Munich’s Starkbierfest: 5 Details You Need to Know
Among other German beer festivals, Munich’s Starkbierfest is the heavy hitter in the group. The heavyweight champ. The bouncer at that club you’re too afraid to cross. And with big championship belts comes big, strong beers.
Also known as the Strong Beer Festival, Starkbierfest may not be for beer festival beginners. It’ll take a little practice to work your way up to what you’re going to find here: strong beers that’ll knock you out with a one-two punch to the liver.
However, if you’re an Oktoberfest old-timer or a Cannstatter Volksfest veteran then you’re ready to go one-on-one with a couple liters of the hard stuff. Here are the essential details you need to know about attending Starkbierfest in Munich.
1. The beers are strong
Let’s start with probably the most important point: the beers at Starkbierfest are “strong beers.” The term “strong beer” actually refers to the amount of carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, etc. stuffed into the beer, not its alcohol content.
However, stuffing all those carbs, sugars, and proteins, etc. into a brew actually does result in higher alcohol contents—typically between 7.5% and 8.1%. So, yes, strong beers are strong in exactly the way you thought we meant at the beginning of this. And, yes, they’re still served by the liter. This is Bavaria after all.
The idea for strong beers was originally conceived by German monks looking to create a beverage they could drink during Lent—one that would fill them up in the same way as the food they were about to do away with for 40 days. These beers—which they referred to as “liquid bread”—have evolved into what we know today as doppelbocks.
How to identify a doppelbock
Today, these strong beers are easy to identify since the names of them all end in “-ator.” Some Munich examples you can expect to try at Starkbierfest include:
- Paulaner Salvator (the original)
- Spaten Optimator
- Löwenbräu Triumphator
- Augustiner Maximator
- Hofbräu Delicator
- And Hacker Pschorr Animator
2. Starkbierfest takes place in early spring
Unlike the majority of German beer festivals you’re probably familiar with, Starkbierfest does not take place in the fall.
Instead, given these beers’ origins as “food” during Lent, the Strong Beer Festival takes place during Lent each year (though not for an entire 40 days unfortunately). Starkbierfest takes place annually in mid-late March.
3. Starkbierfest takes place at various locations
Also unlike typical beer festivals that take place inside massive beer tents at a central festival grounds, the Strong Beer Festival takes place inside the breweries’ beer halls themselves. This also means the Starkbierfest happens all over town!
Don’t get us wrong though, these breweries and beer halls are about as massive as the beer tents you’re used to—there’s definitely no lack of partying to the max here.
The biggest Starkbierfest parties take place at the Paulaner Nockherberg where they’ve been celebrating this festival since 1870, the Augustiner Keller, and the Löwenbräu Keller.
4. You need tickets
While most festivals are cool with you just showing up whenever and wherever you feel like it, the Starkbierfest venues require you to pre-purchase tickets.
Each location has its own requirements and ticket policies—some require a table reservation, some only require you to buy an entry ticket, and some tickets even include your first beer. Check each venue for their specific requirements.
5. Yes, they still serve food
Even though the Strong Beer Festival is all about “beer as food,” they still serve incredible Bavarian fare here. Whether or not you choose the beer-only diet is up to you.
Visit the official Paulaner Nockherberg Starkbierfest website here.
