German Festbier Is the Paler Half of a Two-Lager Oktoberfest

Two Oktoberfest lagers in one lineup is a fair thing to raise an eyebrow at, and Cactus Land Brewing Co. has settled the question by brewing both. Alongside its Marzen, the Adkins, Texas brewery has a German Festbier at 5.5% ABV. The brewery's own notes describe it as a smooth, golden lager with a crisp finish, brewed true to tradition and easy drinking without being thin.

The two styles are cousins rather than twins. Marzen is the amber, malt-forward beer most North American drinkers picture when they hear Oktoberfest. Festbier is the paler, lighter-bodied lager that actually gets served by the liter at the modern festival in Munich. It is built for drinking steadily across a long afternoon rather than sipping. Having both on the board means the choice comes down to whether you want the beer from the postcard or the beer from the tent.

Cactus Land pitches this one for fall evenings, Oktoberfest weekends, or, in its own phrasing, kicking back with friends under the Texas sunset. That last suggestion is the most locally accurate of the three. The brewery opens to the public only on the first and third weekends of each month at its County Road 325 taproom southeast of San Antonio. There the Festbier sits alongside the Marzen and the rest of a lager list loaded up for the season.