In a seasonal sign of how the beer industry is rising to meet consumer demand, this year’s Oktoberfest will be remembered for its copious non-alcoholic options. From Munich to Mills River, brewers have introduced alcohol-free Märzen or festbiers to assist revelers with keeping the good time going longer.
This year Samuel Adams released a non-alcoholic version of its best-selling seasonal Oktoberfest, saying it had the “same smooth, bold taste and rich caramel malt flavor” as the original. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company also released its Trail Pass Fest Brew brewed with Chinook and Tradition hops.
“Trail Pass uses traditional brewing methods, not alcohol removal, to create full craft flavor below the 0.5% ABV non-alcoholic threshold,” the brewery wrote when announcing the beer. “It’s packed with the rich flavor and smooth drinkability of a classic Festbier, but without the alcohol, so you can keep the party going strong.”
Those with some experience will tell you that an Oktoberfest session is a marathon not a print. When drinking by the Maß, staying upright until the end takes some packing and strategy. As older generations are drinking less and younger generations are minding their consumption, moderation has come into focus.
Zebra striping, where drinkers alternate between a full-strength beer and a non-alcoholic options, is a popular practice. There is no shortage of mainstream lagers, stouts, and India pale ales in the non-alcoholic space. Now, seasonals are being passed over the bar.
Beyond Oktoberfest but still in the autumn vein, Maine’s Shipyard Brewing Company launched Pumpkinhead NA, a non-alcoholic version of its iconic Pumpkinhead Ale.
“Pumpkinhead has been part of our story for more than 25 years,” said Fred Forsley, Owner of Shipyard Brewing Company in a press release. “As more consumers reach for non alcoholic options, we’ve heard one request over and over: make a Pumpkinhead NA. We took our time because we wanted to make sure it tasted like the real thing. We think our fans are going to love it.”
Best Day Brewing, a non-alcoholic brand released its märzen this season calling it a “delicately hopped lager with a malty nose and a subtly sweet body that finished crisp and smooth.”
While American brewers are finally coming around to non-alcoholic options, German brewers have been at it for years and seeing tremendous growth, including at the world’s largest beer festival.
“In 2024, four to five percent of all beer served at Oktoberfest was alcohol-free,” says Henner Höper the Marketing Director Paulaner Brewery Group.” At first glance, that may seem like a small share. But with around seven million litres served in one-litre steins, that translates to roughly 300,000 alcohol-free beers. Demand continues to grow. For 2025, festival tent operators reported increases of between six and ten percent compared with the previous year, depending on the tent.”
Non-alcoholic beer saw a 10.7 percent increase across the entire Oktoberfest in 2026.
This reflects how perceptions of alcohol-free beer have changed, notes Höper.
“What is striking is how quietly this change has taken place,” he says. “Ordering an alcohol-free stein is no longer considered unusual. And perhaps that is the clearest sign of how attitudes toward alcohol-free beer have evolved.”
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John Holl is the editor of All About Beer Magazine.
JohnHoll@allaboutbeer.com
