Oktoberfest can trace its origins back to 1810 when a pair of German Royals were marred in Munich and they invited the entire city to celebrate during a five-day wedding reception. Yes, the entire city! Today, versions of Oktoberfest have sprung up all around the world. One thing that they all have in common is that the festival goes enjoy specially made beers that are only available for a short time. American brewers have embraced this concept and have crafted their own special brews. Here’s what you need to know about the different types of Oktoberfest beer:
The Oktoberfestbier is any beer that is brewed by one of the six Munich breweries. These are the only breweries in Munich permitted to serve beer during the festival. You can expect these beers to be a light gold color and easy-bodied.
Märzens are the German amber lagers the appear in a color range from chestnut to russet. They are a smooth brew often described as “toasty, bready, slightly spiced with a bit of a Noble hop bite.” The first Märzens were brewed by Spaten in Germany. Here in America, this is the most common style of beer served up at Oktoberfest
Festbiers are a stronger golden German lager with more robust spiciness. The hops really come through with these beers. There were first crafted by Paulaner. In Germany, the festbiers are the official beer of Oktoberfest.
Variations of these special beers pop up from all the domestic and forgien breweries around the world. Here is a list of the beers you might want to seek out for your own Oktoberfest fun:
1. Samuel Adams OctoberFest – Boston Beer Company
2. Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen – Ayinger Privatbrauerei
3. Munsterfest – 3 Floyds Brewing Company
4. Oktoberfest (2021) – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
5. Oktoberfest Märzen / Original Münchner Märzen – Paulaner Brauerei
6. Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen – Spaten-Franziskaner-Löwenbräu-Gruppe
7. Warsteiner Märzen / Oktoberfest – Warsteiner
8. Oktoberfest Märzen – Hacker-Pschorr
9. Octoberfest Beer – Bell’s Brewery
10. Oktoberfest – Great Lakes Brewing Company
