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Ah, the leaves are turning, temperatures are dipping and breweries are releasing the next big seasonal beer: Oktoberfest.

This beer is a reason to celebrate, though not the reason the Oktoberfest celebration was created. We’ll get to that later, but first, a brief (approximate) style breakdown of Oktoberfest. Typically, this beer ranges from a light copper to a mild red color. There should be a light spiciness to the hops (frequently European Saaz) that is revealed at the back of the throat, though there can be mild aromatic qualities as well. This is accompanied by a maltiness (typically a combination of Vienna and Munich malts, though variations occur) that adds body and character in the glass but only a hint of sweetness. Alcohol levels should hover between 5 and 7 percent by volume.

There are plenty of fine examples of Oktoberfest-style beers available locally, beginning with Silver Gulch’s Oktoberfest, which I am enjoying as I pen this column. Medium-bodied with a rich copper sheen, this beer has a light head hiding a subtle sweetness. It’s not too heavy and finishes dry with a hint of hops.

Other great beers imported into Alaska begin with Flying Dog Brewing’s Dogtoberfest, another nice choice. Somewhat lighter in color, this brew has a sweet, malty breadiness with hints of vanilla and grassy endnotes. The alcohol content is 5.3 percent, so it goes down easy.

Samuel Adams uses four malts to produce its Oktoberfest. The result is a darker, almost brown in color, ale with lots of maltiness right up front. It’s sweeter because of this but finds a nice balance through hops that tend to hide mostly in the background.

It wouldn’t be right to leave out German beers, especially since the Oktoberfest concept originated in Germany in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) with Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The exact date of the event has changed throughout the years, but the emphasis on drinking beer hasn’t.

Spaten, of Munich, claims to have produced the first offical Oktoberfest beer, though this was in 1872. It was a variation of the popular marzen style, what they called an Ur-Marzen. This style became the accepted norm for Oktoberfest beers. Later, the company changed the beer’s name to Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen, as we find it now, to explain that it was brewed for festival time.

Paulaner, also from Munich, makes a fine Oktoberfest-Märzen. This version is amber in color, almost red, with a hearty maltiness that makes this one a bit sweet. The finish is surprisingly dry with a dash of hops to close out.

Finally, another German classic in the style is the Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Märzen. This one is dark copper in color and pours with a nice head that fades quickly to a thin layer. A hearty maltiness greets the lips but is only mildly sweet with light fruit notes. Like all the others, the finish is dry and refreshing.

All of these beers are fine “session” brews, meaning they go down smooth and that enjoying more than one should be no problem. Serve them with brats or burgers, sauerkraut and potato salad, but enjoy them now — this style is traditionally brewed only a couple months per year.

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Need a designated driver for that next big tasting? Take the train.

The Great Alaska Beer Train is running again, Oct. 3, a 4 1/2-hour roundtrip passage from Anchorage to Portage along scenic Turnagain Arm.

The Microbrew Express, as it’s been dubbed, will feature an assortment of Alaska microbrews, including beer and appetizers from Anchorage’s Glacier Brewhouse.

Tickets are $149 per person (must be 21 or older), and include roundtrip rail, appetizers and six half pints of beer.

Book online at www.akrr.com/arrc39.html#5.

Features editor Glenn BurnSilver is the former associate editor and frequent contributor for Brew Your Own magazine. He can be reached at 459-7510.