"It's tapped! Here's to a peaceful Oktoberfest!"
It's happening at Oktoberfest! With just two taps, Mayor Dieter Reiter tapped the first keg of Wiesen beer in the Schottenhamel Festival Hall
"O'zapft is! To a peaceful Oktoberfest!" - Here are the links to the Oktoberfest webcams: Sept. 20 - Oct. 5, 2025 / Webcams broadcast live 24 hours a day - Webcams senden 24-Stunden live (DEUTSCH, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, FRANÇAIS)
Munich. Everyone waited for the magic words "O'zapft is! To a peaceful Oktoberfest!" Dieter Reiter announced the opening of the first Oktoberfest keg. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder received the first liter of beer. Twelve cannon shots rang out across the Oktoberfest, and all of Munich knew it was time. Let's go to the Oktoberfest.
 |
| A stein in a Munich beer tent, photo: Helga Waess |
The tapping of the beer and the long-standing tradition were first introduced by Munich's mayor, Thomas Wimmer, 75 years ago
Unpracticed, Wimmer needed a full 17 strokes for the first Oktoberfest stein. Incidentally, Christian Ude once topped everything with two strokes for the first time. So, as the mayor said: "Hello, a peaceful Oktoberfest!"
 |
| Two liters of Hacker-Pschorr beer in the festival tent at the Munich Oktoberfest, photo: A. Waess |
Now the "gold" flows into the glass "safes"
A wonderfully golden wheat beer and a cool lager... Investing in beer is always a safe investment for culinary delights...
Munich has six major breweries:
Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten
All six beers can also be enjoyed at the Munich Oktoberfest on the Theresienwiese, in the inns and beer gardens. For example, at the Wirtshauswiesn!
Hacker-Pschorr beer was first documented in 1417
At that time, the brewery was already located on Sendlinger Straße, not far from the town hall (Old Town Hall - now the Toy Museum). Today, the "Altes Hackerhaus" inn is still located here.
From the 18th century onward, the Munich couple Joseph Pschorr and Maria Theresia Hacker led their company to the top of Munich's breweries. Due to inheritance, the Hacker Brewery and Pschorr Brewery split, resulting in two beer brands. Since 1972, the brewery has been brewed again under the dual name "Hacker-Pschorr."
The former brewery site was located south of the Hackerbrücke bridge. Hacker-Pschorr is now part of the Paulaner Brewery Group. Hacker-Pschorr's 13 beers, some of which are only brewed seasonally, are bottled exclusively in swing-top bottles.
Löwenbräu was founded behind the Frauenkirche in the Löwengrube (Lion's Den).
It was first brewed in the Middle Ages (late 14th century). The title "Löwenbräu" as a brand name first appears in documents in 1746 (Munich Beer Brewery Catalogue). In the 19th century, the brewery, under the Brey family, became the largest brewery in Munich. The Löwenbräu festival beer later originated on Nymphenburger Straße, where we still find the Löwenbräukeller and beer garden on Stiglmaierplatz. Incidentally, the famous Starkbierfest (strong beer festival) and the "Nacht der Tracht" (Night of Traditional Costume) are both popular events here.
Since 1997, the Spaten-Franziskaner-Löwenbräu Group has operated jointly under the Interbrew brewing group, now InBev.
The Hofbräu from the internationally renowned Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich
The song "In Munich stands a Hofbräuhaus..." is world-famous and promotes the beer from the heart of the city. The beer has been brewed since 1589, when William V founded his ducal brewery. Since the 19th century, the brewery has been located on Innere Wiener Straße, where the spectacular, famous Hofbräukeller with its fabulous beer garden attracts visitors.
In 1939, the Hofbräu passed into state ownership. The Staatliches Hofbräuhaus brewery in Munich is arguably the best-known beer brand and was originally founded in the Alter Hof (Old Court). The famous Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, not far from the Viktualienmarkt, is now one of the city's most important tourist attractions. The brewery now takes place just outside the city, near the exhibition center.
The Paulaner Brewery with the monk "Brother Barnabas"
The Paulaner Brewery was founded by monks in the Munich district of Au. It was in 1634 that monks of the Paulaner Order brewed a beer that went down in history as the Paulaner Festbier and is still served at Oktoberfest today.
What was initially enjoyed only by the monks soon flowed down the throats of Munich's beer connoisseurs as Bockbier, made according to Brother Barnabas' old recipe. The Paulaner Brewery headquarters moved a few years ago (2016) from the famous Giesinger Nockherberg, known for the strong beer festival with its famous "Derblecken" (poking fun at politicians), to Munich-Langwied.
The brewery is still located in the Au on Ohmüllerstraße, and above it is the Paulaner am Nockherberg, a popular beer garden and venue for the annual strong beer festival with a keynote speech and musical.
The Paulaner Brewery is one of the sponsors of FC Bayern Munich.