Starkbierfest, Munich

“Starkbierfest” literally means “strong beer festival”, where the “starkbier” is a strong beer consumed during Lent (although “strong” refers not the alcohol content, but to all the starch, sugars and proteins dissolved in the beer). Back in the day, drinking liquids didn’t break the monks fasting rules, and I’m sure having a few starkbiers certainly helped pass the time until Easter.

The Starbierfest itself is very similar to Oktoberfest, but with better, stronger and tastier beer (7.5%), the festival is smaller (so you can actually run into people you know) and with fewer tourists. The picture is a little blurry, but maybe it makes it a little more realistic :)