Cheese Pairings for Oktoberfest: Pretzels, Bratwurst & Beer

Raise your steins, loosen your lederhosen, and cue the oompah band—it’s Oktoberfest season. While the usual suspects—pretzels the size of your head, sizzling bratwurst, and frothy German beers—get most of the spotlight, we’re here to make a bold claim: Oktoberfest deserves cheese. Yes, cheese. And not just any cheese—perfectly chosen wedges that take your Bavarian feast from “fun” to feast of legends.

Pretzels + Cheese: The Real Power Couple

Forget neon nacho dip—giant soft pretzels were born to cozy up with actual cheese.

• Obatzda (a Bavarian classic): Creamy, garlicky, spiked with sweet paprika and fresh chives. Germans eat this with pretzels like it’s religion, and once you try it, you’ll understand why.

• Aged Cheddar: Sharp enough to cut through that salt-crusted pretzel bite, with a tang that mirrors mustard.

• Gruyère: Nutty, melty, and straight-up luxurious—basically a fondue waiting to happen.

Bratwurst + Cheese: Meat Meets Its Match

Bratwurst may be the king of Oktoberfest, but every king deserves a good queen, and cheese wears the crown here.

• Smoked Gouda: Its smoky-sweet depth turns bratwurst into a backyard BBQ-meets-beer-hall masterpiece.

• Emmental: That mellow, slightly nutty Swiss cousin (think “hole-y cheese”) that melts beautifully over grilled sausage.

• Blue Cheese: A wildcard, sure—but crumble it over bratwurst with caramelized onions, and suddenly you’re the daring genius of the beer tent.

Beer + Cheese: The True Oktoberfest Love Story

Sure, you can sip beer with brats, but the magic happens when cheese joins the party.

• Hefeweizen (wheat beer): Light and fruity, it’s a dream with fresh, delicate cheeses. Think burrata or mozzarella di bufala, or go tangy with feta and chèvre. Vermont Creamery’s Goat Feta or Chèvre d’Argental are particularly Oktoberfest-worthy.

• Märzen (the official Oktoberfest beer): Malty, toasty, and practically begging for nutty Alpine cheeses like Comté or Appenzeller.

• Dunkel (dark lager): Rich, roasty, and a dream alongside bold cheeses like aged Gouda or even a funky washed rind.

Final Toast

So this Oktoberfest, don’t just raise a stein—raise a cheese board. Load it with Bavarian classics, a few Alpine treasures, and maybe a blue cheese to show off your rebel side. Pretzels, bratwurst, and beer are good on their own, but with cheese? You’re officially hosting the most delicious Oktoberfest outside Munich.

Prost, cheeselovers! 🧀🍺🥨