Hi-Wire Brewing | Zirkusfest Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest may have ended but you may still be able to find Hi-Wire Brewing’s Zirkusfest Oktoberfest on shelves.

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Beer Cocktails | Diesel Beer & Coke Taste Test

Now that Oktoberfest has ended, what do we do with all the leftover beers? Yes, you could easily drink them but if you’ve grown tired of steins and steins of German beer, then might PorchDrinking offer you a delicious, unique alternative! Presenting the Diesel, a 50/50 mix of Beer and Coca-Cola.

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Ultimate 6er | The Abandoned German Beers of a Colorado Fall

There’s a lot to love about the changing of the seasons. But then again, is there? Oh you love fall colors? Come over and clean up my leaves in November. You love the little nip in the air, do ya? Well get ready for flu season. You just LOVE you some pumpkin spice? Tell that to the child laborers who sweat away in the pumpkin spice mines for pennies on the dollar.

Fall does bring about some tasty beers — or at least we associate certain tasty beers with fall. Wet Hop beers, Pumpkin (not that there’s anything wrong with that) beers and certain Stouts are only released in fall, so that makes sense.

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What We’re Drinking | September 25, 2020

Fall is officially here and our lives are about to be taken over by pumpkin spice lattes, if they haven’t  already. Another way many beer lovers look at fall is that it kicks off Stout season with the cooler temps settling in. Seasonal food and drink can be a lot of fun and our crew here at PorchDrinking has been highlighting a seasonal beer lately — Oktoberfest beers. Check out some of our articles lately and give some seasonal offerings a try! Here’s What We’re Drinking. Read More

Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Victory Brewing Company Festbier

Fall is steeped in tradition. It brings the change of another season, a reminder of the passage of time. The flannel shirts come out and the apples are ripe for picking. Along with that, the beer you’ll find on shelves at your local stores will replace the light, refreshingly tart and citrus flavors of the summer with the malty and more full-bodied offerings that are also a reminder of the changing of the calendar. Read More

Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Great Lakes Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest started as a wedding celebration in Bavaria in 1810. Two centuries later in 2009, Great Lakes Brewing Company brewmaster Mark Hunger tied the knot and poured his brewery’s Oktoberfest lager at his own autumn wedding reception.

“Picking the beer for the wedding was a no-brainer. From what I can remember, it was a hit,” he says with a laugh. “We went through a keg.”

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The Midwest Guide To Märzens

Even though this summer hasn’t been like any other before due to the pandemic, it is still sad to see this season go. However, as the days change from sunshine to the darkening of leaves, there are some things to get excited about! No, we are not talking about pumpkin spice lattes (even though they are a popular guilty pleasure)–we’re talking about Märzen beers. The dark brown color and rich, malty flavor brings about a notion of nostalgia that no other style of beer can induce. There is just something special about sitting outside on a chilly day next to a campfire with a Märzen in hand. This may sound crazy, but fellow Midwesterners prefer that coziness of fall to a lazy day on the beach–it speaks to the Midwestern soul.

Luckily, breweries across the Midwest have begun releasing a slew of their own incredible takes on this German classic. Some of these beers are widely distributed and some of them are more locally found. If you see any of these magnificent elixirs at your local bottle shop, pick them up before they are gone. So get your folding chair, grab a brat, get the campfire going and enjoy a delicious Märzen. 

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Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Port City Brewing Oktoberfest

For many German beer fans, late September doesn’t just mark the onset of autumn or the beginning of a new school year. It’s the only time of year for eating too many brats, listening to polka music of questionable quality and drinking delicious beer. It’s Oktoberfest! During any other year, many would be dusting off their lederhosen and making pretzel necklaces, while visions of frothy overflowing beer steins danced in their heads.

Yet, even though COVID-19 is, sadly, torpedoing our hopes of having in-person Oktoberfest events this year, never fear. There’s still plenty of first-rate Oktoberfest beers to be had. Here in the Washington, D.C., Beltway area, those mourning the cancellation of this year’s festivities are finding solace in Port City Brewing’s exceptional take on the classic Oktoberfest Märzen Lager. Despite only being distributed in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and some select areas of New York and North Carolina, this beer has gained international renown. It took home the gold medal at the 2014 World Beer Championships, silver at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival and is currently ranked the 27th best Oktoberfest/Märzen style beer in the world by reviewers on Beer Advocate.

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Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Bierstadt Lagerhaus Oktoberfest Märzen

In a year when longstanding traditions have been upended by the unconventional, a Denver brewery is aiming to preserve one of beer’s most time-honored rituals. Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, CO, which has been celebrated since its inception for its unwavering dedication to brewing traditional Lagers, is set to release their vaunted Oktoberfest Märzen Lager. This weekend’s release will coincide with the date that the 210-year-old Oktoberfest festival in Munich was originally scheduled to kick-off before being canceled as a result of the pandemic.

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Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Dry County Brewing Company Oktoberfest

Autumn weather is approaching — even here in Georgia — but before the bottle shop shelves are covered in pumpkin Ales, there are a plethora of Oktoberfest Lagers to try! One of the best statewide options each year is brewed by Dry County Brewing Company in Kennesaw, Georgia. Read More

Off Color Brewing | Waddle Oktoberfest Lager

If you’re currently in the mindset that it’s too early for pumpkin beer but too late for summer-only releases, then we’re on the same page. This often means it’s Oktoberfest season, the best season of all! Oktoberfest styles (usually in the form of a Festbier and Märzen) are popping up at the majority of breweries across the city and suburbs, and while it feels slightly earlier than normal (what day is it anyway?), I’m not upset about the early arrival.

