In the Philippines, a number of venues are marking the celebration with beer, food and music.
The Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila will be a partner of the German Club Manila for the club’s 77th Oktoberfest. For seven years now, Michael Scheile, former president of the German Club, has been hosting the Oktoberfest, part of his skill at doing so coming from his roots in Bavaria. During a launch earlier in September, guests were treated to beer at tables decked with cozy-looking checked tablecloths and seated on wooden benches, set up at the hotel’s Harbor Garden Tent, which can hold up to 2,000 people.
German sausages of every size and shape were served, which Adam Laker, Sofitel’s General Manager said were flown in from Germany. Other treats are to be expected at the festival itself — roast pork knuckles, roasted calf, and Laugen rolls (bread rolls dipped in lye, a bit like plump pretzels). Mr. Laker emphasized the authenticity of Sofitel’s Oktoberfest, not only with the food, but in the atmosphere. “I don’t think that it’s that authentic if you’re [sitting] in a ballroom,” he said.
Meanwhile, San Miguel is brewing a special beer for the hotel’s celebration, 16,000 liters in all, to be consumed during the weekend of Oct. 16 and 17. For another touch of authenticity, the Bavarian Sound Express will play during the event, the 12th time it will perform during an Oktoberfest celebration in the Philippines.
One may partake of this German-style bacchanalia by buying tickets from Sofitel or the German Club, at P3,800. “Filipinos like food, drink, and music… the three key components of the Oktoberfest,” said Mr. Scheile.
PROST!
Over at the Hyatt, meanwhile, guests were treated to a properly heavy German lunch (also overflowing with beer) at The Café on Sept. 29 for a preview of its Oktoberfest, called “Prost!” (a traditional German call for a toast).
Guests were first told to go to the kitchen to make their own pretzels, starting out as a roll of dough that was to be rolled into a thin tube, then knotted, dipped into lye solution, and baked. After the trip to the kitchen, guests were served warm German potato salad, weisswurst (literally, white sausage), pork knuckles, Servietten Knoedel (day-old bread, spiced, and boiled as dumplings), wiener schnitzel (traditionally veal, but for The Café’s version, pork, malleted thin, breaded, and fried), served with sides of sauerkraut (pickled cabbage). Condiments such as different kinds of mustard and spiced ketchup were placed on the table for the guests to enjoy. The clear winner for the guests was the baked pork knuckle, with a crisp texture and a noisy, crackling skin that might make one think that it’s fried, but with a cleaner, less greasy taste.
“We are two German chefs here at the Hyatt… I think we both know our stuff about German food quite well,” said Michael Luedtke, the hotel’s executive chef.
He noted as well that the sauces have mostly been imported, but he finds that some ingredients have adequate substitutes in the Philippines. “There are a lot of products available here in the Philippines, because we do have a lot of German butchers here who have very good sausages,” said Mr. Luedtke, noting the use of Philippine pork in some of the dishes.
The celebrations will feature free-flowing beer, and an oompah-pah band, the Die Dorf Fest Kappele.
Despite being held in The Cafe, Mr. Luedtke says that the party atmosphere will remain the same. “It comes with the evening, when you serve all the beer, and the traditional food, and people get a bit animated, and I think the atmosphere would come.”
Tickets for “Prost!” are priced at P2,388 net, which includes a dinner buffet, free-flowing beer, and seats at The Cafe’s Oktoberfest tent area. Prost! runs from Oct. 8 and 10.
43 KINDS OF BEER
Meanwhile, the City of Dreams will hold its own Oktoberfest on Oct. 17, featuring a party with 43 free-flowing varieties of beer, and a buffet with six different kinds of suckling pig, with recipes coming from Cebu to Bavaria.
Doors open at 7 p.m. with live musical performances, a Battle of the Bands, and a raffle for round trip tickets for two to Europe (courtesy of Qatar Airways). Tickets, available at the City of Dreams, are priced at P5,000 net per person.
BEER IN CAVITE
Santis Silang will serve an Oktoberfest buffet on Oct. 15, 6-10:30 p.m., which will feature special dishes and the accordion music of Rolf Henkel while he plays his Accordion.
Meanwhile, all Santis Delicatessen branches are now carrying authentic Euro-Swiss Oktoberfest Sausages.
For inquiries and reservations, call Santis Silang at (049) 414-1694, the Manila line at 514-5120 Manila Line or 0927-696-1825. Santis Silang is located at Km. 52 Buho, Silang, Cavite.
SAN MIGUEL
As San Miguel Pale Pilsen celebrates its 125th year, it holds the country’s biggest beer and music festival.
The celebration kicked off on Sept. 18 at the MOA Concert Grounds, with a massive beer shower, giant inflatable displays, virtual sports game booths, and a grand fireworks display. Aside from the beer is the music — performances by university bands, Red Horse Beer endorsers Ely Buendia, Pepe Smith, Slapshock, Greyhoundz, and Razorback. The San Mig Light Party All-Night DJs top-billed by this year’s champion, DJ Kouta Kutsuma.
The music and beer-packed party will be also be held at the Cebu IT Park in Apas, Cebu City on Oct. 2; and Limketkai Center in Cagayan de Oro City on Oct. 3. — Joseph L. Garcia