Oktoberfest/Marzen, Gordon Biersch, California

Based on the beer style drank at Oktoberfest, this is a fizzy, light bodied brew that as you might imagine, can be drank in abundance easily. At first I was disappointed by its blandness, but the more I drank it, the more refreshed and happier I felt, so in the end, though it will not turn the beer world upside down, I still rather enjoyed my bottle. Later on in the evening I followed up Festbier with a can of MGD, it was only at that point that what I thought was rather unsophisticated before was actually quite refined. The initial flavor of Festbier is quite mellow, with a hint of malt breadiness and a light bitterness of hops in the finish. Not surprisingly the beer goes very well with a salty snack, in my case a handful of peanuts. The salt brings out a short wave of sweetness in the beer and really amps up the hops finish, but not to an intense level.
I could see some friends and I sitting around a table with some snacks and this beer, it is a good choice if you want to be somewhat upscale, ie stay away from major US brands, but still go American as well as offering something that can easily accomodate drinkers of all beer drinking tastes. The beer is light and lowish in ABV so you won’t feel like you are weighed down, and you can easily have another.

Kraj pochodzenia: Polska
Gatunek: Märzen, Lager
Alkohol: 6,2%
Ekstrakt: 12,7%

I love Cincinnati. I love our chili, our zoo, the way the fall air smells in my neighborhood, our wacky ineffectual city council and the endless debates over street cars. I can even pretend to love our sports teams if the need arises. I spent this weekend in my home city, so it’s only fitting that the beer of the week be a Cincinnati beer.

Christian Moerlein was a Bavarian immigrant who moved to the dominantly German Cincinnati in 1841. He made some horse shoes, brewed some beers, but the brewery was shut down by prohibition. Sixty years later, his brand was revived again when the craft beer movement hit America. Christian Moerlein became the first American beer to certifiably pass the strict Reinheitsgebot Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. Now, Christian Moerlein’s Fifth and Vine Oktoberfest is my beer of the week.

Modeled after the "Genius of Water" fountain in downtown Cincinnati. Except instead of water there's beer and cute little pigs in lederhosen.

CM’s Oktoberfest is a Marzen-style beer, which were traditionally brewed in March and kept in storage to ferment slowly until late summer. Bottles were kept to be served at Oktoberfest, an annual festival celebrating getting drunk in the month of October. This is appropriately Cincinnatian, because a) Cincinnatians love drinking, and 2) Cincinnati has one of the largest Oktoberfests west of Munich.

12 oz. of Cincinnati goodness.

This beer has a nice light copper and amber color in the glass. It’s a little thin on the head side, but it smells like toasted sweet caramel with a small hint of grassy hops. I’ve had other Oktoberfests that are very sweet, but this one is a bit more subdued. It tastes nutty and of caramel and the hops come out a bit stronger in the flavor than the smell. There’s a very faint hint of fruitiness too that complements the floral hops. It goes down smooth, drinks easily and finishes a bit dry. It isn’t a very adventurous Oktoberfest, but it’s very accessible, and I would highly recommend it to someone interested in trying out a good Oktoberfest that won’t overwhelm you. I’d recommend eating it with spicy German food, or really any kind of pork dish. At 5.4 percent ABV, it isn’t too heavy and is good for casual drinking or for before going out.

Overall Grade: B+

Do you have a favorite hometown beers or a favorite Oktoberfest?

Don’t forget to submit names for my homebrew to win yourself a six pack!

Outside the rain falls softly like snow beading upon the grass and trees. It’s a lazy Friday afternoon, the calm before the bender. Inside two titans are about to tango.

Surly Fest vs. Summit Oktoberfest.

You can’t taste battle two completely disparate styles. Fest a lager, Oktoberfest a Marzen. What? Why? Well no one reads this anyway so who is going to care?

Let’s start superficially with appearance. Surly wins hands down. The can is checkered baby blue and white. The traditional Surly logo guy is festooned with, according to GermanImportHaus.com a “Trenker” hat and he’s glumly staring at an upturned Stein. The Summit bottle is a Summit bottle with an orange label.

Taste: Surly Fest is, according to SurlyBrewing.com, a “rye lager bier.” Summit Oktoberfest is a Marzen brewed in the fashion of “popular European fall celebrations.” Is Oktoberfest trademarked? Why so nebulous?

Anyway, the Marzen starts off syrupy sweet and diminishes with carbonation as it rolls down the tongue. It’s sugary at first and would be a detractor if the carbonation didn’t kick in and mellow it out. This is more of a sipper. Where as the Fest is a dry lager that you can put back all night if it weren’t for the price. Which leads us to….

