The signs of the coming seasonal shift are clear. Sunsets creep earlier. A slight chill settles into the dewy morning air. And all those hard seltzers, shandies, and fruited light lagers start exiting coolers, clearing out space for autumnal ales and lagers.
“Fall is the perfect season for beer,” says George Reilly, the owner of the Twisted Tail in Philadelphia. “You can really play with all the malty flavors that beer can bring.” Rich märzen-style lagers, food-friendly Vienna lagers, roasty yet refreshing dark lagers, golden festbiers, and spiced stouts are some of the beer styles that sing this season.
Sevenfifty Daily spoke with bartenders, buyers, and bar owners across the country to find the best fall beer picks, resulting in a list ranging from hearty lagers fit for Oktoberfest celebrations to spiced pumpkin stout. (All beers are listed with suggested retail prices.)
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Ayinger Brewery Oktober Fest-Märzen, Aying, Germany; $13 per four-pack of 11.2-oz. bottles
Selected by Gene Fielden, beer, wine, and spirits buyer, Bottlecraft North Park, San Diego
“I have had the distinct privilege of tasting scores of märzens in my life, and yet Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen remains my absolute favorite,” says Gene Fielden, the buyer at Bottlecraft North Park in San Diego. The family-owned brewery, which dates to 1878, is located in the eponymous village of Aying, southeast of Munich. Storytelling around heritage can be an additional selling point at beer and wine shops like Bottlecraft, which double as a bar for on-premise pours. A sip can clinch a sale.
“The beer itself has a coppery, goldenrod hue, with barley malts, light caramel, and a whiff of chestnuts appearing on the aroma,” Fielden says. “There is no beer that I look forward to more as autumn approaches.”
Dovetail Brewery Vienna Lager, Chicago; $13 per four-pack of 16-oz. cans
Selected 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,” says Alex Cuper, the director of beverage and hospitality at El Che Steakhouse & Bar and Brasero in Chicago. At El Che and the wood-fired 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,” Cuper says. The Chicago brewery’s true-to-style version delivers a snappiness that cuts through rich food, and the Vienna malt delivers “a little more weight and roundness that is nice when the air starts to feel crisp.”
Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Boston; $11 per six-pack of 12-oz. bottles
Selected by Christine O’Connell, director of beer and hard beverages, Total Wine & More, various locations
First released in 1984, Samuel Adams Octoberfest has introduced generations of beer drinkers to the malty pleasures of märzen-style lager. “Samuel Adams has helped make Oktoberfest beers more approachable for consumers,” says Christine O’Connell, the director of beer and hard beverages at Total Wine & More, who calls the toasty, caramel-rich lager a seasonal favorite.
Keeping beer drinkers in the seasonal fold requires adapting to the times. For beer drinkers moderating consumption or abstaining from alcohol, the Boston Beer Company, Samuel Adams’s parent company, recently introduced 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. “The launch reflects how today’s beer drinkers are looking for more choice and flexibility without sacrificing the seasonal experiences they love.”
Weihenstephaner Festbier, Freising, Germany; $16 per six-pack of 11.2-oz. bottles
Selected by Jerry Fechter, co-owner, Horse Brass Pub, Portland, Oregon
Instead of robust märzens, beer tents at Munich’s Oktoberfest festivities fill glass steins with easier-drinking golden festbiers. They’re also a go-to for Jerry Fechter, whose Portland pub Horse Brass—currently celebrating its 50th anniversary—mixes modern craft beer with European standard-bearers such as Weihenstephaner’s seasonal brew.
Compared to a traditional märzen, the imported festbier is “a little lighter in color, not as bready and malty, and has a touch of spicy bitterness,” Fechter says. “There’s still a bit of malt there, but it’s not as heavily caramelized. That’s my favorite style for the fall.”
Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Bad Köstritz, Germany; $17 per six-pack of 11.2-oz. bottles
Selected by Ricky Ramirez, owner, The Mothership, Milwaukee
At the neighborhood dive bar The Mothership, customers can sip a coconut curry Painkiller, then explore a surprisingly comprehensive beer list. “We carry way more beer than any other cocktail bar,” says owner Ricky Ramirez. “Most have a couple, but we have seven on tap alone. It’s all about seasonal beers in Wisconsin.”
Oktoberfest lagers and dark wheat beers do well for The Mothership, but Ramirez particularly favors Germany’s Köstritzer Schwarzbier. The archetypal dark lager is “perfectly malty, drinks lighter than it looks, and matches the vibe of autumn,” says Ramirez.
Crooked Stave ‘Nightmare on Brett’ Dark Sour Ale, Denver; $11 per 375-ml bottle
Selected by Kinga Mackowiak, beverage director, Apple Blossom, Denver
One of the pleasures of travel is trying a town’s local spirits and beer. The Hyatt Centric hotel’s house restaurant, Apple Blossom, fills its beverage list with Colorado-brewed beers championed by beverage director Kinga Mackowiak. She likes Denver-based Crooked Stave’s brooding dark sour ale aged in whiskey barrels from Leopold Bros., a distillery based in the Mile High City.
“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.”
Chuckanut Brewery Fest Bier, Burlington, Washington; $13 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Karrie Stewart, co-owner, TeKu Tavern, Seattle
“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,” says Karrie Stewart, whose combination café, bottle shop, and bar TeKu Tavern stocks 1,500 bottles and pours 56 drafts.
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 märzen,” Stewart says. “That soft malt sweetness and clean, crisp finish make it a natural match for classic Oktoberfest fare like roasted pork, schnitzel, sausages, and Bavarian pretzels.”
Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Festbier, Chico, California, and Mills River, North Carolina; $12 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Asa Hanrahan, beer director, Flying Saucer, various locations
For Asa Hanrahan, the beer director for Flying Saucer bars in Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Texas, one of fall’s most anticipated beers is Sierra Nevada’s annual, limited-edition Oktoberfest collaboration. The partnership includes a different German brewery each year, from veteran breweries like Bitburger to newcomers such as this year’s partner, Bavaria’s Hopperbräu. “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.”
Southern Tier Brewing Company ‘Nitro Warlock’ Imperial Pumpkin Stout, Lakewood, New York; $17 per four-pack of 16-oz. cans
Selected by Christopher Devern, lead bartender, Red Owl Tavern, Philadelphia
Germany has its festbiers and märzens, but America’s signature fall beer might be the spiced pumpkin ale. Seasoned with spices such as cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, pumpkin beers range from roasty ales to indulgent stouts like Southern Tier’s potent Warlock.
“This imperial stout is like candy in a glass,” says Christopher Devern, the lead bartender at Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia. “You’ll taste pumpkin, chocolate, and fall spices in every sip. Coming in at 8.6% ABV, this is definitely one of those post-dinner or one-and-done beers for me, but it’s not too heavy and thick.” This year, Southern Tier is releasing a nitro-charged Warlock that delivers a smoother, silkier sip.
Dispatch
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Contributing editor Joshua M. Bernstein is a beer, spirits, food, and travel journalist, as well as an occasional tour guide, event producer, and industry consultant. He writes for the New York Times, Men’s Journal, New York magazine, Wine Enthusiast, and Imbibe, where he’s a contributing editor in charge of beer coverage. Bernstein is also the author of five books: Brewed Awakening, The Complete Beer Course, Complete IPA, Homebrew World, and Drink Better Beer.
