Oktoberfest

Our authentic Oktoberfest is a modern Festbier with a smooth malt backbone and notes of fresh-baked bread and honey. Traditional German hops add a spicy-herbal flavor and balanced bitterness with a crisp, clean finish.

Our Oktoberfest has a rich malt flavor that’s perfect for cooler weather, but an easy-drinking crispness that still stands up to the heat, making it one of the best autumn beers and a great beer for Oktoberfest celebrations!

A Festbier is a smooth, clean German-style lager with a moderate malt flavor and light hop character. Oktoberfest beers typically fall into two categories: Festbier and Märzen. Märzens tend to be richer, maltier, and darker. As the name implies, Festbier is lighter and easy-drinking—perfect for festivals like Oktoberfest. Our Oktoberfest ABV is 6%, which is in line with the Festbier style.

Oktoberfest is a lager, meaning it’s brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast. Lagers are brewed and conditioned at cooler temperatures for a longer period of time, resulting in a clean, crisp, and smooth finish.

Yes! This year, we partnered with Störtebeker Brauspezialitäten, a North German brewer known for innovation and brewing excellence. Located in Stralsund on a sound of the Baltic Sea, Störtebeker takes pride in its Hanseatic culture. We chose Störtebeker because of our shared commitment to quality and innovation.

(Cracks knuckles) In the past three years alone, Störtebeker has won four World Beer Awards, three Finest Beer Selection Awards, two European Beer Star gold medals, a bronze medal at the World Beer Cup, and three gold medals and one platinum award at Meininger’s International Craft Beer Awards. So, yeah, they make award-winning beers.

Due to rising production costs, unpredictable weather, and declining ticket sales, we made the tough decision to hold off on our large-scale Oktoberfest event. While we loved Oktoberfest, the old model became unsustainable from a business standpoint. Now, we’re reassessing how to best celebrate one of our favorite beers with our local community.

Traditional Oktoberfest Festbier styles feature a rich, malty backbone with toasty, bread-like notes and a touch of subtle sweetness. You’ll often notice hints of herbal or mildly spicy noble hops, which add balance without overpowering the malt. The aroma is clean and inviting, with soft malt and light hop character, while the mouthfeel is smooth, medium-bodied, and crisp, thanks to cold fermentation with lager yeast.

At 6% ABV, our traditional Festbier beer strikes a balance between strength and drinkability. This aligns with traditional Festbier strength, offering a robust yet drinkable profile that complements its smooth, malty character.

In Mills River, we’re hosting our first annual Haus Party! At this one-night-only party, the Oktoberfest beer will be flowing alongside elevated and authentic German cuisine in the Taproom. Concord Brass Band will get the party going, followed by Euro-disco beats by DJ Brandon Manitoba. Local indie-pop band Pink Beds will close out the night, so bring your dancing shoes.