How to Choose Your Beer to Make Oktoberfest More Enjoyable — If in Doubt, Choose by "Style"
As autumn arrives, long tables begin to appear across Japan.
Oktoberfest. It's the most luxurious time of the year, when you can enjoy draft beer from Germany outdoors. From September to October, venues open sequentially across the country.
There's one thing I'd like to tell you. The order in which you drink can significantly change the enjoyment of the same venue and time. Knowing a little about how to choose will make your drinks for the day much more delicious.
We recommend choosing by "style." As people who handle German beer daily, allow us to explain how to put together your choices.
💡 If you're unsure, it's best to choose by style.
Standing in front of the counter with a long list of names, you might instinctively want to say, "Just a draft, please."
Finding your favorite brewery and choosing by name is, I believe, the most enjoyable part of beer. However, the venues often feature beers from breweries across Germany, and many of these, while local staples for hundreds of years in Germany, are not yet widely known in Japan. When you're not familiar with them, it's hard to imagine the taste from the name alone. We also experience this with new German brewery names.
In such cases, look for the style name.
Helles. Festbier. Weizen. Dunkel. Bock. One of these words is usually written near the product name. In German beer, the style name is the blueprint for the taste itself. Even if you don't know the brewery, knowing the style gives you an idea of the taste. I think this is the most convenient aspect of German beer.
💡 You only need to remember three things: "color," "aroma," and "weight."
There are dozens of styles, but at the venue, three distinctions are enough: is the color light or dark? Is the aroma subtle or fragrant? Is the mouthfeel light or heavy?
For example, Helles is bright, with a subtle aroma, and light. Bock is dark, with a rich aroma, and heavy. Knowing where it falls on this spectrum will help you make the right choice.
A general overview of each style is summarized in What is German Beer? Skimming through it before you go will make the blackboard at the venue suddenly readable and interesting.
🍻 First Drink: Measure the Venue's Quality with a Light Lager
For your first drink, we recommend Helles or Festbier. There are two reasons: first, they are most pleasant on a September evening. Second, they are the most honest reflection of the beer's condition at that particular venue.
Light lagers have no aroma to hide behind. They stand on just three elements: the sweetness of the malt, the subtle bitterness of the hops, and the crispness of the carbonation. This means the freshness of the barrel and the carefulness of the pour directly affect the taste. Drinking this as your first beer will set the tone for your experience at the venue that day.
🍻 Helles - The Everyday Beer of Southern Germany
Helles, derived from the German word for "bright," is the most widely consumed beer in Southern Germany, particularly around Munich.
Pale gold in color. The aroma is subtle, like the scent of grain, and upon tasting, a soft sweetness of malt spreads and then recedes smoothly. Bitterness is used only to define the flavor. The alcohol content is generally around 5%.
While some might say it "lacks character," the opposite is true. Because it cannot be masked by strong flavors, it is the most difficult beer to brew, which truly reveals the brewery's skill. We delve deeper into Helles in our Complete Guide to Helles, the King of Southern German Beers, covering its history and delicious ways to enjoy it.
🍻 Festbier – Similar Appearance, Stronger Content
If it says "Festbier," it's a beer made for festivals.
Its appearance is a bright golden color, similar to Helles. The taste is also light and refreshing. However, it is brewed with a larger amount of malt, and its alcohol content increases to around 5.8-6.2%. This makes it about 10% to 20% stronger per glass than Helles.
Incidentally, the beer served at the authentic Oktoberfest must have a wort concentration (gravity before fermentation) of 13.5% or more. The more malt used, the more sugar and higher the alcohol content. The secret to its "light yet strong" character is this amount of malt.
This can be deceptive; it's easy to drink but the alcohol hits you quickly. Two large steins of Festbier will affect you more than you might expect. It’s so delicious, it’s hard to stop (laughs).
By the way, the transition of festival beer from the formerly dark "Märzen" to the current bright Festbier is quite an interesting story in itself. We've summarized it in this article.
🍻 From the Second Drink to the End, Deepen the Aroma and Color
Once your palate is refreshed by a bright lager, it's time to move on to a more aromatic beer. When a Weizen arrives, the atmosphere of the venue changes.
The aromas of banana and clove are produced by yeast.
Weizen is a white beer made with wheat. When poured into a glass, it appears cloudy white, forms a tall head, and as you bring your nose closer, you'll detect sweet aromas like banana and spicy notes like clove.
What's interesting is that these aromas don't come from any fruits or spices. They are compounds produced by the specialized Weizen yeast during fermentation (banana aroma is from esters, clove aroma is from phenols). This unique combination of wheat and this yeast creates a distinctive aroma that makes Weizen unlike any other beer.
It has very little bitterness. If you're bringing someone who dislikes bitter beers, this is the one to start with. Although most have an alcohol content in the 5% range, the smooth mouthfeel makes it go down easily.
🍻 Hefeweizen and Kristallweizen: Cloudy or Clear is a Matter of Preference
Even within Weizen, there are two types.
Hefeweizen retains yeast (Hefe), giving it a cloudy white appearance, rich aroma, and full-bodied mouthfeel. Kristallweizen is filtered to remove the yeast, resulting in a clear golden color and a sharp, crisp finish.
At a venue, if you ask for "white beer," you'll usually get Hefeweizen. If you find Kristallweizen, it's a bit rare, so give it a try. If you want to learn more about Weizen, check out A Thorough Analysis of the Charms of Schmatz's Most Popular Weizen, the World-Renowned King of German Beers, "White Beer."
And as the evening deepens and you've finished eating, transitioning to a darker beer will beautifully conclude your day.
