In 1516 the Germans passed and edict, which ordered that beer could only be made from barley, hops and water (later they add yeast); making this declaration over 500 years old. In Munich each summer (July 22 - 24) Germans gather to celebrate the German Beer Purity Law. More than 100 Bavarian brewers descend upon Munich's Altstadt centre for this three days celebration, where they'll serve foaming but correctly brewed beers.
Celebrating a medieval mandate might seem something only korinthenkackers (a person obsessed with trivial details). But the Bavarians consider it part of their regional identity, claiming that beer brewed to these methods is less likely to cause hangovers.
Visit the Eiswerk Brewery (brauerei-im-eiswerk.de), where you can sample the Josephs Spezial, a 500-year-old recipe that taste like smoky bacon, and barrel-aged stouts that have taken a year to brew. If you fancy making your own beer, the "Secrets of Brewing course held here cost about 90 euros. they also have the world's first ice-making machine.
For a good day out, the beer-hall Hofbräuhaus (hofbraeuhaus.de) is a mandatory stop, but purists raise their steins at Augustiner Brewery's various Mitteleuropa beer halls or wash wheat beers down with pig's lungs and bull's testicles at Weisses Bräuhaus (schneider-brauhaus.de). Munich's Majestic Englischer Garten is bigger than New York's Central Park and boasts two stellar beer gardens. Wander among them and you'll catch the wet-suited inner-city surfers negotiating the Eisbach wave on Munich's man-made two-mile-long surf. You'll also notice the German penchant for sunbathing naked.
You can start the festivity early on arrival in Munich or keep it up until it's time to board your flight at Munich's Airport brewery, Airbräu, the world's only brewery in an airport (tour cost 6 euro munich-airport.de). Such is the quality of its beer, the clientele aren't passengers nervously glancing at the departure screens but locals savouring Jetstream pilsners and Kumulus wheat beers.
OKTOBERFEST
The world's most famous booze-up takes place from September 17 until October 3. Luring six million visitors a year, the 216-year-old festival brews its own special 'festbier', has a 9000 capacity tent with 15 'hangover beds' in the Red Cross tent.
THE STRONG BEER FESTIVAL
Starkbierfest, or 'strong beer festival', is Oktoberfest's boisterous younger brother and a real local secret. It's also for those breweries that bemoan the "Beer Purity Law" strictness.
The festival takes place over three weeks in February or March, Müncheners gather in beer halls and marquees to swill potent ales similar to the strong beers monks would buoy themselves with during Lent. Sturdy doppellbock brews [guidlines for Starbierfest state alcohol content for beers must be at least 7.5 per cent] with Transformers-style monikers such as Salvator, Optimator and Terminator are especially de-kegged for the festival.