A new tradition kicked off this week just west of the metro area. Defiance, Missouri—considered the gateway to historic Missouri wine country—launched its first region-wide Oktoberfest celebration earlier this week.
While many businesses in Defiance have previously hosted their own Oktoberfest celebrations, this is the first time that local wineries, breweries, and distilleries are banding together for a combined Oktoberfest event, set against the Katy Trail and the Missouri River hills.
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“Back in the 1800s, about half of St. Charles County was German,” says Mark Sutherland, founder of Stone Ledge Distillery. “Realizing the German history of St. Charles County, realizing what everybody else was doing independently of each other, it made absolute sense for us all to start working together and create this great experience that goes on for the entire month. There’s German bands here, German food there, and German flavors here. People can hop around and enjoy the various flavors of Oktoberfest that are going on all month long in an incredibly beautiful part of the St. Louis region.”
Throughout October, visitors can enjoy German-style beers, wine tastings, fall-inspired cocktails, seasonal dishes, live music, and more. Participating venues include Busch Family Brewing & Distilling, Chandler Hill Vineyards, Circle 6, Defiance Ridge Vineyards, Good News Brewing & Distilling, Saddles Social House (opening mid-month), Stone Ledge Distillery, and Sugar Creek Winery.
Defiance Oktoberfest kicked off October 1 and runs through November 2. Here’s where you can celebrate:
Busch Family Brewing & Distilling
Located on the Busch Family Farm (4151 Benne), Busch Family Brewing & Distilling serves up traditional German beers including the Adolphus Pilsner, Schlachtfest Munich Dunkel, and Oktoberfest Marzen-style lager alongside snacks such as deep-fried Bavarian pretzel bites and a beer bratwurst with sauerkraut. Busch Family will host events including a rodeo and live music throughout Oktoberfest, capping things off with Schlachfest on November 1.
Just down the road from the historic Daniel Boone home, Chandler Hill Vineyards (596 Defiance) is one of the most popular wineries outside of St. Louis. You’ll find several standout Missouri varietals grown on site, including Vignoles, Chambourcin, and Norton, as well as wines from California, Oregon, and Washington state and beers from Perennial Artisan Ales, which operates a tasting room at the winery. Chandler Hill is celebrating Oktoberfest with live music throughout the month, as well as a Late Harvest Wine Dinner on October 23. Expect seasonal dishes such as Coho salmon with cranberry glaze, maple-roasted acorn squash, toasted pecans, and spiced carrots and a subtle nod to Oktoberfest through German wine pairings such as Riesling.
Run by local farmers Larry and Tiffany Winkler, Circle 6 (2998 S. Missouri 94) combines a restaurant, bar, and meat market highlighting meat and produce from the family farm of the same name. Enjoy strip steak, a burger, or braised brisket tacos at the restaurant, grab a drink from the full bar at The Circle 6 Watering Hole and then shop for Angus and Wagyu beef at the Circle 6 store located next door. Throughout Oktoberfest, Circle 6 is offering live music.
Having opened in 2018, Defiance Ridge Vineyards (2711 S. Missouri 94) is one of the newer wineries on Missouri’s wine scene, but it’s already racked up several awards in the Missouri Wine Competition, including Best of Class in Dry White for its 2023 Katy Traminette. The space itself is idyllic, featuring a tranquil lake, lush garden landscape, and sweeping views of the Missouri River Valley.Oktoberfest celebrations at the winery—which offers local varietals such as Vignoles and Chambourcin, West Coast wines, and a full restaurant menu—include live music throughout the month, as well as a Norton Farmhouse Dinner on October 8. Expect a five-course tasting menu featuring dishes such as gouda mac ‘n’ cheese, blue cheese sliders, and a dark chocolate-raspberry tart paired with Defiance Ridge’s Norton vintages from 2020 to 2024.
Now with four locations across St. Charles County and one in Alton, Illinois, Good News Brewing Company (2886 S. Missouri 94) has built a following for its craft beer and wood-fired sourdough pizza. The Defiance location, which opened in April 2019 near the Katy Trail, offers the brewery’s core beers as well as seasonal options such as a Helles and an amber pumpkin ale, as well as snacks like pretzels and garlic-cheese bread and several signature pizzas. The brewery’s Oktoberfest kicks off October 4 with live music, German fare from The Best Wurst food truck, and a stein-holding competition. The celebration continues October 5 with The German Cook food truck serving from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and live music by the Ubercool band.
Stone Ledge Distillery (3006 S Missouri 94) launched its first whiskey in December 2022 and opened its tasting room in a historic 1893 tavern building in November 2024. The distillery specializes in Ozarks Highlands spirits—a category that was codified in 2022—which are distilled using Ozark Highlands limestone-filtered water and aged in Missouri oak barrels. Stone Ledge’s tasting room offers cocktails made with the distillery’s own spirits as well as other Missouri-made spirits, craft beers, and wines, as well as cigars. Sutherland says the distillery is celebrating Oktoberfest through its drink menu, including German cocktails and several German-style beers from Busch Family Brewing. Stone Ledge will also host German bands to perform throughout the month.
Offering sweeping views of the Missouri River Valley from its perch among the rolling hills, Sugar Creek Winery (100 Boone Country) is a favorite stop along the Katy Trail. The winery specializes in Missouri wines such as Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin, and Chardonel as well as several blends, but visitors can also pair the cheese, sausage, and snacks on hand with brandy and vodka from Judgment Tree Spirits. Sugar Creek will host live music throughout October.