Price: At my local liquor store all styles of Summit in the 12 pack container are $12.99, Surly Fest in the four pack can is $8.99.

Usually the all-night beer is cheap and the sipper is expensive.  With great trepidation and hours of deliberation I’m going to go with Summit Oktoberfest.  Which is awkward to say, I would like to think I exhale fumes of Surly.  Price was a huge asset, also the taste.  I disagree with the common conception that ’sipper’ beers should only be enjoyed one or two at a time.  Whats wrong with overloading your taste buds in twelve bottle increments.  Is too much taste a bad thing?  How could it be.  Some would argue that after four, five, and six beers you aren’t really tasting and appreciating the flavor.  Going with that logic if you are questing toward finishing the twelve pack, you aren’t going to remember anything after the fifth or sixth beer.  So why not enjoy the warm-up?

Summit wins, Surly still rules.

If you disagree, drink both, at the same time.

OK, first, I’d like to provide full disclosure: This week’s post is all about one of my favorite beer styles, Oktoberfest. Therefore, everything that follows is totally biased and fully focused on the famous byproduct of the world’s largest malt-beverage-centric celebration. In fact, if in reading this you find that I have somehow steered you in another direction — providing coverage for undeclared alien beer styles, for instance — feel free to call me to the beer mat (and, yes, you may shout, “you lie!”).

Eight great Americans for Oktoberfest

An additional point of clarification: Talk of Oktoberfest often conjures up images of huge crowds of carousers, slap-happy men dancing in tight, leather shorts, and dirndl-wearing women offering their huge … er, mugs for the taking. If that’s what you thirst for, then you may not want to keep reading. However, if a mild-mannered comparison of this season’s bottled Bavarian-style beverages is sensational enough, and it makes you think along the lines of frankfurters, pretzels, and a pigfoot, then this article’s for you, bud.

The kind of beer commonly sold and served during Oktoberfest (officially held in and around Munich, Germany, from mid September to early October) is a lager — a Marzen, to be specific, named for March, the month in which the beer is traditionally brewed. The defining characteristic of this style — compared to, say, an ale — is that once the beer has been brewed it is stored, or “lagered,” in a cold place (ice-filled caves, historically) for several months. During its time in “the cooler,” the beer goes through a process known as bottom fermentation, which slows the reaction between the yeast and sugars, creating the beer’s distinctive full, round, rich flavors and color.

As I said, Oktoberfest is one of my favorite seasons for beer-picking — second only to Christmas — for several reasons. First, there are always so many choices. Oktoberfest is such a popular event that nearly every brewery rolls out its own varietal — strolling the beer aisles this time of year is like skipping through Candy Land with Queen Frostine. Also, Marzens are great all-around, very drinkable beers that go with many different foods, from grilled bratwurst and sausage to pizza and fried chicken. I usually (try to) keep one or two in my fridge. And they are fun to write about, though the hard part is trying to figure out a tasting strategy. Last year, I focused on the style itself and how well it pairs with its native cuisine (you can read that article here). This year, I decided to explore the way American craft-brewers have adapted the traditional Oktoberfest style to suit their individual whims.

Why? Well, for one thing, I think it’s important in these tough economic times to support U.S. microbreweries. Frankly, the German imports reaching these shores are bestsellers at home and have the backing of the entire European continent; the reverse just doesn’t occur. (I warned you this might get preachy.) For another thing, when it comes to beer-making, Yankee brewers tend to be bigger risk-takers, compared to their continental counterparts, and create more interesting and exciting beers, as a result. As has been the case for several hundred years, Americans are never satisfied to simply replicate a long-standing formula and would rather put their own spin on it.

So here’s my dilemma. I like innovation and creativity as much as, and maybe even more than, most people I know. Especially when it comes to beer. For instance, I recently tried and liked the new “Hell or High Watermelon” wheat beer from 21st Amendment Brewery — it improved my golf swing, in fact. Dare to be different, right?

Well, not exactly. You see, when it comes to an Oktoberfest, I am a staunch traditionalist. There are certain key qualities to a Marzen — the telltale caramel sweetness, which results from a heavy dose of malt, for instance, or the beer’s signature coppery color and subtle hop aroma — that make this style unique and are what I enjoy about it. Add too much of one ingredient, or take out too much of another, and though you may create a great beer, it won’t be a Marzen.

So I’m wary when one of my countrymen proclaims to have reinterpreted the Oktoberfest style. Luckily, some brewers recognize when an unorthodox creation has become more deviant than divergence — consider (and beware), for instance, the growing number of “autumn ales” that crop up this time of year. The following eight beers, however, deliciously illustrate the possibilities to be had when you artfully combine Old World charm and Yankee ingenuity. For the most part, these beers adhere to the tradition while maintaining some subtle (and not so subtle) differences. Enjoy!

