You may not be able to get to the Munich Beer Festival, but you can get a “taste” of it with Hofbräu Oktoberfest. It’s specifically brewed for the festival and is, according to the brewery, “an absolutely natural product; brewed from pure water, the best quality malt and exquisite hops”.

The brewery itself has been around for centuries. Hofbräuhaus was started in 1589 when the Duke of Bavaria wanted better beer. His advisers (obviously very smart people) suggested that he build his own brewery and the “Ducal Brewery” was born. Their website has a history of the brewery through the years, and not only is it an entertaining tale of one particular house but it’s also an education in German beer.