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Märzen is a traditional bottom fermented Austrian 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 Bavaria and by North American German immigrants.

The German style is commonly characterized by a medium to full body, a malty flavor balance, an amber range of color, and a clean dry finish. The North American version normally exhibits a stronger, though not aggressive, hop aroma and bitterness balance. The Austrian style closely resembles a Helles in color, body, and flavor balance, and is the most popular beer style in Austria.

Various domestic and imported Oktoberfest Beers are marketed in the United States. Most of these beers are stylistically consistent Märzens.

Authentic Oktoberfestbier is brewed in Munich, Germany specifically for the München Oktoberfest. Most of these beers are not stylistically consistent Märzens, and more closely resemble Helles.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Original Shenkerla Smokebier) Maerzen is notable for its use of smoked malt.

Common Names

• Maerzen
• Märzenbier
• Festbier
• Oktoberfestbier
• Wiener Märzen

Historic Notes

  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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

—Graham Lees, All About Beer

Style Notes

According to the Brewers Association:

Related Styles

• Helles
• Vienna lager

German Märzen Breweries

• Ayinger Brewery Fest-Märzen - seasonally available
• Paulaner München Märzen - seasonally available
• Spaten-Bräu Ur Märzen - seasonally available

Ausrian Märzen Breweries

• Friëstadter Märzen - continuously available
• Augustiner Bräu Märzen - continuously available

American Märzen Breweries

• Triumph Brewing Company Märzen - seasonally available
• Victory Brewing Company Festbier - seasonally available

External Resources

• Beer profile from BeerAdvocate.com

References

Papzian, Charlie (January 2006). "Brewers Association 2006 Beer Style Guidelines" (PDF). Brewers Association 2006 Beer Style Guidelines. Brewers Association. p. 35. Retrieved 2006-10-30. {{cite conference}}: Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (|book-title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Lees, Graham (March 1996). "Stylistically Speaking". Märzen. All About Beer Online. Retrieved 2006-9-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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