Beery Boisterousness Might Go Plastic

After years of battling broken glass and complaining waitresses, a Bavarian beer garden owner plans to break with tradition and experiment with plastic cups at this year's Munich Oktoberfest.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Boisterous guests at the Munich Oktoberfest"We cleaned up almost 26 tonnes of broken glass on the floor of my tent," at last year's beer festival, said beer garden owner Wiggerl Hagn. "These cups weigh around a kilogram (2.2 pounds) less than those made out of glass," he said. "The waitresses won't have to carry such heavy loads anymore."

Hagn said he discovered the plastic cups during a trip to Moscow, and thought they would make a good replacement for the huge one-liter (1.6-pint) glasses in which beverages are usually served at the annual Oktoberfest.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  The traditional glass mugs at the OktoberfestHowever he does acknowledge that there are drawbacks to the new technology. "A dull 'plop', rather than satisfying 'clink', is heard when glasses are raised and touched together, and of course tradition will suffer", he said.

Hagn plans first to try the idea out at his own beer garden before risking it all in Munich in October. "We'll have to wait and see what the patrons think," he said.