You have to hand it to our eastern neighbors: they know how to throw a party. And because we Dutch do love a party as well as a beer, every year around the end of September/beginning of October we travel in large numbers across the border to Munich, where the biggest beer festival in the world is held: Oktoberfest. The formula of Oktoberfest is so good and simple that the festival is now also held in many Dutch towns, albeit in a somewhat smaller form. Want to host an Oktoberfest in your backyard yourself? Sure. Just do it! I'll help you get started.

Special bier and bock bier in abundance

Oktoberfest is essentially about only one thing: drinking bier together. And not just any beer, but special bier. Now special bier comes in all shapes and sizes, but at your Oktoberfest it's obviously all about one kind of special beer: the bock (or bock, with a k). In case anyone at your party wonders: why do you have a bock every October, I'll give you the answer. In the past, bock beer could only be brewed in the fall because of the availability of ingredients. Nowadays this is different and the combination of bock beer and autumn is more of a marketing thing. But a good one, because the spicy, slightly sweet, full-foaming autumn bock or winter bock fits the taste perfectly for this time of year. That's why the "bock season" opens in every first full week of October and why pubs invariably have a keg of bock beer on tap. Bock beer has a slightly higher alcohol content than regular bier and is often a bit darker in color. The latter does not apply to wheat bocks such as Weizenbock, by the way; they are actually a bit lighter in color.

Specialty beer glasses

During Oktoberfest, you prefer to pour bier into a beer mug. An average beer mug holds about half a liter bier. That saves a walk to the refrigerator and leaves more time to spend with your friends. If you don't mind a little less, go for smaller beer glasses. Smaller beer glasses are perfect for a special beer and, thanks to the sturdy leg, also very suitable for a party.

From lederhosen and dirndls to bratwurst and foul music

To a large extent, the decoration determines the success of your Oktoberfest. So open the dressing up box and tell your drinking buddies to change out of their street clothes for a lederhosen or dirndl.

In return, you provide long tables with checkered rugs. For a playlist full of schlagers and other "wrong" but oh so cozy catch-up music. And for food. Because all that bier makes us hungry. So fill the bowls with bratwurst, pretzels and roast rooster. And last but not least: go out and find some adolescents whom - after some strict instructions, of course, and with the prospect of a nice extra income - you give control over the fridge, food supply and music. Then you, too, will have a nice party. Cheers!