Fresh Fall Beer Sightings 2025

Haven't seen anything yet, but let's face it...Summer's over.

 

Haha. It's crazy how if we want fresh marzens and festbiers we have to drink them in late July, early August. Love me a good festbier, so I'll be on the lookout. Cheers and happy hunting!

 

Dude, today is the first day of summer here in the Fourth Corner. Calm down on the Autumn stuff.

 

I noticed its always the midwest, places like Ohio and Illinois, where the fall beers start showing up first. Here they dont start showing up until the end of July.

 

Port City had their Octoberfest on at the brewery a week ago. Haven't seen it in stores, yet.

 

For those in Troegs Land here is a new fall seasonal from them I'm looking forward to. Accidentally came across this while using their beer finder, should come out this fall, meaning August, or late July



*description in photo*

 

Grass is always greener, I guess. Seems like every year I see people (especially on the east coast) spotting Oktoberfests long before I see them here in NE Illinois.

Oh well, I'm patient.

 

Nothing in my area yet, but according to some recent Facebook posts, several liquor stores up north have received Hofbrau Oktoberfest and Paulaner Oktoberfestbier since late June. I've seen Clawhammer Oktoberfest has been released as well.

 

Yeah, that saddened me slightly, though I am sure they will be brewing more over the next couple months. Also, Dominion Wine and Beer got in the Paulaner fest beers two weeks ago.

 

I fully expect to see pumpkin beer end of this month... I'll gladly sample anything new.

 

That's the thing, right?

I hope you are correct that Port City will 'do the right thing' and brew some of their Oktoberfest beers closer to the season.

FWIW I have recently noticed that some (most?) of my local craft breweries have been just brewing one BIG batch(es) of their Oktoberfest beers in the summer and just distributing those beers over the Oktoberfest season (which for me is mid/late September - October).

And don't get me going about German brewed Oktoberfest beers that are packaged (bottled) as early as February/March which is crazy IMO.

All of this nonsense is due to the rush for product placement IMO; getting their brands on the shelf to beat the competition. At some of my local Retail Beer Distributors those beers are sitting in non-air conditioned warehouse type buildings 'baking' in hot conditions. And for those retailers who air condition their retail space those beers might be sitting 'in the back' in non-air conditioned conditions.

Cheers to Oktoberfest beers brewed later in the summer!

 

Schlafly has bottled about this week in recent years, though I'd be willing to bet a few shekels that they have already completed their bottling for larger distribution already.

I don't think Port City has the production and distribution, yet, to not do at least a couple more batches for the local market. However, I would still suspect that a mid-to-late August bottling is the latest I'll see. I could live with that insofar as enjoying a fresher Oktoberfest during the actual celebration.

 

.....amazing how much shorter the days are!

 

And that would 'work' for me.

As I commented previously more & more of my local craft breweries have packaged their beers in mid-summer.

As just one point of example, I used to be a fan of Sly Fox Oktoberfest but last year all that I could find at my local beer retailers were beer that were canned in July. I refused to buy these beers; the first time ever I never purchased Sly Fox Oktoberfest beers. I would like to think my decision here 'sends a message' to Sly Fox but realistically it doesn't since there are too many 'anxious' craft beer consumers who are happy (or satisfied?) to purchase these prematurely brewed/packaged beers.

Oh well!?! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cheers!

 

And cooler. It's only 87 here today, about 8 degrees cooler than yesterday.

 

Yeah, just checked the local big box retailer's website -- no Paulaner Märzen or Fest available anywhere in the area.

@DarkDragon999 -- you gotta move to D.C.