Back before refrigeration, beer could only be brewed in the cooler months, usually in March. The beer then had to be lagered — the German word for stored — for several months in cool caves to ferment, meaning it would not be ready to drink until late September. Which is why come October the people of Munich were good and ready to get their drink on. And they still do. This year about 6 million people will show up and down more than 600,000 liters (about 1.5 million gallons, or 17 million bottles) of Munich’s finest, which, by law, is the only beer allowed to be served at Oktoberfest.

And while over here we celebrate Oktoberfest on a slightly smaller scale, we can still keep with the German tradition of drinking only regional beers by visiting some of our local brew pubs and breweries. Although the past few years have seen the unfortunate demise of many of Connecticut’s brew houses, there are still several serving up the suds.

SBC, with locations in the Southport section of Fairfield, Milford, Branford and Stamford, is probably the most popular of the group. It offers a large selection of standard and seasonal beers that provide a full range of color and flavor. As with most brew houses, they are very proud and willing to share their products … all you have to do is show a little interest by asking a few questions and free samples will start coming your way.

They also recognize that many people are intimidated by the vast assortment of lagers, ales, porters and stouts, and so have “leveled” their beers into three tiers, from beginner to beer-lover, with appropriate comparisons. Their “Big Head Blonde,” for example, would be similar to a Coors Light. Another nice touch is that many of the beers have names and logos unique to each location that reflect the personality and history of the town, making you feel like you’re in the world’s coolest (and cleanest) neighborhood bar.

Other pubs that are still brewing beer are BAR in New Haven, John Harvard’s Brew House in Manchester and City Steam in Hartford. And in many bars and package stores you can also find Connecticut-made beers from the New England Brewing Co., Trout Brook Brewing and Cottrell.

And you may want to try a brewery tour. Rob Leonard, brewer and owner of New England Brewing Co. in Woodbridge, invites you to watch him in action as he brews up Connecticut’s best beer, Atlantic Amber. NEB is home to one of the East Coast’s only craft beer canning lines, which Rob is sure to show you while he shares both his vast knowledge of the brewing process, and, more importantly, samples of his award-winning beer. And if you’re lucky, you may get to meet “Forky.” Call ahead (387-2222) to arrange for a tour.

So although October may already be winding down, there is still time to toast our local brewers. Without them, we might not be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the fall season, for isn’t there a saying about beauty being in the eye of the beer-holder?

A sampling