October is the time to break out the lederhosen, grab your favourite stein, and sway along to the traditional sounds of an Oompa band during Oktoberfest.
And the best place to do all of this is Perth’s own Elmar’s in the Valley, microbrewery and restaurant.
Proprietors Elmar and Anette Dieren will hold a traditional Oktoberfest from October 21 to 23 with all the Bavarian trimmings.
Fresh from a Spring in the Valley onslaught, Elmar’s will transform into a German beer hall, dressed in festival blue and white livery. Staff will be wearing traditional costumes and no doubt dancing to the tune of two Oompa bands.
Bench seating set amid the rolling 0.8-hectare property will set the scene for stein glass toasting, a traditional dress competition (lederhosen for the guys and dirndl for the girls), and of course the best food this side of Munich.
Anyone who has enjoyed the smallgoods at Elmar’s knows what to expect. Selected dishes will include hearty Bavarian meat loaf, grillbratwurst and succulent pork shanks, all will the ubiquitous servings of sauerkraut.
And where would a ‘fest’ be without the finest of German beer. The commemorative Maerzen beer, a secret blend of three specially roasted varieties of malt and yeast, will be poured throughout the festival.
The beer is a premium German favourite and must adhere to the ‘Bavarian Purity Law’ of 1516, the oldest food standards law in the world. Elmar, who is no doubt well versed with the selected passages, brews it in the Southern Hemisphere’s only glass brewery.