Saranac Octoberfest, The Matt Brewing Company, Utica, N.Y. The Americanized spelling of the beer style on the label is the first clue that this “flavorful lager” is no Bavarian import. And there’s nothing subtle about the use of hops here (though two traditional Teutonics, Saaz and Tettang, were used), which felt fairly dry on the tongue. Yet it had a rich, ruby color and the right amount of caramel overtones to balance out the flavors and make me go, “oompah!”

Oktoberfest, Blue Point Brewing Company, Long Island, N.Y. Here’s another Yank that’s slightly more bitter and less sweet than an old-style Marzen. And the bold hoppy, tangy aroma and light-golden color made it seem more like a pilsner. Still, this medium-bodied, slightly sweet beer was full of flavor (I noticed a hint of honey) and provided a nice crisp finish that left me wanting another. Who could ask for anything more?

Dogtoberfest, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Md. Frankly, this brew surprised me. Flying Dog’s beers are normally a bit exaggerated and mutt-like, so I was expecting a sure-fire non-Marzen. This puppy, though, proved to be one of the nearest to a natural-born Bavarian I’ve tasted on this side of the Atlantic. The soft hops aroma and light bitterness provide a nice contrast to the layered, mouthwateringly malty, bready flavors. Slightly edgier than, say, a Spaten (my high watermark) but very drinkable.

Festbier, Victory Brewing Company, Downington, Pa. If making Oktoberfest beer was a game of horseshoes, then this brew would win closest to the stake (and almost a ringer). With its ruddy complexion, smooth, sweet flavors, and understated grainy odors, this festbier (another name for an Oktoberfest) looked and drank like a classic. The hints of toffee and roasted malts were more pronounced than in the others, including the Dogtoberfest, and it had a rounder, fuller, more appealing finish. For a favorite fall beverage, I’m ready to declare victory.

Oktoberfest, Lancaster Brewing Company, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Like the Festbier, this brew felt like the embodiment of a traditional spirit (it must have something to do with their shared Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing). Right from the first pour, the toasted-malt sweetness was pungent and alluring, as were the tawny color and biscuity scent. The accustomed blue-checked label only adds to the mood. Although it boasts a stronger-than-normal kick (6.5% alcohol), it’s not enough to get in the way of enjoyment.

Festie, Starr Hill Brewery, Charlottesville, Va. This beer poured out in a reddish-orange color and was plenty sweet, but there was little else about it to prompt thoughts about its country of origin. The dominant flavors and fragrance were overwhelmingly citrusy — hints of orange, lemon, apples, and after a few sips, even sour cherry. The sassy name should’ve been a tip-off that, though enjoyable, this brew billowed more like a Rodenbach than a Richthofen.

Freaktoberfest, Shmaltz Brewing Company, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Here’s truth in advertising: as the label says, “This is not an Oktoberfest.” And yet, despite its “freaky” blood-red color and sideshow-freak trappings — six malts and six hops in its make-up, 6.66% alcohol, etc. — this beer reveals ancestral undergarments. Drier and hoppier than a standard Oktoberfest (which it never proclaims to be), there was nonetheless plenty of rich, dark-malt sweetness. This monster’s even got a heart — proceeds help support Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood.

Prosit!, Clipper City Brewing Company, Baltimore, Md. Also assertively non-conventional — it’s labeled as an “Imperial Octoberfest Lager” — this new member of the Heavy Seas line earns the exclamation point in its cognomen. Made with three types of hops and five types of malts, including a “secret malt,” the result is a very sweet, very pungent, and (ahoy!) fairly customary Viennese. It’s really just a bolder and more potent (9% alcohol) version of the brewery’s classically trained MarzHon, which is one of my favorites. Bier ist Gut, hon!

So, there you have it, a list of eight great American choices for localizing your Oktoberfest festivities — the ocho for October, clever eh? I should also mention that several others I tasted this year (a result of a wunderbar infusion from my brother-in-law) — including Marzens by Brooklyn Brewery, Harpoon Brewery, and Mendocino Brewing Company — were beers I covered last year and decided to omit to avoid repeating myself under stress (I’ll leave that to King Crimson). Needless to say, all three offer their own unique take on the Teutonic tradition and each could easily stand in for one of the above, if need be. As they say, “O’zapft is!”

