To many, Oktoberfest seems like the most German tradition ever. However, beyond the fact that the celebration is mostly confined to Bavaria in southeastern Germany, it's actually a fairly recent institution by European standards, having begun in 1810 as a celebration of the Bavarian king's nuptials. Subsequent versions of the Munich-based party became inextricably tied with so-called festbier, German for "beer of the party."
Oktoberfest celebrations have since expanded into September to take advantage of nice weather — and Pittsburgh brewers are ready with fresh kegs of festbier for the occasion.
Like the party itself, the traditional Oktoberfest beer style is more recent than one might suppose, Hop Farm brewer and incoming Pittsburgh Brewers Guild executive director Mel Larrick tells Pittsburgh City Paper. "Dunkels were actually the first Festbier," she says, referring to Bavarian dark lager, "and then in 1841, Märzen replaced that."
Märzen (MEHR-tsen in the original German), a balanced, higher-gravity lager that was traditionally brewed in spring and consumed in fall, is the style that forms the basis for a modern festbier. But it would be another 130 years before the modern version emerged.
"It wasn't until the 1970s that the Festbier we know today became popularized," Larrick tells City Paper. She says it was the historic Paulaner brewery that took the Märzen style and tweaked it, creating "kind of like a 'helles lager plus.'
"[Festbier] is very similar to helles in being straw-colored. You'll still get those noble hop characteristics — a little spicy, floral, that sort of thing — but a little bit higher of an A.B.V. range, so you're looking at six, six-and-a-half percent [alcohol]," Larrick says. "It's all about achieving that balance between bitter and sweet."
By the 1990s, this clear, crushable Märzen spinoff had become the beer of choice for brewers and drinkers at Oktoberfest celebrations the world over. At the Munich celebration alone, estimates put the annual quantity drunk around two million gallons.
Part of the fun of festbier is the way it's typically served — like the beer emoji, the style usually comes in a sturdy glass mug topped with a nice layer of foam. "Märzens and festbier are most perfectly enjoyed in a dimpled mug. It can aerate; it's easier to drink," Larrick says. "A cool characteristic of these beers is the head retention. With Märzens, you'll get an off-white, really nice foamy head on there. With the festbier, it's a little lighter, so you get a nice white foam. I feel like that's half of it — it's just as important as the liquid."
Festbiers are deceptively simple. Larrick says the malt bill is typically a mix of standard malted barley, pilsner malt, and a small addition of caramel malt to add color and sweetness. But, she cautions, too much of that caramel flavor can throw a festbier off balance.
When done right, however, the beer has a hoppy nose, effervescent body, and a finish as clean and refreshing as autumn air.
CP took on the extremely difficult task of finding and drinking the city's finest festbiers. Breweries from the North Side to Lawrenceville each offer their own interpretations. Though not all of Greater Pittsburgh's 44 breweries have the equipment needed to make lagers, those that do have produced a nice range of golden suds to enjoy through early October.
We've rounded up some of the city's highlights below. Read on for where to find Festbiers and upcoming Oktoberfest celebrations in the ’Burgh — Prost!
Cinderlands Beer Co.
2601 Smallman St., Strip District. cinderlands.com
Cinderlands' festbier, Danville Train, is a clean-drinking festbier with a pleasant golden color. The beer starts with a noble hop and yeast nose followed by a slightly bready sweetness and clean finish.
To crush some Danville Trains in true Oktoberfest style, thirsty Pittsburghers can join Cinderfest 2023 on Oct. 5 — the celebration will feature music, German-inspired food, and games, including a stein-hoisting competition. Unlike in previous years, the festival will take up the entire Strip District Warehouse location.
Four Points
919 Western Ave., North Side. fourpointsbrewing.com
Four Points' 4P Märzen has a rich amber color and a clean noble hop nose. Toasty malts with biscuit overtones give way to a slight hop bitterness and finish on the back of the tongue. This 5.8% lager comes served in a 4P mug.
The brewery released even more Teutonic goodness with the arrival of their Tomorrow Is Yesterday German pilsner on Sept. 22, and will add a dunkelweizen on Sept. 27 at their Western Ave. taproom.
Hop Farm Brewing Co.
5601 Butler St., Lawrenceville. hopfarmbrewingco.com
Though brewer Larrick says Hop Farm's Oktoberfest tends to be a touch hoppier than other local entries in the category, it's still balanced and refreshing with a beautifully clear yellow color. Clocking in at 6.3%, the Hop Farm Oktoberfest goes down smoothly, with a lightly spicy hop nose, balanced sweetness, and a crisp finish. It comes served with a nice thick head in a classic dimpled mug.
Hop Farm will be celebrating the season with Bavarian food specials, including pretzels, sausage, and a German sandwich platter. Enjoy these treats in their expanded Lawrenceville warehouse space alongside events such as trivia or during Hoptoberfest on Oct. 3 with a performance by Aria412.
Lolev Beer
5247 Butler St., Lawrenceville. lolev.beer
Lolev Brewing, just down Butler Street from Hop Farm, has a traditional Märzen called Sonnen available for Oktoberfest season. At 5.4%, and with a deep, almost orange golden color, Sonnen is deliciously malty, with a slightly sweeter, fuller-bodied flavor than other beers on this list as befits the style.
If you missed Lolev's Oktoberfest celebration on Sat., Sept. 23, you can always quaff a Sonnen over trivia on Sept. 27 or while getting a Friday the 13th tattoo in October if supplies last.
Penn Brewery
800 Vinial St., North Side. pennbrew.com
Pittsburgh's oldest brewery, which also features one of the region's largest Oktoberfest celebrations, has been brewing traditional German-style beers since their 1986 inception, and it shows in the quality and crushability of their seasonal Oktoberfest beer. Leaning on a more complex malt bill, Penn's Oktoberfest has a deep gold, almost russet color and a lightly sweet flavor with notes of toasted bread and pecan.
Even though Penn's Oktoberfest starts fairly early, with its final weekend just behind us, Penn's extensive menu of German delights means it's basically Oktoberfest all year. Get some Oktoberfest and Gemütlichkeit while you can — if you miss it this time around, Penn's similarly satisfying Märzen usually starts pouring in January.
Trace Brewing
4312 Main St., Bloomfield. tracebloomfield.com
A lighter-drinking beer than others on the list, this 4.5% lager shows off Munich, Pilsner, and Vienna malts with a dry finish and a light floral nose from noble hops. The straw-colored lager comes served in a pint-sized version of the traditional Bavarian Maßkrug. Toast with this balanced lager at one of Trace's many upcoming readings and parties.
Elsewhere
Outside of city limits, there are numerous breweries making festbiers and celebrating in true Bavarian fashion. Dancing Gnome in Sharpsburg has both a Märzen and a Festbier on tap. Golden Age Beer in Homestead just tapped both an Oktoberfest and a smoked Märzen they've dutifully aged since March, and Hitchhiker Brewing also just tapped kegs of their Oktoberfest lager. Lastly, Necromancer Brewing will celebrate Oktoberfest the weekend of Sept. 29 with beer, games, and a sneak preview of the menu at their soon-to-open Greenfield pub.
Don your dirndls and lace up your lederhosen, lager fans — ’tis the season for a glass of Gemütlichkeit!
