JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Lift your steins, everyone, and get ready to enjoy the best of fall - today is the official start of Oktoberfest in Munich. I have a special fondness for this famous folk celebration, because as some of you may remember, we were stationed in Bavaria when I was a kid and took an annual trip to Hofbräuhaus. It was, at least at that time, quite a family-friendly affair: oom-pa-pa bands, my sister and I in matching dirndls, the whole nine yards. Sadly, I can’t say I ever drank at Hofbräuhaus because even in Germany, nine or ten is a little too young. I got Fanta, which was a big treat, because my folks did not believe in soda for kids.
Oktoberfest was first celebrated in 1810, as a whoop-up celebrating the wedding of Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (who was pretty awesome) to Ludwig I (who was not; 38 years after the first Oktoberfest, he was forced to abdicate in favor of his son after he tried to impose a beer tax. And he cheated on his wife, too! Boo, Ludwig, boo!)
In all those years, it's only been cancelled for three periods of time - during both world wars (not surprising) and during the 2020-2021 pandemic (also not surprising.) It's a huge expression of Bavarian culture, which is a lot happier and looser than what most Americans 
might think of as German culture. And what better way to express that then putting on your trachten (traditional clothing) joining a huge parade, listening to music (brass bands during the day and thrash/europop at night) and slamming 6% beers. Just don't pass out and get jeered at by the locals as a Bierleiche a/k/a a beer corpse.
Honestly, I like beer a lot but I've never gotten more than buzzed on it because constantly running to the bathroom to pee puts a natural pause on my consumption.
What about you, Reds? Have you ever visited a beer hall or celebrated at an Oktoberfest? Do you like beer, and if so, how fancy are your tastes?
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Beer. No. Not a beer girl. :-) Well, okay, wait. At Fenway Park with a Fenway frank. I am swooning now, thinking of that. Delicious. But it’s the whole package: baseball, hot dog, cheering, little kids, beer, popcorn, Sweet Caroline.
And I even lived in Hamburg for six months when I was 16–and I have no memories of beer whatsoever! But then, it was the sixties, so “remembering” is not part of the deal.
JENN McKINLAY: Beer me! I love beer. In winter, give me a nice hearty Guinness with my shepherd’s pie but in summer I want something light like Corona with my fish tacos. I didn’t love beer at first but three dollar pitchers at our favorite pizza place which was walking distance from the dorm soon changed that! One of my favorite beer bars when I lived in New Haven was Richters - because they sold beer in half yard glasses - a right of passage when we turned 21. I will say I don’t drink much of anything these days and when I have gone out and contemplated a beer, it’s all IPAs, microbrew weirdness, or flavored seltzer (gag)! I may turn into a hard cider girl yet.
LUCY BURDETTE: Yes count me in for Oktoberfest! I love beer, and like Jenn, learned to drink it in the pub at school. (Yes it was right on campus and we drank many, many pitchers!) John loves all the IPAs, but I prefer something lighter like Red Stripe or Stella. There’s a brewing company in Key West called the Waterfront–I enjoy their Crazy Lady and Island Life. Worth reading the list just for the names!
One more thing about beer vs wine–a bottle of beer is always the same. If you like it, it’s there for you exactly as you remember. Not so for wine, which can be terrible swill at an event or party:)
HALLIE EPHRON: Another thumbs-up for beer here. And hard cider. Drinking in pubs in Ireland was a revelation - A Guinness pour, anyone (NOTHING like what you pour from a bottle at home)? Who knew!
I also like Chinese beer and Japanese Ichiban. And on a hot summer day, I want nothing but an icey-cold Bud Light.
JULIA: I love hard cider. Love it. The first time I had it was on a trip to Cambridge while going to school in London. I had no idea how strong it was - it was so light and sweet going down... Thank God I had girlfriends there to muscle me out of the pub and get me safely back to our hotel.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Not a beer lover here. I will order a half pint in a British pub occasionally, but more as research for my British beer-drinking characters than because I really want to drink it. I do like Guinness, but can't drink much of it. It's so filling. I don't like American fizzy beer at all–it makes me feel like I've swallowed balloons!--but I love hard cider.
JULIA: How about you, dear readers? Whether you enjoy beer or not, join us all in a rousing chorus of In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus - Eins, zwei, g'suffa!