As always, let us know what you think. When it comes to Oktoberfest, do you prefer domestic novelties or classic imports? If so, which ones do you like? Are there others on the market that we did not cover? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

And be sure to visit (and join) the Scribbleskiff page on Facebook (find it here), where you can partake in wall-to-wall conversations, find additional information and suggestions from readers, and more.

Skipping your honeymoon to brew your first batch of commercial beer usually isn’t an auspicious way to start your marriage. But for Brian Dunn and his wife, co-founders of the very successful Great Divide Brewing Co., it seems things have worked out just fine. 

The welcoming aroma of toasty malt immediately struck me as I wandered up to the brewery, discretely tucked in an unassuming brick building that at one time housed a 1930s-era dairy. Just a cut-off throw from Coors Field in an industrialized area of downtown Denver, one might miss it if not for the small lighted sign perched on the corner of the facility, or the cluster of GABF attendees and regulars crowding the small sidewalk patio outside while I was there.

The brewery took shape in 1994 when Dunn, after traveling the world and earning a graduate degree in environmental studies, realized he wanted to take his passion for homebrewing to the next level. He set about writing a business plan and securing funding from investors. But after coming up about $50,000 short on financing for the business, he made a deal with the city that enabled him to make up the difference in return for ongoing job development and cleanup of the surrounding neighborhood, a relatively destitute segment of the downtown district.

“It was a creative way to get the initial funding we needed, something I didn’t realize was an option going into things.”

The brewery itself is a gritty, cavernous labrynth of rooms, leading from the main brewhouse up front complete with a tangle of pipes connecting mash tuns and fermentation vessels, through a dark, low-ceilinged passageway to the bottling and packaging area, and finally into the cool warehouse lined with pallets of kegs and bottles ready for shipment.  

The brewery’s tap room, a relatively recent addition, greets visitors with some incredible beers like their Hoss, a Marzen-style lager brewed with rye that delivers a spicy, dark-fruit malt character, or the brewery’s Fresh Hop Pale Ale, made with fresh whole hop cones shipped overnight from the Pacific northwest. And according to Dunn, freshness is something he and his staff take very seriously.

“We invested about $100,000 in printing technology for the bottling line to stamp born-on dates on all the beers leaving the brewery,” he said. “Not all of our beers are necessarily meant to be consumed right away, but our customers will be better informed and able to decide whether they want to age the beer, or enjoy then and there.”

The brewery’s sixteen GABF medals (including three this year) are a testament to the quality of their beer, and indicative of their enormous popularity in Denver and markets like the Twin Cities with readily available year-round and seasonal offerings like Titan IPA, Hercules Double IPA and The Yeti.

“Running the brewery hasn’t always been easy…there’s been some very lean years where we weren’t sure if we were going to make it,” explained Dunn. “Our revenue is up 60 percent so far this year, so we’re feeling very fortunate. We’re very excited for what the future holds.”

Brewery: Pennichuck Brewing Co

Name: The Big O

Style: Oktoberfest Lager / Marzen

ABV: 6.5%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge, served in a chalice

Aroma: Fruity, Sweet, Mildly hoppy

Appearance: Redish dark amber

Flavor: Earthy, Musky

Mouthfeel: Semi-flat, semi-thick

Overall Impressions: Very tasty, very drinkable beer.  No perceivable off flavors. Nothing too jump up and down exciting about this beer.  Just a damn good lager.

Grade: B

The Big O

Brewery Name and Location: Paulaner of Munich, Germany

Name of Brew: Oktoberfest Marzen

Style of Brew: Marzen

Purchase Info: $2.19 for 16.9 oz bottle.

ABV: 5.8%

Ingredient Info:

Nutritional Info:

Vessel Used for Tasting: White wine glass.

Aroma/Olfactory: Malty whole grain nose.

Visuals/Appearance: Clear copper with dispersive white head and no lacing.

Taste/Flavor: Malty but not sweet. Like drinking whole grain bread.

Palate/Tactile: Very drinkable, crisp and wet. Medium to heavy bodied.

Tasting Backstory: This is one of the better Marzens I have tasted. I am not a huge fan of the style but this is pretty good. If one were to drink das boot from the Beer Fest movie it would be appropriate fill it with this.

Rating: 7/10

Value Rating: 7/10

Brewed up a Märzen on Thursday, the recipe is here. Roughly half and half Munich malt and Pilsner malt, and a dash of CaraMunich.

I pitched a pint of W 34/70 yeast slurry which took of like a rocket, even at 9 degrees C. The beer has to be ready by the 3rd of Oktober for a party, which precludes any long lagering time. So, I will chill proof this one by using polyclar at 0C then filtering.

