Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest Back for 2025
Firestone Walker has announced the 2025 edition of Oaktoberfest, their traditional seasonal beer.
“Oaktoberfest is made for this transition time from summer to fall,” says Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s malty and full flavored, yet also light-bodied, crushable and built for drinking.”
As always, the latest release is an oak-inspired homage to the popular “festbiers” that are synonymous with Munich’s Oktoberfest celebration. The name “Oaktoberfest” is a riff on Firestone Walker’s longtime commitment to brewing and aging beer in oak barrels.
Brewed with all-German ingredients and lagered in Napa Valley wine barrels, the 2025 Oaktoberfest Oak Aged Lager (5.2% ABV) is rolling out now to all Firestone Walker markets in 6-pack (12-oz cans) and draft formats.
First brewed in 2006, Oaktoberfest has become a seasonal tradition at Firestone Walker. As always, the latest Oaktoberfest was made with all-German ingredients, including Weyermann Pilsner malts and Vienna malts, with a dash of Munich and Cara Red.
Nevertheless, each annual release brings subtle changes as Brynildson and his team tweak the recipe. This year, Oaktoberfest mixes things up by featuring two classic German hops — Tettnanger and Hersbrucker.
“These hops are loved by German brewers for delivering pronounced aromatics and noble character with a low bitterness profile,” Brynildson says. “The delicate hop influence is herbal, floral and spicy with subtle citrus notes — exactly what you want for a festbier like Oaktoberfest.”
The 2025 Oaktoberfest was cold lagered in French oak barrels inherited from a Napa Valley winery. The barrels were previously used to mature the winery’s cabernet sauvignon. The oak-barrel lagering allows for an even smoother texture, the brewery says, all while remaining true to the beer’s crisp malt profile and hints of noble hops.
“Oak barrel lagering adds a cool complexity that makes the beer completely unique,” Brynildson says. “It provides subtle notes of vanilla and toasted oak that play well with the Vienna malts, and you might even pick up just the slightest hint of red wine fruitiness.”
He adds, “Oaktoberfest delivers the best of both worlds — full, malty flavor with a crisp, easygoing body that’s perfect as summer fades into fall. It’s a beer that carries the spirit of our journeys through Germany’s hop fields and the vibes of Oktoberfest itself, all with a dash of California character.”
This follows the recent release of the 2025 Firestone Mixed Pack of West Coast IPAs.
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