Munich Oktoberfest Beer and more

Munich Oktoberfest Beer — The Real Story

Only six Munich breweries are permitted to serve beer at the official Oktoberfest in Munich: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten. The beer must be brewed in Munich and meet the requirements for official Oktoberfestbier. Since 2022, Oktoberfestbier has protected geographical status in the EU.

What is Festbier?

The beer you generally see filling the giant one-liter mugs at modern Oktoberfest is Festbier/Oktoberfestbier. It is golden, clean, malty but not heavy, and typically around 6% ABV. It's specifically designed to be flavorful yet highly drinkable by the liter. Paulaner's current Oktoberfest Bier, for example, is golden and 6.0% ABV.

What is Märzen?

Märzen is the traditional Oktoberfest style. Historically, beer was brewed stronger in March before summer brewing restrictions and lagered until fall. Märzen is generally amber/copper, richer and toastier, with more pronounced malt character. Hacker-Pschorr's U.S. Oktoberfest Märzen is a classic example: amber-colored and 5.8% ABV.

True Oktoberfest/Festbier

both in stock now at The Wine and Cheese Place

The modern style actually served at Munich Oktoberfest

• 1. Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier — Golden, malty and crisp; 6.0% ABV. This is the Oktoberfest Bier Paulaner serves in its Munich Oktoberfest tents.
• 2. Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier — Golden Munich Oktoberfestbier

Traidtional Marzen Style

both in stock now at The Wine and Cheese Place

The historic amber Oktoberfest style — also in stock

• 3. Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen — Traditional amber, malt-forward Oktoberfest/Märzen
• 4. Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Märzen — Amber, smooth and malt-driven; 5.8% ABV. Hacker-Pschorr specifically describes this as a recreation of the historic Märzen style.

The last two Breweries - not widely availabe in the U.S.

(sorry, not available to us)

• 5. Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier — One of the six authentic Munich Oktoberfest beers. Its 6.1% ABV Wiesntrunk is served at Oktoberfest, but the actual Munich festival beer is not normally available to us in the U.S.
• 6. Augustiner Oktoberfestbier — Augustiner is Munich's oldest brewery and is the only Oktoberfest brewery still serving its Wiesn beer from traditional 200-liter wooden barrels at the festival. The festival beer is 6.3% ABV.

Odell Oktoberfest Marzen Lager...$11.99 / 6pk 12oz cans

Odell Oktoberfest Märzen Lager is a traditional Märzen-style lager from Odell Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado, brewed with traditional Munich malts for a rich, biscuity malt backbone and Noble hops that add spicy, herbal character and just enough bitterness for balance. At 6.0% ABV and 19 IBUs, it delivers flavors of toasted bread, biscuit, caramel and lightly roasted malt, with subtle fruit and herbal hop notes leading into a clean, crisp lager finish. Despite its malt richness, it remains medium-bodied and highly drinkable—very much in the classic Oktoberfest tradition.

Brooklyn Brewery Pilsner Lager...$9.99 / 6pk 12oz cans

Brooklyn Pilsner is a crisp American/German-inspired Pilsner from Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York. Brewed with Bravo, Hallertau and Saaz hops, it pours bright golden with light toasted-malt character, subtle citrus and spicy hop notes, and a clean, snappy, refreshing finish. At 5.0% ABV, it’s designed as an easy-drinking, balanced lager—Brooklyn says the recipe draws inspiration from early-1900s American Pilsners and modern northern German Pilsners.

5.0% ABV
Hops: Bravo, Hallertau & Saaz
Tasting Notes: Crisp, golden, light toast, subtle citrus & spicy hops.

Great Divide Tropical Titan IPA...$10.99 / 6pk 12oz cans

Tropical Titan IPA is a seasonal American IPA from Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado, built as a tropical spin on the brewery’s longtime Titan IPA. It’s 7.1% ABV and 39 IBU, dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe, delivering bright citrus and ripe tropical-fruit character over a smooth malt backbone. Great Divide describes it as having a clean finish while retaining the balance and drinkability of the original Titan. It is brewed with 2-Row, Cara Amber, Carafoam, Maris Otter and Vienna malts

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen...$10.99 / 6pk 12oz

Kellerweis is Sierra Nevada’s Bavarian-style Hefeweizen, brewed using traditional open fermentation, a technique rarely used by American breweries. The Hefeweizen yeast drives the flavor, producing classic notes of ripe banana, spicy clove and fresh-baked banana bread, with a soft, silky wheat character and naturally hazy appearance. At 4.8% ABV and just 17 IBU, it’s refreshing, lightly hopped and very traditional in character.

4.8% ABV • 17 IBU
Hop: Crystal
Malts: Wheat, Two-Row Pale & Munich
Yeast: Hefeweizen Ale
Tasting Notes: Banana, clove, fresh bread & soft wheat

Boulevard Mizzou Brew....$16.99 / 12pk 12oz cans

Kickoff: 1926. Still going strong. Mizzou Brew celebrates 100 years since the first snap at Memorial Stadium with a crisp, crushable lager kissed with a hint of fresh oranges. Light, refreshing, and sessionable at 4.0% ABV, it’s made for tailgates, touchdowns, and Tiger victories. From that first whistle to every roar since, this one is for the black and gold.

Maplewood Brewery Juice Pants Nectaron IPA...$13.99 / 4pk 16oz cans

Juice Pants Nectaron is a 7.0% ABV hazy IPA from Chicago’s Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, built as a special variant of its popular Juice Pants series. This release puts New Zealand-grown Nectaron hops front and center, delivering big notes of passion fruit, juicy orange pulp and ripe pineapple, with the soft, full-bodied texture and low perceived bitterness expected from Juice Pants. It’s essentially a Nectaron hop showcase, emphasizing the variety’s intensely tropical, ripe-fruit character

Modern Citrapolis Galaxy Double Dry Hopped IPA....$13.99 / 4pk 16oz cans

Modern Citrapolis Galaxy DDH is a 6.8% ABV New England/Hazy IPA from St. Louis, built on the brewery’s flagship Citrapolis IPA and amplified with a heavy double dry-hop of Australian Galaxy hops. Citrapolis itself is an all-Citra IPA, so this version combines Citra + Galaxy, pushing the profile toward intense passion fruit, pineapple, peach, citrus and tropical fruit, while retaining a clean, noticeable hop bitterness on the finish. Modern describes it as a juicier, more aromatic version of its flagship, essentially bringing together the juicy character of a hazy IPA with Citrapolis’ firmer bitter edge

Firestone Walker Diesel Thunder DIPA...$12.99 / 6pk 12oz cans

Diesel Thunder is a limited-edition West Coast Double IPA from Firestone Walker’s Propagator innovation brewery. At 8.0% ABV, it showcases Nelson, Citra and Columbus Cryo hops, delivering a bold combination of tropical fruit, citrus, resinous pine and intensely dank, diesel-like hop character. Nelson contributes white grape, lychee and tropical notes, Citra brings grapefruit and bright citrus, while Columbus Cryo supplies the deep dank/resinous edge. Fermented with Chico ale yeast, it finishes crisp and dry despite the higher strength. Firestone Walker describes it as “All Gas. No Brakes.”

• Style: West Coast Double IPA
• ABV: 8.0%
• Hops: Nelson, Citra, Columbus Cryo
• IBU: 43

4 Hands The Mighty Pines IPA...$11.99 / 4pk 16oz cans

The Mighty Pines IPA is a 6.0% ABV American IPA from 4 Hands Brewing Co. in St. Louis, brewed in collaboration with the St. Louis roots-rock band The Mighty Pines. It features Idaho 7 and Simcoe Cryo hops, producing bright citrus and pineapple flavors alongside a distinctly resinous pine character. A touch of malt sweetness balances the hops, making this a flavorful but notably easy-drinking IPA with a clean, balanced finish.

6.0% ABV
Hops: Idaho 7 & Simcoe Cryo
Tasting Notes: Citrus, pineapple, resinous pine & balanced malt sweetness.

3 Floyds Munsterfest Oktoberfest...$10.99 / 6pk 12oz

3 Floyds Munsterfest Oktoberfest...$20.99 / 12pk 12oz cans

Munsterfest is 3 Floyds’ traditional Märzen-style Oktoberfest lager, brewed with German malted barley, aromatic Bavarian noble hops, and traditional lager yeast. Rich and malt-forward, it delivers flavors of toasted biscuit, caramel and toffee, balanced by a clean lager finish and restrained noble-hop character. At 6.2% ABV, it’s 3 Floyds’ take on the darker, richer style of fest beer historically associated with Oktoberfest.