🍻 Dunkel's savoriness is not "sweet."
Dunkel means "dark." It ranges from chestnut to almost blackish-brown and, despite its heavy appearance, it's surprisingly refreshing to drink.
Its aroma is like toasted bread crust or caramel. This savoriness is created by a reaction that occurs during the malting process (the Maillard reaction, similar to the browning of meat). So, it's not that there's a lot of sweet components, but rather that the savory aroma is perceived as sweetness.
That's why it pairs exceptionally well with fatty foods: grilled meats, smoked meats, cheese. Enjoying a Dunkel with a meat dish enhances the flavors of both.
🍻 Bock was liquid bread.
If it says "Bock," be prepared when you order it.
It's a rich beer brewed with plenty of malt. In Germany, to be called a Bock, the wort concentration must be at least 16%, and for the even richer Doppelbock, it's 18% or more, meaning Bock beers exceed 6% alcohol, and Doppelbocks surpass 7%.
There's an interesting guideline: the alcohol content is roughly one-third of the wort concentration. So, 16% wort yields 5.5-6% alcohol, and 18% wort yields 6.5-7%. This shows how the amount of malt directly translates to strength, even in numbers.
It's said that monks once drank this beer for nourishment during fasting periods, giving it the historical nickname "liquid bread."
It's sweet and has a long finish. It's strong enough that one glass is satisfying. Perfect for a final drink or on a chilly October night.
💡 Choose According to Your Day
The order presented so far follows the principle of moving from lighter to darker, and from lighter to heavier. This sequence is also useful for comparing beers, as described in Recommended Order for Beer Tasting, and it applies directly to the venue.
However, two things can take precedence over this principle: the temperature and your own body.
Hot Days and Chilly Nights
There are still hot days in September at the venue. On such days, forget the rules and continue to drink light and refreshing options. Another Helles might be the right choice on some days.
October nights are chilly. The richness of Dunkel or Bock transforms into comfort in that temperature. The same beer can feel different depending on the day.
🍺 Check Alcohol Content, Remember Radler
If you're ordering a large size at the venue, you really should check the alcohol content. Drinking a liter of 6% beer means consuming a considerable amount of alcohol.
That's where Radler comes in handy. It's beer mixed with lemonade. Since it's about half diluted, the alcohol content drops to approximately half of the original beer, and the citrus acidity refreshes your palate. In Germany, it's a common choice for daytime drinking. Sipping one of these in between can help you enjoy your drinks deliciously all night long.
On days when you want to reduce alcohol intake, try German non-alcoholic beer. Germany excels in this category, with non-alcoholic options that retain a rich malt flavor. I believe the spirit of the festival is not to make those who don't drink feel deprived.
🎪 Where to Drink This Autumn
Oktoberfests in Japan are held sequentially in various locations throughout the autumn. The good thing is that the dates vary by venue, so you can choose according to your schedule.
Among them, the venue at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse has a long history. In 2026, it will be held from Friday, September 18th to Sunday, October 4th at the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse Event Plaza. Hours are weekdays from 12:00 PM to 9:30 PM, and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM (only on the first day, September 18th, from 3:00 PM; last order is at 9:00 PM). Admission is 500 yen, and junior high school students and younger are free.
We've summarized information about Riedenburger, the German organic beer brewery whose beer you can enjoy there, in this article. Knowing which styles are available beforehand will make it easier to decide on your first drink on the day.
If you want to avoid crowds, weekdays during opening hours are the best bet. Sharing long tables is standard, so it can be hard to find a seat when it gets crowded. If you go right after opening on a weekday, you can sit wherever you like and have time to chat with the servers about beer.
Many people actually prefer the atmosphere of the venue during the day, when it's less crowded.
💡 Once You Can Choose by Style, Move Beyond That
This next part is for when you visit the venue again.
Once you learn to choose by style, you'll eventually notice something: even the same "Helles" tastes different. Water hardness, malt varieties, brewing procedures, yeast—each brewery has preserved these traditions for generations, which is why the final product varies even within the same style.
There's no need to memorize anything. However, if you simply take a photo of the brewery name of a beer you enjoyed, when you see that name again at another venue or shop, you'll think, "Ah, this is it!" From the moment a name connects with a taste, choosing beer becomes much more enjoyable.
💡 Here's a fun way to use a tasting set.
If there's a tasting set with several types at the venue, try choosing either to compare different breweries of the same style or to compare different styles from the same brewery.
You'll notice the differences much more clearly than just randomly trying five types. "This brewery's Helles has a rich malt sweetness," or "This one is finished with bitterness." Once you start to see these nuances, you'll naturally know what you want to order next.
If you happen to find something labeled "Kellerbier" or "Zwickel," that's an unfiltered beer. They're not very common, so if you spot one, don't hesitate to try it.
🍺 At the Venue, at a Restaurant, or at Home
We at Schmatz will be hosting the Schmatz Oktoberfest 2026 from September 1st to October 31st, 2026.
At our restaurants, we will offer special menus and German beers for this period. The selection tips I've shared today can be applied directly there. If you're unsure, just tell a staff member, "I'd like to start with something light." It will make things easier. Please see our list of locations.
There are years when you might not have time to visit the venue, right? In such cases, enjoy it at home. Our limited-edition Oktoberfest set includes exclusive beers delivered from Germany. Opening them one by one, from light to dark, makes for a very enjoyable evening.
🛒 Click here for the Schmatz online shop.
For a complete guide to Oktoberfest itself, from its history to how it's celebrated in Germany, check out our complete guide.
We hope to see you at one of the long tables this autumn. Prost!
