Marzen's are a delicious seasonal beer found on menus in the Fall. They are a great style in their own right but tend to take a back seat to the trendy pumpkin beers and even festbiers.A Marzen (German for "March Beer") is a medium to full body lager typically amber in color though can be brown. It was the beer traditionally served at the Munich Oktoberfest.
So, if the name is translated to mean March Beer, why is it considered a seasonal beer?
In 1553, there was a Bavarian brewing ordinancestating that beer could only be produced during cooler months between St. Michael's Day (29 September) and St. George's Day (23 April). The high temperatures required to brew beer were more likely to cause explosions and fires during the hotter summer months so brewing was banned.
Märzen was brewed in March, hence the name March Beer. In order to last until September 29 when fresh batches of Marzen could be brewed again, extra hops and malt where used in the recipe.
The beer was often kept in the cellar until late summer and then served at the Oktoberfest. Because it the association with Oktoberfest, Marzen is considered a seasonal Fall beer.
What is the proper way to pronounce the beer style?
It is easy to think a "mar-zen" is the name of the style. Most commonly in the US, people pronounce it as "mart-zen" with a hard "t" sound. Given the German origin, the proper way to pronounce it is actually "mare-tsen."
The Austrian style Marzen is typically a little lighter and sweeter than the German version and overlaps with the Helles style beer.
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FAQs
Märzenbier, or simply Märzen (pronounced “mare-tsen”), is a German beer style that was historically brewed in March.
How is Märzen pronounced? ›
What is the proper way to pronounce the beer style? It is easy to think a "mar-zen" is the name of the style. Most commonly in the US, people pronounce it as "mart-zen" with a hard "t" sound. Given the German origin, the proper way to pronounce it is actually "mare-tsen."
What is a marzen beer? ›
A beer rich in malt with a balance of clean, hop bitterness, similar to the Vienna lager. Toasted bread or biscuit-like malt aroma and flavor is to be expected. Originating in Germany, this style was traditionally brewed in the spring (“Marzen” meaning “March”) and aged, or lagered, throughout the summer.
What does "ur marzen" mean? ›
Ur-Marzen, meaning “original of March”, are beers that were brewed in March, and made stronger to remain preserved over the summer months, prior to the help of modern refridgeration. A son of the owner of the Spaten Brewery learned of this brewing style while serving as an apprentice in Vienna around 1870.
What makes a good Märzen? ›
A Märzen is darker in color and lower in ABV—5% to 5.5% ABV,” he says. Once you figure that out, he says malt selection is the top consideration. “Get highly kilned malt, sweet with lower attenuation,” Hendler says. “Seventy percent attenuation is what you would get with the Märzen.
How is tripel pronounced? ›
Pronunciation note: we pronounce all of these beers the same way you would in American english. A tripel is pronounced the same way as you'd say “triple.” Dubbel is “double.” Singel, “single.”
What beer is similar to Märzen? ›
Märzen is “fest” strength, meaning it falls slightly higher in ABV than normal lagers of pilsner and helles with an ABV of 6% vs the normal 4.5-5%. If you like märzen, try its non-fest equivalent, the Vienna lager (more on that in a few weeks!).
What does a Marzenbier taste like? ›
An elegant, malty German amber lager with a clean, rich, toasty and bready malt flavor, restrained bitterness, and a dry finish that encourages another drink. The overall malt impression is soft, elegant, and complex, with a rich aftertaste that is never cloying or heavy.
How much alcohol is in marzen beer? ›
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.
What do Germans yell at Oktoberfest? ›
O'zapft is, in particular, is the most iconic of Oktoberfest sayings. This is the cry you will here once the Mayor of Munich has tapped the ceremonial keg, thus kicking off the entire two-week-long event.
Most agree that they are identical (as is the consensus for Märzen and Oktoberfest), but some believe that Maibock is a “fest” type beer hitting the upper limits of hopping and color for the range. Any fruitiness is due to Munich and other specialty malts, not yeast-derived esters developed during fermentation.
What is the difference between Märzen and festbier? ›
“The focus of a Märzen is the malt bill,” he explains. “Hops are there in order to keep the beer from being overly sweet and cloying. Although Festbier is also a malt-focused beer, the hops have more of a presence and the malt bill is way more simple.”
What is the difference between Märzen and Hefeweizen? ›
Märzen – Malty, amber in color, and extremely drinkable. No wonder this beer is a favorite during Oktoberfest! Hefeweizen (weissbier) – A wheat beer with a light body, hint of bananas, and slightly sweet finish.
How long does it take to age Märzen? ›
After 2 weeks, we highly recommend placing the bottles in a refrigerator to age for 6 months. Tuck them in the back, hide them in the salad drawer, wherever you can find space to stow them. This will give them an authentic cold condition that will develop the famous Oktoberfest flavor profile over the long summer.
