On October 17, 1810 in Munich Germany, Bavarian King Maximilian I Joseph spared no expense on the wedding celebration of his son Ludwig to his bride Theresa. The massive party of 40,000 guests was quite the success and the King agreed that the celebration would repeat every year. The royal Hofbräuhaus was permitted to provide food and drink as one of the eating houses and taverns.
Two years later, wanting to offer his Majesty special beverage the royal brewers created a darker, stronger beer specifically for the festival and the end result was the world-famous “Oktoberfestbier” from Hofbräu München. The brewers and tavern owners thought the beer should be shared with the citizens Ludwig agreed and granted a license for the beer and food to be served publically in the Hofbräuhaus.
The Hofbräuhaus in Newport Kentucky uses the original recipes handed down by the Duke of Bavaria over 400 years ago. However, the Oktoberfest and Maibock are imported from Germany. According to John Ellison, “The unofficial guidelines for a true Oktoberfest dictate that the beer must be brewed in Bavaria.”
Beer Master Conrad Freihofer elaborates, “For that reason we import the Oktoberfest and Maibock beers from Germany to share here at the Newport Hofbräuhaus.” Year round beer tapping celebrations happen the last Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm.
For 400 plus years the world famous public house has also served traditional Bavarian dishes and the Newport Hofbräuhaus does as well, along with American favorites. Appetizers include the Hofbräuhaus Pretzels and Bier Cheese, Kartoffelpfannkuchen (Potato Pancakes) and Sauerkraut Balls. If you would like something more than the delicious soups, salads and sandwiches, try one of the Hofbräuhaus signature Bavarian dishes like Schnitzel, Käsespätzle, Dunkel Bourbon Chicken to name a few. Or try the Schmankerlplatte (Bavarian Sampler Plate) which includes schweinsbraten, smoked pork chops and three kinds of wursts aside sauerkraut, fried cabbage and mashed potatoes.
Like the original the Hofbräuhaus in Newport offers a fun place rich in German traditions both in the dining hall and the outdoor bier garten. Dance and sing along to the live oompah-pah band, enjoy monthly keg tapping celebrations and of course enjoy great Bavarian bier and food. So visit the Hofbräuhaus in Newport where you can celebrate Oktoberfest every day!
