Are American Oktoberfest Beers Anything Like the Original Festbier?

Are American Oktoberfest Beers Anything Like the Original Festbier?

By Annemarie D'Alessandro 

If you’re a lover of all things fall seasonal beer, I’m sure you’ve noticed various brands take on Oktoberfest beer. In the United States most Oktoberfest beers will appear amber in color, which surprisingly isn’t the color of the beer seen at the yearly festival. So what exactly makes an Oktoberfest a traditional Festbier, and why is it so different from the American brewed versions?

Oktoberfest is the world’s largest Volksfest, a beer festival with a travelling funfair! The festival is held every year in Munich, Germany and it usually lasts a full 16 to 18 days beginning in mid to late September and ending the first Sunday of October. Festival goers enjoy tons of traditional Oktoberfest beer as well as various traditional foods and are entertained by amusement rides, sidestalls, and games! All of the Oktoberfest beer is supplied by six main breweries in Munich: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten. Oktoberfest beer is also a registered trademark by the Club of Munich Brewers, consisting of the six aforementioned breweries.

Besides becoming a registered trademark, Oktoberfest-style beers have traditionally been dark colored lagers that are brewed to have an ABV of 5.5 to 6%. Oftentimes you’ll also hear the word Märzen thrown around a lot in reference to Oktoberfest beers. This is because traditionally the beers are brewed in March (Märzen is German for March) and then fermented throughout the summer months. In the time before proper air conditioning, Oktoberfest beers made in Germany were fermented within caves because the atmosphere within them remained cool during the summer months! This gave the brewers a little more control since excessive heat can drastically affect the finished product.

In recent years though, the color of the original Festbier has become lighter. The now golden-colored lager has become more well known because of the switch to paler malts when brewing the beer. In the 20th century, many brewers switched to paler malts in an attempt to imitate the popular pale lagers of the time. The introduction of this paler brew quickly gained popularity and Oktoberfest festivals since then have been serving the iconic gold lager with thick, white heads.

But what is the difference between American made Oktoberfest beers and the traditional version, besides being made in a different country? Typically, Oktoberfest beers that are exported or made elsewhere will highlight the toasted flavors of Munich and Vienna malts, which will also give the beer a more amber color. In contrast, the traditional Festbier features a more bready Pilsner malt complemented by German hops. Some American breweries also work directly with German breweries to create the most authentic exported Oktoberfest possible, but the beer can really only be a Festbier and authentic Oktoberfest if it is made by one of the six breweries of the Club of Munich Brewers.

Even though American-made Oktoberfest beers aren’t fully authentic, there are some brands out there that make Oktoberfest beers as close as possible to the real thing! Below are some great Oktoberfest beers we carry here at Passion Vines!

We also carry some Oktoberfest or Märzen beers at Passion Vines that aren’t the closest thing to the traditional Festbier. Even though these aren’t the most traditional, they are delicious options that many have come to love and look forward to in the Oktoberfest season -see them below!

Even though Oktoberfest in Munich was cancelled this year due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, we can still celebrate at home to ring in the fall season! Hopefully this post gave you some more knowledge about Oktoberfest-style beers so you can begin to explore all the different options that we carry. Ein Prosit to Oktoberfest!