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| {{Short description|Beer of Bavarian origin associated with Oktoberfest}} | |||
| '''Märzen''' is a traditional bottom fermented ] Lager based on the Schwechater Lagerbier developed in the 1830's by Anton Dreher. The name was coined by Josef Sedlmayr, and the style was later popularized in ] and by ]. | |||
| {{use dmy dates |date=December 2022}} | |||
| {{italic title}} | |||
| ]'']] | |||
| '''''Märzen''''' ({{IPA|de|ˈmɛʁt͡sn̩|lang|De-Märzen.ogg}}) or '''''Märzenbier''''' ({{langx|de|March beer}}) is a ] that originated in ], ]. It has a medium to full body and may vary in colour from pale through amber to dark brown.<ref name="BA">{{cite web |url=https://www.brewersassociation.org/edu/brewers-association-beer-style-guidelines/ |title=2022 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines |work=] |access-date=April 14, 2022 }}</ref> It was the beer traditionally served at the Munich ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/magazine/eat-and-drink/the-six-munich-breweries-at-oktoberfest|title=The six Munich breweries at Oktoberfest |work=Oktoberfest.de }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.foodandwine.com/beer/what-heck-oktoberfest-beer |title=What the Heck is an Oktoberfest Beer? |first=Mike |last=Pomranz |date=September 11, 2017 |work=] |access-date=7 December 2022 }}</ref> The geographical indication '''Oktoberfestbier''' is ] and can only be used for ''Märzen'' that is brewed in Munich.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/oktoberfest-beer-awarded-eu-seal-approval-2022-10-28/ |title=Oktoberfest beer awarded EU seal of approval |newspaper=] |date=28 October 2022 |access-date=7 December 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jelisa |last=Castrodale |date=October 28, 2022 |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/oktoberfest-beer-munich-geographical-protection-european-commission-6823131 | title=Germany's Official Oktoberfest Beer Must Now be Brewed in Munich Under New Protection |work=] |access-date=7 December 2022 }}</ref> | |||
| == History == | |||
| German Märzen, though usually thought of as an amber beer, comes in pale, amber and dark varieties. The most famous modern variation, Oktoberfestbier, is now almost exclusively pale in colour. The German style is commonly characterized by a medium to full body, a malty flavor balance and a clean dry finish. They are usually brewed to a gravity of 13.5-14° Plato and 5.5-6% ABV. | |||
| ''Märzen'' has its origins in ], probably before the 16th century. A Bavarian brewing ordinance decreed in 1553 that beer may be brewed only between 29 September (St. Michael's Day or ]) and 23 April (St. George's Day or ]), as the high summertime temperatures were more likely to cause off-flavoured beer due to elevated ambient fermentation temperatures.<ref>{{Cite web|last=WDR|date=2020-08-26|title=München: Biergärten|url=https://www.planet-wissen.de/kultur/metropolen/muenchen_zwischen_renaissance_und_wolkenkratzern/pwiemuenchnerbiergaerten100.html|access-date=2021-08-25|website=www.planet-wissen.de|language=de}}</ref> | |||
| Märzen was brewed in March, with moderate and balanced hopping levels, malt and slightly higher alcohol content that would allow the beer to last while the brewing of new beer was forbidden from 24 April to 28 September. The beer was then allowed to ] in ice and straw filled beer cellars until autumn.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2017-02-02|title=Ein Bier nicht nur für einen Monat. Märzenbier – Mixology|url=http://mixology.eu/bier/ein-bier-nicht-nur-fur-einen-monat-marzenbier/|access-date=2021-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202025726/http://mixology.eu/bier/ein-bier-nicht-nur-fur-einen-monat-marzenbier/|archive-date=2017-02-02}}</ref> | |||
| The ] version normally exhibits a stronger, though not agressive, hop aroma and bitterness balance. The ABV and original gravity are generally similar to the German versions. Some breweries make stronger examples of 7% ABV or more, which in Germany would be classified as ]. | |||
