It's not just a game, but a living world, and that means that the land of Azeroth has its share of festivals. The vast gaming empire known as The World of Warcraft has annual holidays to mark certain special occasions, during which players can fight unique bosses, pick up epic loot, and enjoy cosmetic features, like clothes and food, that are only available for a limited time. The fall season has a lot going on after the lull of summer, in both the real world and the realm of Horde and Alliance.
The Classic version of Brewfest isn't exactly the same as retail, with some differences when it comes to the names of Achievements or the quest rewards. Players of either version of World of Warcraft can enjoy the holiday of Brewfest, which looks suspiciously like the German holiday of Oktoberfest, or more like a caricature of it based on a twisted fantasy world. There's plenty about Brewfest that's intended to be a pop culture reference, an inside joke, or something that a person might laugh at if they'd had too much to drink.
6 The Grim Guzzler
The Grim Guzzler is the location of the holiday's special boss, and it makes sense that it happens in the middle of a bar, but this isn't just any bar. When it's time to party, players hit the Grim Guzzler. Out of all the taverns and inns that players can visit, this is the hottest club that exists pre-WotLK expansion.
The coolest bar in Azeroth would have to be in Blackrock City, which happens to be in the middle of Blackrock Depths in the smoldering heart of Blackrock Mountain. If a player finds their way there, they've earned it. The only entrance can be found just to the right of the portal to the Molten Core, down the hall of the left.
5 Brewing Companies Of Azeroth
The fairgrounds of Brewfest are intended to mimic not only the beer gardens of Oktoberfest but other common fall festivals like state fairs, carnivals, and trade shows. There are some changes depending on what faction the player has chosen, but there's a selection of ales in each major city from different local brewing companies.
There are three different vendors for each faction, with the Ogres selling to both sides. That means everyone can enjoy treats like Mudder's Milk, which is one of the strongest types of alcohol available in the game. This stuff would knock over an orc, and often does.
4 The Legend Of The Wolpertinger
A legend that exists in real life, folks from the American side of the planet would call this fantastic beast a jackalope, except that variation has antlers more often than wings. The Wolpertinger is a creature of myth that lives in the forests of Bavaria, only to emerge as a stuffed statue that can be sold to tourists.
The creature available as a pet during the Brewfest holiday is the most common version of the Wolpertinger, which is a rabbit with antlers and wings. Some variations include duck beaks and chicken feet. One can only imagine how weird that looks through a set of beer goggles.
3 Pink Elephants
Speaking of looking through beer goggles, players can don a pair of Synthewave Goggles or drink until "completely smashed" to see the pink elekks. This isn't just a wacky idea that came from the writing department for drunken party games. It's a reference to a Disney movie in which a baby gets drunk.
That's not even a joke. In the original animated version of Dumbo, which hasn't aged particularly well, the titular character and his mouse companion accidentally drink from a water barrel filled with beer. The ensuing scene might be a nightmare or a hallucination, but it resulted in Dumbo getting wasted and seeing pink elephants.
2 The Brewfest Regalia Design
Both the retail and Classic versions of Brewfest have a version of the holiday regalia, and some of it is required for certain achievements, which are different across the two versions. It's a slightly altered, fantasy-like take on lederhosen, which is traditional clothing from the German southwestern regions of Germany, specifically Bavaria and Swabia.
Contrary to popular belief, Oktoberfest isn't celebrated outside of these regions, which is how the clothing style got attached to the holiday. They're actually work clothes, not party clothes, but that drop-front flap sure does come in handy later on in the evening.
1 Not-So-Beer Goggles That Do Something
It's nice that Blizzard recognizes that not everyone is a Dwarf who keeps a keg next to their bedside or a Blood Elf with a wine cellar. Some poor Forsaken folks might not be able to process alcohol at all. The alternative for them is the Synthebrew Goggles, which simulate being "absolutely smashed." This is a requirement for completing the pink elekks quest, but it's also a reference to a classic Simpsons episode.
"Radioactive Man" aired on September 24, 1995, and in one scene the character of Ranier Wolfcastle is the victim of a botched stunt that sees him carried away by a tidal wave of acid. The safety goggles he's wearing are totally ineffective, and he says so as he's carried away by a green wave of corrosive goo. Unlike the goggles he was wearing, the Sythebrew Goggles actually do something.
World of Warcraft is available on PC.