We didn’t think so when we were there in 2008, but apparently a gathering of an estimated six million people that is centered around drinking (and spilling) vast amounts of beer and eating roasted meats produces a foul odor. Who knew? Well, this year things may be different. Agence France Presse reports that Munich’s Oktoberfest, which runs September 18 to October 3, will employ an odor-eating bacteria to combat the stench from spilled beer that seeps into the floorboards of the festival’s famed beer tents.

From AFP:

The beer halls, where up to 7,000 revellers can gather, are usually poorly ventilated. The stale air combined with rotten food scraps, spilled drinks and body odour can form a noxious mix.

Spread across the wooden floorboards of the beer tents at a volume of 200 millilitres (seven ounces) per square metre (yard) per day, Hackl’s concoction travels the same route as the spilled beer, seeping between the planks and into the soil.

The process eliminates the undesirable organic materials nestled under the tents, ensuring that what wafts back up has a neutral earthy smell.

Oh, and if you’re like us and can spend hours watching an Oktoberfest web cam, daydreaming about a fresh Lowenbrau, click here to get your fix.

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Photo by Brian Varn used under a Creative Commons license