Take just a moment, right now, to quiet your mind.

I want you to close your eyes for about 30 seconds – and just listen. Do it now.

Did you hear it? Did you hear the call?

If you listen closely, off in the distance, like a dream unfolding long ago in some faraway land, it draws you in. The tones of a German oompah band playing "Roll Out The Barrel" slowly growing louder as the days wind down and Oktoberfest is upon us.

It's sensory overload. Listen to that accordion! Smell that sauerkraut and sausage!

A quick history lesson from someone who has never been to Germany: Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest – a beer and wine festival that also features a traveling fun fair. When you think of Oktoberfest, you naturally picture the best-known, world-famous annual event held in Munich, Germany. That’s 18 days of fun and food that runs from around Sept. 17 until the first Sunday in October.

Talk about a party – Oktoberfest annually draws about six million visitors from around the world.

That’s a lot of wienerschnitzel, explorers.  

Make no mistake, the Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture. The origin story of the world’s biggest beer festival is surprisingly family-friendly. The tradition started in 1810 to celebrate the Oct. 12 marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese.

The citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities, which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. It was so fun, they decided to celebrate the king’s anniversary the next year, and the next year.

And the party continues to this day.

To have a proper Oktoberfest celebration – and to keep in that family-friendly, wedding reception vibe – a celebration must have three things: The fun fair (featuring family amusements), a feast, and a beer brewed to honor the occasion.

Toast of the Town is a weekly column that explores craft beer and cocktail culture in the Midland area.

What is an Oktoberfest beer? Is it a brewing style? Is it a brand? 

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As Goose Island R&D Manager Mike Siegel explained to Food & Wine, American Oktoberfests "tend to be red-hued, slightly-sweet beers known as a Märzen. But at the actual festival, the beers are closer to what most of us think of when we think of a German lager: paler beers, similar to another German style known as a Dortmunder.”

So what are we looking for in a märzen? Similar to a Vienna lager, a märzen has a rich, deep, earthy malt taste. The best ones are well balanced with a hop bitterness blended into the toasted bread malt flavor. This traditional Germany style was brewed in the spring (“märzen” equals “March”) and aged, or lagered, until the fall. A stronger version of the märzen was specifically created for the festival so the beer took on the mantle of Oktoberfest. Recently, the beer served at the Munich Oktoberfest has gotten lighter in character and in taste – closer to a lager session (low alcohol) beer. 

The märzen is going to pair brilliantly with all the tastes of the season one would expect: Chicken, brats, spaetzles, pork chops, soft pretzels and spiced apple cake.

By the way, “official” Oktoberfest festival beer must be brewed by six Munich-based breweries: Hofbräu, Augustiner, Paulaner, Spaten-Franziskaner, Löwenbräu or Hacker-Pschorr. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little too busy right now to be jetting off to Munich for a tankard of that glorious stuff. In fact, you couldn’t pay me to fly anywhere right now. But for around $10 a six-pack, we can get pretty close to the real thing without ever having to leave the city limits.

Besides, we’re in Michigan. We know a thing or two about brewing great beers.

So, here is a six-pack of suggestions to help you celebrate Oktoberfest.

Crack open a beer, strike up the oompah band and roll out the barrel. Let’s have a barrel of fun until our next adventure.

Oktoberfest Beer Brewer: Frankenmuth Brewing ABV: 5.5% Appearance: A glorious amber with a cream-colored head.  Aroma: Malt-forward and inviting. Spicy. Kind of makes your mouth water. Summary: Last week we reviewed Founders "Ultimate Oktoberfest" - which was aged in a bourbon barrel. Frankenmuth, however, produces a specimen that certainly challenges that claim. It's lighter in taste and body than I remembered and was easy drinking. It is engineered to complement great German food - like that brat with spicy mustard and sauerkraut I devoured on a recent visit to the brewery. It's an easy drink, and it satisfies as an example of the very essence of Oktoberfest.  Rating: An enthusiastic 5 lederhosen out of 5 lederhosen.

Midland Brewing Company server Abby Sirrine recommends the Oktoberfest. The company's Oktoberfest promotion is Sept. 16. 

Oktoberfest   Brewer: Midland Brewing Company ABV: 5.5% Appearance: Glorious amber with a cream-colored hed.  Aroma: Inviting. A wonderful toasted malt smell.  Summary: At the risk of sounding like a homer - this is my favorite of the bunch. I was a little surprised by that, but MBC knows its craft. In fact, their sweet and succulent hefeweizen is one of my go-tos. This one has a depth and smoothness that the others lacked. This was the only offering that, when I finished, made me want to go grab another one out of the fridge. Highly recommend.  Rating: A whopping 5 lederhosen out of 5 lederhosen!  

Octoberfest Beer Brewer: Bell’s ABV: 5.5% Appearance: A fetching amber-orange. Clear. Aroma: Deep malt, caramel and toastiness.  Taste: Medium body, smooth and crisp. A slight honey flavor. Summary: A little on the sweet side - you get a mix of caramel mixed with the malt character. Finishes a bit dry. It's a well-balanced beer that embodies the Bell's style. It's a well made, solid offering. 

Rating: 4 lederhosen out of 5 lederhosen!  

Oktoberfest True Festbier Style Brewer: Griffin Claw Brewing Co. ABV: 5.5% Appearance: Bright and pretty; it resembles German white wine. Aroma: A dry fall day with fallen leaves crunching underneath your feet. And wheat toast. Taste: Not much malty flavor in this one; it definitely carries more of a lager character.   Summary: This one is a happy departure from the darker tastes included in our six-pack. I don't know if it truly delivers as an Oktoberfest, but I like that they presented a lighter, unconventional take. You might think that all these beers, being some variation on a märzen, would taste the same. Not true. And this one sets itself apart with its lager-forward goodness.   Rating: 4 lederhosen out of 5 lederhosen!  

Octoberfest   Brewer: Leinenkugel's of Wisconsin  ABV: 5.5% Appearance: Medium amber, with a tan, foamy head.   Aroma: Toasty, spicy goodness that carries the signature Leinenkugel's style. Taste: Toasted malt flavor and subtle, spicy hop notes. Summary: While I focus on highlighting Michigan beer, I can't ignore the great offerings from outside the Great Lakes State. Leinenkugel's is a personal favorite and it's easy to track down anywhere. This is a thinner, easy drinker that is perfect for celebrating the fall in true German beer fashion. I like this one, but if you are in the mood for something more robust, check out their Dark Lager - it's phenomenal. So let your steins runneth over! Rating: 4 lederhosen out of 5 lederhosen!  

Oktoberfest   Brewer: Great Lakes Brewing of Cincinnati, Ohio ABV: 6.5% Appearance: A strong orange-amber with an ample head. A little cloudy. Aroma: A bit of burnt toast; sweet. Not a lot of smell. Taste: Mildly malty, with a bready bite. Some sweetness in there that you might get from a pretzel or wheat bread. It's good; a little aftertaste.  Summary: This is a more aggressively wheaty taste. This was my least favor drinker, but it would hold up very well paired with an Oktoberfest dinner.  Rating: 3.5 lederhosen out of 5 lederhosen!