Spaten

Spaten is credited with brewing the first Munich Hell (a pale, golden lager) in 1894, making it one of the founding breweries of the style that went on to define Munich's drinking culture. The brewery is one of just six traditional Munich breweries permitted to serve beer at Oktoberfest, a status that places it in a narrow group alongside institutions such as Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, and Paulaner. Today Spaten is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, a multinational beverages group that is a distinct and separate entity from the brewery.

Spaten's AF offering is an alcohol-free version of its Munich Hell lager, extending the core product into the growing category for drinkers who want the character of a traditional Bavarian lager at the times, such as Oktoberfest itself, when they choose not to drink alcohol. The brand's distribution sits within AB InBev's global network, giving the AF lager a broad retail footprint.

For the designated driver or the sober-curious drinker at a Bavarian-style occasion, Spaten's AF lager offers the closest available parallel to one of Munich's most historically rooted pale lagers.