Review: Firestone Walker Oktoberfest 2026

Break out the lederhosen and get the pretzels in the oven! October is here and it’s time to celebrate all things German.

This year’s brew is a collaboration between Firestone Walker and Mahrs Bräu, a brewery in Bamberg (originator of smoky rauchbier) that is 356 years old. It’s fully brewed with German ingredients aside from California water — including Bamberger Pilsen malt, Mahrs Bräu’s own malt, and Hallertau Tradition and Hersbrucker hops — a Festbier designed to emulate what drinking beer in October (really September) in Germany tastes like.

The results are, as expected, uncanny. It really tastes like an authentic German lager, quite malty and ever so lightly fruity with notes of baked apples and banana. Chewy with decidedly moderated bitterness, the gentle sweetness helps the beer feel light as a feather despite its healthy 6% abv. At the same time, the beer has plenty of fest-friendly gravity, offering a rounded, mouth-filling exuberance that ensures a delightful pairing with everything from schnitzel to spätzle and beyond — or just drinking on its own.

6% abv.

A- / $12 per 4-pack of 16 oz cans

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