Märzen

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.{{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}}

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 brewing 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.{{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}}

The original Märzen was described as "dark brown, full-bodied, and bitter"."Oekonomische Encyklopädie" by Johann Georg Krünitz, 1773, vol. 5 p. 156. The beer was often kept in the cellar until late in the summer, and then served at the Oktoberfest.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Common names for Märzen in Germany and Austria include Märzenbier, Wiener Märzen, Festbier and Oktoberfestbier.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Märzen is now a rarity in Germany and is mainly found in the South,{{Cite web |title=Bierentdecker |url=https://www.bierentdecker.com/bierwissen/maerzen |access-date=2021-08-26 |website=bierentdecker.com |language=de}} often in varieties that explicitly refer to its association with Oktoberfest, such as the "Oktoberfest Bier" from the Paulaner brewery.{{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}} 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.

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.The New World Guide to Beer, Michael Jackson page 193, {{ISBN|0-7475-0227-7}} 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).{{cn|date=October 2024}}

In Lithuania, Švyturys produces a Märzen stlye beer called Baltijos.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Żywiec, a Polish brewery, produces a Märzen style lager called piwo lager typu marcowe (March type lager beer), or simply "Marcowe".{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Ayinger Maerzen 2013.JPG|Märzen from Ayinger Brewery, Bavaria

Egger Märzenbier.jpg|Egger Märzen, Austria

Svyturys Baltijos (9617429302).jpg|Švyturys Baltijos, Lithuania

• Helles
• Pale lager

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Category:German beer styles