Funny, I had the Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier at the Beer Market right after the big win last Saturday in Pittsburgh. I told the barmaid that she either pulled the wrong handle or they put the wrong keg in it's spot. I told her it was just HB. She poured one to compare, she was right, I was forced to drink both. I guess I'm just an ignorant american Oktoberfest beer drinker. Even though she didn't seem to mind, I feel I owe her an apology. She also stated I wasn't the first to question the color. For anyone else that didn't know, see the below explanation just incase you go here. "There is a huge difference between the German Oktoberfest producers and the American ones. Until scientists linked hard water to brewing techniques and figured out ways to adapt the pH in local water, dear old Munchen was not very good at making pale beers. Traditionally Munich beers are darker and maltier, so the traditional Oktoberfest as it was historically is an Amber-brown lager much like we know in the United States today. In the late 20th century, Munich brewers began to make a paler, crisper beer, possibly as a result of the heat at the festival being too much to drink a heavier, sugary beer. In America, our beers remain darker."