Hoxtoberfest

Can you smell the alpine air? Can you feel the balmy Bavarian heat? Can you see the dirndls and lederhosen sashaying down the aisles laden with absurd amounts of lovely, lovely beer? Well, no actually. You’re in London and what you expect is a job-lot full of German-ish clichés and an occasional burnt sausage masquerading as a bratwurst.

Well friends, we’re not about to sell you down the river. Nein sir, we’re going to sell you down the canal. The Regents Canal to be precise - because that will be the proud home of the inaugural Hoxtoberfest. Not another of those soul-crushing UK Oktoberfest tragedies, but a joy-inducing fusion of the best of German food, beer, and cocktails, spiked with just a trace of East London. It will be something you want to see.

Starting on Thursday 20th and running through to Saturday 22nd October, Hoxtoberfest will not be contained by four walls alone. Instead we’re creating a multi-room Bavarian extravaganza, taking over a whole block of canal side warehouses and yards. Within the Hoxton Docks Timber Warehouse, we’re building a full sized alpine chalet to contain ludicrous amounts of Erdinger Fest Bier. And, as with all great alpine chalets, you’ll find a large biergarten alongside it, although ours is covered so our Hoxtoberfest-ees can gleefully jig around, stein-handed, without the fear of getting soaked.

And if that’s not enough for you, dive into the main warehouse, a live music space, decked out like a traditional Oktoberfest tent where you’ll stumble across the first Berliner Pilsner bar. Taking a little jaunt outside, you’ll find the legendary Herman Ze German, on hand to deliver mouth-watering Germanic delights straight from the bratwurst grill, besides more Berliner and Erdinger goodness.

Meandering further, take a trip canal side where Fritz Kola will be hosting a Berlin cocktail bar, pairing booze with eye-opening mixers like rhubarb and Mischmasch (look it up), and when you’re in need of a snack to soak up those spirits, swing by the currywurst imbiss for your fix.

And then there’s the music. We’ve flown in Albfetza Oktoberfest Partyband and they’ll playing with the Old Dirty Brasstards, bringing a bit of brass class to the whole dang thing.