Starkbierfest!

Steve, Missy, Amy & Alex
Löwenbräu Keller

We can check another German festival off our list. Starkbierfest!

Starkbierfest occurs for two weeks during Lent. Starkbier or "strong beer" was originally brewed by German monks during Lent. It was brewed stronger and heavier to act as a "liquid bread". At one point the monks worried that it wasn't right for them to be drinking something so good during Lent so they sent a barrel to the Pope to try. Since the journey to Rome was long and hot, the beer was awful by the time it got to the Pope. So when he tasted it he of course said, sure if they want to drink that during Lent, go ahead!

Part of the group on our way - hooray for public transportation!
More friends joined us along the way - fun ride!

Our friends Amy & Alex and their family were visiting during Starkbierfest so we decided to get a few friends together to go with us. We figured it would be a great way to let Amy and Alex experience German culture. It turned out that many friends wanted to go so we had two tables of fun at the Löwenbräu Keller. I borrowed a dirndl for Amy to wear and Alex squeezed into AJ's lederhosen and viola we all had German trachten!

Like Oktoberfest, Starkbierfest is a big party. However it is held in the different breweries all over Munich instead of at the Oktoberfest grounds. At the Löwenbräu Keller they were also have a strong man contest and some kind of maiden contest. One of the women in the maiden contest was having her bachelorette party and their table was next to ours. When the girls were all on stage giving their speeches, her friend leaned over to Steve and asked if we would vote for their friend.  Clearly our two tables didn't care who won, so it seemed perfectly appropriate to totally support this girl. When it was her turn our two tables stood on our chairs and shouted for her.  Of course we voted for her too and guess what? She won! Fun night for Evie and fun for us to be a part of it!

Evie and some of her admirers

Evie, Steve and a another new friend!

We will definitely be attending again next year. So much fun to be had! German friends - who's in?