Even when I wasn't teaching, I always considered September the beginning of a new year. I love football, cider mills, cooler weather, Oktoberfest, pretty leaves, fall colors, Halloween, and of course — seasonal fall beers! Here are some recommendations (by no means is this list exclusive!):

Arcadia's Jaw-Jacker Ale. I've seen this beer at Busch's and Hiller's for a few weeks now but since I was hanging onto summer for dear life, I resisted picking up a six pack. :tail between legs:

Bell's Octoberfest beer. This is a refreshing beer and one of my Oktoberfest faves.

Great Lakes Brewing Oktoberfest. As I was recently cleaning out the bottles in my garage, I found a few empties from last fall (oopsie-daisy). They are now happily recycled, delighted to have given their lives for the great ecological good.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest. I know that some folks are not huge fans of Sam Adams, but I really like this beer. Speaking of Mr. Adams, a friend of mine pointed out that you can tell a waiter/waitress is not educated in craft beer when he or she says, "We have Sam Adams on tap." No, no you don't. You have beer from Sam Adams on tap, but not the brewery itself.

Arbor Brewing Company's Jackhammer. I look forward to this release every year. This year, the release happens to fall on my first day of school (well, with the kids in attendance) and I am tickled. I know it was a coincidence, but I can pretend that they took their favorite TeacherPatti into account when planning this event!

What about you? What fall beers are your favorite? What else should I be drinking this fall??

PS: My friend and fellow blogger David Bardallis will surely write more and better about this than I ever could, but I thought I'd mention that Oktoberfest events are in the near future. To wit: ABC's Oktoberfest block party on Sept. 10 and the Corner's Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 17.

Patti Smith is a special education teacher and craft beer enthusiast.