Best Oktoberfest Beers – 2023

(Courtesy Firestone Walker)

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 right seasonal lagers.

So here are some Oktoberfest beers that you need to check out…Prost!

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Firestone Walker Brewing has returned a classic that’s an oak-inspired homage to the great Bavarian tradition of Oktoberfest. Lagered in in French oak barrels from a premium Napa Valley Cabernet producer, Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest is a 5.2% ABV Oak Aged Lager with an uber-smooth mouthfeel, a crisp malt profile and hints of noble German hops.

“Some recipes endure for a reason, and Oaktoberfest is a perfect example,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “We’ve been making this ‘Paso Festbier’ periodically for more than 15 years, and it has stood the test of time. While the recipe is traditional, we lager the beer in French oak barrels to give it an extra smooth mouthfeel with a hint of oak character.”

(Courtesy Paulaner)

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 once a year and only available while supplies last, this is the beer you’ll find offered in the Paulaner tent in Munich. And now, Paulaner USA is making this full-bodied deep golden 6% ABV Pale Lager more available than ever before

(Courtesy Tröegs Independent Brewing)

Tröegs Oktoberfest Lager

Pennsylvania has a rich German heritage, so it shouldn’t surprise that Tröegs Independent Brewing makes one of the best Oktoberfest beers in the nation. Part of the brewery’s popular Long Live Lagers Series and crafted using a traditional brewing technique called decoction, Tröegs Oktoberfest Lager is a 6.1% ABV seasonal release with bright notes of sweet caramel, fresh-baked bread, and flowering herbs.

“It’s one of our simplest recipes and only uses two types of malt,” said brewmaster and co-founding brother, John Trogner. “It starts with a base of pilsner malt, then we add a touch of Munich to impart a bready flavor. By boiling a portion of the mash, we create a bright, dry maltiness. The yield is a rich, complex malt character.”

(Courtesy AleSmith Brewing)

AleSmith Oktoberfest

San Diego, California-based AleSmith Brewing makes a number of beers that we love and their year-round lager is even better in the fall.

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 Festbier

Brewed in collaboration with the Kehrwieder Brewery in Hamburg Germany, Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Festbier is a 6% ABV seasonal with a rich with biscuity malt profile offset by a punchy blend of German and American hops.

, Best Oktoberfest Beers – 2023 This collab is 20 years in the making, reaching back to when Sierra Nevada brewmasters were classmates with brewers who are now at Kehrwieder, a German craft brewery generating a lot of attention for their beer in Europe.