Tuesday Top Ten: Favorite Oktoberfest Beers

One year ago and four years ago today, I was in Munich, enjoying all of the wonders of Oktoberfest, the most important of which is the beer. The style of beer that is predominantly served at the Oktoberfest tents is märzen, a style of beer developed in Bavaria centuries ago, when beer could only be brewed between late September and late April. The beer was brewed in March (Märzen), and then opened up in the late summer and, later, for Oktoberfest. It is stronger than normal beer, as it must withstand not only the summer months, but also hundreds of thousands of drunkards.


In addition to the delicious märzenbiers produced by the Bavarian breweries, in recent years, a number of craft breweries here in the U.S. have put out their versions of märzen beers, often aptly entitled "Oktoberfest" beers. I have had the pleasure of consuming many of them. Here are my ten favorite Oktoberfest beers.


10. Harpoon Octoberfest


9. Bell's Oktoberfest


8. Shiner Oktoberfest (which I am enjoying as I write this)


4 (tie). Paulaner München Märzen, Hofbräu Oktoberfest, Augustinerbräu Oktoberfest Märzen, and Spaten-Bräu Ur Märzen


These are all Bavarian Oktoberfest biers. All are good, but there isn't one that I necessarily like better than another.


3. Sam Adam's Octoberfest


My favorite of the Sam Adam's seasonal beers.


2. Magic Hat Ourtoberfest


I had this for the first time this year, and it is really good.


1. Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest


Not only have I consumed far too many of these in the Pschorr-Bräurosl tent, but I have also purchased bottles stateside, and it is just as tasty when you're not listening to Südtiroler Spitzbuam singing "Ein Prosit" for the 45th time.








I'm always looking for new beers to try, so I kindly invite you to let me know if there are any Oktoberfest beers you like that I haven't listed.