Märzen / Oktoberfest

The Märzen style is an amber hued lager with a rich malty body with a hint of toasted and biscuit flavors. It is balanced by moderate hop bitterness and very little hop aromatics or flavor.

Märzens were traditionally brewed in March (hence the name) and consumed throughout the warm summer months. The first Oktoberfest celebration was in 1810 for the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria. All the Märzen beer still left after the summer was brought out and consumed during the multi-day party. This fall celebration became an annual event and over the years, the Märzen style has also taken the name Oktoberfest. More recently, Oktoberfests have morphed into a slightly higher ABV category of Märzen and land in the festbier category.

The BEERMKR Märzen / Oktoberfest is a classic example of the category and skews more towards Oktoberfest in it's ABV. It comes in at 6% ABV, 32 IBU, and 8.3 SRM resulting in a slightly amber hue. The malts are comprised of Pilsen, Munich, and Vienna and the hops are bittered by Magnum and finished with Tettnang. The beer is lager fermented with the famous Weihenstephan lager strain from Bavaria.

To obtain the authentic Bavarian taste for this beer, you can use the Munich water profile with the BEERMKR Water Chemistry Kit. This will enable you to brew with the same water as the breweries in Munich, achieving a crispness you can't find anywhere else.