Firestone Walker releases 2025 edition of Oaktoberfest lager
Seasonal lager brewed with Weyermann malts and German hops
– Firestone Walker Brewing Company has released the 2025 edition of Oaktoberfest, its seasonal oak-aged lager brewed with all-German ingredients and lagered in Napa Valley wine barrels.
“Oaktoberfest is made for this transition time from summer to fall,” Brewmaster Matt Brynildson said. “It’s malty and full flavored, yet also light-bodied, crushable and built for drinking.”
The beer, first brewed in 2006, is inspired by the “festbiers” served during Munich’s Oktoberfest celebration. The name is a reference to Firestone Walker’s practice of brewing and aging beer in oak barrels.
The 2025 Oaktoberfest Oak Aged Lager, with an alcohol by volume of 5.2 percent, is being distributed in all Firestone Walker markets in six-packs of 12-ounce cans and in draft format. It is brewed with Weyermann Pilsner and Vienna malts, with a small amount of Munich and Cara Red malts. This year’s recipe features Tettnanger and Hersbrucker hops, which Brynildson said are valued by German brewers for their pronounced aromatics and noble character with a low bitterness profile. He described the hop influence as herbal, floral and spicy, with subtle citrus notes.
The beer was cold lagered in French oak barrels previously used to mature Cabernet Sauvignon at a Napa Valley winery. Brynildson said the process adds smoothness while maintaining a crisp malt profile and hints of noble hops.
“Oak barrel lagering adds a cool complexity that makes the beer completely unique,” he said. “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.”
Brynildson said the beer offers “full, malty flavor with a crisp, easygoing body” suited for late summer and early fall, carrying “the spirit of our journeys through Germany’s hop fields and the vibes of Oktoberfest itself, all with a dash of California character.”
