Oktoberfest may get first new brewery in 189 years

Munich, Germany, has six official breweries that are allowed to serve their legally protected Munich beer at Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival. Paulaner, the youngest, was founded in 1634 by monks. Augustiner, the oldest, dates back to 1328 and is also the product of a former monastery. On the one hand, these breweries are honorable bearers of tradition, some of which are among the best in the world. On the other hand, the so-called beer city can sometimes buckle under the weight of all that history, especially as per capita beer consumption in Germany is slowly but surely declining.

Giesinger Bräu is bringing some spice back to the city. The small company represents just 1% of Munich’s beer production, but it’s attracting an inordinate amount of attention. In addition to unfiltered versions of the Helles, Weizen, Dunkel, Märzen and Bocks that make up the standard range of Munich breweries, Giesinger brews seasonal and outdoor beers like a Belgian-style Lemondrop Triple. In addition to half-litre bottles, Giesinger also offers 0.3-litre shorties for quicker rounds. The company has a relatively traditional brewpub in Munich’s Giesing district, but aims to be present in every one of Munich’s 25 neighbourhoods, with minimalist Stewardship Hallsor standing bars, which attract hip, young people. This year, the brewery is even the subject of a feature-length documentary in the cinema, called Straight from Giasingwhich takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the company’s growth and urges viewers to drink every time its founder, Steffen Marx, takes a sip onscreen. “We have to do things that others don’t do, and not do things that others do, to differentiate ourselves,” Marx says in the film.

These differences may seem negligible to outsiders, especially Americans who have lived through the bombastic craft beer revolution of the past few decades, but they’re noticeable to locals who are attuned to such things, like the difference between one’s favorite and least favorite brand of Helles. Started in a garage in 2005, Giesinger “brings a breath of fresh air to the Munich beer market,” says Christoph Ferry Jürgen Häckner, a teacher and restaurateur. Like him, many drinkers—particularly young ones—“are clearly looking for something different from the traditional and sometimes stuffy big breweries.”

Giesinger “has established itself as a brewery that respects Munich’s traditional beer culture but is also willing to explore new paths,” says Marx, who serves as general manager. Häckner knows something about this struggle to honor customs while simultaneously challenging them — the self-proclaimed bon vivant is a member of the Schwuhplattler, the only gay group that performs a lively traditional dance called Schuhplatteln that goes hand in hand with celebrations like Oktoberfest. “Giesinger shows that ‘everyone is welcome’ in many ways,” Häckner says, from hosting “Wednesgay” every week at his bar in the gay neighborhood of Glockenbachviertel to sponsoring Munich Monks RFC, an inclusive rugby team. In doing so, Marx and his team have involved the community every step of the way, garnering the support of 8,000 crowdfunders and many more fans.

As Giesinger gathered grassroots support and expanded, one question remained: Will the brewery participate in Oktoberfest? Of course, it’s not really up to Giesinger — it’s up to the authorities behind the event. The Munich Brewers’ Association (which locals half-jokingly call the Beer Mafia) and the speakers from Oktoberfest Landlords did not respond to requests for comment, but Stefan Dohl spoke on behalf of the Department of Labor and Economic Development, the festival’s organizer.

While he wouldn’t say what the full process was for certifying a new addition to Oktoberfest, nor whether organizers would be interested in adding a new brewery, Dohl shared that the city of Munich licenses breweries for Oktoberfest according to its official operating regulations, which state: “Only Munich beer from efficient and proven traditional breweries in Munich, which comply with the Munich Purity Law of 1487 and the German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) of 1906, may be served to visitors to Wiesn.” Until recently, Giesinger was technically just a brewery based in Munich, as any official Munich brewery requires a deep well within the city limits. However, after a million-euro expansion, Giesinger produced its first beer using water from its own deep well in April 2020, becoming the seventh brewery to bear the official Munich beer seal. This was one of the last legal hurdles for potential Oktoberfest membership. Since Giesinger has also managed to influence public opinion in his favor, it may be difficult for opponents to hold out for long.

“There are still challenges to be addressed, as Oktoberfest is a global flagship event of great importance to the city of Munich,” says Marx. “We are in close contact with key decision-makers and are fighting to ensure that Oktoberfest reflects the diversity of Munich as a beer city. Our goal is to be represented at Oktoberfest within the next three to five years.”

Häcker believes Giesinger will make it to Oktoberfest on that schedule. “It’s a big fight, but there are many positive developments and endless supporters. It would be boring if the beer lobby stayed like this.”