Lets find the Best Oktoberfest Beer! (2022 Updated)

Prost! Welcome to the unofficial start of the fall season, which happens to be our favorite time of year. While the majority of attention will be focused on pumpkin beers it is the Oktoberfest (Märzen) style that truly kicks off this delicious season. This year I wanted to kick things off with a running contest to find the best Oktoberfest ( Märzen) style beer, so I will be limited to what is available to me. But what is Oktoberfest and why are we talking about it in September?

Quick history lesson time. Celebrated every year, minus the past two due to COVID, in Munich Germany the first festival was established as a celebration of the marriage between the crown prince of Bavaria, who later became King Louis I, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. The festivities lasted five days and included a horse race called Theresienwiese. This festival would be repeated every year which would include an agricultural fair and eventually temporary beer halls. Fast forward to modern times and this festival is celebrated in Europe and the US alike over a 15-16 day period, usually beginning in mid September. It is commonly reported that at every event over 2 million gallons of beer is consumed…this makes us proud.

Now lets talk about the beer itself. The Oktoberfest style is actually made up of various styles that are served during the festival. The dominant and most popular style associated with Oktoberfest is the Märzen. Interestingly enough Märzen translates to March beer which is now usually only served in September. To add to the confusion you may also see Dunkel’s, as well as other German lagers being labeled as Oktoberfest too. Either way you should be expecting a beer rich in malt with a caramel or biscuit flavored finish. Usually these beers go from 5.1% to 6% ABV. A great and easy drinking lager that is perfect for Fall weather and some warm Bavarian pretzels.

MUNICH, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 21: A waitress carries 1-liter-mugs of beer during the opening weekend of the 2019 Oktoberfest on September 21, 2019 in Munich, Germany. This year’s Oktoberfest, which will draw millions of visitors from all over the world, will run from October 21 through October 6. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)

Now for this “contest” and I use that term lightly I will be comparing and ranking every Oktoberfest beer I can get my hands on. I have a solid list below, which will be updated with each review, but if I find anymore over the next few weeks I will gladly add more entries.

Be sure to follow along and comment on your favorite Oktoberfest, Prost!