Pubs, breweries and hotels are recreating the magic of Oktoberfest with their special menus, music, a Bavarian set-up and an unending flow
As the Munich’s Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap into the first keg of beer with four blows of his hammer to kick off Munich Oktoberfest, one of Germany’s most famous festivals, celebrations just sparked off worldwide. Over the years, close to some 280 years now, the beer show has created ripples across the globe and has become a carnival stage for the global revellers. And Delhi is no different! The city restaurants, pubs, micro-breweries and brewers are raising the toast in a grand fashion. There are dedicated menus and exciting promotional campaigns.
The Beer Cafe in CP has introduced ‘Beer Sliders’ comprising eight beers and a choice of beer bites, priced at Rs 2,000 for two people. Apart from that, there are offers on buckets of authentic German beers such as Erdinger, Krombacher, Valentins, Schneider Weisse and Paulaner.
Oktoberfest is supposed to be a funfair, probably the biggest in world, simply because of food and beer. The new menu at the Eros reflects the excitement. “We have wurst (sausages), Oktoberfest roast and schnitzel (breaded fried thin slices of meat) along with famous erdinger (wheat beer) to accompany the food. German food is inclined towards meat options a lot with pork being the favourite one. Also an addition of famous Dutch oven-style cooking where food is served from casseroles which are heated on live coals is also being offered, which is different for our guests and not a regular feature. The desserts include apfelstrudel (apple strudel pastry), quarkkuchen (quark cheese cake) and schwazwalder kirschtorte (classical black forest cake),” says Manoj Rawat, executive sous chef, Eros Hotel.
The Oktoberfest is all about enjoying food of your choice with beer. Combos like pretzels with beer, wurst and spatzel (German noodles), Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), schweinshaxe (roast pork knuckle with sauerkraut) are a favourite.
Amid celebrations, is health a concernIJ Experts say it’s okay to cheat once a year. “Oktoberfest is all about fun and happy times you share with friends and pals, so health is second on the list here. We ensure that food and beverage are of highest quality and procured from certified agencies,” says Rawat.
Priya Vasudeva, senior brand manager, The Beer Cafe, says, “Beer is a healthier option than hard liquor (it has only four-five per cent of alcohol content). We have also kept away from any drinking/chugging games as we want to encourage responsible drinking. We truly believe that people should enjoy their beer rather than just chugging it to get drunk.”
The Pavilion 75 and Shanghai Club at WelcomHotel Dwarka are serving a customised menu consisting of authentic Bavarian sausages and German delicacies like Schnitzel. Traditionally associated with meat delicacies, this time specialities like spatzle and quiche are also on offer for vegetarians. “Traditional accompaniments like sauerkraut, a white cabbage pickle which is matured for weeks and hand ground mustard add another dimension to the whole experience,” informs Shivneet Pohoja, executive chef at WelcomHotel.
In recent time, Oktoberfest has become one big opportunity for the outlets to lure customers. As the awareness is increasing, people too have become specific in their choices. “That challenges us to offer something different as well as utilise the business opportunity,” says Pohoja.
The Sky Bar (Amby Mall, Vasant Kunj) presents a confluence of East and West with South-East Asian cuisine and western partying styles, and during the Oktoberfest, the West is representing an ode to beer with non-stop happy hours “while the eastern confluence comes via the new menu which includes special dumplings, the robata grill, cook at your table, clay pots et al.”