No! By drinkability I mean worthy of attention without demanding to be the center of attention. A good Oktoberfest beer is a masterpiece of balance and integration, delicious without being extravagant. It does its job in the background, refreshing the palate with enough flavor to pique the interest without interfering with the conversation, the dancing, the ravenous consumption of pork or the other typical Oktoberfest activities.

In our tasting we found many well-made beers that fulfilled the Oktoberfest imperative. We were especially happy with the American beers, which stuck closely to the traditional style.

Our top three beers, all American, are excellent examples of the style. The No. 1 beer, Octoberfest from Thomas Hooker, was beautifully balanced with each flavor component melding into a delicious, refreshing whole.

If you ponder each sip, as we did in our tasting, you might remark on the malt aromas or the way the bitterness of the hops contributes to a clean, crisp feeling in the mouth after you swallow. But if you are polishing off a bottle at a party, or simply having a conversation with a friend or watching a ballgame, you would simply notice how enjoyable the beer was and reach for another.

The No. 2 beer, the Festbier from Victory, was similarly balanced with a barely noticeable touch of licorice among the flavors, while our No. 3, the Dogtoberfest Marzen from Flying Dog, was a trifle more assertive, without overdoing it.

Three of the German beers made our top 10, including two of the Munich six. The Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen had a bit more complexity than some of the other beers, along with an unusual floral quality. While the aroma seemed quite sweet, there was no sweetness on the palate. The Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest was, as were all of our favorites, well balanced, with slightly more richness than the Paulaner but less complexity.

Image Credit... Lars Klove for The New York Times

Our third German brew, Beck’s Oktoberfest, was something of an interloper, coming from the northwestern port city of Bremen. It had a bit more bitter hop flavor than some of the others but was nonetheless well integrated and enjoyable.