| The original ''Märzen'' was described as "dark brown, full-bodied, and bitter".<ref>"Oekonomische Encyklopädie" by Johann Georg Krünitz, 1773, vol. 5 p. 156.</ref> The beer was often kept in the cellar until late in the summer, and then served at the Oktoberfest.{{cn|date=October 2024}} | |||
| In ] Märzen is the most popular beer style, though it is very different from the German version, resembling more a ] in character and strength (12° Plato 5% ABV). | |||
| Common names for ''Märzen'' in Germany and Austria include ''Märzenbier'', ''Wiener Märzen'', ''Festbier'' and ''Oktoberfestbier''.{{cn|date=October 2024}} | |||
| Various ''Oktoberfest Beers'' are marketed in the United States, and carry this designation for marketing purposes. Authentic ''Oktoberfestbier'' is brewed in ] specifically for the ]. | |||
| === ''Märzen'' in Germany and Austria === | |||
| ''Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier'' (Original Shenkerla Smokebier), dark Märzen, is notable for its use of smoked malt. | |||
| ''Märzen'' is now a rarity in Germany and is mainly found in the South,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Bierentdecker |url=https://www.bierentdecker.com/bierwissen/maerzen |access-date=2021-08-26 |website=bierentdecker.com |language=de}}</ref> often in varieties that explicitly refer to its association with Oktoberfest, such as the "Oktoberfest Bier" from the Paulaner brewery.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oktoberfest Bier |url=https://www.paulaner.de/produkte/bierspezialitaeten/oktoberfest-bier/ |access-date=2021-08-26|website=Paulaner Brauerei München |language=de}}</ref> In Austria, however, ''Märzen'' is the name given to the most popular type of beer, but the Austrian ''Märzen'' is lighter in color and taste and corresponds, more or less, to a Bavarian Helles or Export beer. The reason for this has to do with Austrian post-war regulations which limited the prices of essential food and drink products. ''Märzenbier'' was a preferred variety due to its reputation as a festive drink and its high pre-war price, but brewers reduced its malt and alcohol content in order to maintain its profitability at its newly limited price.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> | |||
| ==Description== | |||
| <blockquote class="toccolours" style="float:none; padding: 10px 15px 10px 15px; display:table;"> {{{1<noinclude>| What Dreher achieved by the end of the 1830s was a beer that combined the clean palate and crispness of a lager with the paler hues he had admired in English ales. His marriage and adaptation of techniques produced a new style of beer-methodically bottom fermented and a copper-reddish-brown color. The precise recipe and flavor is not recorded and, in any case, he may have refined his new beer over several years. For instance, it is unclear whether he isolated a particular yeast at the beginning.</p> | |||
| In comparison to a Bavarian ], the traditional ''Märzen'' style is characterised by a fuller body, and a sweeter and often less hoppy flavour.<ref name=":0" /> It typically contains 5.1–6.0% ].<ref name="BA"/> | |||
| The Austrian style is light in colour, body and flavour balance, and is the most popular beer style among the ].<ref>The New World Guide to Beer, Michael Jackson page 193, {{ISBN|0-7475-0227-7}}</ref> Austrian ''Märzenbiers'' often use caramel malts that impart a sweeter flavour than their German counterparts; other Austrian ''Märzen'' overlap stylistically with Munich-style '']''.<ref name="BA"/> | |||
| <p>Dreher called his new beer Schwechater Lagerbier, after the Vienna suburb home of his brewery, and its popularity grew rapidly-giving him the last laugh over those ridiculing rivals. Generically, Dreher's beer may for a time have been dubbed Wiener Typ (Vienna style) after his malting process, which produced a reddish caramelized crystal malt, but the enduring name for his style is Märzen.</p> | |||
| Brewers in the ] have been producing ''Märzen'' style beer, called ''březňák'' or ''marcovní'' (March beer), since the 15th century. Today's equivalents are legally defined as 14] lagers called ''světlé speciální pivo'' (light special beer), ''polotmavé speciální pivo'' (half-dark special beer), and ''tmavé speciální pivo'' (dark special beer).{{cn|date=October 2024}} | |||
