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Prost Like a Pro 🍻
Steins up, rookies out.
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Munich’s Oktoberfest kicks off next week, but if your party plan involves pretzel necklaces and plastic cups, we need to talk.
Enter J.C. Hill of Northern California’s Alvarado Street Brewery. Fresh off earning his master brewer certification in Germany (plus 13 Great American Beer Festival medals to his name), he’s here to keep you from making pour decisions.
Say “Prost” to Pairings
Keep it classic: weißwurst (white sausage) with sweet mustard and hefeweizen. Grilled bratwursts? They shine with a malty Oktoberfest märzen. Feeling spicy with your sausage and mustard? Hill says reach for a German pilsner, a “crisp, refreshing beer with enough bitterness to cleanse the palate and make you go back for another bite.”
Build a Better Brotzeit
Not a sausage stan? Load up a Bavarian-style snack board with cheese, cold cuts, pickled veggies, horseradish and a duo of mustards (sweet and sour). Head cheese is strictly optional.
Look the Part
Dirndls and lederhosen are always in style come Wiesn time. For the tablecloth, think Bavarian flag: blue and white diamonds.
Craft the Perfect Playlist
Polka is traditional, but Hill says the real win is anything that gets people on their feet, swaying and singing along, whether that’s German folk songs or your go-to hype tracks.
Rookie Moves to Avoid
- Clink steins at the bottom, not the rim, when toasting.
- Lock eyes as you say “Prost!”
- Bonus points if you casually drop “Wiesn time” into convo like a local. “That's the local Munich way of saying ‘Oktoberfest,’” Hill says.
And if you’re in Monterey this fall, Alvarado Street Brewery is throwing its own Oktoberfest bash on September 20. Your move: steins up, rookies out.
Here’s what you need to host a brew-tiful celebration:
Every product on Late Checkout is independently selected by us. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Amanda Uprichard Linella Dress
With ruffled sleeves, faux button details and side pockets, this lightweight poplin dress nails effortless Bavarian-inspired style for beer garden nights or sunny fall days.
Bavarian Oktoberfest Pennant Banner
These blue-and-white pennants, in the traditional Oktoberfest pattern, add a festive and authentic touch.
Napkins with blue and white gingham design.
Bring a decorative and functional addition to your dinner presentation with these napkins featuring a festive gingham design.
Direction 22-Oz. Hand-Blown Beer Mug
Featuring Direction’s signature open bubble in the sham and a hefty handle for hoisting, the mug is hand-blown by skilled artisans in Poland from crystalline glass for exceptional clarity.
20-Piece Blue Silverware Set
Enjoy meals with stylish matching utensils thanks to this 20-piece flatware set in durable stainless steel construction complemented by blue ABS handles. Dishwasher safe.
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Mustards of the World Gift Box
From French Dijon to Bavarian sweet-and-spicy, this global lineup of gourmet mustards is the ultimate hostess gift and an automatic upgrade for sausages, pretzels and cheese boards alike.
Square End Grain Cutting Board
Butcher-block cutting board featuring extra-strength construction in beautiful end-grain acacia wood. Rich natural contrasts in tone render each thick, footed chopping board unique. The perfect work surface for chopping and slicing, it also makes a buffet statement serving up breads, cheeses or charcuterie.
