October is perhaps the biggest month of the year for beer for one simple reason: Oktoberfest. This German festival celebrates good food and good beer, and has spread from the city of Munich to partiers all over the world.
Something like 16 million people annually travel to Germany for this festival, but you can still get into the action not too far from home. Many cities host Oktoberfest celebrations; and while they may not be as accurate as the real thing, they are still lots of fun.
Authentic German Oktoberfest brews can be kind of hard to track down in some places (Bozeman, MT for example), but here are a few to look for: Bavarian-style wheat beer Franziskaner Weissbier (straight from Munich no less), Hofbrau Oktoberfest, and Bitburger. The Germans do know a lot about beer…
Most breweries these days do offer some form of seasonal brew specifically for Oktoberfest, and these are definitely worth giving a try too. Throw some brats on the grill, get some sauerkraut and enjoy this festival of beer.
