Lent is strong beer season. The city’s breweries invite you to their celebrations, where you can indulge in everything except restraint. This is one of the reasons why the strong beer season in Munich is also known as the “fifth season.” Probably the best known is the original Paulaner Strong Beer Festival on Nockherberg, where a real beer tent atmosphere prevails in the halls as soon as the winter program is over. If you sorely miss the folk festivals and the Spring Festival in April still seems infinitely far away, then you should plan a visit to Nockherberg.
Through Lent with liquid bread
Strong beer has its origins in Neudeck Monastery, where the Paulaner monks have been brewing beer since 1634. To get through Lent, they brewed a particularly strong variety that had more calories and thus provided more energy. True to the motto “Liquida non frangunt ieunum,” which means “liquids do not break the fast,” they circumvented the fasting rule in this way. They named this variety “Sankt-Vater-Bier” (Holy Father Beer) in honor of the founder of their order and served it every spring from 1651 onwards. Over time, “Sankt Vater” became “Salvator,” which is still the name of Paulaner’s strong beer today.
Nockherberg has only been home to the Paulaner brewery since 1858. Previously, strong beer was served in the brewery building on Neudeck, where the Zacherlgarten was later built, which existed until 2008. The strong beer festival on the Nockherberg was celebrated for a long time in the Salvatorkeller, now the Paulanerkeller, but was moved to the newly built Paulaner Festsaal in 2003. This hall can accommodate 2,500 people and has been the venue for the strong beer festival on the Nockherberg for over 20 years now.
The strong beer festival at Nockherberg 2026
In 2026, you can once again look forward to a hearty celebration at the strong beer festival on Nockherberg. From March 6 to 29, Paulaner invites you to celebrate the fifth season in the grand ballroom. However, it all starts traditionally with the strong beer tasting on Wednesday, March 4. The first mug is presented to the Bavarian Prime Minister by the brewery boss with the words “Salve pater patriae! Bibas, princeps optime!”, which means “Hail, father of the fatherland! Drink, best prince!”. This is followed by the “Derblecken,” in which politicians are satirically mocked. You can watch the strong beer tasting live on BR or via livestream.
Starting Friday, the strong beer festival at Nockherberg finally opens to the general public, and you can celebrate exuberantly. When the weather is nice, you can sit in the famous beer garden, which is known from advertising. The beer is not served in glass mugs, but in clay mugs, which keep the drink cool longer. The food is Bavarian cuisine, but you can also choose vegetarian and vegan dishes. The Wiesn band Südherz, which usually performs in the Schottenhamel tent, provides a real Oktoberfest atmosphere. You can reserve tables from €185, and there are two rounds every day. If you can’t get a table, you can still drop by. Single tickets are often available at the box office. So put on your best traditional costume and experience a hearty celebration at the Starbierfest on Nockherberg!
📍 Location: Paulaner am Nockherberg, Hochstr. 77
📅 Dates: March 6 to 29, strong beer tasting on March 4
💶 Price information: Table reservations from €185