Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we give our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.) 

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Beginning with beers like Wynkoop Brewing’s Rail Yard Ale, Odell Brewing’s 90 Shilling, and, of course, New Belgium Brewing’s Fat Tire (which is a completely different beer today), amber ales were once the most popular style of microbrew in Colorado.

That’s no longer the case, as IPAs and hazy IPAs have taken center stage — just try finding an amber or red ale at most craft breweries these days. Which is why August and September are so great. Fall brings about Oktoberfest season, when many local breweries release their Oktoberfest beers.

These beers, many of them lower-alcohol lagers, typically come in two forms. Festbiers are Pilsner-esque light beers similar to what you can find in Munich. Marzens, on the other hand, are richer, maltier brews — and are more similar to the style of beer that used to be served at German Oktoberfest celebrations.

Marzens are also one of my favorite styles — and are similar in many ways to amber or red ales. Their crisp sweetness seems to pair perfectly with fall colors, green chile, football and cool-weather camping.

Over the years, I have tried more than 75 marzens, mostly from Colorado. Here are five you’ll find in my fridge every autumn.

Stay Gold from Ratio Beerworks

Distributed throughout the metro area, Stay Gold, at 5.3% ABV, balances rich Munich, Vienna and Pilsner malts with German Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops to give it both a fulfilling touch of sweetness and a toasty note. It is often one of the first marzen lagers I look for in late August or early September when it hits liquor stores in six-packs. Ratio has two locations in Denver.

Colorado's Odell Brewing has been brewing Oktoberfest for more than a decade. (Jonathan Shikes/The Denver Post)Oktoberfest from Odell Brewing

Slightly drier and higher in ABV (6.1%) than German marzens — as are some of the others on this list — Odell’s Oktoberfest is a classic that the Fort Collins-based brewery has been making and packaging for more than a decade. That was about the same time that the style grew in popularity in Colorado and throughout the U.S. With flavors of toasted bread, biscuit and honey, according to the brewery, Oktoberfest can be found in six-packs at stores and in Odell’s three locations, two in Denver.

Wibtoberfest from Wibby Brewing

Longmont’s Wibby Brewing only makes lagers, so it stands to reason that it would offer a terrific Oktoberfest lager. Pouring, like the others, a reddish-tinged golden color, Wibtoberfest has a decent amount of body (from the dark Munich malt), but a crackling finish. Coming in at 5.4% ABV, it is distributed widely in Colorado and boasts floral notes alongside the classic caramel ones.

Oktoberfest from Durango's Ska Brewing. (RadCraft for Ska Brewing)Oktoberfest from Ska Brewing

I have been drinking Ska beers from Durango for going on two decades now, so its Oktoberfest lager was one of the first Colorado marzens to come to my attention. Brewed with many of the same Munich and Vienna malts as the others, Oktoberfest (6.1% ABV) offers beady, biscuit-y nutty notes and a clean finish. Interestingly, this beer won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival — but in the Vienna-style lager category rather than the marzen division.

4 Noses Brewing, with locations in Denver and Broomfield, makes its Oktoberfest marzen lager every fall. (Jonathan Shikes/The Denver Post)Oktoberfest from 4 Noses Brewing

With locations in Denver and Broomfield, 4 Noses also began brewing its marzen (6% ABV) about 10-12 years ago. It has a similar profile to the others, but the brewery has typically used a traditional German style of brewing that includes what’s known as a “decoction mash.” In decoction mashing, the brewer makes the beer and then separates some of the grain, boiling it on its own before returning it to the rest. The goal is to intensify the malty flavors.

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