culture

images: München Tourismus Werner Boehm; getty; shutterstock

OKTOBERFEST, GERMANY The world’ s largest beer festival draws more than six million visitors to Munich’ s Theresienwiese fairgrounds. Tents seat up to 10,000 people, brass bands play oompah tunes and waitresses carry armfuls of one-litre steins through the crowd. Only six of Munich’ s historic breweries are allowed to serve, pouring specially brewed Oktoberfestbier that’ s maltier and boozier than your average lager. Between rounds, visitors graze on giant pretzels, white sausages and pork knuckle.

PETERBOROUGH

BEER FESTIVAL, UK Held each August beneath sprawling white marquees on the grassy riverside embankment, the focus here is firmly on cask-conditioned, naturally carbonated beer. Hundreds of real ales, porters and milds are gravity-poured or hand-pumped into half-pint tasting glasses. There are also dedicated bars for cider and international brews, while the food offering includes pies, Scotch eggs and ploughman’ s plates eaten at shared tables.

BELGIAN

BEER

WEEKEND, BELGIUM Each September, Brussels’ Grand Place transforms into a vast open-air beer hall lined with wooden chalets. More than 50 Belgian breweries take part, pouring upwards of 500 beers across three days. The Belgian Brewers Associationcurated lineup puts the nation’ s heritage on pour: expect tart, spontaneously fermented lambics, rustic farmhouse saisons and tripels and authentic Trappist ales.

Three more: alternative festivals

Mikkeller Beer Celebration, Denmark Every spring, this craft beer festival brings together more than 100 breweries from Europe, North America and Japan, many pouring experimental beers created for the event.

Pilsner Fest, Czech Republic This festival celebrates the birthplace of pale lager at the historic Urquell Brewery, where copper kettles and underground cellars tell the story of its origin. At 6:42 pm— a nod to 1842, the year the world’ s first golden lager was brewed here— thousands raise their glasses in a synchronised toast.

Warsaw Beer Festival, Poland Billed as a‘ carnival of craftsmanship’, creatives— from cheesemakers to comic book illustrators— exhibit alongside 50-odd breweries. Baltic porters, hazy IPAs and Grodziskie— an oak-smoked wheat beer— cascade from the taps, while a shuttle bus links the party with Warsaw’ s best bars.

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