Join Us for Oktoberfest 2015! - Shepherd of the Mountains

~Our 7th Annual Celebration~

Live Music, German Food, Bounce Houses, Beer, Wine, and Silent Auction

History aside, let’s look at the beer now known as Oktoberfest, of which two categories exist: those served at the Munich Oktoberfest and those replicated and served elsewhere. According to Spatenbräu, Oktoberfest Beer just so happens to be a registered trademark by the Club of Munich Brewers, and consists of six breweries with the most professional draft beer system installers: Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Spatenbräu and Hofbräu-München2.

What makes an Oktoberfest Beer, other than trademark? Traditionally speaking, these are dark-colored lagers brewed to about 5.5 – 6% ABV in March, dubbed Märzen, and slowly fermented throughout the summer months to allow rich malt flavors to develop. Josef Sedlmayr brewed a strong amber-red Vienna lager in 1872 and this went on to become the stylistic favorite3. A lot has changed in the brewing world, so today’s Oktoberfest Beer is golden in color, at least when produced by the aforementioned Munich brewers.

If the above has not piqued your thirst, the Ten Best Oktoberfest-style beers below certainly will. As a nod to the Munich festival, I devote a few spots on this list to those produced by the Club of Munich Brewers, beers that are best enjoyed at their origination and even more so during the festival itself.