Official start to Oktoberfest at Munich Airport (Credit: Munich Airport)
Official start to Oktoberfest at Munich Airport (Credit: Munich Airport)

With Oktoberfest in Munich now underway (September 19 through October 4), travelers and non-travelers have come together to wish we could all be in Germany. Fortunately, a taste of the world’s biggest beer festival is available a little closer to home.

For the second year in a row, Denver International Airport will sport a snazzy beer garden called Beer Flights, open from 11 am to 7 pm, September 19 through October 4 (same dates as Oktoberfest). It’s located in the center of the main terminal (Jeppesen Terminal). Adults 21 and older can enjoy two samples and a souvenir glass for $10 at the door.

20 Colorado breweries will represent, including Avery Brewing, Boulder Beer, Crooked Stave, Epic Brewing Co., High Hops Brewery, Oskar Blues, Pug Ryan’s, and Sanitas Brewing. There will also be live music, local artists, beer trivia, and chats with the brewmasters themselves. Prizes will be given away at random, so make sure to post a photo with the hashtag #BeerFlightsDIA.

Like the combination of beer and air travel? In the spirit of Oktoberfest, here are four more places where you can find the two together:

1. Lufthansa
Each year, Lufthansa takes flight with special flight attendant attire to celebrate Oktoberfest. This year, in honor of the airline’s 60th anniversary, the theme of the costumes will be based on the style worn in the 1950s. The airline says the following flights will feature the special outfits: Munich-Charlotte (September 16), Munich-Vancouver (September 21) and Munich-Dubai (September 29). First class travelers on all outbound flights from Munich and lounge guests will also have a chance to sample a special Oktoberfest menu.

2. Munich Airport
If you’re lucky enough to be going to Munich this year, don’t forget you can also experience Oktoberfest at Munich Airport (more on the airport here). Munich Airport is the only airport in the world to have an actual brewery with a beer garden, called Airbräu. It’s operated year-round, so if you have a few hours to kill, take a walk outside of customs and security to check it out.

3. Frankfurt Airport
If you’re passing through Frankfurt Airport any time of year, and have time to go outside of the airport where the trains depart from, Paulaner in the Square garden will be well worth the short trek. It’s outdoors, and it has views of the airport’s atrium. You’ll find local food and tasty snacks—and, oh yeah, lots of beer.

4. Fukuoka Airport
It’s not German, but beer is famously in the air at Japan’s Fukuoka Airport. Beer Air beer garden is open for lunch and dinner, and it’s positioned to give beer connoisseurs prime views of the airport runway. You can sample as much beer as you want, all by using a machine to dispense your beer. Located in Terminal 2, it’s accessed by taking the south elevator to the observation deck on the fourth floor.

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