5 Great Oktoberfest Beers To Try Before You Die

American Craft Beer|September 28th, 2015|

So many beers- So little time… It’s Oktoberfest season, so grab some pretzels, set your Pandora to Polka and dust off the Lederhosen. And, oh yeah, you’ll need beer, lots and lots of beer – and we can help you with that.

So here are 5 Oktoberfest beers that you absolutely need to chase down, before you kick it…Prost!

Ninkasi Oktoberfest (Eugene, OR) – If it looks like we’re in the tank for Ninkasi – that’s because we are – and they’ll have to start brewing “shit beer” before we do. Ninkasi’s Oktoberfest puts a 5.9% ABV, Pacific Northwest spin on this seasonal without straying too far from its Germanic roots. One of our favorites.

Firestone Walker OAKtoberfest (Paso Robles, CA) – I guess we’re in the tank for Firestone Walker too – we write about them enough – but honestly they’ve one of the best Oktoberfest beers around. Named as a homage to their hometown, Paso Robles, which is Spanish for “Pass of The Oaks. Firestone Walker’s OAKtoberfest 5% Märzen that just gets it right.

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany) – How can we not include one of Germany’s original Oktoberfest beers? And this is one of only six Munich breweries allowed to serve beer at the city’s world-famous Oktoberfest celebration. Brewed with natural spring water Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest is lighter than many of its American craft brethren – and deliciously refreshing for exactly that reason.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest (Chico, CA) – We like Sierra Nevada’s concept as much as we like their new seasonal release. Starting this year, and partnering with a different German brewer, every fall season, Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest will all be collaboration efforts going forward. This year’s Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest is a 6% Märzen brewed with Augsburg-based Brauhaus Riegele – a family brewery that’s been around since 1386.

Upslope Oktoberfest (Boulder, CO) – Pouring a deep amber color with a slight orange tinge, Upslope Brewing’s Oktoberfest is a 5.1% ABV Lager with malty aromas and just a touch of toast. Its clean taste and smooth mouthfeel make for perfect for the changing seasons and early dusk campfires.

And when you’re power-pounding Oktoberfest beers you’ll need pretzels to spell things and Snyder’s Of Hanover makes a special Limited-edition pretzel that we swear by. Snyder’s of Hanover Oktoberfest Pretzels are big individually twisted pretzels baked for mustard and Märzen.