When Ludwig I, the Crown Prince of Bavaria, was to celebrate his wedding in Munich in 1810, he decided it was an occasion for all of Bavaria to celebrate. He commissioned Joseph Pschorr, then the brewmaster of the Hacker-Pschorr brewery, among other Munich brewers, to develop special brews to commemorate the occasion. The beer was so good that the party lasted for days and Oktoberfest beer was born.
Subsequent annual celebrations evolved into the city of Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest, which is attended by over 6 million people each year, who in 2003 consumed over 6 million liters of beer. By Munich law, only the six breweries within the city limits of Munich are invited to serve their beer at Oktoberfest. Hacker-Pschorr is one of the six, as is its sister brand, Paulaner.
