After a five-year break, Moray’s biggest beer festival Moktoberfest is poised to start pouring drinks again at Elgin Town Hall.
The collaboration between local breweries for a two-day extravaganza was previously a fixture on the events calendar.
Now, after a break, it is returning with its mix of drinks, live music and sausages. All you need to do is bring the lederhosen!
What can you expect at Moktoberfest?
This year’s Moktoberfest is being held at Elgin Town Hall on Friday, October 13 and Saturday, October 14.
Doors open at 5pm on the Friday and 12noon on the Saturday and everyone needs to drink up by 11pm on both days.
It was last held in 2018 with it taking a one-year hiatus in 2019 before the Covid pandemic hit the following year.
Elgin Town Hall was fully booked in 2022 meaning Moray Oktoberfest had to wait until this year to return.
Chairman David MacDonald, founder of Spey Valley Brewery, said: “It had been very successful but in 2019 we all just ended up very busy so took a break from it, fully intending to come back the following year.
“Obviously that wasn’t possible but we hope it’s going to stay now on an annual or biennial basis.”
Money raised from the event will be donated to Rotary clubs to distribute to local charities.
What beer will be on sale at Elgin Town Hall?
Previous Moktoberfests at Elgin Town Hall have up to 50 casks of beer on sale over the two days from breweries across the north of Scotland and further afield.
The event traditionally features Moray brewers collaborating on a special one-off beer for the event.
And this year is no different with Spey Valley Brewery and Windswept teaming up to create The Hunt for Red Moktober.
It will be red in colour, obviously, with lager and real ale characteristics and will only be available at the beer festival.
Here’s the full list of breweries that will have beers for sale.
- Spey Valley Brewery
- Windswept
- Six Degrees North
- Fierce
- Dog Falls
- Black Isle Brewery
- Cairngorm Brewery
- Uilebheist Distillery
- Orkney Brewery
- Swannay Brewery
- Broughton Brewery
- Alechemy Brewing
- Bellfield Brewery
- Newbarns Brewery
- Campervan Brewery
- Pilot
- Timmermans Beers
- Thistly Cross Cider
What can I get to eat at Moktoberfest?
Being a German-inspired beer festival, you can expect plenty of sausages expertly prepared by cooks from RAF Lossiemouth who are volunteering their time for the event.
Two breweries and a bar have each teamed up with local butchers for special recipes for the weekend.
- Spey Valley Brewery: Lorne sausage with barrel-aged stout from Jamieson Butchers in Fochabers.
- Windswept: Chilli beer with sausages from Macleman butchers in Lossiemouth.
- Against the Grain: Sausages from Dawson butchers in Elgin with Belgian beer.
There will also traditional bratwurst for sale as well as other snacks.
How much are Moktoberfest tickets and where can I get them?
Tickets cost £25 and include £10 of beer tokens. As you might expect, they are only available to over 18s.
Tickets can be bought on the door or online in advance from the Elgin Town Hall website.
Other beer festivals coming up in Moray
If you’re not able to make Moktoberfest in Elgin, then there are two other beer festivals just around the corner in the area.
Forres Town Hall is holding its own Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 21 with live music from Stein Brass and Forres Pipe Band and beer from Windswept.
Spey Valley Brewery will also be at an event the same day in Craigellachie Village Hall for an event to support the village’s football club with live music and pizza.
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