Oktoberfest beer must be brewed within Munich’s city limits to be sold at the Munich festival.
This geographic rule helps explain why the festival’s official beer is tied so closely to Munich. Only beer brewed within the city and meeting the requirements of the German Reinheitsgebot may be served at the main Oktoberfest. The qualifying beers are marketed under the protected designation “Oktoberfestbier.”
The rule does not mean there is only one Oktoberfest beer. Six Munich breweries traditionally hold the right to supply the festival: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Spaten and Hofbräu München. Each serves its beer in designated festival tents.
A common mix-up is confusing Oktoberfestbier with any seasonal beer labeled “Oktoberfest” around the world. Many breweries produce festive lagers in Märzen or Festbier styles, but those beers do not qualify for sale at Munich’s Oktoberfest. The festival now mainly serves the paler Festbier style, while Märzen is the older traditional version.