Marzen: Just what the heck is “March Beer” anyway?

You may have heard this story: The amber-colored Oktoberfest beer we are familiar with is called Marzen because it was brewed in March. In the days before refrigeration, the long maturation time between March and the celebration of Oktoberfest (in September) was required to give off flavors from brewing time to mature out.

That’s how the story’s told anyway. It’s not all that easy to find documentation of that apart from beer writers saying the same thing, or sometimes the opposite. Some sources relay that March was the last month when it was possible (or even legal) to reliably brew beer before the heat of the summer. With that in mind, a supply of stronger, more bitter beer was needed for its quality to hold up between the end of the winter brewing season and when brewers could start back up again in the fall.

Whatever the story, Marzen as we know it is a moderately strong, amber-colored lager that traces its origins back in the brewing tradition to something brewed early in the year to be enjoyed later. According to the BJCP style guidelines, the modern version comes from a beer brewed by Spaten in the mid-1800s and can be considered a contemporary of the similar Vienna lager. This style then became the go-to beer at Munich’s famous Oktoberfest. How much it has in common with earlier beers dubbed “Marzen” is uncertain.

What is certain is Marzen’s popularity. Oktoberfest beers were one of the first styles latched on to by the early craft beer boom in the United States. Now in late summer across the country breweries release their own versions, ready to be snatched up by thirsty enthusiasts. By contrast, since 1990 the beer you’ll find the most of at the namesake festival is a strong golden colored lager, something in between a Munich Helles and a Maibock. Beer style guidelines usually refer to this kind of beer as “Festbier” to distinguish it from Marzen style which remains quite popular in the United States, and what most beer drinkers here expect from a beer called Oktoberfest.

With modern brewing techniques, you can make a great lager in 6-8 weeks, so you’re probably better off brewing your Oktoberfest Marzen later in the summer, leaving the name as an homage to its place in the ongoing story of beer brewing. On the other hand, spring is a great time to be brewing a Maibock that will be ready when the first flowers start blooming.