There’s a bizarre yet legal drug that locals love during Oktoberfest in Munich.
When asked « What powder is white, and can be sniffed at Oktoberfest? », we’re tempted to answer cocaine. In reality, it’s Wiesn Koks, a coke-like drug also known as « Oktoberfest cocaine ».
No, it’s not all beer at Munich’s eponymous Oktoberfest. Although the star of the show is still the beer (almost 7 million liters are consumed during the event), more and more locals can be spotted sniffing a white substance all over the place, and quite legally. Wiesn Koks, also known as Wiesn Pulver (powder), or Bavarian cocaine, has become the pick-me-up of choice for Munich locals.
Photo credit: oktoberfest.net
A little like snuff, Wiesn koks is made from glucose and menthol and is sold in small glass bottles or typical Bavarian containers for around €5.
In your guidebook you may have read that at Oktoberfest you’ll see people dressed in traditional Lederhosen drinking beer from huge mugs, but you won’t find any mention of Wiesn Koks.
The powder is usually cut into lines on the tables under the beer tents to be sniffed through the nostrils. But Oktoberfest is a very hectic party, so the tables are usually soaked with beer and sticky, forcing some people to literally slap the powder on the back of their hand.
Although it looks like real coke, Wiesn Koks is harmless. Sure, you take a little sugar hit, and the menthol gives your sinuses a chilling effect, but that’s about it. Wiesn Koks contains absolutely no drugs or tobacco. That said, it’s all a question of moderation: sniffing too much could give you a nosebleed.
Although absolutely harmless, tent owners and security personnel have been trying to crack down on this tradition for years. However, the locals refuse to give up this little piece of culture, because that’s really what it’s all about: a cultural and seasonal tradition steeped in festivities and camaraderie.
Main photo credit: TZ.de