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Where to Drink the Bier This Oktoberfest (With a Map!)

Every day is like Oktoberfest at Bierhaus.
Every day is like Oktoberfest at Bierhaus. Photo: Melissa Hom

Fall is upon us, and that can only mean one thing for beer-and-food lovers: Oktoberfest. The annual celebration of Munich-brewed beers and all things gloriously Bavarian is arguably one of the greatest things Germany has ever invented (and these guys came up with the Gutenberg printing press). Just because you’re not in Munich doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate in full German style: Bars and beer gardens all around town are offering special deals and events to honor this centuries-old brewfest. They’ll supply the bier, wursts, and polka — all you need to bring is your lederhosen.

On Saturday the 24th, World Yacht is hosting its second annual Oktoberfest on the Hudson. Pier 81 will be transformed into a mini-Munich. There will be sausages, bratwursts, pommes frites, Bavarian pretzels, and, best of all, live polka from the Polka Brothers and professional German dance troop Schlierachtler Stam. If that sounds like your thing, tickets are $20, $15 in advance.

The Fatty Crew is bringing Oktoberfest spirit to their Central Park Pullcart with German brews and brats on pretzel bread, available October 1.

Bier International, Harlem’s first beer garden, will be celebrating Oktoberfest on Saturdays and Sundays for the next two weekends with German beer and food. Highlights include a pig roast and the crowning of Harlem’s first Oktoberfest Queen!

In the spirit of the age-old tradition wherein the mayor of Munich taps the first keg of Oktoberfest, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz tapped the first keg and handed out free beer at Loreley Williamsburg this past weekend. For those who missed the party, Loreley will host another event at 7 p.m. on September 28: a three-course beer tasting dinner of German delights and Oktoberfest beers ($29 per person). Plus, both the Williamsburg and Lower East Side locations will be serving Oktoberfest beers on draft or in bottles through October 2.

Andaz Wall Street is serving up a special menu through October 1 at Bar Seven Five, the Bar Seven Five Outdoor Terrace, and the Andaz Biergarten, with Spaten Drunkel, Spaten Pilsner, Spaten Oktoberfest, and Franziskaner all on draft. The menu includes small plates of traditional German beer garden fare, such as crisp radish, spaetzle, sausages, and smoked trout.

Over in Long Island City, Studio Square is hosting a smorgasbord of Bavarian fare. A $65 ticket will get you all-day tastings of Oktoberfest brews and unlimited access to a ridiculous spread: hachen-schnitzel, grilled sausages, wursts, smoked meats, cheeses, and more pickled side dishes than you’ll know what to do with.

Alphabet City’s Zum Schneider is celebrating with live music, beer, and their usual lederhosen. At noon on Saturday, the indoor beer garden will kick things off with the ritual tapping of the first keg, along with music from Mösl Franzi and the Ja Ja Ja’s, Becky Boobs and the Bla Bla Blas, and DJ Volka Racho. There will be more performances most evenings for the next two weeks; check out a full calendar here for details on the festivities.

Head over to Brouwerij Lane this weekend for a variety of Bavarian specials. From Friday, September 23 to Sunday, September 25, the beer store will feature deals on half-liters and liters of suds, as well as pretzels and sausages.

Bierhaus isn’t switching things up too much, except for a few special performances by Alpine Squeeze — a “German-American festival band” — and the Polka Brothers. But, really, every day already feels like Oktoberfest there.

Where to Drink the Bier This Oktoberfest (With a Map!)