5 Oktoberfest Beers from the U.S.

This post comes courtesy of Williams-Sonoma associate and beer enthusiast Dennis Ayles.

Oktoberfest is in full swing! Last week I shared my favorite picks for German-made Oktoberfest beers, but there are also several U.S. breweries making festive beverages in honor of the annual celebration. Here are a few I’ve tried and enjoyed:

Samuel Adams OctoberfestThis brew is my favorite of the ones I tasted, with strong roasted caramel overtones and the same sweetness I found in German versions.

Magic Hat Hex (Ourtoberfest)Of all the American versions I sampled, the Hex had the heaviest feel over the tongue plus a nice balanced taste. I would have liked a little more sweetness but really enjoyed the roasted finish.

Leinenkugel’s OktoberfestThe head retention and coloring on this beer were outstanding, but I was unable to pick up much on the nose. I thought it would taste bland throughout but was happy to find the flavors developed nicely with every sip. This brew also had a pronounced bitter finish.

Shiner OktoberfestThis selection had a slight caramel roasted flavor, but not as strong as I was expecting. I enjoyed the nice dry finish.

Red Brick OktobeerfestThis final beer had more of a sweet, dry profile than the other brews. I did not pick up as much of the roasted taste as I would have anticipated.

Prost! Don’t forget to check out our Oktoberfest Menu for hearty sausages, German potato salad and sauerkraut to pair with your brews.

About the author: Dennis Ayles, from Inventory Management, is our resident beer expert here at Williams-Sonoma. He keeps everyone up to speed on the latest trends, his favorite brews and what we should be drinking.

4 comments about “5 Oktoberfest Beers from the U.S.”

matt paris Sep 20 at 5:58 pm

i don’t understand why there is no dogfish head pumpkin ale,, it is from a beergeeks perspective the best seasonal.. in the land of sam adams, if you do not act quickly and buy now the is usally none left for october but you can drink the other garbage til x-mas.

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Jane Kendrick Sep 21 at 2:35 am

We love Brooklyn Brewery’s Post Road Pumpkin Ale and the Octoberfest. They are both excellent fall beers, must gets as soon as they hit the shelf because they are limited and gone very quickly.

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Dennis Ayles Sep 22 at 3:39 pm

@ Matt I agree with you in regards to getting my hands on some Punkin. This post was focused on Octoberfest Beers. Be on the look out, I have quite a selection of pumpkin beers I am tasting and will posting about in the coming weeks.

@ Jane, I was bummed that when I purchased all my Octoberfest beers this year not all the breweries had thier beers in markets yet. But since my post I have seen several more. Gives me more to review next year.

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