Oktoberfest will once again be held in Munich, Germany from September 20 thru October 5, 2008. The Oktoberfest is a very valid reason to study German online, if just for the pleasure of actually being able to eloquate the myriad of food and drinks available in the 16-day event.

Food and Delicacies

The numerous kinds of "wurst" (German sausages) are never far behind when you envision Oktoberfest. The frankfurter is the most common sausage, but you will also appreciate the bratwurst (pork, beef, and/or veal), knackwurst (pork or beef with fresh garlic), and bockwurst (pork, lamb, turkey, chicken with salt, paprika, white pepper, chives, and parsley), among other sausages. To avoid making a fool of yourself, learn German in order to eloquate the German names of these delicious sausages.

You'll also have the opportunity to try the many kinds of spatzle, or noodles, the perfect accompaniment to beer. These noodles are made from common ingredients such as salt, eggs, milk, flour, and diverse spices. You should absolutely try the kasespatzle - cheese noodles with fried onions. These are so scrumptious that studying German, if only to show your gratitude, is a must.

You can also sample other German dishes like hendl (roasted chicken), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), and Apfelpfannenkuchen (apple pancakes). As if these are not sufficient reasons to study German, wait until you get to the beers.

It's All About the Beers and Wines

The Oktoberfest is a festival famous for its wines and beers, perhaps much more than its food, music, and costumes. If you have a fair grasp of the German language, you'll be able to distinguish the plethora of wines and beers offered by the fourteen tents in the Oktoberfest.

You can go for sekt, sparkling wine that's fizzier than most because of high carbon dioxide levels. Go for the Deutscher Sekt, or sekt formulated from Riesling and Pinot black grapes and gris for special occassions.

You can also get intoxicated on German wheat beer. There are numerous types, including the traditional and unfiltered Hefeweizen, Kristallweizen (crystal wheat), Dunkelweizen (dark wheat), and Weizenstarkbier (strong wheat beer), to name a few. Alcohol content is usually higher with darker wheat, and the monikers hint of the alcohol strength, so learn German quickly so you will not confuse them.

Most of all, get drunk on the marzen (pale lager), a specially-brewed Oktoberfestbier. During the Oktoberfest, there are many more kinds of beers and wines available, with as many as 15 wines offered by the Weinzel tent alone.

Obviously, to drink bacchanalian pleasures, eat great food, meet new people, and appreciate Oktoberfest, you need not learn German. Still, if you want to be heard over the Oktoberfest raucous, learning German is a benefit.

Of course, to drink bacchanalian pleasures, eat great food, meet new friends, and enjoy Oktoberfest, you need not learn German. Still, if you want to be heard above the Oktoberfest noise, learning German is a benefit.