| <p>Ironically, the name was coined 30 years later by Josef Sedlmayr, younger brother of Gabriel. Although bottom-fermenting techniques had swept across Europe by 1870, beer color in Bavaria had remained dark (Dunkel). But in 1871 Josef Sedlmayr, who had separated his brewing activities from Gabriel years earlier, decided to produce a slightly paler beer. Perhaps because of the old Sedlmayr-Dreher link, he chose to brew a reddish "Vienna style" beer.</p> | |||
| In Lithuania, ] produces a Märzen stlye beer called ''Baltijos''.{{cn|date=October 2024}} | |||
| <p>He called it Märzenbier because he had brewed it in March, although it was September before he broached the first barrels for public judgment. Traditionally, Bavarian brewers had produced large batches of beer in March and April before the weather got too warm for brewing and then stored it in cool places to use during summer. But by the 1870s this practice was becoming obsolete with the development of mechanized refrigeration.</p> | |||
| ], a Polish brewery, produces a ''Märzen'' style lager called ''piwo lager typu marcowe'' (March type lager beer), or simply "Marcowe".{{cn|date=October 2024}} | |||
| This was also a time of railroad development, which enabled tens of thousands of Bavarians to travel to the Munich Oktoberfest. Whether Josef intended his new Märzenbier for the festival is unclear, but it became the Oktoberfest beer style for the next 100 years and its popularity spread. The style faded in Vienna after World War I. Sadly, Märzen has in recent years been supplanted at the Oktoberfest by a paler, less robust "Oktoberfestbier" to suit broader international tastes. But even this beer still retains a deeper amber color than the average lager beer.</noinclude>}}} | |||
| <gallery> | |||
| {{#if:{{{2|<noinclude>x</noinclude>}}}|<p style="text-align: right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Graham Lees{{#if:{{{3|<noinclude>x</noinclude>}}}|, ''All About Beer''}}</cite></p>}} | |||
| Ayinger Maerzen 2013.JPG|Märzen from ], Bavaria | |||
| </blockquote><!--Markup inserted from Template:Quotation--><noinclude> | |||
| Egger Märzenbier.jpg|Egger Märzen, Austria | |||
| Svyturys Baltijos (9617429302).jpg|] Baltijos, Lithuania | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| ==Common Names== | |||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| *Maerzen | |||
| *Märzenbier | |||
| *Festbier | |||
| *Oktoberfestbier | |||
| *Wiener Märzen | |||
| ==Related Styles== | |||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ==German Breweries Brewing Märzen== | |||
| *] Fest-Märzen - seasonally available | |||
| *] Märzen - seasonally available | |||
| *] Ur Märzen - seasonally available | |||
| ==American Breweries Brewing Märzen== | |||
| *] Märzen - seasonally available | |||
| *] Festbier - seasonally available | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ⚫ | {{Beer Styles}} | ||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Marzen}} | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| | last = Lees | |||
| | first = Graham | |||
| | authorlink = | |||
| | coauthors = | |||
| | title = Stylistically Speaking | |||
| | work = Märzen | |||
| | publisher = All About Beer Online | |||
| | date = March 1996 | |||
| | url = http://www.allaboutbeer.com/columns/style2.html | |||
| | format = | |||
| | doi = | |||
| | accessdate = 2006-9-30 }} | |||
| ⚫ | {{Beer}} | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 13:53, 7 January 2025
Beer of Bavarian origin associated with Oktoberfest
Märzen (German: [ˈmɛʁt͡sn̩] ) or Märzenbier (German: March beer) is a lager that originated in Bavaria, Germany. It has a medium to full body and may vary in colour from pale through amber to dark brown. It was the beer traditionally served at the Munich Oktoberfest. The geographical indication Oktoberfestbier is protected in the EU and can only be used for Märzen that is brewed in Munich.
