Beer flows freely as Oktoberfest opens in Munich

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Saturday September 16, 2006

Munich, Germany- Munich's 173rd Oktoberfest, billed as the biggest pubic festival in the world, got under way to cheers and the clinking of beer mugs on Saturday. More than 6 million visitors from around the world are expected for the festivities, paying up to 7.50 euros (9.40 dollars) for a one-litre mug of frothy beer in one of 14 huge tents.

Festival organizers promise an 18-day "gaudi" - southern German for plenty of fun - until October 3 during which about 6.1 million litres of beer will be consumed.

Half a million grilled chickens and local fare such as pan-fried meat, sausages, and pfannakuacha - Bavarian dialect for a jam-filled pancake - will help the beverages go down.

The festival was launched under cloudy skies with the traditional ceremonial tapping of the first 200-litre barrel of beer in the Schottenhammel tent by the Mayor of Munich, Christian Ude.

With three hits, the beer began to flow and the mayor was able to cry the time-honoured words "Ozapft is!," Bavarian for "it is tapped!"

Twelve shots rang out to indicate to the other beer tents that beer may be served, while Bavarian state Premier Edmund Stoiber held up the first litre.

Thousands of people, many of them dressed in traditional Bavarian costume, streamed to the festival grounds, hours before the opening.

Police said they would be stepping up drink-driving controls on motorways around Munich during the festival, which this year runs two days longer than usual.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur