It’s that special time of year when you pull out your lederhosen, locate a giant glass mug, get shit-faced, and slur some impolite German phrases. Yes, Oktoberfest, the annual Munich-based beer festival, is upon us, running from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6 this year. We already had our fill of IPAs, pale ales, wheat beers, and hard seltzers for the year and are ready to drink rich, malty Märzen-style beer. We’ll get our fill of German brands like Spaten, Augustiner, Weihenstephaner, and Hofbrau when this two-week excuse to drink rolls around, but what else is out there for our Oktoberfest imbibing pleasure? We spoke to some of the most well-known brewers in the U.S. and asked them what their favorite American-made Oktoberfest beers are. Check them all out below. And don’t forget the pretzels!
Photo: Frank Grtner / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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American Oktoberfest Beers
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Jack's Abby Copper Legend
“I have to tip my hat to the sister company Jack's Abby here. There's just nothing like a cold Copper Legend under a huge foam cap.” – Joe Connolly, director of Springdale Beer
Photo: Jack's Abby
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Dry Dock Oktoberfest
“I'll always have a soft spot for Dry Dock Brewing's Oktoberfest. Maybe it's the numerous Docktoberfests that I barely remember, but that beer always hits the spot when I think fall beers.” – Chris Gilmore, brewery operations at Lone Tree Brewing
Photo: Dry Dock
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La Cumbre Oktoberfest
“La Cumbre's Oktoberfest has a super clean, excellent toasty malt profile and subtle spicy noble hop character.” – John Walker, head brewer and co-founder at Athletic Brewing
Photo: La Cumbre
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New Glarus Staghorn
“If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some, I’d go with New Glarus Staghorn Oktoberfest. It has some color but it’s not overly malty. It’s approachable and very drinkable.” – Mark Theisen, head brewer at Coronado Brewing Co.
Photo: New Glarus
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Devils Backbone O'Fest
“Devils Backbone O'Fest. It’s another great lager from this Virginia lager powerhouse and happens to be where I worked before Thirsty Monk.” – Paul Friedheim, lead brewer at Thirsty Monk
Photo: Devils Backbone
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Prost Marzen
“I’m liking Prost’s Marzen at the moment. Extremely approachable. Nice, nuanced mineral-like character and a touch of roast malt on the finish.” – Kevin Van Winkle, co-founder and head brewer at Endo Brewing
Photo: Prost
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Samuel Adams Octoberfest
“Sam Adams, for sure. It’s just such a classic and when I think of an American Oktoberfest, it stands out above the rest. It’s so well-balanced and drinks super easy.” – Matt McCall, brewmaster at Coney Island Brewing
Photo: Samuel Adams
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Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest
“I have really enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest beers of the last few years. It's especially cool that they collaborate with some German breweries as well.” – Steve Sanderson, founder and brewer at Riverwalk brewing company
Photo: Sierra Nevada
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Victory Festbier
“I love the lagers from Victory Brewing Company. It’s always a pleasure to crack open a beer from a brewery that gets lagers, and their Festbier doesn't disappoint.” – Yiga Miyashiro, senior director of brewery operations at Saint Archer Brewing Co.
Photo: Victory
