Beer Release: Oktoberfest - The History of the Event and the Styles That Define it.

Although most people associate Oktoberfest with lederhosen, pretzels, and polka, the German tradition is much more than that. Going all the way back to 1810, it features a beer festival and a traveling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. Traditions run deep, and the beers are no exception. Although styles have evolved a bit since the festivals inception, it's unanimous what styles are deemed acceptable to be served at the fest - a truth that dictates how the those styles are defined in and outside of Germany on the international stage.

Though Oktoberfest is somewhat of a catch-all for a number of lager styles that are brewed during and around the seasonality of the Munich-based event, there are several that reign as preeminent. It would be easy to lump almost every type of german beer into the mix, but really we are talking about German lagers. In Germany, specifically at the festival, you'll find a paler version known mostly as a Festbier, which evolved to allow Fest-goers to consume more of what was once a heavier, maltier version known as a Marzen. Still beyond that you have Bocks and Doppelbocks, Helles - the lightest of the Bock family, and Pilsners, a hoppier variety of a straw-colored session beer.

So where does our Oktoberfest land in the world of fest-biers? Well the beauty of the craft beer movement, particularly in the United States, is that we aren't beholden to style guidelines like the Big 6, unless of course this was going into competition. Our brewers took cues from a couple of lager varieties to create the best of both worlds. The color is amber to red, consistent with an American-style Marzen with the toasted maltiness of a Festbier. Bitterness is balanced and the ABV falls on the lower end of the spectrum for maximum sessionability.

“The Oktoberfest style is defined by balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness. Our release features authentic German Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malt from one of the premier German maltsters at Weyermann Malting. We focused on their traditional floor malted products from their Barke line to create a unique but authentic representation of the style that has been brewed for hundreds of years. These malts produce an orange hued beer with strong honey, and toasted bread flavors. To balance the sweetness of these malts we lean on traditional German hop varietals like Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnanger. These noble hops provide an earthy, floral aroma and slight bitterness generating a beer with exquisite balance and drinkability. This beer celebrates a special time of year and is our tip of the cap to German tradition and their love for beer.”

-Chris Baker, Director of Brewing Ops – Mother Earth Brew Co.

Oktoberfest is available in retailers through the fest-season on draft and in 12oz cans at craft retailers and at our tap rooms. Find it near you using our beer finder.