History
Märzen has its origins in Bavaria, probably before the 16th century. A Bavarian brewing ordinance decreed in 1553 that beer may be brewed only between 29 September (St. Michael's Day or Michaelmas) and 23 April (St. George's Day or Georgi), as the high summertime temperatures were more likely to cause off-flavoured beer due to elevated ambient fermentation temperatures.
Märzen was brewed in March, with moderate and balanced hopping levels, malt and slightly higher alcohol content that would allow the beer to last while the brewing of new beer was forbidden from 24 April to 28 September. The beer was then allowed to lager in ice and straw filled beer cellars until autumn.
The original Märzen was described as "dark brown, full-bodied, and bitter". The beer was often kept in the cellar until late in the summer, and then served at the Oktoberfest.
Common names for Märzen in Germany and Austria include Märzenbier, Wiener Märzen, Festbier and Oktoberfestbier.
Märzen in Germany and Austria
Märzen is now a rarity in Germany and is mainly found in the South, often in varieties that explicitly refer to its association with Oktoberfest, such as the "Oktoberfest Bier" from the Paulaner brewery. In Austria, however, Märzen is the name given to the most popular type of beer, but the Austrian Märzen is lighter in color and taste and corresponds, more or less, to a Bavarian Helles or Export beer. The reason for this has to do with Austrian post-war regulations which limited the prices of essential food and drink products. Märzenbier was a preferred variety due to its reputation as a festive drink and its high pre-war price, but brewers reduced its malt and alcohol content in order to maintain its profitability at its newly limited price.
Description
In comparison to a Bavarian pale lager, the traditional Märzen style is characterised by a fuller body, and a sweeter and often less hoppy flavour. It typically contains 5.1–6.0% alcohol by volume.
The Austrian style is light in colour, body and flavour balance, and is the most popular beer style among the beers in Austria. Austrian Märzenbiers often use caramel malts that impart a sweeter flavour than their German counterparts; other Austrian Märzen overlap stylistically with Munich-style Helles.
Brewers in the Czech Republic have been producing Märzen style beer, called březňák or marcovní (March beer), since the 15th century. Today's equivalents are legally defined as 14° lagers called světlé speciální pivo (light special beer), polotmavé speciální pivo (half-dark special beer), and tmavé speciální pivo (dark special beer).
In Lithuania, Švyturys produces a Märzen stlye beer called Baltijos.
Żywiec, a Polish brewery, produces a Märzen style lager called piwo lager typu marcowe (March type lager beer), or simply "Marcowe".
-
Märzen from Ayinger Brewery, Bavaria
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Egger Märzen, Austria
-
Švyturys Baltijos, Lithuania
.jpg)
See also
References
- ^ "2022 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines". Brewers Association. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- "The six Munich breweries at Oktoberfest". Oktoberfest.de.
- Pomranz, Mike (11 September 2017). "What the Heck is an Oktoberfest Beer?". Food & Wine. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- "Oktoberfest beer awarded EU seal of approval". Reuters. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- Castrodale, Jelisa (28 October 2022). "Germany's Official Oktoberfest Beer Must Now be Brewed in Munich Under New Protection". Food & Wine. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- WDR (26 August 2020). "München: Biergärten". www.planet-wissen.de (in German). Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "Ein Bier nicht nur für einen Monat. Märzenbier – Mixology". 2 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- "Oekonomische Encyklopädie" by Johann Georg Krünitz, 1773, vol. 5 p. 156.
- ^ "Bierentdecker". bierentdecker.com (in German). Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- "Oktoberfest Bier". Paulaner Brauerei München (in German). Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- The New World Guide to Beer, Michael Jackson page 193, ISBN 0-7475-0227-7
