Raise a Stein! Minneapolis’ Gerhard’s Brats Nabs National Top 10 Vegan Sausage Award During Oktoberfest

For Immediate Release:
October 2, 2026

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Prost to that! A vegan sausage is stealing the spotlight this Oktoberfest—Minneapolis’ own Gerhard’s Brats has landed a spot on PETA’s Top Ten list of eateries serving up the best vegan sausages in the country. Gerhard’s vegan brat features Field Roast sausage served in a bun with several tasty topping options, including Düsseldorf, Creole, or yellow mustard; ketchup; sauerkraut; diced onions; and hot peppers.   

“Gerhard’s Brats is serving up scrumptious, sizzling sausages that give pigs and cows something to celebrate, too, and burst with bold, plant-powered flavor,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “Every vegan sausage on PETA’s Top Ten list is worth raising a glass to, as it’s perfect for Oktoberfest and leaves animals in peace.”

There’s a health bonus in every bite, too: The World Health Organization classifies processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans”—the same group as tobacco smoking and asbestos—based on evidence that eating processed meat, such as sausages, causes colorectal cancer.

Pigs are soothed by music, and cows mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. Yet in the meat industry, workers cut off pigs’ tails and teeth and castrate the males—all without any pain relief—and confine cows to cramped, filthy feedlots before sending both to slaughter at a fraction of their natural lifespan. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch.

Gerhard’s Brats will receive a framed award certificate from PETA along with bragging rights. Other winning restaurants include Hollerbach’s German Restaurant in Sanford, Florida; The Vanguard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Dat Dog in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Gerhard’s Brats is a mobile food truck with a rotating schedule of locations and hours, available here, and will be serving up its vegan brats at the Twin Cities Oktoberfest on October 9 and 10. Gerhard’s is also available for catering and can be rented for private events.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.