It’s September, which means only one thing in the world of beer: Oktoberfest! The biggest beer festival of the year started Sept. 17, and runs all the way through Sun-day, Oct. 2, (remember the festival ends on the first Sunday of October) in Munich, Germany. Here in Hawaii, we can celebrate with tons of great Oktoberfest-style beers that are now available on the shelves of stores.

I’ve done the incredibly hard task of tasting through all of the Oktoberfest bottles and cans available in Hawaii and picked out a few standouts for you to seek out. Not all Oktoberfest beers are the same. Modern Fest beers are much lighter in color and flavor than the more traditional Märzenstyle beers that are slightly sweeter and amber colored.

Oktoberfest beers are delicious, refreshing and only around for a few months. Before you know it, they will be gone (replaced by Christmas beers), so don’t wait on picking up a few of these great fall beers.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen: Let’s start with a classic Munich-brewed beer that you’d be able to drink at the actual Oktoberfest celebration. This is Paulaner’s Märzen (bottles only) version, not to be confused with their Fest Bier (cans only). Both are delicious, but the Märzen is the original Oktoberfest style of beer that they’ve brewed for decades. The beer is brewed in March and allowed to rest (lager) until September. It has a deep amber color with hints of copper when held into the light. On first sip you get bursts of malt sweetness (think toasted King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls) that linger for a second. A wonderful balance of bitterness kicks in to keep things from staying too sweet on the back. The rich amber color and warm bread notes are just perfect for cooler evenings and entice you to pour a second or third glass.

Weihenstephaner Festbier: Another amazing German beer, though not one you can drink at the festival in Munich. Although Weihenstephaner is located not far from Munich, only the six breweries located within the city limits can host tents and serve beer at Oktoberfest. But that doesn’t mean other breweries can’t make fantastic versions of Festbier! Weihenstephaner is world renowned for their beers, and Festbier is bright, vibrant and way too easy to drink. This is a modern fest-style beer that, unlike the Märzen, has a light straw color and less sweetness. Instead of sweet bread, you’re met with a soft cracker note and a zippy citrus hop character. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, then this is your jam. Absolutely perfect for a hot afternoon or a humid evening.

Hana Koa Hammershlager: Here’s a locally brewed version that falls somewhere between the previous two German brewed beers. Hammershlager from Hana Koa is brewed once a year by the Honolulu brewery in June and allowed to rest for three months before serving. This long lagering time allows the beer to not only get crystal clear, but also for the delicate flavors to gently meld together for a crisp, yet expressive beer. This fest beer has more hop bitterness and flavor than the previous two and is brewed with German varietals Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang. You get all of those wonderful toasted bread notes, but the hop bitterness subdues any sweetness making this beer easy to repeat sips with. It finishes medium dry, so as to allow just enough lingering taste in your mouth to want more.

Certified cicerone Tim Golden is part owner of Village Bottle Shop & Tasting Room. Follow him on Instagram (@beerinhawaii) and check him out as co-host of “The Art of Beer” wherever you get your podcasts. Tim’s column appears every third Wednesday in Crave.