Oktoberfest May Add the First New Brewery in 189 Years

Munich, Germany, has six official breweries that are allowed to serve their legally protected Münchener Bier at Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival. Paulaner, the youngest, was founded by monks in 1634. Augustiner, the oldest, dates back to 1328 and is also the product of a former monastery. On one hand, these breweries are time-honored bearers of tradition, some of which remain among the world’s best. On the other hand, sometimes the so-called city of beer can sag under the weight of all that history, especially as Germany’s per capita beer consumption slowly but surely wanes.

Giesinger Bräu is putting a little pep in the city’s step again. The tiny business represents only 1% of Munich’s beer production but commands an outsized share of attention. In addition to unfiltered versions of the Helles, Weizen, Dunkel, Märzen, and Bocks that comprise Munich breweries’ standard lineup, Giesinger brews seasonal and outre beers like a Belgian-style Lemondrop Triple. In addition to half-liter bottles, Giesinger offers 0.3 liter shorties for quicker rounds. The company has a relatively traditional brewpub in the Munich neighborhood of Giesing while aiming to establish a presence in each of Munich’s 25 neighborhoods, popping up with minimalistic Stehausschänke, or standing bars, that draw hip, young crowds. This year, the brewery is even the subject of a feature-length documentary in theaters called Straight Outta Giasing, which takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the growth of the company and prompts viewers to drink every time the founder, Steffen Marx, takes a sip on screen. “We have to do things others aren’t doing, and not do things that others are doing, in order to differentiate ourselves,” Marx says in the film.

These differences might seem negligible to outsiders, especially Americans who lived through the bombastic craft beer revolution of the past couple of decades, but they’re remarkable to locals attuned to such things, just like the difference between one’s favorite and least favorite brand of Helles. Started in a garage in 2005, “Giesinger brings a breath of fresh air to the Munich beer market,” says Christoph Ferry Jürgen Häckner, a teacher and restorer. Like him, many drinkers — especially young ones — “are clearly seeking something different from the traditional and sometimes dusty large breweries.”

Giesinger “has established itself as a brewery that respects the traditional Munich beer culture but is also willing to explore new paths,” according to Marx, who serves as managing director. Häckner knows something of this struggle to honor customs while challenging them — the self-described bon vivant is a member of the Schwuhplattler, the only gay group to perform a lively traditional dance called Schuhplatteln that goes hand in hand with celebrations like Oktoberfest. “Giesinger shows that ‘everyone is welcome’ in many ways,” Häckner says, from hosting “Wednesgay” each week at its bar in the Glockenbachviertel gayborhood to sponsoring Munich Monks RFC, an inclusive rugby team. Marx and his team have engaged the community like this every step of the way, gaining the support of 8,000 crowdfunders and many more fans.

As Giesinger has developed grassroots support and expanded, one question has dogged it: Will the brewery join Oktoberfest? Of course, it’s not really up to Giesinger — it’s up to the authorities behind the event. The Munich Brewers’ Association (which locals only half-jokingly refer to as the Beer Mafia) and the speakers of the Oktoberfest Landlords didn’t respond to requests for comment, but Stefan Dohl spoke on behalf of the Department of Labour and Economic Development as the organizer of the fest.

While he wouldn’t say what the full process was for certifying a new Oktoberfest addition, nor whether the organizers would be interested in adding a new brewery, Dohl shared that the City of Munich licenses breweries for Oktoberfest following official operating regulations, which state, “Only Munich beer from the efficient and proven traditional Munich breweries, which complies with the Munich Purity Law of 1487 and the German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) of 1906, may be served to Wiesn visitors.” Until recently, Giesinger was technically just a brewery based in Munich, as any official Munich brewery needs a deep well within city limits. After a million-euro expansion, however, Giesinger produced its first beer with water from its own deep well in April 2020, becoming the seventh brewery to bear the official Munich beer seal. This was one of the final legal hurdles to potential Oktoberfest membership. With Giesinger also swaying the court of public opinion in its favor, it may be difficult for opponents to hold out forever.

“There are still challenges to tackle, as Oktoberfest is a worldwide flagship event that holds central importance for the city of Munich,” Marx says. “We are in close contact with key decision-makers and are fighting to ensure that Oktoberfest reflects the diversity of Munich as a beer city. Our goal is to be represented at Oktoberfest within the next three to five years.”

Häcker believes that Giesinger will make it to Oktoberfest on that timeline. “It’s a big fight, but there are many positive developments and endless supporters. It would be boring if the beer lobby stayed like this.”