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Ask the Brewers: How to Celebrate Oktoberfest at Home

While the actual Oktoberfest celebration in Munich, Germany, is canceled, Festbiers that celebrate the famous Bavarian tradition continue to pop-up on local store shelves across America. While some people may complain of an increasingly aggressive seasonal creep, I’m just happy to have a crisp Festbier in-hand to celebrate the latter stages of summer. While my ticket to Munich may be refunded and I won’t be donning lederhosen and dancing on tables — at least not this year — I still plan to celebrate Oktoberfest from my own home. To find out how others are getting into the spirit of the beer season and to offer tips on how to celebrate Oktoberfest while maintaining social distancing, I asked the brewers. 

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Hammerheart | Herbstklagen Smoked Märzen

Minnesota’s Hammerheart Brewing Company is devoted in every facet of their existence to the holy trinity of Vikings, heavy metal and beer. These are all passions I share, so when … Read More

5 Questions With…Sierra Nevada’s CCO, Joe Whitney

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is an iconic beer brand is steeped in rich tradition. Its malty Pale Ale is a classic while the brewery’s barrel-aged creations, such as its Narwhal Imperial Stout, continue to garner praise year after year. And starting in 2015, the brewery engaged in yet another tradition that’s brought the Sierra Nevada even more attention: Sierra Nevada began partnering with German breweries to brew a seasonal Oktoberfest Märzen made available to U.S. beer drinkers.

Each year’s creation is different; some bold, some spicy, but each notably unique and drinkable. This year, Sierra Nevada partnered with Germany’s Bitburger Brewery on the newest Oktoberfest release, which is now out on shelves. To find out more about this year’s partnership, the proprietary ingredients that went into the brewing process, and what consumers should look for in this Oktoberfest, we asked Sierra Nevada’s Chief Commercial Officer Joe Whitney five questions. 

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Märzen vs. Festbier? Paulaner Explains It All

This post was sponsored and supported by Paulaner USA. 

Steins. Pretzels. Dirndls. Lederhosen. Sausages. More Steins. Tents. Singing. Chances are, I just summed up your Oktoberfest experiences. But other than hearing about that time your friend studied abroad in Germany, what do you really know about Oktoberfest and the beers served there?

Märzen, Helles and Festbier aren’t usually what you brandish at your bottle share, but the craft that goes into producing these styles is immense. Munich breweries are very proud of their beer traditions—none more than Paulaner, Oktoberfest’s #1 provider of stein-filled happiness. We asked the masters for a little more background behind the magic that goes into each glass, which in turn fuels all the good times and pretzel consumption.

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Oktoberfest Lagers | Märzen, Festbier & Autumnal Confusion

Beer lovers rejoice: It’s Oktoberfest season!

Most folks assume the word “Oktoberfest” on a beer label or tap list refers to a particular style, but it’s actually a little more complicated than that. Let’s talk about how we got here, and then get into what’s what with Oktoberfest lagers.

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Beer Showcase | Old Bakery Brewing Oktoberfest

We all could use a dose of fall to remind us that these dog-days of summer will end, and we won’t melt. So, thank goodness for Old Bakery Brewing Company. Sensing our need for cooler thoughts Old Bakery is “speeding” up their release of their popular Oktoberfest Märzen, releasing it on July 28, (a few days earlier than most of the nation’s breweries) in conjunction with St. Louis Craft Beer Week.

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A Beer By the Fortress | Observations from Salzburg’s Historic Craft Beer Scene

I spent four days in Austria. The majority of that time was spent exploring Vienna, but I also ventured to Salzburg for a full-day experience and I’m very thankful I did. Taking the 2.5 hour train through the scenic Austrian countryside made the trip fly by. Snow peaks and shimmering lakes whirred by from the comfy view of the cabin seat. Then, the Untersberg appeared, a northern peak of the Alps, rising high above; below the mountain sits Salzburg, a historical city home to 150,000 inhabitants and a timeless beer tradition.

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2018 Beer Lover’s Guide to Colorado’s Oktoberfest Celebrations

Believe it or not, summer is once again drawing to a close, but before we dive into pumpkin spice bombs and fresh hop season, let us raise a liter to German-style beers with a round-up of Colorado’s craft beer-centric Oktoberfest celebrations. So lace up those dirndls and strap on the lederhosen it’s time for the beautifully crisp, easy-drinking, toasted malt forward profile of Oktoberfest Märzen lagers. Check out our craft beer guide to Colorado’s Oktoberfest celebrations. Keep in mind, we’ll keep adding Oktoberfest beers from Colorado’s craft breweries as they’re released, as well as Oktoberfest celebration events as they’re announced.

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Urban Chestnut | O-Katz Oktoberfest Returns in 4 & 8 Packs

It’s August. Most of the country is still experiencing summertime heat. But, I’m writing tonight to talk about fall beer. Yep, fall beers. In this case, it’s Urban Chestnut‘s two-year-old Oktoberfest Lager with a funny name — Oachkatzlschwoaf.

This malty yet well-balanced Märzen may be tough to pronounce, but it’s easy to drink. Its full name is pronounced “oh-khut-zel-schvoaf,” which translates to “tail of a squirrel”… I hear it’s a just a little Bavarian humor. But, you can simply refer to it as “O-Katz,”

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