With so many Oktoberfest beers to choose from, it’s challenging to sample them all, but we’re trying. Oktubberfest, a Festbier from Cincinnati’s Taft’s Brewing Co. is a fine example of a light, easy-drinking Lager-style Oktoberfest beer.

Less malty than its Märzen counterpart (Confused? Check out our rundown on the differences between the two here), it has a light golden hue, a hint of soft hoppiness and just a touch of bready maltiness. At 5.7% ABV and 30 IBU, it’s not a heavy hitter, but is a deceptively crisp, refreshing drink. If the goal of a Festbier is to go down easy, not sit too heavy on the stomach, and encourage you to immediately grab another, then Oktubberfest bats a thousand.

Taft Brewing Co.’s Marketing and Event Coordinator Tori Zamrik spoke with us about how the recipe was developed and passed along some input from the brewers on their creative process.

“We stick to traditional ingredients for our Oktoberfest, with the exception of an American-grown bittering hop,” noted Zamrik. Oktubberfest is built on a base of Munich, Vienna and Pilsner malts, with Czech Saaz hops for bittering. It is then fermented with a German Lager yeast.

The goal was to create a beer based on modern interpretations of Festbier, i.e., a lighter-colored style popular with young Germans. “We’re really enjoying this year’s version,” said Zamrik. “We’ve dialed back the hops about 30%, and it seems that we’ve hit a really nice balance. It is full-flavored but refreshing, just like an Oktoberfest beer should be.”

Taft’s Brewing Co. opened its doors in 2015 and now has three bar and restaurant locations, including Taft’s Ale House, Taft’s Brewpourium – Cincinnati, and Taft’s Brewpourium – Columbus. Its other offerings include a lineup of traditional brews and specialties, including Gavel Banger American IPA, Maverick Chocolate Porter, Nellie’s Key Lime Caribbean Ale American Pale Wheat and Frisch’s Pumpkin Pie Ale.

 

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Oktoberfest may officially be celebrated in September, but fortunately for beer lovers, the traditional beers brewed for the celebration stick around from August through October, if not longer. So, grab your Alpine hat, put on some lederhosen, grab a stein, fill it with some Oktubberfest and give a hearty Prost!

Feature photo courtesy of Taft’s Brewing Co.

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