Every year, Oktoberfest, a 16-day autumnal festival, arrives in Munich, and with it comes torrents of beer, crowds dressed up in dirndls and lederhosen, and an atmosphere of riotous good fun.
It’s also an amazing time for beer lovers to explore German brewing culture. All beers served at Oktoberfest must be brewed in Munich, and need to adhere to the German Purity Law of 1516 (the Reinheitsgebot), which dictates the ingredients brewers can use. Here are six Oktoberfest brews to try.
Augustiner Bräu
Billed as the oldest brewery in Munich, Augustiner Bräu has been on the scene since 1328 – well before anyone even knew yeast was the source of the alcohol and carbonation in beer. Still independently owned and operated today, Augustiner brews a special Oktoberfestbier that can only be dispensed from wooden barrels.
Though it’s a lager (a style that’s typically known for having low alcohol percentages), Paulaner’s Oktoberfest-style brew clocks in at a steady six percent — the minimum ABV required at Munich’s Wiesn beer tents. Bearing a slight sweetness and maltiness, Paulaner is one of the festival’s most reliably popular brews.
Spaten-Franziskaner
Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen may sound like a mouthful, but it’s one of the tastiest pours you can get in Munich’s beer tents. Having existed in Munich in various forms since 1397, the Spaten-Franziskaner brewery is today the city’s largest. Its malt-forward Oktoberfest brew is a classic version of the style.
Its name translates to “lion’s brew,” and Löwenbräu has been a brewing presence in Munich since the 14th century (its lion logo comes from a fresco in the 17th century brew house). Having been served at every Oktoberfest since the founding festival in 1810, Löwenbräu’s Oktoberfest Märzen is a classic choice.
Boasting a brewing process that has remained virtually the same since the brewery’s founding more than 580 years ago, Hacker-Pschorr makes its beers with an exclusive yeast strain that’s unique to the brewery. Bearing a complex flavor profile that offers notes of biscuits, raisins, bread and cinnamon, the brewery’s Oktoberfest style is a festival favorite.
Established in 1589 by William V, the Duke of Bavaria, Hofbräu München certainly has a pedigree. Still retaining Bavarian ownership, the brewery produces classic Munich styles. Its Oktoberfestbier is the most notably hoppy and bitter of the Oktoberfest seasonals, and makes for a bracing and refreshing festival tipple.
(Main image: © Kzenon, 2013. Used under licence from Shutterstock.com)
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