Fresh Fall Beer Sightings 2025

Yeah but the guy who posted it is in Ohio which is far away from where Spoetzl Brewery is located so that kind of muddies things up a bit. So now we are left to speculate what states this will be sold in since there is no press release on it that I can find.

 

I am "that guy from Ohio" and a fan of Shiner beers typically - good quality at decent prices...
The label of this Festbier says "seasonal" = perhaps they just have not updated their website as yet - I did not see it anywhere online either - but picked it up at my local grocery store this week - it is very good!

 

Seems weird to me, that of the "big 6" German Oktober / Fest beers that I typically see in my part of NE Ohio - only 3 have landed here thus far - Spaten, Weihenstephaner, Ayinger.....not seen yet - Hofbrau, Hacker P, and Paulaner.....how does this line up in your area? It seems like in years past, I have acquired more of them by now....hmmm

 

Haha, yeah yeah. I almost referenced Ayinger when I typed that.

 

My local Whole Foods has a stack of Weihenstephaner Festbier with what I believe is a best by date of May 2025. Is Weihenstephaner still showing best by date in code (DWWY) on their bottles?

 

I've seen them all locally in Northeast Illinois.

 

I believe that’s the bottling date.

 

Makes more sense. The HB cans I saw were packaged in May, too.

 

Idle Hands released Brocktoberfest yesterday….. first local OFest I’ve seen here on the North Shore. Fantastic beer.

I love OFest season.

 

A tasty pumpkin - always a favorite - along with Whole Hog, Schlafly and Elysian!

 

I was down south for a bit and the only fall beer I saw was SN's Oktoberfest, haven't checked anywhere locally as of yet. I'm sure i'll pick up some this weekend.

 

Which means...........this years' Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale can't be too many more weeks away.........

Which is fine as I always buy a case or two of it anyway & then space it out for the next three or four months......or longer.....

 

I need to get that mix pack. I want to mix the punkin and the brown. I did that many years ago and it was good. Not a pumpkin spice fan so I doubt I drink a full pumpkin beer on its own unless it’s sans spice.

Enjoy

 

You have an emoticon in your post so I am not 100% sure here but…no need to worry
about an early release of Celebration since they can’t brew this beer until the hops are harvested and processed (i.e., kilned).

Cheers!

 

@steveh , this isn’t the first time for SN. My fingers are crossed that they make this a tradition. When the collaborating German brewer calls it a “typical Festbier,” the beer geeks classify it as a Maerzen. When the German brewer calls it a “traditional Maerzen,” the beer geeks classify it as a Festbier. If we insist on being so uptight about it, how about we listen to the Germans regarding German terms for a change?

When it comes to the collaboration beers specifically, I don’t know if Sierra Nevada ever marketed a beer as a Maerzen on the (back, front or neck) label. If they use anything, they tend to use Festbier or “festival lager” regardless of color.

 

And they'd be correct....right?

 

Especially with a collab from a brewery so far north in Germany.

 

My first Paulaner of this season!

Delish!

 

Just an FYI - I didn't get the DFH "mix pack" - I bought the 6 pk of Punk'n.....also, their pumpkin is labeled as a "brown ale with pumpkin and spices" - not sure how mixing it with another brown ale will be, but, have at it!

 

What are BB the dates on your bottles? I saw February of 26 on Märzen bottles and April on Festbier cans -- big gap.