No photos for this one, but more details to follow.

We are off to Munich for Das Weisn! Our plans include shopping for der Tracht (aka Lederhosen and Dirndl) at Angermaier and staying within walking distance of Oktoberfest. We secured reserved seats in the Hofbrau Festhalle on Sunday via Radius Tours and while we know there is a lot more to see in Munich and Bavaria, we want to immerse ourselves in the Oktoberfest activities for this trip. The only non-beer activity we’re planning is to go into town to see the Glockenspiel. We have been learning basic German numbers and greetings using Berlitz’s Rush Hour German. It’s a cute CD of catchy songs to help you remember the words. We won’t be conversational, but we are all set to order two beers and a half a chicken.

Label for our home brew

When we return, we are hosting a party to tell tales of our trip and tap the Marzen keg. We brewed a fairly traditional Marzen back in March and lagered it through the summer (keeping our fingers crossed that there won’t be a hurricane that knocks out power in Houston for the next two weeks). Grains included equal parts Vienna Malt and Pilsner (2 Row) Ger with just a half pound each of Caramel/Crystal and Special B Malts. For hops, we went with Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Tettnang and Saaz. Yeast was Octoberfest/Marzen Lager from White Labs, of course. Final gravity came in at 1.019. Special thanks to Alan Ward at Brigadoon Brewery for walking us through the process. I highly recommend that first-time brewers find a mentor to minimize frustration at all the moving parts and benefit from the use of some of their equipment and all of their expertise.

We look forward to sharing the beer with friends and are encouraging others to come in costume and bring German food to the festivities. I don’t think we’ve ever done so much preparation for a party before!

Color

As the color is indicative of the temperatures at which the malts are roasted, red Marzen beers were quite an advancement in technology. Prior to the invention of this style, wood, which as anyone savvy with a bbq grill knows is very hot and the temperature is trickier to control, was used to roast the malts. High heat results in a very dark roast that is indicative of a European lager (aka, a stout). As access to coal became more widespread, brewers in central Europe could consistently control the temperature of their kilning process which resulted in lower temperatures and lighter malts.

Prior to Marzen, Europeans were brewing dark beers almost exclusively while the English were ahead of the curve based on their access to coal and they were brewing a wide range of lighter ales. What makes Marzen special is that it took the paler malts that Europeans were becoming famous for and it mixed them with the bottom-fermenting process that produces lagers. It’s hard to imagine now but the red hues of a marzen beer were the first ‘light’ lagers. So, Oktoberfest is kind of a celebration for beer lovers, and I ascribe that just as we all feel compelled to drink a Guinness in March, we should pay our respects by drinking Oktoberfests as we celebrate the arrival of fall. Circle of yeast.

Examples

Imports

• Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen – Look for this as an individual 16.9 oz. bottle rather than a six pack.
• Beck’s Octoberfest – Almost impossible to find. There’s a retailer finder on Beck’s website though if you want to see if it’s available in your area.
• EKU Festbier – generally unheard of in the US, but if you’re overseas…
• Erdinger Oktoberfest Weisbier– This one is a trick question. It’s a wheat beer that is brewed FOR Oktoberfest. Read the label, campers.
• Hacker-Pschorr Bräu München – A Bavarian Marzen as noted by its red color. I think brau means original but that’s all I know. The website is in German if you want to test out the capabilities of Office 2007 to translate it.
• Hofbrau Oktoberfest – One of the tents at the traditional festival. This brew is probably the one held in the highest regard amongst fans of the style. And they sing a mean chorus in the tent at the festival.
• Paulaner Oktoberfest – One of the breweries featured at Oktoberfest in Munich and a brew that is widely available in the US.
• Spaten Oktoberfest – Launched in 1872 (pssst, Marzens were brewed in the 1830s), it is considered the world’s first Oktoberfest, but even this is a lighter version of the original (see next).
• Spaten Ur-Märzen –If you can find it. Ur means, ur, I don’t know.
• Warsteiner Oktoberfest – Another popular brand that your local bar may carry.

Domestic

• Sam Adams Octoberfest – Don’t be fooled by the ‘hoppy’ reputation of Sam Adams’ Boston Lager, their Octoberfest tastes like roasted refreshment.
• Berghoff Oktoberfest – A restaurant and microbrewery in Chicago.
• Breckenridge – Colorado brewery with a wide distribution.
• Brooklyn Oktoberfest – from a respected brewery in New York.
• Pete’s Oktoberfest – I’ve heard that this one is hoppy.
• Gordon Biersch Marzen
• Paulaner Oktoberfest

Brewing

Since Marzens were originally only brewed in Vienna, pay particular attention to brewers who specialize in Vienna-style brewing, like Sam Adams. Dos Equis Amber and Negro Modelo, two Mexican beers, both evolved from the recipe for Oktoberfest brought over to Mexico by European immigrants. When the process reached Munich, where many fans of this style of the beer believe it was perfected, it took on the name Oktoberfest at the Spaten brewery and that is where it lost most of its distinct red color in favor of an amber hue. While they brew a beer called Octoberfest year round, it is their Oktoberfest Ur-Marzen that is based on the original.

