7 German Beers You Have to Try at Oktoberfest ...

As the biggest and most prominent permanent beer tent at Munich’s Oktoberfest, Hofbräuhaus manages to draw party goers from all over the world. It is actually estimated that over half a million liters of beer were consumed in this tent alone during Oktoberfest one year. One taste of this famous Bavarian brewery’s rich, full bodied 6.3% Oktoberfest beer however, and you’ll instantly understand what makes German beers so popular. International revelers should be a little cautious however, as it’s extremely easy to drink far too much of this extremely strong liquid gold during the hustle and bustle of the Oktoberfest celebrations!

Producer of some of the finest wheat beers in Germany, Franziskaner is a fixture at Oktoberfest, although it’s a beer that you’ll likely have to enjoy on the festival grounds outside the tents, as it’s not considered an official “Oktoberfest beer”. Regardless of this fact however, Franziskaner’s Hefe-Weisse Dunkel and Hefe-Weisse Hell are some of the best non-filtered brews around. You should be a little wary with wheat beer however, because as every seasoned drinker of German beers knows, even a couple of wheat beers can give some people a terrible hangover.

Having served beer at Oktoberfest since the early 1800s, Löwenbrau, like Hofbräuhaus, is a real Oktoberfest heavy hitter. The brewery’s Oktoberfest brew, known as Weisenbier boasts a whopping 6.1% alcohol content, which is enough to knock even the most experienced beer drinkers off their feet! International travelers heading to the Löwenbräu tent during Oktoberfest can consequently look forward to enjoying one of the best German beers available, whilst partaking in an interesting 200 year old Bavarian tradition.

Still delivered to Oktoberfest in real wooden barrels, Augestiner’s Wiesn-Edelstoff beer is another Oktoberfest beer with a kick, although at 6% alcohol content it’s a little milder than both Hofbräu and Löwenbräu. The distinctive thing about Augestiner’s Wiesn-Edelstoff brew however, is that unlike other German beers, it is not readily available outside of Bavaria, which really makes it something really special, even for the general German population. If you choose to join the other 8000 revelers in the Augestiner permanent tent at Oktoberfest, you will consequently have the chance to sample a seemingly unique German beverage.

Often described as Munich’s best beer, Paulaner like many of Munich’s other Breweries, has created a specialized 6% alcohol content Oktoberfest beer, which is served during the festival. The brewery also produces a number of other well-known German beers however, which are widely available on the Oktoberfest festival grounds, including Paulaner Hefe-Weißbeir Naturtrüb, Dunkel and Kristallklar wheat beers, in addition to Paulaner Pils and Münchner Dunkel. If you miss drinking these beers during your time at Oktoberfest however, you need not worry, as most of them are readily available throughout Germany, as well as internationally.

One of the original Munich breweries dating all the way back to the 1400s, Hacker- Pschorr was amongst the first establishments to brew a specialized beer for the original Oktoberfest in 1810. The company’s Oktoberfest Märzen is consequently one of the most celebrated German beers available at the festival, in addition to being one of the weaker alcohol content wise, containing only 5.8%. Hacker- Pschorr Oktoberfest Märzen is also said to be a “purist’s beer”, owing to the fact that the company only utilizes traditional Oktoberfest ingredients and brewing methods.

Spaten’s illustrious Oktoberfest beer is served in the massive Spatenbräu permanent tent during the celebrations in Munich, although bottles of this pungent (5.9% alcohol content) brew are also available year round for those who would like to relive their Oktoberfest experience. As with basically all of the German beers brewed for Oktoberfest however, travelers should be very wary regarding how much they choose to drink!

Oktoberfest is a fabulous festival and an opportunity to really get to know German beers. Be sure to try them with the tasty and hearty German food available too, to ensure you don’t over-indulge too quickly.

Have you been to Oktoberfest? Did you have a fabulous time?