200th Oktoberfest is rowdy affair....

Beer mug brawling spikes at 200th anniversary Oktoberfest

Published: 24 Sep 10 08:28 CET

This year’s 200th anniversary Oktoberfest has proved to be rowdier than previous years, officials said this week, citing a jump in the use of the festival’s famous large beer mugs as weapons.

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Revellers at the beer festival resorted to hitting each other with the one-litre glass beer mugs, known as Maßkrüge, 15 times in the first five days alone, compared to nine in the same time period last year, Munich police reported.

The initial cause of most tankard attacks often remains unclear, police spokesperson Peter Beck said.

“One of the reasons is an excess of alcohol consumption,” he added, explaining that this often leads to conflicts.

But the suggestion to use safer plastic steins was vehemently rejected by organisers five years ago. Their argument? Drinking beer out of plastic cups is simply sacrilege and Bavarian beer requires a vessel befitting its status.