By James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier

You don’t have to travel to Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest this year. In fact, all you need to do is come on down to your local Food Co-op, and you’ll find a variety of beers to help you usher in the fall season.

Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen

Bavarians have been celebrating the harvest with beer festivals since before the 1400s. Märzen is brewed in March to be ready for the September and October beer festivals, and Ayinger’s effort sets the gold standard for the style.

In the glass, the beer glows with a rich, amber-golden color. It follows with a deep, inviting, malty nose and layered bready flavor that's an ode to barley. Medium to big bodied, the beer finishes with a touch of warming alcohol on the finish and a soft dryness from long maturation.

Bayern Oktoberfest

Bayern Oktoberfest is a classic Bavarian Dark Märzen: not too sweet, yet malty with a nice hop flavor. This beer is brewed with Pilsener, Munich and German Dunkel malt. The hops for this special brew come straight from the Hallertau region in northern Bavaria and the finishing hops are Saaz from the Czech Republic. This is Bayern’s fastest selling seasonal specialty beer. It is brewed according to the standards of the Brewers’ Guild of Munich, which was established in 1815 when they brewed this beer for the first time to celebrate the royal wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Maria Theresia.

Bosk Marzen

Another solid effort from the folks at Bosk Brew Works – a German inspired, 300 barrel, craft brewery and beer hall located in Woodinville, Wash.

Consistently producing excellent beers, Bosk’s Marzen lager shows   

a rich, coppery brown in the glass with a full body, minimal hop aroma, and a lush, slightly spicy aftertaste. Hints of bread crust and deep malt flavors lead to a clean finish.

 Kulshan Oktoberfest

Brewed in Bellingham, Kulshan’s seasonal beers are consistent staff favorites at the Food Co-Op. Coppery brown in the glass, and bready yet balanced with subtle floral hop notes, this beer is flavorful and satisfying – the perfect beer to tuck into a cool fall evening.

 Reuben’s Fest Bier

This traditional German-style lager celebrates the Oktoberfest season with a less malty and more drinkable style than a Marzen. This beer is based on the beer now served at the Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich. Fill your stein and prost!