Oktoberfest 2004 in Las Vegas,in Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

It’s October and the best thing to do this month is attend an Oktoberfest somewhere in the world. I live in Las Vegas where the best Oktoberfest is at the replica of the original 1589 Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany.

The Beer Hall is a replica of the one in Munich, Germany.

The Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas' main Beer Hall is the same dimension, height, and decorated similarly as the one built in Bavaria and licensed by Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München. Seating capacity is 383, but it looks bigger, and it is bigger when adding in the enclosed adjacent Biergarten (Beer Garden) in the back, seating about 440 under full size chestnut trees.

Stephan Gastager, one of the owners, assures me this is the first Hofbräuhaus to be built in 400 years, and what better place for it than in Las Vegas, the home of replicas of New York, Paris, Venice, Rio, and Luxor. This is Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas’ first authentic Oktoberfest; they opened in January 2004. The mini Munich is the place for Oktoberfest, packed with beer swilling locals and tourists; it is close to the local university, so it gets its fair share of legal campus drinkers.

To kick off the six weeks of Oktoberfest the Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas imported a troupe of German folk dancers, called the Schuhplattler, to dance from September 17-24^th. The keg tapping ceremony was September 18 during the lederhosen contest. Germany ’s own Cornelia performs the Bavarian Hackbrett from October 6-17, accompanied by a special instrument from the Alps, the Raffele. She also yodels, sings, and dances.

	Join in the Oktoberfest festivities at the Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas

For a special one night engagement be at the beer hall for Schwabenmusikanten on October 12, when he performs in the Garden . The original Beer Garden in Munich is actually larger and outdoors. The Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas has other activities planned for the month long festivities, including Master German painter Friedel Michels, who demonstrates beer stein painting. A percentage of the profits from a weekly stein raffle go to a charity for the only Nevadan and German heritage citizen killed in 9/11.

Everyone gets a chance to perform in the sauerkraut and dumpling eating contests, stein lifting (full of beer I presume), and yodeling contests. Losander, a German close hand magician and illusionist works his magic from October 11-31. There will be a select Sunday brunch fashion show featuring Soeren Joensson, who’s “Pyrate Style leatherwear collection makes him a hit.

The Heidelberg Quartett performed in September and Almwind is slated for October shows. Die Biermeisters, featuring Lynn Hetrick, performs Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There is a live Bavarian band the night I attend Oktoberfest.

The one and only Oktoberfestbier is served in Germany & Las Vegas.

The first Oktoberfest was in honor of the royal wedding of King Ludwig who married his beloved Therese from Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810. Over 40,000 visitors attended the festival. Two years later, a special brew with deep golden color, a stronger original extract with higher alcohol content, was introduced as the Oktoberfest Beer from Hofbräu München. The best natural barley, malt, hops, yeast, and pure water (200 year old purity laws still prevail) are used for brewing this Oktoberfestbier, a special seasonal brew created just for the Oktoberfest in Munich, and also a feature at the Las Vegas beer hall. It is the exact same beer served each year at the “Wies’n”.

In 1828 Ludwig opened the Hofbräuhaus to the public as a pub and restaurant and 16 years later reduces the price of a liter from 6 to 5 kreuzer in order to “provide the working classes and military the possibility to afford a healthy and pleasurable drink.”

A complete renovation of the Hofbräu was brought about in 1897, thus allowing for 3,500 guests. Klaus Siegfried Richter composed the world famous Hofbräuhaus song, “oans, swoa, g’suffa!” in 1935. World War II nearly destroyed all of the Hofbräu, other than a small portion of the taproom that continued to function. In 1958, reconstruction was completed, the festival hall reopened for the the city of Munich’s 800 year celebration.

Special events are held in the Biergarten.

When you think of Oktoberfest you think of beer. While sitting in the foyer bar of the Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas, I have a chance to tongue twirl a Bavarian brandy called Asbach Uralt, the great brandy from the Rhine and imported by the pub/restaurant, as are all their Bavarian beers. Asbach is world renown for its bite and burn and then settles down to a smooth after glow on the palate. I could not drink too many of them before falling off the bar stool.

Don’t come to the Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas to just drink beer (or brandy). At the Hofbräuhaus in Munich the wait staff will only serve you if you have a seat, so I arrive early in the evening to make sure the rule is not the same here. There are long rows of tables, just like in Munich, and the Beer Garden picks up the overflow. Many tables are reserved in advance; all of sudden it is a big beer party, packed to the walls; every one is raising a beer stein and singing “Ein Prosit”.

	Oktoberfest beers need pretzels. The Original is served at Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas.

The menu is a fantastic array of Bavarian dishes. I start my meal with a compote of Bavarian Liver Mousse and Obazter (cheese special) swiped on a freshly baked pretzel. It was so good I have to ask for a second pretzel while guzzling a Hofbräu Original brown beer at 5.1% alcohol content. No doubt these are the huge pretzels made from the automatic Pretzel-Robot invented by Oswald Piller and known as the “Wiesnbrezn”.

Other Bavarian beer choices that stand out are the Hofbräu Dunkel, a lighter beer than the Original, but with a higher alcohol content at 5.5%. The Munchner Kindl Weissbier has been a Hofbräu monopoly for over 200 years, a lighter brew that was a royal beer, with a 5.1% alcohol content.

For the entrée special I order the Zwiebelrostbraten, a 12-ounce seared strip loin steak with onions and wine sauce and a side of chicken noodle soup. Believe me this is not for dieters, it is served on top of a bed of mashed potatoes. Other unique Bavarian entrées include Grilled Hendl — Oktobefest-style roasted half chicken stuffed with parsley; Jägerschnitzel — Port Cutlet, hunter style, topped with creamy mushroom sauce; and the most popular of all German dishes, Sauerbraten — Pot Roast, Bavarian-style, with red wine, vegetable strips, potato dumplings, and red cabbage. Even the chefs are German.

The Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas also has a line of Bavarian snacks, salads, burgers, and sandwiches, classic sausage specialties, and even a few dishes for vegetarians and kids. Ask the server for the fish of the day.

Desserts include the traditional Apple Strudel, or the Eis Mit Himbeeren — Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Raspberries. I order the Käsekuchen — Bavarian Cheese Cake with Raspberry Sauce that is so delightful and so huge. Of course they have Bavarian Black Forest Chocolate Cake — Schwarzwälderkirschtorte — to those who speak German.

The Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas is serving special menus throughout the Oktoberfest festivities, so stop in every night for samplings of Eischfilet in Bierteig — Beer Battered Cod Filet with Bavarian potato salad. Or Halbes Wies’n Hendl — half a roasted chicken served with Bavarian potato salad. Or Kohlrouladen — Stuffed Cabbage Roll (beef) served with mashed potatoes and bacon sauce. Or how about Zweibelfleisch — Beef Brisket served with beer onion sauce. Or Beer Goulash served with spatzle. Don’t forget the bratwursts! For a PDF format of the Oktoberfest menu CLICK HERE.

	Invite your friends on the free shuttle

For those that want to keep up on the action at the Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas many events are aired on local radio stations and listed in newspapers. If you are driving into Las Vegas Highway Radio is broadcasting updates and giveaways during Oktoberfest.

The pub has a complimentary shuttle service for groups of four or more, so there is no reason not to attend Oktoberfest at Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas with your friends. It is a real "Gemütlichkeit" experience. Call 702/853-BEER (2337); or log on at www.hofbrauhauslasvegas.com

— By Kriss Hammond, Editor, Jetsetters Magazine.