September is Oktoberfest season. As the parties rage in the Wies’n over in Munich, all of us stuck at home still need to get in on all that beer-soaked action. We’ve already suggested some German beers to hunt down at your local beer market to celebrate Oktoberfest at home. Now, it’s time to add some American beers to the list for your next Oktoberfest party.
Below are some tasty brews being made stateside. We decided to extend it beyond the usual “Oktoberfest” releases and include a few straight up lagers that may not be the exact style of a Munich Helles, but carry the spirit of light, tasty, sudsy beer. Happy beer hunting!
OKTOBERFEST — SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.
Sierra Nevada’s collaboration with Bavarian Brauhaus Miltenberger is the best place to start an American Oktoberfest beer journey. The California beer is hopped with Bavarian hops and captures the style of an Oktoberfest Märzen Lager. There’s a sweet bready malt up front, followed by a mellow and slightly floral hop bitterness that balances wonderfully with the crisp finish.
FESTBIER — VICTORY BREWING COMPANY
Victory Brewing out in Pennsylvania has a very German feel to it. Their Festbier amps up that Germanness to eleven around Oktoberfest. The sweet malts lean into brown sugar notes, while the balance of easy hops adds an almost black tea bitterness with a dry finish. It’s a unique take on the Oktoberfest beer style that’s worth looking out for.
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TWO WOMEN — NEW GLARUS BREWING COMPANY
This Wisconsin German Pilsner is just a solid beer all around. Two Women’s Bohemian malts add a slightly buttered toast and apple orchard edge above the Hallertau Mittelfrueh Bavarian hops that add a subtle grassy and earthy bitterness. This one may not be a specific Oktoberfest beer, but it’s a beer that’ll satisfy every German beer craving you have.
HOUSE BEER — HOUSE BEER CO.
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Oktoberfest is all about the lagers. So it’s worth drinking a local American lager around this time of year to honor the old country’s style. California’s House Beer brews a craft take on the American Pale Lager that’s worth seeking out. The beer has a clear malt flavor anchored in a slightly sweet and rice grain depth followed by an echo of bitter hops with twinges of citrus rinds. This is an easy beer to drink one after another — which is what you want at an Oktoberfest party.
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WIBTOBERFEST — WIBBY BREWING
Out in Colorado, Wibby is making some serious brews. Their Oktoberfest beer is a great example of the brewer’s prowess. Wibtoberfest is all about the malt. There’s a grainy maltiness that has a sweet edge that’s reminiscent of a homemade granola. Underneath there’s a slightly bitter hop that’s almost sour grape-tart. It’s a well-balanced and refreshing beer that belongs in a huge one-liter glass.
TAMPA-STYLE LAGER — CIGAR CITY BREWING
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Down in Florida Cigar City Brewing is doing good work with their line of well-brewed beers. Their Tampa-Style Lager is the progeny of German Munich style Helles beers that make up most of the beers served around Munich’s beer halls. This one is on the thinner side and more attuned with American Pale Lagers. That’s not a bad thing. The malt leans into a sweet buttered toast, while the light touch of floral hops makes this one super quaffable — exactly what you want from a beer this time of year.
SURLYFEST — SURLY BREWING CO.
Surly Brewing up in Minnesota loves making big beers with bold flavors and their SurlyFest does not disappoint on this front. Their Märzen Lager uses three malted rye grains to amp up their malt creating a sweet biscuit edged with hints of spicy peppercorns. There’s a subtle balance of floral hops rounding out the crisp finish to the beer. This may not be exactly ‘traditional’ but it’s tasty AF.
OKTOBERFEST — GREAT LAKES BREWING CO.
Great Lakes Brewing in Ohio is an award winning brewery for good reason. Their beers tend to be top notch. This Oktoberfest beer is a great example of the style, and can stand next to most of the suds coming out of Bavaria right now. There’s sweet and toasted malt right up front that has the feel of fresh bread just coming out of the oven. That’s followed by mild hints of hop bitterness in the background. Overall, this is might be the closest you’ll get to Bavaria in America.
NARRAGANSETT FEST — NARRAGANSETT
Rhode Island is a small state that loves big beer. Narragansett’s Fest beer is just that. The malt-forward beer has hits of sweet toast that’s more honey-based than sugary. There’s a citrus edge to the bitter hoppiness that leans into an earthy floral note. Like a New England IPA, there’s a lot going on in this beer that’s local to the region.
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OCTOBERFEST — SAMUEL ADAMS
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This one’s here because it’ll be the easiest to find nationwide this Oktoberfest season. And, you know what, it’s pretty good. Samuel Adam’s Octoberfest has a nice maltiness rooted in an almost maple sweetness and toasty grains. The hops are far in the background with a slight orange bitterness and hints of allspice. This is an easy beer to drink (and find) and fits in well with the Oktoberfest style.
