With the arrival of the cold, midterms and Halloween, October is a big mix of studying and anticipating for the last day of the month. But staying at home, avoiding the chill, and brooding over your upcoming exams arenât the only ways to spend your whole month, neither is it that productive. I can say for myself, after half an hour on a reading, itâs only a matter of time before I pull out my phone, which naturally leads to the next hour being wasted, an hour that could have been spared to go to Oktoberfest.
For those who donât know, Oktoberfest is the worldâs largest funfair that involves lots of beers and traditional foods, held in Munich, Germany. Of course we canât all afford to buy a ticket and fly over to Germany for some delicious beers and pretzels, but luckily Montreal does hold multiple Oktoberfest events around the city, most of them lasting a whole month so you can make time for at least one.
On October 3, Gertâs and AUS hosted the annually-held OktoberhAUS 2014, which my friends and I stopped by for a small taste of what to expect at Oktoberfest. At the entrance, we each got a large beer mug along with a free pretzel, all of which were included in the entry fee. The event consisted of fun German trivia and a mini McGill Stammtisch (friendly get-together), which unfortunately shone on my lack of German. Other than that the rest of the night was enjoyable with music, friendly people and good beer, all of which German or non-German speakers would appreciate. So those of you in for a nice, unwinding night this October, here are some nearby places/restaurants in Montreal that are celebrating Oktoberfest:
1. HELM Microbasserie
Location: 273 Bernard Street West
From October 1 to October 31, HELM will have five different German brews, only for the month of October along with their other classic beers that are brewed on-site. They can be served with a variety of foods available on the menu ranging from Montreal-made sausages to other German-type cuisines.
2. Les 3 Brasseurs
Location: 732 Saint Catherine West
Throughout the entire month of October, the restaurant will be brewing a special âLa Munichâ beer based on the German accustomed method with ingredients of water, malt, yeast, alcohol, and carbon dioxide. Being near campus, itâs a great place to dine after a hard day’s work at school.
3. Labo Culinaire Foodlab
Location: 1201 Boulevard Saint-Lawrence
With its rotating new culinary theme every few weeks, the Foodlab never fails to impress us. So for those who arenât big fans of beer, here is a classy wine event on October 16 at 5pm. It involves a traditional Abendbrot meal (evening bread served with sausages, cheese, or etc.) with German pinot noirs.
4. Bier market
Location: 1221 René-Lévesque Boulevard West
With its large selection of beers that are specially taken care for to better its flavor and a delicious menu that complements them, the Bier market is further treating us by serving the rare, malty, refreshing Krombacher Hell (rarely available in Canada). It is being held just for the month of October so go order them while they last.
5. OktoBECfest 2014
Location: Loft le 4eme
This is the annual event for Oktoberfest-ers consisting of beers, traditional music, Bavarian costumes, sausages, choucroute and so much more, hosted by Kijiji, Zoom Media, and AOL. Mark down your calendars for itâs held only on Thursday, October 16 at 6PM. Buy your tickets in advance here.Â
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Finally now that you are all informed, I leave you with âProstâ (German equivalent of âCheersâ) to good health during exams, not to mention great marks.
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Sources: http://www.mtlblog.com/2014/09/14-fun-oktoberfest-2014-events-happening-…
Images obtained from:
http://s0.portal.muenchen.de/.imaging/stk/mde/image620/dms/wiesn/mde/okt…
http://cdn.mtlblog.com/uploads/2014/09/logo1.jpg
http://cdn.mtlblog.com/uploads/2014/09/1267179_10151990950814388_2061110…
http://cdn.mtlblog.com/uploads/2014/09/10712825_10153158736513625_777697…
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