5 Oktoberfest beers from Colorado to celebrate the season

Drinkers everyplace volition soon beryllium raising a stein successful grant of Oktoberfest, the astir celebrated brew festival successful the world.

The German contented began successful 1810 arsenic a wedding solemnisation for Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen and has taken spot each twelvemonth since but during times of war, cholera and, notably, the COVID-19 pandemic.

The emblematic Oktoberfest brew is simply a malt-forward, amber-colored lager called Märzen, which translates to March oregon the period it was historically brewed to past beryllium enjoyed successful the fall. But if you sojourn Munich’s Oktoberfest, which was canceled this twelvemonth owed to COVID-19, you won’t often find the Märzen there. Instead, brew tents service festbier, a lighter, golden-colored benignant introduced by Paulaner successful the 1970s and deliberately designed to beryllium “more poundable,” according to the brewery.

When it comes to the Märzen, breweries thin to instrumentality existent to tradition, truthful drawback 1 portion you tin to brace with the brew drinking season.

Prost Brewing Co.’s Märzen

Prost means “cheers” successful German, and arsenic this Denver brewery’s sanction suggests, it’s highly influenced by Germany’s beer-making heritage. That includes, successful astir cases, adhering to the country’s purity instrumentality Reinheitsgebot, which dictates brew beryllium made lone with barley, hops, h2o and yeast. Prost’s Märzen is simply a medium-bodied amber lager featuring toasty malt flavors and a cleanable finish.

Now disposable successful six-packs of cans passim Colorado.

Bierstadt Lagerhaus’ Oktoberfest

What amended spot to spell looking for a lager than a brewery that specializes successful making them? For its Märzen, Bierstadt utilized a German brewing method called decoction, successful which brewers repeatedly instrumentality retired portion of the mash, vigor it up and past instrumentality it to the mash tun to bring the wort up to temperature. The effect is simply a rich, 5.6% ABV amber lager with capable hop bitterness to offset the malty sweetness and decorativeness dry.

Available connected draught and successful cans astatine a motorboat enactment Sept. 18 astatine the brewery (2875 Blake St, Denver), arsenic good arsenic connected draught and cans passim the Denver region.

Irwin Brewing Co.’s Amber’s Lager

The Amber’s Lager from Crested Butte’s Irwin Brewing Co. is arsenic accepted a German-style Märzen brew arsenic they travel — with a golden medal from the 2020 Great American Beer Festival to beryllium it. Expect notes of toasted breadstuff and caramelized sweetener alongside the lager’s diagnostic crispness from this 5.5% intoxicant brew. Fun fact: The brewery keeps this look connected pat year-round, truthful Oktoberfest isn’t constricted to 1 season.

Now disposable connected draught and successful cans astatine the brewery’s taproom, Public House (202 Elk Ave., Crested Butte), arsenic good arsenic successful cans astatine liquor stores passim the Gunnison Valley.

Provided by Irwin Brewing Co.

Amber’s Lager, from Irwin Brewing Co. successful Crested Butte, won a golden medal successful the German-style Maerzen class astatine the 2020 Great American Beer Festival.

Dry Dock Brewing Co.’s Docktoberfest

This cleverly named beer, which boasts a biscuit-like aroma and affluent malty flavors, volition beryllium 1 of respective German styles connected pat during Dry Dock Brewing Co.’s yearly lawsuit by the aforesaid name. On Sept. 18, halt by the South Dock determination (15120 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora) to bask a ceremonial keg tapping by the city’s politician and steins of Docktoberfest, Helles, Hefeweizen, and Dunkel, among others.

Available Sept. 18 connected draught astatine some Dry Dock locations successful Aurora, arsenic good arsenic to instrumentality to-go successful crowlers.

Ska Brewing Co.’s Oktoberfest

Ska Brewing Co.’s recipe, made exclusively with Munich and Vienna malts, won a golden medal successful the Vienna Lager class astatine the 2018 Great American Beer Festival. Vienna lagers are typically much bitter than the accepted Märzen and a small lighter successful body, though the malt is inactive the star, making the benignant an apt pairing for the season.

Now disposable successful six-packs of 12-ounce cans passim Colorado.

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