Sloop Oktoberfest

Review Date 10/3/2025  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Oktoberfest   Brewery: Sloop   Country: USA   State: New York   $ Per OZ: $.16   ABV: 5.5%

So, here I am on my third beer from Sloop Brewing of Hopewell Junction, New York. Sloop Oktoberfest, though, is the first one I am reviewing. That’s not because the other two weren’t good, they were indeed, a tasty Pale Ale and India Pale Ale, and I will get around to reviewing them eventually. It’s just, so many beers, so little time.

Anyway, nothing gets my tastebuds tantalized like a good malty Märzen, and I have to say, Sloop Oktoberfest is a very good malty Märzen. Here’s what Sloop says about it on their website:

This Marzen-style lager starts with a base of Austrian and German malts, providing a round, malty sweetness on the front of the palate and a dry, slightly hoppy finish. Delicious with sausage, spaetzle, or part of your traditional Oktoberfest celebrations!

I enjoyed it as part of my traditional Oktoberfest celebration, drinking it out on the patio on a beautiful cool fall evening. I had just bought a new pair of Bose Soundlink Max speakers and they sound amazing, especially when blasting out volksmusik in early October.

Sloop Oktoberfest has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume and I paid $3,49 for a 12-ounce can from Half Time. Total Wine sells it for $11.49 a 6-pack in Totowa, New Jersey. I would quickly grab a six for that price. There is freshness dating on my can, but it is garbled. It looks like it says CANNED ON 072325.

Sloop Oktoberfest pours to a murky caramel color with a thick head of foam and a nose of toffee and toasted nuts. Taking a sip, the beer is thick and chewy with a hint of caramel. Its bursting with toasty nutty melanoidin laden Munich malt goodness, and nicely balanced with a kiss of gently bitter hops in the finish.

It's the malt, though, that is the real star here, it’s packed full of toasty nutty melanoidin goodness. It has me thinking the beer is decocted, though the brewery makes no mention of that. If it isn’t, then it is at least loaded with Munich malt one has to assume.

I would absolutely buy this again. And again. And again.

 Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??