SevenFifty Daily asked bartenders, bar owners and beer buyers across the country what they are actually reaching for once fall hits. The result is a much wider list than the usual Oktoberfest roundup: marzens and festbiers, sure, but also a Vienna lager, a whiskey-barrel dark sour, a schwarzbier and a pumpkin stout strong enough to end the night.
Here are all 9 picks, in the buyers’ own words, plus where to grab each one.
1. Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
Picked by: Gene Fielden, beer, wine and spirits buyer, Bottlecraft North Park, San Diego
“I have had the distinct privilege of tasting scores of marzens in my life, and yet Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen remains my absolute favorite,” Fielden says. The family-owned brewery dates back to 1878 and sits in the village of Aying, southeast of Munich.
“The beer itself has a coppery, goldenrod hue, with barley malts, light caramel, and a whiff of chestnuts appearing on the aroma,” he says. “There is no beer that I look forward to more as autumn approaches.”
2. Dovetail Brewery Vienna Lager
Picked by: Alex Cuper, director of beverage and hospitality, El Che Steakhouse & Bar and Brasero, Chicago
“For me, the cooler weather allows more room to play with malt and other flavors with weight rather than just looking for something refreshing,” Cuper says. At Brasero, which earned a James Beard semifinalist nomination for its beverage program, “the beer I find myself reaching for the most come fall is Dovetail’s Vienna Lager.”
The Chicago brewery’s true-to-style version delivers a snappiness that cuts through rich food, with Vienna malt giving it, in Cuper’s words, “a little more weight and roundness that is nice when the air starts to feel crisp.”
3. Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Picked by: Christine O’Connell, director of beer and hard beverages, Total Wine & More
First released in 1984, Samuel Adams Octoberfest introduced generations of drinkers to marzen-style lager. “Samuel Adams has helped make Oktoberfest beers more approachable for consumers,” O’Connell says, calling the toasty, caramel-rich lager a seasonal favorite.
Boston Beer Company also recently launched a non-alcoholic version of Octoberfest. “It’s a great example of how breweries are bringing innovation to the growing non-alcoholic category while still delivering the rich, malty flavors consumers expect from fall beers,” O’Connell says.
4. Weihenstephaner Festbier
Picked by: Jerry Fechter, co-owner, Horse Brass Pub, Portland, Oregon
Munich’s actual Oktoberfest tents pour easier-drinking golden festbiers rather than robust marzens these days, and Weihenstephaner’s version is the go-to at Horse Brass, currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Compared to a traditional marzen, Fechter says the imported festbier is “a little lighter in color, not as bready and malty, and has a touch of spicy bitterness. There’s still a bit of malt there, but it’s not as heavily caramelized. That’s my favorite style for the fall.”
5. Kostritzer Schwarzbier
Picked by: Ricky Ramirez, owner, The Mothership, Milwaukee
The Mothership is a neighborhood dive bar that pours way more beer than the average cocktail spot, seven taps alone. “It’s all about seasonal beers in Wisconsin,” Ramirez says.
Oktoberfest lagers do well there, but Ramirez keeps coming back to Germany’s Kostritzer Schwarzbier. The archetypal dark lager is “perfectly malty, drinks lighter than it looks, and matches the vibe of autumn,” he says.
6. Crooked Stave ‘Nightmare on Brett’ Dark Sour Ale
Picked by: Kinga Mackowiak, beverage director, Apple Blossom, Denver
Apple Blossom, the Hyatt Centric hotel’s house restaurant, fills its beverage list with Colorado-brewed beers. Mackowiak favors Denver-based Crooked Stave’s brooding dark sour, aged in whiskey barrels from local distillery Leopold Bros.
“I love Crooked Stave’s sours, especially its barrel-aged releases,” Mackowiak says. “The whiskey barrels bring added depth and complexity, with dark fruit, cacao, and tart berry notes that make this beer particularly enjoyable in the fall.”
7. Chuckanut Brewery Fest Bier
Picked by: Karrie Stewart, co-owner, TeKu Tavern, Seattle
TeKu Tavern stocks 1,500 bottles and pours 56 drafts, and Stewart singles out Chuckanut. “Chuckanut has been quietly making some of the cleanest, best-crafted lagers in the Pacific Northwest for years, and their Fest Bier is no exception,” she says.
The brewery’s take on the modern Oktoberfest style “pours a deep yellow-to-gold with a moderately strong, toasty-doughy malt character and a medium body that’s lighter and more drinkable than a traditional amber marzen,” Stewart says. She pairs it with roasted pork, schnitzel, sausages and Bavarian pretzels.
8. Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Festbier
Picked by: Asa Hanrahan, beer director, Flying Saucer, various locations
Sierra Nevada partners with a different German brewery every year for its Oktoberfest collaboration, from veterans like Bitburger to this year’s partner, Bavaria’s Hopperbrau. “You get the subtle sweetness of the German classic style but with the kick of American Cascade hops,” Hanrahan says. “This is one of the more unique and delicious beers I have had. Grab it when you can because it won’t stay on the shelves long.”
Sierra Nevada also has a lot going on beyond Oktoberfest right now. We rounded up its whole 2027 lineup, including a first hard seltzer and a lower-ABV IPA, in our Sierra Nevada 2027 innovation slate breakdown.
9. Southern Tier ‘Nitro Warlock’ Imperial Pumpkin Stout
Picked by: Christopher Devern, lead bartender, Red Owl Tavern, Philadelphia
Germany has festbiers and marzens, but America’s signature fall beer might be spiced pumpkin ale. Southern Tier’s Warlock leans all the way into it: cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg over a genuinely imperial stout base.
“This imperial stout is like candy in a glass,” Devern says. “You’ll taste pumpkin, chocolate, and fall spices in every sip.” At 8.6% ABV, he calls it a post-dinner, one-and-done beer, “but it’s not too heavy and thick.” This year’s version adds a nitro pour for an even smoother, silkier finish.
More Fall Drinking
If marzens specifically are your thing, we ranked 30 of them, Munich originals included, in our Best Oktoberfest Beers guide. And if you are building out a full spread, our backyard Oktoberfest party guide covers the menu, decor and playlist to go with whichever of these nine you end up pouring.
Throwing a Halloween party this year? Our Best Beers for a Halloween Party guide covers eight dark, dramatic and crowd-pleasing picks built for spooky season.
