Fall For Oktoberfest

It’s all happening. This week’s sees us usher in the first day of fall, Sept 23, also known as the autumnal equinox, when the sun shines directly on the equator, and day and night are nearly equal in length. Just as, if not more important, last week, on Sept. 19, gave us the tapping of the first keg by the mayor of Munich, Germany (“O’zapft is!” or “It’s tapped!”) and the start to this year’s Oktoberfest beer festival. Oh happy days.
With the beginning of Oktoberfest in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of the crown prince of Bavaria, Ludwig I, Märzenbier took on a new significance. The result of that wedding and the beer brewed for it has evolved not only into a yearly festival, but would also spawn a brew for the season; Oktoberfest.
The original Märzenbier is and was the “March beer”, a style brewed before the weather turned warm, that was kept in cool cellars or caves (to lager), and was served over the summer months until brewing resumed in fall. These original Märzen lagers were amber colored, somewhat hoppy, stronger than most beers to assist with keeping over the warm months, and likely more full bodied than other brews.
Versions of the original Märzenbier were likely around as early as the 16th century. However, it was not until 1841 when the Spaten Brewery introduced an amber lager called “Märzenbier” at that year’s Oktoberfest that the style was technically born. Märzenbier would eventually become Oktoberfestbier. And, in 1872, Spaten first used the term Oktoberfestbier to describe a beer that was quite similar to a Märzen, but made slightly stronger and darker, quite possibly a Bock bier, for that years beer fest.
For many years, both the Märzenbier and Oktoberfestbier sold in Germany, at the festival and throughout the year were deep amber, more bitter and higher in alcohol. In the last few decades, as tastes have changed, Märzenbier available throughout the year as well as Oktoberfestbier served in September and October are brewed lighter in color and flavor. It is the export versions of Oktoberfestbier brewed in Germany and those fall seasonals made by American craft brewers that harkens back to the darker, full-bodied, rich and malty beers of times past.
To further complicate matters, in Germany, the name Oktoberfestbier is restricted by law for use by only the breweries of Spaten, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau, Paulaner and Lowenbrau, which are also the only breweries allowed to sell beer at the Munich Oktoberfest. Any and all other breweries must use the term Märzenbier, regardless of whether their brew is a year-round offering, or a special selection brewed in conjunction with the festival.
In America with our craft brewed beer, Oktoberfest and Märzen are basically the same style, and likely the term Märzen will not be listed anywhere. It matters little, as many American made Oktoberfestbiers, along with the classics exported from Germany, are fantastic and should be held high and taken in for the short time they are here. Enjoy the brews…Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.