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    Germany's annual Oktoberfest kicked off this past Saturday in Munich, but it is of course celebrated around the world. What started in 1810 as a simple wedding party for Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen has ballooned into perhaps the world's largest fair, and without a doubt the most important drinking festival of the year. Last year, about 7 million attendees consumed about 7 million liters of beer, which were subsequently emptied into nearly 1,000 meters of urinal troughs. There's more to Oktoberfest than just the bier of course. Lovely lasses stuff themselves into low-cut Dirndl blouses supported by bodices, with pinafore aprons worn over Dirndl skirts; leather shoes and knee-high socks complete the beer drinker's fantasy wife. And then of course there's the food: bratwurst, schnitzels of all kinds, hendl (roast chicken), spätzle (egg noodles), sauerkraut and strudel.

    Oktoberfest beers are made in what is known as the Marzen (or March) style. Back in the day, before things like electricity and refrigeration came along, it was too hot to make beer in the summer months in Germany because the fermentations would get too hot and the booze would spoil, so the last beer of the spring was made in March and stored in cool underground cellars for consumption throughout the summer, with all the remaining March beer, or Marzen, being consumed in a big party in October when regular beer production could resume. Marzens are medium- to full-bodied lagers made at slightly higher alcohols -- around 6 percent -- and with increased hop strength so that they could last through the summer months. Here are 11 of the best you'll find here in the States, starting with the German classics and moving on to their American counterparts.

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    Hofbrau München Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier

    This is the granddaddy of them all, with the iconic crown suspended above a gold "HB" logo on a royal blue background. The Hofbrauhaus am Platzl is one of Munich's oldest beer halls, and its most famous, founded in 1589 by Wilhem V, otherwise known as the Duke of Bavaria. HB Oktoberfestbier is a full-bodied 6.3-percent alcohol Marzen-style lager with a clean, bitter finish. 

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    Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen

    Paulaner is another of the officially recognized Oktoberfest beers at the festival in Munich, and has been around since the early 17th century when it was founded by thirsty friars who were part of the order of Saint Francis of Paola. Paulaner Oktoberfest is mildly bitter with toffee hints, and clocks in at 5.8 percent ABV.

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    Lowenbrau Oktoberfestbier

    Another of the official Bavarian brews, Lowenbrau has a very long history, with the brewery first operating some time in the late 14th century. Lowenbrau's 6-percent ABV Marzen lager is pale gold in color with a wheaty, grainy aroma and flavor.

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    Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Marzen

    Spaten, which also dates to the late 14th century in Munich, is the "first" beer of Oktoberfest: Since 1950, the mayor of Munich has opened the festival by tapping a keg of Spaten, shouting "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!"), which is a pretty fun thing to shout when opening your own bottle of Oktoberfestbier. Spaten's 5.9-percent ABV Ur-Marzen is a clear, amber copper color with plenty of yeasty, bready notes and a hint of honeyed sweetness.

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    Samuel Adams Octoberfest

    This American version of the Oktoberfest Marzen-style lager was first brewed in 1989 and remains by far the most popular domestic version. The Samuel Adams Octoberfest, brewed from a combination of five different barley malts, is a red amber color with roasted toffee and caramel aromas and flavors that fans of Oktoberfest will find familiar. It's a clean-tasting, 5.3-percent-ABV lager that doesn't have the bitterness associated with other versions of the style.

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    Harpoon Octoberfest

    Harpoon's first Octoberfest was brewed in 1990. That same year they held an Octoberfest party at the brewery in Boston, which has now ballooned into two separate festivals with thousands of attendees each, one in Boston and one in Vermont (they'll be held this weekend and next, respectively, if you're looking for a party). Harpoon's Marzen-style lager is made with three different malts that give it its dark red color and full body. It's a solidly bitter, malty lager with 5.3-percent ABV.

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    Brooklyn Oktoberfest

    Brooklyn Brewery's Oktoberfest is made from imported Bavarian Heirloom Munich and Pilsner malts, resulting in a dark amber 5.5 percent ABV Marzen with lots of roasted, caramelized flavors. It's on the darker, more bitter side of the Marzen-style range, with more pronounced hops and a fuller body while remaining fresh. 

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    Flying Dog Dogtoberfest Marzen

    As much as we love chesty maidens in low-cut Dirndl blouses, Flying Dog has our favorite of the seasonal Oktoberfest-style beer labels. (As with all of Flying Dog's labels, the Dogtoberfest art is a Ralph Steadman original.) Dogtoberfest is another domestic Marzen that falls on the more bitter end of the range, made with two types of imported German hops and four specialty German malts. It's a full-bodied, 5.5 percent ABV lager with sweet caramel cut and a crisp, toasty finish.

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    Heavy Seas Clipper Fleet Marzen

    Maryland's Heavy Seas brewery has been making this Vienna-style lager since 2006 with two varieties of hops and four distinct malts. It's a slightly sweet, malty Marzen, comparable to the Sam Adams Octoberfest on the bitterness scale (read: not bitter at all). The 5.25 percent ABV lager is a bright copper color with toasty, nutty malt flavors and a clean, slightly sweet finish.

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    Magic Hat Hex Ourtoberfest

    Magic Hat's contribution to the seasonal Oktoberfest beer category is a bit of an outlier, as it's actually an ale as opposed to a Marzen-style lager. It's an orange, copper-colored, malty 5.4 percent ABV ale (five different malts go into it) with a pronounced bitterness offset by toffee, caramel and floral notes and a smoky finish that has a hint of spice.

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    Next: The Many Flavors of Wild Turkey

    Saranac Octoberfest

    Saranac's Octoberfest is a 5.4 percent ABV German-style lager made with two varieties of hops and two different malts. The result is a copper-hued, medium-bodied beer with a hint of caramel to the malty taste and a hoppy finish.