Oktoberfests for October: 4 fall beers worth checking out

Just like fall foliage in hues of gold, orange, and red, fall beers are here just in time to take the sting out of our inevitable march to winter. No wonder immensely malty and moderately hopped Oktoberfest lagers are pouring from taps across the Twin Cities. You’ve sipped Spaten, Paulaner, Hofbrau, Hacker Pschorr, and the rest of the gang of German imports, but The A.V. Club is all about going beyond the tried and true. Here are seven worthy interpretations of the Oktoberfest style from American craft brewers.

1. Bell’s Octoberfest: From the brewery known for its supremely hoppy Two Hearted Ale, the Bell’s Octoberfest is a bit of shock, as it fulfills the malt quotient and more. It pours bright orange into the glass, and at a balanced 5.5 percent ABV, has just enough sprightly character to stand up to grilled sausages. (That’s right—real Midwesterners keep on grilling year-round.)

2. Capital Brewery Oktoberfest: This award-winning traditional Oktoberfest is full of toasted malt, and one of the best examples of the Bavarian Märzen style. It’s milder in body than Capital’s Autumnal Fire, which is an amped-up doppelbock based on “Oktoberfest personality,” decidedly warming at 7.26 percent ABV.

3. Flying Dog Brewing Co.’s Dogtoberfest: This has the mildest bite of the O-fests—it’s mostly sweet and malty, mild and quaffable at 5.3 percent ABV. It’s loaded with Munich and Vienna malts, for deep red color, and aromatic German Perle and Hersbrucker hops. 

4. Schell Octoberfest: This local favorite, brewed in New Ulm, Minn., won the Silver Medal at the 1991 Great American Beer Festival. Slightly bitter yet malty and caramelly, it goes down smoothly and isn't too strong at 5.5 percent ABV.