Oktoberfest beers are bottom-fermenting lagers that were preserved at cold temperatures with the goal of drinking them up by October, so they don’t require a whole lot of hops to preserve them. People who enjoy the malty goodness of light lagers (aka, pilsners) should have no problem enjoying an Oktoberfest as they bid adieu to summer. Of course, fewer hops also means that they aren’t suited for transport from the mother country, so they are a bit hard to find even at this time of year. Chances are that your local liquor store is only going to stock the version that your nearest (or largest) craft brewer makes. And that’s okay. It is the spirit of the thing after all and I for one am not ashamed to drink a Sam Adams if they are the brewers with the means to share this style with those of us in Los Estados Unidos.

For Home Brewers

The recipe for Marzen specifically calls for it to be brewed in March and aged for 6-8 months, so while most people don’t think to drink one until after Labor Day, these brews can be enjoyed as early as August. Enjoying them year round is still an option.

Alcohol Content

Typically on the high side of 5% but can reach almost 8%.

History

Back when refrigeration was nothing more than a cold cave in the summer, brewers made batches of beer in March before the heat of the summer months made brewing lagers impossible. This is why the original term for this brew is Marzen and it was in October when the stores of it they had tapped to sustain them during the late summer months were drained at a festival called Oktoberfest.

Quick Trivia

Most people don’t realize that the Oktoberfest festival ENDS the first weekend of October, so you really should get started drinking one as soon as possible if you’re ever going to make that deadline.

Brewery Name and Location: Avery Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado, USA

Name of Brew: The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest Lager

Style of Brew: Marzen

Purchase Info: $7.69 for 22oz bottle.

ABV: 9.73%

Ingredient Info: Magnum, Sterling, Tettnang and Hersbrucker Hops. Two-row barley, Vienna and Munich malts.

Nutritional Info:

Vessel Used for Tasting: Big Glass Mug

Aroma/Olfactory: Floral, honeysuckle hop aroma meets a sweet melon maltiness. Fairly subdued.

Visuals/Appearance: Clear copper with dispersive off-white head and minimal lacing.

Taste/Flavor: A schmaltzy maltzy boozy flavor. The high alcohol content is very prevalent in the flavor. There is a lingering aftertaste of booze and euro hops. Brandy and biscuit notes.

Palate/Tactile: Medium bodied. Dry, lingering finish.

Tasting Backstory: I tasted this to complete my tastings of Avery’s Dictator Series (Kaiser, Czar and Maharaja). A very interesting brew indeed. It is brewed every August 1st, this one is from the 2009 batch. It would definately be a good cellaring beer. The Dictator Series is all extreme examples of different styles (Oktoberfest, Stout and IPA; respectively.) The Kaiser is a Marzen, a style that I am not particularly fond of, and it actually is the biggest improvement on the rank and file of the style. Still, overall it is has the quantity but not the quality of flavor and is not all that great. Again, realise that I prefer ales to lagers and hops to malts and marzen, being a malty lager, is one of my least favorite styles. If you are a malty lager person than I think you would really dig this. Except for the price, I think we can all agree that it sucks.

Rating: 6/10

Value Rating: 2/10

Im Märzen der Brauer …
Neulich Abend waren wir zum offiziellen Märzen-Anstich der “Brauer mit Leib und Seele” eingeladen. Beim Märzen-Bier handelt es sich um ein untergäriges Bier mit einem besonders hohen Anteil an Stammwürze. Glück für uns: Die Präsentation mit Verkostung fand in der zentral gelegenen Bierkneipe Ackermann’s statt. Wir konnten also um 18:00 Uhr Schluss machen und gemütlich einkehren. Nach Hause ging es gegen 23:00 Uhr mit dem Bus!

