Jaunted

· Champagne!
Nymphenburger Sekt (champagne) is the beverage of choice within the Weinzelt tent, though other champagnes and even wines also make up the menu. After hitting two of the main beer tents in one day, we stumbled upon this tent and it quickly became the favorite for its food variety (more gourmet than half-chickens and pretzels) and lack of drunken teenagers. The atmosphere is more mature, the "tent" itself is beautiful (it's mostly made of wood) and you've got the best chance at holding down a table.

· Schnapps!
One simply does not do shots at Oktoberfest. One does Schnapps.
Sprinked around the Wies'n are round kiosks much like snack stalls, except they specialize only in a variety of Schnapps flavors. A stop at one or two serves to fortify drinkers on long walks from the beer tents to the roller coasters to the gingerbread cookie vendors. Your Euro pocketchange usually buys a tiny glass. Kirsch (cherry), Apfel (apple) and Pfefferminz (peppermint) are popular, but asking the bartender to surprise you is the best route.

· Radler!
Okay, we cheated. Radler is technically beer, but it earns its own entry on menus, so we're including it here. Radler is otherwise known as a Shandy, or a mix of light beer with either Sprite or Lemon Soda. Not only does it increase your ability to drink before getting completely sloppy drunk—very important considering a day of Oktoberfest drinking runs from 11am 'til sundown—but it's extra refreshing in a hot tent on a warm day.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to drink water too. ;)

The Weinzelt "tent"

[Photos: deemikay & Otis Driftwood]