Last month, Draft Gastropub took me back in time as they recently celebrated their much-awaited German tradition filled with eats, music and lots of beer! The Oktoberfest series at Draft happened in three of their branches in Manila (Greenbelt Makati, Molito Alabang and Fort BGC). The highly anticipated beer-fest at Draft Gastropub was sponsored by the official Oktoberfest beer and the world's favorite wheat bier brand, Paulaner.
It was over 200 years ago when Paulaner the brewer was asked to create a special brew for the marriage of the Bavarian Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. This union started an annual beer celebration known as Oktoberfest and held in a meadow called 'Theresienwiese' which is now known as 'Wiesn'. Paulaner is one of the six breweries invited at Munich's Oktoberfest, which is now considered as one of the largest festivals in the world today.
I arrived a bit early during the first leg of the Oktoberfest celebration at Draft Greenbelt, so I opted for some starters before the program started, and a bowl of Draft's French Onion Soup never failed to wake up my senses.
As I enjoyed my few glasses of beer, Abby Asistio took the stage that night and seranaded the guests with her sweet soulful voice paired with her impressive stage presence. Too bad I wasn't able to visit the other Oktoberfest celebrations in Alabang and BGC, but I heard that they invited other musical acts for the other branches. I wonder who they are, but surely they would be of the same caliber as Abby!
Also not part of the traditional Oktoberfest platter, but I ordered some of Draft's yummy chicken fingers on the side while I drink some more beer.
Draft Gastropub only serves the special Oktoberfest brew which is specially created by Paulaner just for the annual celebration. This 'Oktoberfest Ale' is available in both draft and bottled variants.
And because Draft is a European style pub, it promised an authentic Oktoberfest experience which is similar to how you would in Munich, Germany. Chef Carlo Miguel prepared sausages, pretzels, cheese and cold cuts to complement each glass of Paulaner bier.
There's the Duck with red wine sauce and cabbage, perfectly seasoned with bold and rich flavors.
Another Oktoberfest staple is the Pork Knuckles with veggies and sauerkraut. There's nothing like a good piece of crispy pork skin to brighten up my day! Add a few spoonfuls of spatzle and you're good to go!
The best moments during that night was when Draft rolled out some fun games like beer drinking, arm wrestling contest and live music to complete the Oktoberfest experience! I can't wait and I'll definitely come back to Draft next year to celebrate this awesome beer celebration!