American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
It’s Oktoberfest season…time to dust off your designer Lederhosen and bang out a new polka mixtape. And, oh yeah, you’re gonna need the most excellent seasonal lagers. So here are some Oktoberfest beers that you need to check out before you kick it…Prost!
Paulaner Oktoberfest Beers
When it comes to the best Oktoberfest beers one has to look to Munich, home to the original Oktoberfest celebration. For over 100 years, the Märzen style (a full-bodied malt-rich lager) ruled Munich’s Oktoberfest. But In 1990, festival organizers realized that modern tastes were changing and that festival-goers were asking for something lighter.
And Paulaner USA offers both of them in the states…
Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen – Brewed with uncompromising standards that strictly adhere to the Reinheitsgebot, using only 4 ingredients (water, hops, yeast and malt} this is the Oktoberfest original. Brimming with rich malt flavor and lingering toffee tones Paulaner has been brewing this 5.8% ABV classic for almost 400 years.
Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier – Brewed only once a year and only available while supplies last, this is the only beer that would have offered in the Paulaner tent in Munich had the event not been cancelled again this year. But with this year’s celebration on hold yet again, Paulaner USA is making this full-bodied deep golden 6% ABV Pale Lager more available than ever before.
(Courtesy AleSmith Brewing)
AleSmith Oktoberfest
San Diego, California-based AleSmith Brewing makes a number of beers that we love and their fall lager is always worth the wait!
Modeled after the original German-style amber lager made famous for being served at Munich’s Oktoberfest celebration starting in 1872. AleSchmidt Oktoberfest (good name) is a 5.5% ABV Märzen Lager with a fresh, polished ambience and rich malt character.
Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2021
For almost a decade, Sierra Nevada Brewing has been crafting some of the world’s most impressive Oktoberfest beers sometimes as collaborations with European brewers. In 2017 the craft beer leader partnered with Brauhaus Miltenberger, one of Germany’s most highly regarded brewers.
(Courtesy Sierra Nevada)
In 2018 the Chico, California-based brewery worked with Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery located in Freising, Germany. And in 2019 Sierra Nevada worked with another brewing great Bitburger Brewery.
But after years of creating great Oktoberfest collaborations with German masters, Sierra Nevada went solo in 2020 and they crafted a rich Märzen Lager we loved. And in 2021 the brewer went solo once more and again crafted something special.
Darker and yet incredibly approachable, Sierra Nevada’s 2021 Oktoberfest is a 5.5% ABV Amber Märzen with a floral hop presence and moderate bitterness. “The beer has a malty sweetness and the bitterness levels are just right to balance the malt character for drinkability,” says Scott Jennings, Innovation Brewmaster at Sierra Nevada, “It’s a substantial beer but it’s really, really drinkable.”
