While Oktoberfest in Munich is over, many breweries are still celebrating all month long and many Oktoberfest beers are currently available. My recent article for The Bulletin covers the two beer styles associated with the festival, Märzen and Festbier, with examples from Wild Ride Brewing and Sunriver Brewing.

Märzen is the traditional style associated with Oktoberfest, an amber lager developed by the Spaten Brewery in Munich in the 1840s. It’s a malt-forward beer, with malt character that is rich and bready, complex and luscious without being sweet or roasty. It has a mild hop presence that can be herbal or spicy, and overall finishes clean and dry.

Wild Ride Brewing Company offers up its annual version of the style, Schnitts & Giggles Festbier, which falls under the Märzen banner. It’s easy drinking with 5.4% alcohol by volume and 20 IBUs.

Festbier, also called Wiesn in Germany, is the official beer of Oktoberfest in Munich, having supplanted Märzen in 1990. It’s designed to be a lighter, more drinkable version of a festival beer, developed by the Paulaner Brewery in the 1970s, which felt that the original amber Märzen style was too filling.

Sunriver Brewing Company brews Holy Schmidt! Festbier each year, designed to be balanced and drinkable and true to the style. It’s 5.8% ABV with 25 IBUs.

Prost!