New York City just might throw the most authentic Oktoberfest celebration outside of Munich

Oktoberfest is the largest beer festival in the world.

Each year, around six million visitors descend on Munich to drink more than six million liters of beer over the course of three weeks.

But what a lot of foreigners don't know about Oktoberfest, apart from the fact that it mostly takes place in September, is that it's still a very cultural, very local celebration, with only 15% of attendees coming from outside of Germany.

A full 70% of visitors come from Bavaria, the southeastern German state where Munich is located. 

Oktoberfest is emulated the world over, but its imitators are rarely authentic.

So when I, a seasoned Oktoberfest veteran and Munich native, saw that Zum Schneider, the New York restaurant that taught us how to pour beer like a German, was setting up an authentic beer tent for their own Oktoberfest, I decided to see how it compared to the real thing.

SEE ALSO: 21 tips that will help you experience Oktoberfest like a local

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Zum Schneider set up a giant tent along the water to celebrate its annual "Munich on the East River," which they say is the largest Oktoberfest celebration in New York City.

Sylvester Schneider, owner of Zum Schneider restaurant and the man behind the event, took the stage with his band, Mösl Franzi and the Ja Ja Ja's.

The band played typical German Oktoberfest music. Initially, this weeded out the German revelers from the rest, but towards the end of the night everyone was singing, whether they knew the words or not.

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