like you to have a great Oktoberfest 2019 we thought let’s check if the Hofbrauhaus is still there and if they still serve Beer. Well guys we are there and yes all save. Guess what? We’ll check again tomorrow. Prosit!

I was in Chicago last week and decided to practice for the event. Yes, that is blackened chicken with bier cheese spaetzle.  Oh and a couple of completely finished biers.  On a side note, I talked to the entertainers and they were from Slovenia.  I guess their accents were close enough for the Bavarian band!  They did sing Country Roads.

How to drink bier at the Oktoberfest

Here ya go.... 

Note to Einfahrt: Pay attention starting at the 1:20 mark. Apparently it is OK not to drink all the bier.

Is it true?

Wed 07/24/19 • 14:10 pm

Important visitor in Munich: Barack Obama will appear as opening speaker at the Start-Up-Festival Bits & Pretzels in Munich during the Oktoberfest on 9-29–2019. It is possible that the former US president will also visit the Oktoberfest, as he announced years ago…

We have two extra seats at out tent on the 29th, should we invite him?

The challenge with translations.....

This is directly from the official Oktoberfest web site (https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/). They are reporting on the construction activity at The Wisen. I know, only us old dirty minded Oktoberfestians enjoy this...

"In the first week "only" about 50 workers were busy with the erection. But as soon as the small tents arrive after the big ones, followed by the rollercoasters and the many small huts, when electricians, plumbers and carpenters start their work, there will be about 8000 people involved in the erection until "O'zapft is!“. By the way, also female workers!"

Thank god for the female workers with all that erection.

The training continues...

 Today at the Dayton German Festival.

- Warsteiner Dunkel
- Brats
- Schnitzel
- Potato Salad
- Sauerkraut

Someone asked, Why the Blog?

Why is there an Oktoberfest Blog when there is Facebook? Well, there are several reasons this blog exists. Some are legitimate, some are emotional, and some are tongue-in-cheek. Choose your rationale, but this Oktoberfest Blog exists because:

1. It does. We started this blog way back in 2005 before Facebook was what it is today, and we used it first to organize what has become known as the Uber Trip.
2. This blog is single focused. We talk about Oktoberfest and bier. Ok, that's two things, but they are one and the same.
3. We don't share your personal information. We might joke about it, but we won't share it.
4. You are not bombarded with SPAM or advertising. (well, ok, there might be a posting about SPAM the meat somewhere)
5. It is easier to use than Facebook.
6. We control who accesses and uses this blog. Only people interested in Oktoberfest are welcome and we do not hesitate to 'thin the herd'.
7. Most of us are old and don't like to change our ways to the newfangled stuff.

What say you fellow Oktoberfestians?

Pretzel at Stone Beer garden

The good trend continues...

Last year's exchange rate was approximately $1.16. Today (2 Aug) the rate is $1.11. With any luck, we might be close to $1.10 by October. That makes a bier very affordable..

For the newbies and veterans alike.....

A new redesigned Official Oktoberfest Website.

Since I cannot post a picture in a comment...

This is in response to the comment from Flying Dan in the previous post.

Been thinking about....

How quickly to indoctrinate the daughters into the Oktoberfest scene. There are three options that I see available to us:

1. Treat them like little girls and check into the hotel and take a nap.
2. Freshen up upon arrival, and head out to see some of the sites of the city.
3. Drop and run to the Wies'n.

Here's my thoughts:

1. Not appropriate, they are not little girls anymore.
2. An interesting proposal, could stroll through Marienplatz and visit the Viktualienmarkt. Plenty of time for that over the weekend though.
3. This is why we are at Oktoberfest, correct?

So, we all arrive around 8:00-08:30 on Friday, be at Hotel Alfa by 9:30-10:00, check-in, freshen up, head to a tent. It gives them their first view of a somewhat subdued experience that can set the stage for later attendance. Of course we still have the late afternoon pilgrimage to the Hofbrauhaus.

Flying Dan, what say you?  :-)

Official Bier Prices Have Been Set

In general, bier prices are 10.80€ - 11.80€, about a 3% increase from 2018.

The the full list here...

Internet

Construction is Fully Underway

It is mid July and construction is in full swing. It won't be much longer and we will be sipping the golden nectar.

Father/Daughter Training Session

The first training session for Oktoberfest 2019

Traci - Chugger - Flying Dan - Allison

at Mecklenburg Gardens in Cincinnati

I, sadly, will not be joining this year. But....

The website is updated! 

https://www.davefinlay.com/oktoberfest-history-page

An expanded visit theme...

Still a Father / Daughter trip at its heart, but now expanded to anyone who is interested. Due to some unforeseen circumstance, only Chugger and Flying Dan will be true to the moniker and bring their daughters.

Who else would like to join us during this off year sojourn? I say off year, but the odd numbered year is our usual modus operandi. Join the four of us for an unplanned trip.

Typical schedule:

Arrive Friday, 27 September
Depart Tuesday, 01 October


We have our flights, how about you?

Need I say more.....

Who recognizes this venue?

Hint: Great pancakes with bacon and bier.

A plan comes together....

The execution of this year's plan has begun....

A new visit theme....

We, primarily Barley Man, have assigned theme names to our visits over the years. For example:

• The Woody Trip
• The Barf Olympics
• Dutch Treat

These were all good monikers, but almost always were assigned after the trip. For good reason, it was a way to commemorate the experience. However, a fellow Oktoberfestian has recently proposed a new trip theme.

That's right, a Father/Daughter themed visit. Dad would bring his daughter. Oh, did I mention, the proposal is for this year... 2019?