Oktoberfest: How a Royal Wedding Became the World’s Biggest Beer Celebration

Every fall, millions of people gather in Munich for giant steins of beer, Bavarian food, brass bands, lederhosen and one of the largest celebrations on the planet. And it all started because two people got married. Which makes Oktoberfest possibly the most successful wedding after-party in history.

It Started With a Royal Wedding

The first Oktoberfest took place in 1810, when Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The wedding festivities culminated in a massive horse race on October 17, with citizens of Munich invited to join the celebration on fields outside the city gates.

Those fields were named Theresienwiese, or “Therese’s Meadow,” in honor of the bride. The celebration was such a hit that organizers decided to do it again the following year. Then again. And again. Eventually, Bavaria had accidentally created a tradition.

Oktoberfest Wasn’t Originally About Beer

Surprisingly, beer wasn’t the star of the original Oktoberfest. The horse race was. Over the following decades, the festival expanded to include agriculture, food stands, games and amusements—and, increasingly, beer.

By the late 1800s, modest beer stands were being replaced by much larger beer halls and tents backed by Munich breweries. The horse races eventually disappeared. The beer did not.

The Beer Is Serious Business

Today, beer is inseparable from Oktoberfest. Only six Munich breweries serve beer at the official festival: Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu München, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten.

Beer is traditionally served by the Maß, a one-liter mug—or roughly 34 ounces. Oktoberfest apparently looked at the pint glass and decided it lacked ambition.

Then there are the famous beer “tents,” although tent is doing some heavy lifting here. These enormous temporary halls can accommodate thousands of people at a time, complete with long communal tables, live music, Bavarian food and a tremendous amount of beer.

And the food holds its own. Roast chicken, sausages, pork knuckles, dumplings and enormous soft pretzels are all Oktoberfest staples. Holding a pretzel roughly the size of your head next to a one-liter beer makes everything you’ve ever ordered at happy hour seem unnecessarily restrained.

More than 200 years later, Oktoberfest has grown far beyond Munich. Breweries, restaurants and communities around the world now host their own celebrations with Märzens, Festbiers, Bavarian-inspired food, music and, naturally, plenty of draft beer.

From Oktoberfest Traditions to Modern Draft Beer Technology

While Oktoberfest celebrates centuries of brewing tradition, the beer industry has come a long way since that first royal wedding in 1810.

Today, breweries, bars and restaurants around the world rely on a variety of draft beer dispensing systems to deliver a consistent pour. Depending on the beer style and dispensing setup, that can include CO₂ or carefully controlled blends of CO₂ and nitrogen.

That’s where companies like MilCarb come into the picture.

MilCarb’s N2U Nitrogen Generator produces nitrogen on-site, while its B2U Gas Blender combines CO₂ and nitrogen into precise blends for compatible draft beer systems. Together, these technologies help beverage businesses manage their gas supply and maintain consistent dispensing conditions.

And while traditional Oktoberfest celebrations have their own established brewing and serving practices, the same appreciation for quality beer extends to the modern breweries, taprooms and restaurants MilCarb supports every day.

After all, whether you’re raising a Maß in Munich or enjoying a pint at your neighborhood brewery, great beer deserves a great pour.

From all of us at MilCarb, here’s to the brewers, the traditions and the beer lovers who have kept Oktoberfest going for more than 200 years. Prost!