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While it started in the 1800s as a small regional holiday, Oktoberfest soon became a worldwide sensation. Since its inception, the event has spurred many a spin-off festival complete with traditional music, costumes, parades and food. But this event also brought us something else: Oktoberfest-style beer.
If you can’t make it out to Oktoberfest this year, or missed it (as the majority of the holiday takes place in September) we’ve collected a list of our top nine favorites that will transport you all the way to the festival grounds of Germany’s Theresienwiese.
Great Lakes Brewing Oktoberfest (Ohio, US)
92 Points Wine Enthusiast
A dazzling copper color in the glass, this pours with great clarity and a pillowy tan head, leaving stunning lacing behind with each sip. The aromas are fresh and inviting, reminiscent of a crisp fall day, with notes of fresh-baked bread, roasted malt, peanut shell and a touch of soft caramel. The palate offers more of the same, with additional accents of earthy hops and forest floor. Smooth, clean and creamy on the palate, this is a seasonal treat that should be enjoyed as often as possible. —Lauren Buzzeo
$10 / 12oz 6-pack Total Wine & More4 Noses Foeder Oktoberfest (Colorado, US)
Samuel Adams Octoberfest (Massachusetts, US)
91 Points Wine Enthusiast
Vibrant amber color with a substantial cream-colored head. Offers rich aromas of roasted malt, Portobello mushrooms and fresh-baked bread with hints of apricot jam and hop florals. The palate is full and creamy with flavors of clean cereal and malt backed by hints of maple, sweet spice, and hop oils. Exhibits excellent balance and integration, with a touch of grapefruit pith on the finish. —L.B.
$16 / 12oz 12-pack Total Wine & MoreGreen Bench Festbier Lager (Florida, US)
90 Points Wine Enthusiast
Crisp and assertive, this clear, golden bronze lager is a refreshing pour that balances a semisweet yet earthy malt profile with an herbal and slightly citrusy hop content. It’s a reminder that Oktoberfest can happen in any climate and that this one is suited for warmer weather, even in autumn. —J.H.
$11 / 12oz 6-pack Total Wine & MoreLeft Hand Oktoberfest Märzen Lager (Colorado, US)
90 Points Wine Enthusiast
Burnt-apricot color. Whiffs of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice abound, backed by caramel-drizzled baked apples, spiced roasted pumpkin and freshly baked bread. The mouth is clean and full with roasty malt character, winter warmer-esque spice, apple-pie notes and a soft hint of hop bitterness. A warm, inviting, and delicious Oktoberfest. —L.B.
$15 / 12oz 6-pack SauceyRosenstadt Festbier (Oregon, US)
90 Points Wine Enthusiast
This is a strong, semisweet oktoberfest lager, with a subtle hop presence and a full body. At home alongside grilled sausages or lightly fried potatoes, it’s a hearty lager that will fill your stomach and soul. —J.H.
$14 / 12oz 6-pack SauceyVictory Festbier (Pennsylvania, US)
90 points Wine Enthusiast
There is a strong malt character to this beer, with dominating notes of chocolate malt, caramel, toasted bread and dried dark fruits to the nose and mouth. Those notes continue through to the medium-bodied palate, which is fluffy and smooth, with coffee and toffee accents that lingers through the finish. There’s a very faint seam of hop presence throughout, but overall it’s a well-balanced and surprisingly drinkable brew. —L.B.
$11 / 12oz 6-pack DrizlySpaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen (Germany)
88 Points Wine Enthusiast
One of the original German breweries allowed to produce an Oktoberfest, this brew pours a pale orange amber color with a tiny head that falls very quickly. Aromas and flavors of clean malt, subtle wheat, a dusting of allspice notes and a hint of fruity nuttiness, like cherry pits. Light in body with a very crisp and clean short finish tinged with pleasant grassy notes. —L.B.
$11 / 12oz 6-pack DrizlyShiner Märzen-Style Oktoberfest (Germany)
87 Points Wine Enthusiast
Made with German-grown Hallertau Tradition and Hersbrucker hops, this is a light and refreshing märzen that’s quite the sessionable selection. It pours a light golden-copper color, with a fleeting off-white head and light aromas of toasted grain and sweet malt. The mouthfeel is brisk and balanced, with soft malt flavors and a flash of hop bitterness that lingers. —L.B.
$16 / 12oz 12-pack Total Wine & MoreWhy You Should Trust Us
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FAQs
What is Oktoberfest beer?
Beers labeled “Oktoberfest” are generally malt-forward märzen beers. German varieties began popping up in the U.S. in the 1960s. In the years that followed, many American producers began producing their own interpretations of the classic style.
What is the official Oktoberfest beer?
The official Oktoberfest in Munich pours only beers produced by six local brewers: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten. These operations have been around for a good long time: The oldest, Augustiner, was founded by monks of the Augustinian order in 1328. Meanwhile, the “newest” brewery, Paulaner, dates to only 1634—more than a hundred years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
When do Oktoberfest beers come out?
According to the official Oktoberfest website, sanctioned beers will begin appearing weeks before the event’s start date, which is usually in mid-September. American-made Oktoberfest beers, however, may hit shelves stateside in as early as August.
What does Oktoberfest beer taste like?
Most märzen beers are amber in hue with malt-forward flavors that delivers bready, toasted notes. But don’t forget about festbier, a lighter, golden lager that’s often served as a more sessionable alternative to Oktoberfest beer.
How much beer is consumed during Oktoberfest?
In 2019, 7.3 million liters of beer were poured at the official Munich Oktoberfest. But when you factor in beer drunk at Oktoberfest celebrations around the world… the number of total pours is impossible to calculate. It’s definitely a lot, though!
Last Updated: July 12, 2023
