The Bierborse is an open-air event devoted to the art of
brewing throughout the world. It is composed of two thirds beer-serving
businesses and one third accompanying snack specialities. The range is
supplemented by participants offering products typical of beer. That may
be not only the local beer club but also the beer-mat seller or a tankard
stand.
The German Munchener Oktoberfest goes back to an event in October 1810
and then developed into an annual event organised by the breweries and
entertainment businesses in Munich. The German Munchener Oktoberfest very
quickly acquired the reputation of being the largest public festival on
Earth and, as a result of imitators all over the globe, became a festival
form welcome everywhere. In 1810, nobody could have anticipated this
meteoric development.
The Opladener Bierborse goes back to 1987, i.e. 177 years later, when
Herbert Sondermann, a native of Opladen, had the idea of introducing a
beer event and put this into effect in the form of a small event with
seven beer stands in the pedestrian precinct in Opladen. At that time as
well, nobody anticipated what a wonderful event was to develop from these
beginnings. Today, Herbert Sondermann wears the Bundesverdienstkreuz
(Order of Merit) of the Federal Republic of Germany for his services to
Opladen; because the small beer event in the pedestrian precinct in
Opladen has now become the largest open-air event in the history of the
city of Leverkusen and the largest event of this kind anywhere in the
world.
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Only the large
number of beer types from all over the world allow the visitors to
sample even unusual varieties. |
In more than ten years of development work, the Bierborse has been
developed, according to stringent rules and numerous selection criteria,
into one of the most successful German public festivals without any
blending with other types of event such as funfairs or even junk markets.
This also illustrates how it differs from the Munchener Oktoberfest.
Only the large number of beer types from all over the world allow the
visitors to sample even unusual varieties. These include, for example, San
Miguel from Spain, Efes from Turkey or Corona from Mexico which revive
memories of past holiday trips.
The small house breweries whose beers are not often offered on draught
outside their brewing locations are also regular guests at the BIERBORSE
events. The range on offer is rounded off by the well-known German brands
which form the foundation of the Bierborse. This is presented in a cosy
beer-garden atmosphere.
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