For the past three years, Sierra Nevada has partnered with a different German craft brewery to create an Oktoberfest beer fit for the world’s largest beer festival. Brauhaus Miltenberger was tapped for the 2017 collaboration.

“Cornelius and his team from Brauhaus Miltenberger embody the spirit and tradition of Oktoberfest,” says Brian Grossman, Sierra Nevada brewer. “It was a great to host them at our brewery in Mills River, NC, for the creation of this year’s fest beer. They brought literally centuries of family brewing experience to the mix and helped us create the ultimate festival beer.”

“We tried to re-create a classic Oktoberfest beer in the true German tradition,” says Cornelius Faust, brewmaster for Brauhaus Miltenberger. “We used traditional techniques to create layers of rich malt notes that remain light and crisp to the taste.”

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest is a golden lager weighing in at 6.1% ABV with layered malt flavor balanced by traditional German-grown hops, the company reports.

New for 2017 is Oktoberfest in 12-ounce cans, in addition to 12-ounce bottles and draught offerings.

Together with the launch of this year’s fest beer, Sierra Nevada announced dates for its Oktoberfest event series at the Mills River, NC, and Chico, CA, breweries. These celebrations of German culture and tradition include live music, dancing, costumes, contests and, of course, beer. Mills River welcomes guests Saturday, September 30, 2017, and Chico will host four fests over two weekends: Friday and Saturday, September 29-30 and October 6-7. For more information and for tickets, visit www.sierranevada.com/oktoberfest.