Fresh Fall Beer Sightings 2025

Ahhh, I can smell that malty, spicy, herbal aroma of a Märzenbier already. You know, it can be 85°F during September in GA. While I don't want to pull the trigger on a Oktoberfest beer too early, the heat really doesn't make a big difference to me. It's also why I enjoy a good Vienna Lager, as a lighter bodied, more dry relative of the Märzen. A good tie over.

 

I am a reasonable beer drinking man. I will restrain myself and only drink Festbier style, not Märzen. Sierra Nevada is likely the first to drop around here but if I see Hofbrau or Weihenstephaner I am dropping cash fast.

 

I'm with you on the Festbier choices. Hofbrau and Weihentstephaner make terrific Festbier. During the COVID years, we got the Weihenstephaner Festbier in the 19 oz cans. Wow, what at a treat and the perfect size for me. I hope to see those cans again sometime.

 

To me, the whole novelty and enjoyment of Oktoberfest beers is its seasonality. But, to your point, marketers trying to get an edge always take things a few steps too far. That said, I absolutely love me some Marzenbier. I'll try to restrain myself until September, but I never seem to make it.

 

94 here today and a Corona with a lime was calling my name so I made a quick stop - and so far, no Fall offerings at a local place that I could find. I did notice that Founders made a post about their Oktoberfest and Southern Tier hinted at another version of Pumking! I hope to find some Southern Tier Harvest as I love to kick off the Autumn beer season with that beer. I usually find it Mid August.

 

Once again, we need a "dislike" button.

 

The joint NY and NJ brewers' bock beer ads didn't have that one.

 

A few years ago I planned our shoulder season vacation. We arrived in Nice on 31 Oct. While looking for a place to have dinner, we stumbled into an immense Halloween street celebration. The next day was (of course) All Saints Day, and ALL the museums were closed. We whiled away most of the day nursing some beers at an English expat's bar in the old town. A few days later we arrived at Lago Maggiori in Italy, expecting to take a boat cruise. We were the only guests in the hotel, and activity in town was limited to the weekly market. Shoulder season was officially over. Another European vacation featured us arriving in Nancy France from Germany at night, just before May 8. We were clueless that the next day was VE Day. We had to traipse around looking for an open place to eat breakfast. Museums and restaurants did open later though.

 

I actually might wear a shamrock in February.

 

Oh gosh, more whining and hand wringing about "seasonal Beers" coming out a month or 2 before the arbitrary "season"....it just never gets old....every year, the same tired shit....

 

I'd wear a straw hat in February if the weather was right and I've trimmed Christmas trees in August (and July) when I lived on a Christmas tree farm, but I used old fashioned, manual hedge clippers - no way was I using one of those machetes or swords the pros use - and it wasn't just 'cause I was drinking beer at the same time, either.

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 

Just picked up a 6 pack at Highgrain this morning...

 

Here in NE Kansas we've had Free State Octoberfest, KC Biers' Festbier, Bells Octoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest & Sam Adams Octoberfest available for the last week or so.

And on a side note, for the first time ever, anywhere, at TJ Maxx & Home Goods I saw Halloween decorations put out.....before the Fourth of July!

I've already seen X-Mas stuff before Labor day in the stores years ago but Halloween three months early was a new one.

 

I'm personally on the hunt for Southern Tier Maple Warlock..I saw a store on the west side of the state got it in, hopefully it makes it over to the east side of VA