Now you can enjoy Oktoberfest all year round!

We celebrated Oktoberfest early this year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last weekend at a German Hofbrauhaus Restaurant. Hofbrahaus Restaurants are popping up all over the US: in Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas to name a couple. The significance of the Hofbrauhaus is that this is one of the original beer tents at the real Oktoberfest held every mid-September through mid-October in Munich, Germany.

The Pittsburgh venue is located on the south side with a great view of the river. You have the option to sit in one of three sections of the Hofbrauhaus, outside in the gardens or one of two indoor locations. We recommend the main dining hall where all the singing, dancing and “shot skis” are enjoyed (I’ll get into more of this later).

If you’ve never drank your beer from a liter stein, let me tell you about it. At the Hofbrauhaus specifically, it contains a total of three to four 12oz beers, is filled with 5.2% (on average) genuine German Hofbra beer brewed right on the premises, and may need to be held with both hands. It’s incredibly impressive and amazing to see the waiters and bartenders delivering 5+ liter steins at a time.

The main dining hall contains long tables and benches where you will be sat with other beer-goers, unless you arrive with a large enough group to occupy the entire table which seats about 8. At the front of a hall you’ll find a stage where entertainment and the MC reside, and on the opposite wall a large rectangular bar rounds out the room.

Upon arriving at our table, Brian and I and our two friends quickly ordered a round of 1 liter steins and we begin our drinking festival. Surprisingly, we saw a pretty large number families and children in attendance for dinner, but soon after 9pm the clientele shifts to almost all 21+.

About an hr into our Friday night Oktoberfest a waiter runs up to the stage holding what appears to be a ski (yes, as in skiing down a mountain) high in the air with 4 evenly spaced shot glasses attached. Soon everyone starts chanting “Shot Skis!!”. Two more waiters appear up front with the same contraption and the crowd chants “Triple Shot Skis!!”. Three groups of 4 are now lined up in front of the skis and in unison they down the shots. What the contents of the shots are, I’m not sure. If anyone is familiar with this drinking event, feel free to provide your input. Is there a standard “Shot Ski” shot? Or is it whatever liquor strikes your fancy?

If you plan on visiting the Hofbrauhaus on Friday or Saturday nights, I suggest arriving early (7pm or earlier) if you expect to find a table without a long wait. And do NOT come on a full stomach. You need to save room for the beer!!

Oh, and most importantly…1 liter of beer will run you about $7. The same or less than 1 12oz beer you’ll buy at your local major league baseball game. And for an additional $8, you get to keep your liter stein! Half steins are available as well, but why would you want one of those?

So, have I sufficiently excited you about Oktoberfest??