Celebrate Oktoberfest at Solaire Philippines!
Every time October comes around, beer lovers rejoice. It’s time for Oktoberfest!
The best place to celebrate Oktoberfest is, of course, in Munich, Germany. Failing that, Oktoberfest is celebrated in other countries, too, including the Philippines. This year, it’s going to be held at Solaire from October 4 to 6, 2018.
German Club Manila is partnering with Solaire this year for their 80th anniversary of Oktoberfest, and they have promised the biggest and most authentic celebration of German culture. What makes an Oktoberfest celebration authentic? Here’s a preview.
Enjoy free-flowing Weihenstephan, a Bavarian beer.
Free Flowing German Beer
Oktoberfest, more than anything else, is of course, about celebration, and what’s a German celebration without beer? At Solaire, there’s going to be free-flowing Weihenstephan, a beer from Bavaria, Germany, with the oldest brewery in the world.
For the 3-day event (opening from 6pm to 2am), there will be over 25,000 liters of wheat beer and Oktoberfest beer served. Tickets will come with a German beer mug which you can use during the event and then take home as a souvenir.
A sampling of traditional Bavarian food during Oktoberfest.
Traditional Bavarian Food
If you have ever wondered what a traditional Bavarian food is like, you’ll definitely know during Oktoberfest. Prepared by Solaire’s German chef, you will get to try German sausages, cheeses, pretzels, and schnitzels, among others.
There will also be several kinds of German bread, salads, and cold cuts. My favorite was the weisswurst, a Bavarian white sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. It was definitely delicious and so filling!
My favorite: the white sausage (weisswurst).
There’s dessert too: a classic apple and walnut strudel with vanilla sauce and ice cream. And yes, you can have as much of these food as you want with your beer.
Oktoberfest Games
Games are a part of any merrymaking. We got to witness two: a mug-holding game (that Harvard Uy de Baron, the blogger behind Always Hungry PH won) and a beer chugging game. Even if you’re not competitive, why not join? It’s nice being cheered on!
Games participants Harvard Uy de Baron (2nd from L) and Fil-Canadian celebrity Mikey Bustos (3rd from L).
Our host also taught us how to sing and act out a German song called Fliegerlied that is reportedly the most popular Oktoberfest song. You jump, you swim, you grab someone’s hand and sing la-la-la. The lyrics (in English) goes like this:
And I fly, fly, fly, like a plane
am so strong, strong, strong
like a tiger
and so tall, tall, tall like a
giraffe
and tall all-oh-oh
and I jump, jump, jump
and keep on jumping
and I swim, swim,
swim
over to you and I take, take, take
you by the hand because I
like you
and I say
Today is such a beautiful day – la, la, la, la, la
When you’ve had a mug (or 20) of German beer, singing a song in German and flapping your arms around can be a lot of fun!
The Bavarian Sound Express
While eating and guzzling beer, you’ll be treated to German songs performed by the Munich-based Bavarian Sound Express. They’ve been coming to the Philippines for years, with the band members usually dressed in their traditional outfit — lederhosen for men and dirndl for women.
Note that the waiters and waitresses will also be Germans wearing their traditional clothing!
Prost! German Club Oktoberfest Chair Michael Scheile (2nd from L), German Club president Tobias Rast (2nd from R), and Bastian Breuer (rightmost), Solaire VP of F&B.
What You Need to Know About Oktoberfest Philippines 2018
First, you need to be 18 years old and above to participate in Oktoberfest. Tickets are sold per day and per zone — there’s Beergarden (P4,590), Premium Beergarden B (P4,968), Premium Beergarden A (P5,184), and VIP (P10,368). The prices are per person and they are more expensive at the door.
Included in the ticket price is a German beer mug, all the food and beer you want, as well as snacks from the midnight buffet, if you get tired of all the sausages and schnitzels.
You can buy the tickets through the following:
- TicketWorld: Your tickets from TicketWorld will be exchanged at the entrance for German Club tickets.
- German Club: Go to their office at 5F Penthouse, Eurovilla II Bldg., 118 V.A Rufino St., Legazpi Village, Makati or email them at reservations@germanclub.ph.
- Solaire guests and Solaire Rewards members can also get tickets at Solaire Box Office.
- At the gate.
Dress code is smart casual, or you can wear lederhosen or dirndl, too!
Oktoberfest 2018 will be held at the Solaire Oktoberfest Tent, with the entrance located at The Gallery, ground floor of The Shoppes. It’s the first time German Club is celebrating it at Solaire.
“We are very delighted to continue the Oktoberfest tradition in the Philippines and celebrate it with our Filipino friends,” Tobias Rast, German Club President, says. “We are pleased to have a new partner in Solaire.”
Will I see you at Oktoberfest? Prost!