Oktoberfest’s first cousins

I'm sure there are more than a few liquor stores that sell them year-round!

 

Some breweries will produce Vienna Lagers year-round. You could also look for a Dortmunder but that might be harder to find.

 

It has already been mentioned - Vienna Lager.

Permit me to suggest a few of my favorite Vienna Lagers:

• Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager
• Neshaminy Creek Churchville Lager
• Double Nickel Vienna Lager

A properly brewed Vienna Lager will be malt forward with just enough hops to provide some balance (which is similar to the Oktoberfest style). A Vienna Lager will be a bit lighter in body as compared to an Oktoberfest due to the utilization of less malt (lower ABV).

Cheers!

P.S. Sam Adams Boston Lager is sometimes (often?) classified as a Vienna Lager but that beer is to heavily hopped (e.g., 30 IBUs) to be categorized as a Vienna Lager IMO.

 

Ayinger oktoberfest and schlenkerla, although smoked heavily have marzen year round.

 

Double Nickel Vienna is awesome

 

Fwiw, Jack, the last time I had Devil's Backbone it was hoppier and drier than Sam Adams. I did like it better, too, but it might not go over as well with the OP.

Just plain old Amber Lagers would be another place to explore, though. Nothing beats a top notch Oktoberfest, but sometimes getting close enough works as a hold over.

 

If you get Great Lakes brews there.....try Dortmunder Gold and Eliot Ness....both excellent

 

Was going to suggest these exact two as well.

 

Boy, your drinking experience(s) are quite different from mine. I would never describe Devil's Backbone as being hoppier than Sam Adams. The Devil's Backbone website lists this beer as being 18 IBU and that is consistent with what I have experienced.

Did the last Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager that you drank taste different to you from previous drinking experiences?

Cheers!

 

I only had it once on draught, but it may have been fresh as a daisy. Sure tasted that way - loaded with spicy/aromatic hops. Maybe the bitterness was as you describe, but as you know, it can come across more pronounced in a drier beer.

It would be great to do a side by side with SABL one day, though.

 

Maybe in your area (and I know that's true), but not everywhere.

 

Um... I don't think Ayinger is year-round. I've seen it on shelves past Autumn, but it doesn't hold up for very long - watch for gushers and oxidation.

 

According to the Ayinger importer (Merchant du Vin) Ayinger Oktoberfest is a seasonal beer:

http://www.merchantduvin.com/brew-ayinger-oktober-fest-marzen.php

I can testify that Ayinger Oktoberfest does indeed ‘fall off’ with time in the bottle. A couple of years ago I purchased a few of the Ayinger Oktoberfest beers (big bottles) early in the season and held on to most of them for later (in the Oktoberfest season) drinking. The beers I ‘saved’ were indeed less tasty than the one bottle I drank early (end of August?).

The fact that Ayinger refuses to date their bottles just exacerbates matters.

Cheers!

 

There are many amber ales with similar characteristics to ocktoberfests.

 

Call me what you will, but I think Samuel Adam's Boston Lager is a pretty great Vienna Lager.

 

OP since you are from Kentucky and it should be reasonably available to you I will third Eliot Ness.

 

What is served at the fest now can be described as an amped up Helles. Try some Helles or Export Helles to see if those fir the bill.

Dortmund’s Exports are not Export Helles. Dortmunders have more hops, similar to a German Pilsner.