Die Brauer mit Leib und Seele sind ein Zusammenschluss von 10 inhabergeführten Familienbrauereien aus Baden-Württemberg. Diese haben sich allesamt einer besonders hohen Qualität von der Auswahl der Zutaten bis hin zur Abfüllung, ausschließlich in Mehrweg-Gebinden, verschrieben. In den “10 Grundsätzen für besseres Bier” erklären die Mitglieder, worauf es Ihnen neben der Einhaltung des Deutschen Reinheitsgebotes aus dem Jahr 1516 im Besonderen ankommt:

• Verantwortung hat ein Gesicht: Der Inhaber steht mit Leib und Seele hinter seiner Brauerei
• Hier regiert der Chef: Die Entscheidungen werden von den Inhabern gefällt und nicht von Aktionären
• Unser Reinheitsgebot beginnt in der Region: Ausschließlich regionale Produkte aus kontrolliertem Anbau
• Bier muss Weile haben: Mindestens 40 Tage reift das Bier
• Qualität hat ihren Preis: Regelmäßige Prüfungen durch die Staatlich-Brautechnische Prüf- und Versuchsanstalt
• Frische Bier: Kurze Transportwege, keine Pasteurisierung
• Besseres Bier verdient eine edle Verpackung: Nur Mehrweg-Glasflaschen und Fässer sind erlaubt
• Wir kennen uns: Wertschätzung der Heimat und des lokalen Marktes
• Aus der Region, für die Region: Alle Leistungen werden aus der Region bezogen
• Besseres Bier hat Charakter: Umfassende Vielfalt und Erhalt der Bierkultur

Die Inhaber der Brauereien waren alle selbst anwesend und standen Rede und Auskunft über Ihre Brauverfahren und Produkte. Es wurden 10 Märzen bzw. trübe Biere verkostet, was alleine schon eine besondere Herausforderung für das Team vom Achermann’s war, da jede Brauerei natürlich ihre eigenen Flaschen und eigene Gläser mitgebracht hatte.

Mit dem alljährlichen Märzen-Anstich im März und dem Weizenbier-Anstich im Sommer, haben die zehn Brauer ein echtes Eventmarketing entwickelt. Für die Besucher dieser Veranstaltungen ist es kaum zu begreifen, dass zehn Brauereien in völliger Harmonie miteinander anzapfen und ausschenken. Einblicke in die hohe Kunst des Bierbrauens werden ebenso gegeben, wie Anekdoten aus der langen Familientradition der Brauereien.

Die Idee mit Qualität aus der Region zu punkten ist nichts Neues. Ein Paradebeispiel aus Baden-Württemberg ist die Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall in Hohenlohe, die sich der ausschließlichen Produktion mit naturbelassenen Rohstoffen sowie der Erhaltung regionaler Tierrassen und Pflanzensorten verschrieben hat. Das Schwäbisch-Hällische Landschwein, auch genannt Mohrenköpfle wegen seiner Färbung mit schwarzem Kopf und schwarzem Hinterteil, ist inzwischen eine Delikatesse in württembergischen Restaurants und garantiert für eine besonders hohe Qualität des Fleisches. Vor ungefähr 20 Jahren war diese Rasse beinahe ausgestorben Diese und andere Rassen wurden von den Hohenlohern geschützt und werden inzwischen geschickt vermarktet.

Bio ist nach wie vor “in”. Der Markt für biologisch-kontrollierte Erzeugnisse wächst nach wie vor. Dabei sind Jute-Säckchen und Sandalen längst nicht mehr die erste Wahl bei den Käufern dieser hochwertigen Produkte. Vor den Filialen der spriesenden Bio-Supermarktketten stehen oft Limousinen und Sportwagen. Qualität zahlt sich nicht zuletzt geschmacklich aus und die Verbraucher sind bereit gute Qualität auch gut zu bezahlen.

Zurück zum Bier:

Mein persönliches Voting sieht das Tettnanger Bier der Kronenbrauereri, die Bräunlinger Löwenbrauerei, die Berg Brauerei Ehingen und das Josefi der Brauerei Stolz in Insy auf den Sieger-Plätzen. Bonuspunkte gehen an das Berg und das Bräunlinger Bier, wegen der besonders schönen Gläser.

Alle Infos rund um die Brauer mit Leib und Seele gibt es unter www.die-brauer-mit-leib-und-seele.de

Brewery Name and Location: Cable Car Brewing Company of Rochester, New York, USA

Name of Brew: Cable Car Small Batch Amber Ale

Style of Brew: Marzen

Purchase Info: $6.49 for 6 pack bottles.

ABV:

Ingredient Info:

Nutritional Info:

Vessel Used for Tasting: Glass beer mug.

Aroma/Olfactory: Yeasty and toffee notes.

Visuals/Appearance: Clear amber with dispersive, off-white head and weak lacing.

Taste/Flavor: Slightly malty, a bit sweet, subdued, kinda caramel notes.

