The Wiesn likes to adorn itself with terms like “custom” and “tradition,” which are supposed to be lived out here. Part of that is that only six breweries are allowed to offer their beer. However, that could change as early as next year, because the city council is challenging the old rule. It has submitted a motion that would make it possible to welcome new breweries to the Wiesn.
A breath of fresh air in the festival tents
Until now, the rule has been that only beer from Munich’s six traditional breweries—Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Spaten, Löwenbräu, and Hacker-Pschorr—may be served at Oktoberfest. This regulation has been in place for decades, but not everyone is happy with it. As early as this year, there were discussions in the run-up to the festival about whether new breweries could be allowed at the Wiesn. Some even dreamed of a Europe-wide call for bids for the festival tents. It didn’t go that far, however, and this year everything remained the same.
Now the Munich City Council has stepped in and is questioning the existing rules. The council argues that there are now younger breweries in Munich that could also be represented at the world’s largest folk festival. Therefore, the City Council submitted a motion to the Department of Economic Affairs, asking it to review the existing regulations and revise them if necessary. Any new rules should be clearly worded and transparent so that they are easy to understand. Furthermore, “the combination of tradition, customs, and modernity must be taken into account.”
Giesinger Bräu at the Wiesn in 2027?
If the motion passes and new breweries are admitted to the Wiesn, Giesinger Bräu in particular is likely to be delighted. The brewery has only been around since 2006, making it significantly younger than the traditional breweries. Nevertheless, it has been striving for years to secure a spot at Oktoberfest—and now, perhaps, with success. If the proposal is approved, you could be enjoying Giesinger at the Wiesn as early as 2027.
After all, for the past five years, the beer has carried the “Munich Beer” designation, which is subject to strict criteria. The same applies to the Münchner Kindl brewery, which was first founded in 1880 and was reestablished in 2015.
