Nein! German Group Protests Oktoberfest Prices

Beer Bar

Munich's world famous Oktoberfest doesn't kick off for another 12 days and it's already off to a tough start.

First, there was a report last week that German brewers were short on bottles and kegs after an unseasonably warm summer spiked beer consumption. The bottles and kegs are needed to ensure brewers can supply enough beer to festival. (Read More:Munich May Not Have Enough Beer for Oktoberfest)

Now, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel, a "German association that fights against deceptive pouring practices" is taking issue with the price of beer at Oktoberfest.

Attendees to this year's festival can expect to pay between 9.10 and 9.50 euros ($11.63-$12.14) for the traditional liter (34-ounces) mug of beer, up 35 cents (euro) ($0.45) from last year.

The group will be collecting signatures with two goals in mind: a maximum price limit of 7.10 euros ($9.08) per liter and a cap of 15 cents (euro) ($0.19) on the amount the prices can be raised each year.

If 30,000 to 40,000 signatures are collected, it would trigger an official referendum, and according to Der Spiegel, "put pressure on politicians before Munich's mayor elections in 2014."

According to a Russian news channel, the price of beer at Oktoberfest has increased 43 percent over the last decade.

A record 6.9 million people attended last year's Oktoberfest, which spans 16 days. Seven and a half million liters of beer were sold in 2011, an all-time high.

-By Tom Rotunno, CNBC Senior Editor

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