Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest Retuning For 2025

It must be time to welcome fall and fall beers for 2025. This update from Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California:

Iconic Seasonal Beer Brewed with All-German Ingredients and
Lagered in Napa Valley Wine Barrels


Paso Robles, California—Break out the steins and turn up the polka as Firestone Walker introduces the 2025 edition of Oaktoberfest—an iconic seasonal beer hailed by one Beer Advocate reviewer as “summer’s end in a can: a one-of-a-kind, delicious oak-aged fresh lager.”
 
“Oaktoberfest is made for this transition time from summer to fall,” said 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 legendary 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.
 
All-German Ingredients


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 said. “The delicate hop influence is herbal, floral and spicy with subtle citrus notes—exactly what you want for a festbier like Oaktoberfest.”
 
Lagered in Oak


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 acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. The oak-barrel lagering allows for an even smoother texture, 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 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.”
 
He added, “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.”
 
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Founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker is a family-led second-generation brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by Nick Firestone, and decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a robust lineup of award-winning beers including 805, California’s #1 craft beer brand established in 2012; Mind Haze, a top 5 national hazy IPA; and Cali Squeeze, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beer brands. The Firestone brand family also includes iconic beers such as DBA, Union Jack, and Pivo Pils, as well as the storied Vintage Series of barrel-aged strong ales led by Parabola. As a California beer company, Firestone Walker also has two additional locations: the Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Santa Barbara County and the Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine. 

Oaktoberfest has returned, our seasonal, oak-aged festbier brewed to honor the spirit of Germany’s legendary Oktoberfest. Crafted with Vienna and Pilsner malts, noble hops and Weihenstephan yeats, then matured in French oak barrels, Oaktoberfest is as smooth as it is celebratory. Learn More.

The Beer
Oaktoberfest 2025 is built for crisp afternoons and long toasts.
This year’s Oaktoberfest features a beautifully toasty, biscuity malt character from a blend of Weyermann Vienna and Pilsner malts, balanced by Tradition and Spalter Select hops, and fermented with the classic 34/70 Weihenstephan lager yeast. Lagered in French oak barrels, it finishes smooth and clean with a touch of Old World elegance.

The Oak Factor
Oaktoberfest continues Firestone Walker’s long-standing obsession with wood, paying homage to our roots with oak fermentation and maturation. From Double Barrel Ale to Anniversary Ale, oak has always been part of our brewing DNA. This beer is no exception.

Why It Matters:
Brewmaster Matt Brynildson says it best:
“There’s a certain nostalgia to this style — smooth, sessionable, flavorful and malt-forward. It’s the kind of beer you crave as summer turns to fall.”

Find Oaktoberfest Near You
Oaktoberfest is available now in 6-pack 12oz cans and on draft at Firestone Walker locations and select retailers across our markets.

Use the Beer Finder to track it down, and raise a stein to the season.

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About Firestone Walker Brewing:

Founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker is a second-generation, family-led brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by highly decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio including 805, California’s #1 craft beer brand; Mind Haze, a top 5 national hazy IPA; and Cali Squeeze, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beer brands. The Firestone brand family also includes iconic beers such as DBA, Union Jack, and Pivo Pils, as well as the storied Vintage Series of barrel-aged strong ales led by Parabola. As a California beer company, Firestone Walker also has two additional locations: the Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Santa Barbara County and the Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine.
More at 805beer.com and FirestoneWalker.com

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a California craft brewery that produces a variety of beers, including pale ales, IPAs, and barrel-aged beers. The brewery was founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker.

History:
The first brewery was located on a family vineyard in Los Olivos, California.
The first beer, Double Barrel Ale, was made in 2001 using a patented variation of the Burton union system.

In 2015, Firestone Walker combined with Duvel Moortgat, a Belgian brewery.
Firestone Walker is California’s second largest craft brewery.

Breweries:
The main brewery is in Paso Robles, California.
There are also breweries in Buellton and Venice, California.

Beers:
805: A bestselling beer brewed on California’s Central Coast
Mind Haze: A bestselling beer
Firestone Lager: A pale lager that was ranked one of VinePair’s best beers of 2018
Venice Propagator Series: Limited-release beers
Vintage Series: Premium barrel-aged beers
Barrelworks: Imaginative beers dedicated to all things wild

Sustainability:
Firestone Walker is committed to sustainability, reduction, recycling, and reuse.

Born in a humble shed on the back-forty of the family vineyard, Firestone Walker is a California beer company like no other—founded by two brothers-in-law who simply wanted to make the perfect beer.

The story begins with Adam Firestone (a.k.a. The Bear) and David Walker (a.k.a. The Lion) debating the subject of beer. Their search for a decent local ale proved futile, and it wasn’t long before they had goaded themselves into brewing their own.

Their initial brewing efforts were made in a second-hand brewhouse with converted winemaking equipment—mostly with mixed results. But the hook was set when their first recipe for Double Barrel Ale was attempted.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of that moment. Join us as we look back at the curious, passionate and, at times, precarious path that led us from there to here.

The Brewmaster
Matt Brynildson
When Adam and David moved their brewing operations to Paso Robles in 2001, they also landed “the perfect brewmaster at the perfect time.” Matt Brynildson has worked his magic at Firestone Walker ever since, earning the nickname “Merlin” on his way to becoming renowned as one of the world’s leading brewmasters.

California Brewing Company
California has been our home since we started in 1996. We live and brew here, and we draw energy from the communities that surround us.

Our beers are available nationwide, yet they always reflect where they come from—a land where creativity and innovation are the rule. This is what it means to us to be a California beer company.

Craft & Quality
At Firestone Walker, Beer Before Glory is our mantra for reminding ourselves we do what we do because of the beer. Period. It’s our battle cry to never accept well enough. It’s the high aim for a perfect beer we will never make. Beer Before Glory is our craft, ever honed on the stone of humility.