If September still feels like summer (since technically, most of the month lands in that season), October is when we notice that fall has officially arrived. If you live somewhere with seasons, you’re likely seeing leaves begin to change colors or grabbing a light jacket when you leave the house in the morning. When it comes to beer, you’re leaning toward darker, maltier, and potentially even pumpkin-flavored brews. October is a great month for beer drinkers with a lot to offer from a sprawling variety of beer styles.

Oktoberfest-style beers, Vienna lagers, pumpkin beers, and even darker, bolder beers are starting to make their respective appearances. The fact that it’s a sort of tricky weather month means it’s a great beer month. Random 80-degree day? Grab an IPA or pilsner. Cloudy, cold, and rainy? It’s brown ale, porter, or even stout time. We decided to help map out your October imbibing by picking eight great, new, seasonal beers that pair perfectly with the season. Keep scrolling to see them all.

ABV: 6.66%

Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer: The October beer list is complete without a spooky beer, right? Well, this beer might have a Halloween-themed name but there’s nothing scary about this “hoppy dark ale” brewed with roasted barley, Blackprinz malt, and hopped with Chinook, Saaz, and Crystal hops.

Tasting Notes: The nose is all chocolate, roasted malts, dried fruits, and light floral hops. The palate is a mixture of freshly brewed coffee, roasted malts, dark chocolate, caramel, dried fruits, and gentle floral, piney hops at the end. It’s a nice mix of malts and hops.

Bottom Line: This black IPA is a great entry into fall. It’s bold, malty, and bittersweet. All in all, it’s a great beer for the season’s brisk days.

ABV: 4%

Average Price: $20 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer: Not all of your October beer choices need to be dark, robust, and malty. The recently released Grimm Ambient Fizz: Koyo Berry is a respite from a month otherwise dominated by those beers. This sour beer was fermented and aged in oak barrels with wild yeast and bacteria. It was fermented a second time with Oishii Koyo berries.

Tasting Notes: Aromas of ripe berries, lemon peel, funky yeast, and oaky wood begin your tasting journey with this unique beer. Sipping it reveals a sour, tart, slightly sweet beer loaded with strawberries, raspberries, lemongrass, and oak flavors. It’s refreshing, effervescent, and highly memorable.

Bottom Line: This sparkling, tart, refreshing beer is a great break from the inevitable Marzen-style beers, Vienna lagers, and darker beers that make an appearance in October.

ABV: 5.9%

Average Price: $15 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer: Brewed with Pale and Munich malts, Bronx Brewing’s annual take on the classic Oktoberfest beer leans toward the Marzen-style side of things. It’s known for its mix of sweet, caramel malts, roasted flavors, and floral, earthy, herbal hops. It’s a very well-balanced fall sipper.

Tasting Notes: A nose of roasted malts, biscuit-like malts, caramel, and floral, earthy hops begins everything off right. A palate of bready malts, toffee, roasted malts, and more floral, herbal, noble hops rounds everything together nicely. All in all, a great example of an American-style Oktoberfest beer.

Bottom Line: After you’ve enjoyed traditional Oktoberfest beers, try an American craft version like Das Bronx. You’ll be happy you did.

ABV: 7.5%

Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer: This annual pumpkin beer begins with 3,000 pounds of locally sourced pumpkins. It’s spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and French Saison yeast. While spiced, it’s known for its light, pumpkin-forward flavor profile that sets it apart from the other overly sweet, spiced beers on the market.

Tasting Notes: On the nose, you’ll find notes of roasted pumpkins, caramel malts, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other spices. On the palate, you’ll find a ton of toffee, ripe pumpkin, cinnamon sugar, and nutmeg. It’s sweet, spiced, and surprisingly well-balanced.

Bottom Line: In a market of over-the-top pumpkin beers, Troegs’ Master of Pumpkins is a well-balanced, flavorful option that will make you rethink the style.

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer: Brewed

Introducing Oktoberbrews: The Perfect Beers for a Chilly Fall Day

As the temperature drops and the leaves change color, it’s time to swap out those light, refreshing summer beers for something a bit heartier. Lucky for us, the craft beer scene is booming with delicious options that perfectly capture the essence of fall. Today, we’re diving into four incredible brews that are guaranteed to warm you up on those brisk autumn evenings.

First up, we have an ESB (extra special bitter) that combines Dark Crystal, English Maris Otter, and Honey malts. This beer is known for its mix of bready malts, toffee, and dried fruits, creating a malty and sweet flavor profile that perfectly complements the season. With just the right balance, it’s the ideal companion for a chilly fall day.

Moving on to a “hoppy amber ale,” which could easily pass as a blend of a red IPA and a brown ale. This beer is renowned for its roasted malts, caramel, and floral hops, making it a complex and satisfying choice. The aroma alone, with its sweet caramel and candied orange peel notes, is enough to entice anyone. Add in the flavors of roasted malts, toffee candy, and orange peels, and you’ve got a winner. It’s like wrapping yourself in a soft, warm flannel shirt – pure comfort in a glass.

For the IPA enthusiasts out there, we have a treat in store. Ska Brewing’s Double Modus DIPA takes their beloved Modus Hoperandi and turns it up to eleven. This imperial version packs a punch with its dank pine and ripe citrus flavors. The nose alone is a fragrant blend of tropical fruits, tangerine, lime peels, and resinous pine. The palate follows suit with a symphony of pineapple, caramel malts, lemongrass, and orange peels, all balanced by a wallop of dank, spicy, piney hops. It’s an elevated experience for those who already enjoy the original Modus Hoperandi.

Last but not least, we have von Trapp Brewing’s Vienna Lager. Yes, it’s the same family from “The Sound of Music,” but they are also making some seriously delicious European-style beers. Brewed with German malts and hops, this American take on the classic style is a standout. Picture the aroma of freshly baked bread, roasted malts, wet grass, and floral, herbal, earthy hops. The taste follows suit with a biscuit-like malt sweetness, freshly cut grass, toffee, and an abundance of noble, floral, fresh hops. It’s sweet, it’s bitter, it’s everything you could want in an American-made Vienna Lager.

So there you have it – four incredible beers that are tailor-made for the fall season. Whether you’re in the mood for a malty ESB, a hoppy amber ale, an elevated double IPA, or an authentic Vienna Lager, these brews will not disappoint. Grab a six-pack, gather your friends, and savor the flavors of autumn with these exceptional Oktoberbrews. Cheers!