As the month of March gave way to the warmer days of April, I enjoyed the last few cans of Märzenbier that I was hoarding in the cellar. For those in the audience that do not speak German, that translates directly to March beer.
The history of this beer goes all the way back to the noble Bavarian court in the year 1553, when a royal proclamation declared that beer could only be brewed between the days of Saint Michael and Saint George, which is September 29 through April 23 for the secular readers in the audience.
Worry not, gentle reader, for this was not some sort of attempt at Medieval Prohibition. Rather, the Bavarian nobility thought so highly of beer, that they didn’t want substandard batches to be brewed in the summer months, when the warm temperatures and wild airborne yeasts would spoil the beer during fermentation. Think of it as tough love for beer.
Knowing that the brewing season would be ending as the snow thawed, the brewmasters would make an extra effort for the last big batch of the season, with plenty of malted barley to drive up the alcohol content, which helped to minimize spoilage.
The wooden barrels of beer were stored in cool cellars or caves over the summer, and had to be stretched to last until the fall, when brewing could begin again.
Any remaining barrels at the end of the summer would be served up at the raucous Oktoberfest celebration, making Märzen the official beer of Oktoberfest, which is pretty much the highest honour that any beer can achieve.
Since this style of beer was originally brewed to withstand long storage in the pre-refrigeration era, it is more robust than many other beer styles, as higher levels of alcohol and hops were the only tools the brewers had to keep bacteria at bay.
For this reason, you will find Märzen beers to have a rich and malty flavour, often with hints of caramel malts, and just enough hops to balance the malt without becoming overly bitter.
Hale and hearty in flavour, this is a beer that goes well with bratwurst or salted pretzels. Buxom barmaids spilling out of their dirndls are optional, but highly recommended while enjoying this type of beer.
Now that we have fancy newfangled technologies like refrigeration, beer can be made all year round, but the Märzen style is still most commonly seen around Oktoberfest. Fortunately, some of our local craft brewers produce a Märzen all year round.
In a tragic turn of events, the Homestead Märzen Lager from Origin Malting & Brewing in Strathmore has recently been pulled from the regular rotation. This was my favourite local Märzen for the past several years, with its rich coppery colour pouring into my glass with a firm and lacy off-white head. A hefty malt bill provided notes of fresh bread and toasted caramel, while the noble German hop varietals brought notes of fresh cut grass, and the clean lager yeast providing a crisp finish. While it has disappeared from the regular tap rotation, I hope to see it make one-off appearances now and again.
While it is a bit further away than Strathmore, looking west all the way to Canmore, Grizzly Paw Brewing has a Mountaneer Märzen that I sipped on their covered patio recently, surprisingly rich and malty for only 5% ABV, and perfect on a patio as the winter turns to spring.
And north up the QE2, Manual Labour Brewing recently opened in Sherwood Park, just a bit west of Edmonton’s so-called refinery row. I visited the tiny taproom attached to the brewery on a recent trip to Edmonton, and their Manual Labour Every Time Märzen was fresh from the tanks to the taps, so I was lucky enough to enjoy the inaugural batch, boasting a caramel malt base and exceptionally smooth finish that I hope to see on the shelves here in southern Alberta soon!
A bit closer to home, Calgary’s Cold Garden Brewing has a unique spin on the Märzen style, adding vanilla beans to the brewing process, resulting in a malty beer with hints of birthday cake on the finish. I enjoyed a single glass in the taproom on a recent visit, but as a Märzen traditionalist, I probably wouldn’t pound these all night.
Look for these and other Märzen styles at your local taproom or bottle shop and try them yourself!
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