I was waltzing around the beer aisle the other day, hoping to pick up a nice Spaten Assortment Pack (Optimator, Spaten Lager, Franziskaner) and noticed a very strange and unnerving phenomenon: the place was littered with Oktoberfest brews of seemingly every brewer in existence. What was going on here? It's the exact middle of August and I'm already being burdened with the task of making my Oktoberfest selections for the fall season? Has the whole world gone mad? Well, let me slow down here a second and better explain myself.
Let's get the facts out first: For those not in the know, Oktoberfest is a huge, 16 day (sometimes 17 or 18 depending on when the first Sunday in October falls) festival in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a celebration of beer, food, beer, good times, and, did I mention, beer. Over 6 million people visit the great festival every year and a good time is surely had by all (if they can remember).
What that all means for us here in the states is that we get flooded with some fantastic German, and not so German, Oktoberfest brews as we enter the cooler autumn months. And what a fantastic time it is: the leaves are changing color, there is a crisp nip to the air, and lighter beers of summer give way to the heartier, but still crisp and refreshing, beers of Oktoberfest (which then lead us faithfully into the even heartier beers of winter). Fact is, I absolutely love the beers of Oktoberfest, and with so many different brewers that get in on the action there is plenty to choose.
Article comments
1 - TigerJo
I LOVE the Spaten Optimator and Marzen! Oktoberfest beers are my favorite, because they usually have a low IBU and are unmarred by bitterness.
2 - Music Mook
Very true! The Oktoberfests are incredibly drinkable and almost soft in feel. Of all beer seasons I get most excited about the beers of autumn. Last year the Sam Adams was top notch although I am always partial to the real Germans.
Oh and Optimator is one of my all time favs. It's so different and flavorful and truly unique.
3 - Kronnyj
There is never a bad time for dark beers. I've been lamenting the season of light "summer" beers. Give me a beer with some flavor, dark beer on a hot day is great.
4 - Music Mook
That's what I love about the world of beer: enough great varieties to suit everyone's needs!
I do enjoy a nice stout now and again during the summertime, it's just so hard to look at something with the work "Oktober" in it when it's 90+ degrees out. Of course, perhaps that's just because I long for the cool days of autumn...
5 - doug m
Does a/c not help?
6 - Johnny C.
Oktoberfest festivals happen throughout Bavaria, btw. And, depending upon the location, the traditional beers might vary (I was at one in a small town where the beer of preference was a Hefeweizen).
Also, the Oktoberfest beers served at the Munich Oktoberfest have morphed over the years and bear little resemblance to the "marzen" versions that are marketed in the US by German and domestic producers alike.
If you can find the 3 liter mini-kegs of the festival beer brewed by one of the 6 Munich brewers (I found some by Lowenbrau a few years back) you will notice that their beer is light in color like a lager and a bit stronger in alcohol content.
7 - Music Mook
I had the Lowenbrau a few years back as well and I was pretty impressed and did notice that it was lighter in color as you say.
Strange to have a Hefeweizen during Oktoberfest...to me that's a summer beer!
Like I said, something for everyone.
8 - Johnny C.
All the breweries at Oktoberfest (Munich and elsewhere) offer up a heifeweizen, actually. And it's historically been the beer for the ladies.
9 - Tom Telmann
Hello! Thank you for posting this interesting article! I really liked it and wanted to thank you for posting it! Tom
BTW: My site provides online German language lessons www.deutsch-kurse.biz/english
10 - Miguel
The Oktoberfest is the best "fest" ever. We say "feucht-fröhlich" in German. Very good article.
11 - Verkehr
This is really interesting!