The Beer Tradition That Always Signals The Start Of Oktoberfest

It's an evolving tradition

While Oktoberfest originated in 1810, the opening ceremony is a relatively recent addition to the celebration. The first mayor to officially tap a barrel to inaugurate the festival was Thomas Wimmer in 1950. Historical accounts suggest that the event was not particularly formal or organized at that time. Wimmer reportedly rushed over from another fair he had opened and chose the Schottenhamel tent for its convenient access; this tent has since become the traditional site for the opening ceremony. The custom of presenting the first beer to Bavaria's premier began later, around the 1980s.

Interestingly, different mayors of Munich have varied in their proficiency at tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest. The task involves driving a tap into a wooden keg with a large mallet, which often results in a bit of a mess, with beer spilling from the gaps around the tap. The objective is to complete the task with as few strikes as possible. Although Mayor Wimmer initiated the tradition, he struggled with it, needing 17 strikes to successfully tap the barrel. In contrast, the current mayor, Reiter, has managed to do it in just two strikes, although he initially required four attempts during his first year in 2014. Both he and his predecessor, Christian Ude, share the record for the quickest tap at two strikes, though Ude also needed several attempts during his inaugural year officiating the ceremony.