This March, Munich will host a beer event that overshadows the city’s Octoberfest in potency if not in popularity. The Strong Beer Festival (Starkbierzeit), featuring only beers above 7% alcohol content, is one of the hidden gems of Munich, and a fascinating celebration of Bavarian culture.

An Ancient Tradition

The tradition of drinking strong beer during Lent in Munich actually dates all the way back to the 17th century, when monks of the Paulaner order brewed an extra strong and heavy beer called Salvator, since drinking beer circumvented the Lent-time prohibition of eating during the day.

The monks also sold this beer to the public and gradually established the Paulaner Brewery, which to this day remains one of the most popular companies of German beer. Today, their brewery at the Nockherberg serves as the venue for the Strong Beer Festival.

What you’ll find at the Strong Beer Festival

Many people attending the Strong Beer Festival will be particularly interested in beer samples from the city’s four largest breweries: Paulaner, Unions, Augustiner and Löwenbräu. However, there will also be many forms of entertainment and culture besides those you can drink.

Music makes up a large part of the atmosphere, and the famous Oktoberfest brass band “The Kirchdorfer” will even make an appearance. Waiters, waitresses, and many guests, in Lederhosen and other traditional garb will add to this celebration of Bavarian culture.

The Tradition of Derblecken

Of all the events and sights at the Strong Beer Festival, the tradition of Derblecken (Bavarian dialect for “to make fun of”) is one of the most unique and entertaining. Many of the region’s most prominent politicians, including the Bavarian minister-president, attend the beer tasting on the first day of the festival, an event that is typically watched by millions on TV.

The Derblecken follows a form of political satire in which the hapless politicians are subject to witty but mostly light-hearted ridicule in a cabaret-like performance. With the tone for the festival thus established, the three weeks of the Strong Beer Festival can truly begin.

More information, tickets, and directions on how to get to the Paulaner brewery by public transportation, can be found at the Strong Beer Festival Website.