Palate/Tactile: Light body and unsubstantial.

Tasting Backstory: Bought this because it was on sale. I usually stay clear of Marzens but it says Amber Ale on the bottle and I was thinking it was going to be more American Amber style. Even for a Marzen this is a crap beer. It is really missing something. It has no hoppiness and a malt profile that just does not work. Nor does it have a particularly tasty yeast strain. No wonder it was on sale.

Rating: 2.5/10

Value Rating: 3/10

Today is Mother’s Day. I’m sitting in a friend’s front garden in the Capay Valley, facing the very spot where I was married to Christine on the first of May four years ago. Just as on that Beltane there’s a clear sky, fragrant roses and honeysuckle. There’s still an olive tree shading the spot where Sam, the minister, stood as he blessed our union. There’s still the pretty dappled shade over the lawn, where Christine is sitting, painting the scene.

For myself, I am sitting in the porch drinking to the memory of my mother, and I’m doing it with a beer from my new home town of Davis, California.It’s a Märzen from the Sudwerk microbrewery in Davis, California.

Now your Märzen is traditionally drunk in the summer, having been stored in chilly caves and shaded by horse-chestnuts. Thus spake Wikipedia. In Germany, the last opportunity to drink these darker lagers was at the Oktoberfest, but nowadays we can drink practically anything at any time. The seasonal variations in beers tend to be a thing of long ago, with the possible exception of the really rich, dark Christmas puddings of winter beers.

This beer is not at all bad, quite interesting for a lager – there’s a neat hoppy bitterness to it that matches the weather almost perfectly. It’s a rich and coppery amber with an initially lively head, though it dies back quickly, leaving only a thin lacing. First impressions are of a slightly spicy nose, faintly toasty and a hint of citrus. The first taste is quite a surprise – it’s not hugely complex, but neither is it uninteresting. Instead it’s a clean, fruity flavour with a little butter, but the hops are in the forefront all the time, providing a little bitterness without being overly hopped.

Butter and bitter? Sounds odd, but it works. Add the slight toastiness and what you have is a Marmite sandwich type of a beer. I exaggerate somewhat, its not quite that dark and bitter, but it is certainly a refreshing change from the norm of pale lagers; it’s quite tasty and “more-ish”, I found myself wanting another one almost immediately. That I needed another is partly down to the thinness, relative to my normal run of fuller-bodied beers, but that lightness is part of its strength. It’s definitely a refreshing session beer rather than a refreshing specialist, drink-alone beer. With a good B- rating, I want to load up a plate of sausages and good bread and sit down with several of them. That would make for a good afternoon picnic in anyone’s garden.

Czym są? Po co i dlaczego ktoś je stworzył? Czy to tylko zwykła wizualizacja naszych myśli? A może planowanie przyszłości? Nie wiem.. nie wiem czym są, po co są, ale mnie się podobają. Sprawiają, że można.. można pomarzyć. Pomyśleć o czymś czego nie ma, o czymś co jest dla nas z jednej strony fascynujące, a z drugiej tak bardzo niedostępne. Bo czym jest marzenie? To po prostu my. W nich ukryte są nasze pragnienia, może chęć spróbowania czegoś? A gdyby to była siła ducha, otucha.. coś mega pozytywnego co daje nam energię i wiarę w to, że kiedyś może być tylko i wyłącznie tak jak my sobie tu w bani ułożymy? To po prostu nasze pragnienia? Szkoda tylko, że ten twór w którym żyjemy jest nie tylko współrealizatorem marzeń, ale także ich złodziejem. Wszystkie wydarzenia, nie tylko te tłamszone są początkiem czegoś nowego. Z każdym dniem powstają w naszej głowie kolejne marzenia, które wypierają te stare stając się dla nas jednocześnie ważniejszymi, tymi bardziej priorytetowymi. Ale nie tylko.. to również system, w którym żyjemy, ten system który poprzez to w jaki sposób jest stworzony nie pozwala nam marzeń realizować. Dlaczego? Bo marzenia są ulotne i tak samo jak szczęście przemijają, są i zaraz ich nie ma. Marzenia to twór naszej wyobraźni. Ale czy tylko? Może to jakieś nasze prywatne pożadanie? Pożądanie czegoś czego chcemy spróbować.. żeby wiedzieć czy to na pewno to czego chcieliśmy.

If you’re anything like me, the onset of fall means leaves crunching below your feet (or was that a dried profelactic washed into the gutter?), the smell of chimney smoke in the air, and the spicier beers in my Tiffany’s crystal mug.  So fire up the Oompah band, Heinrich, it’s time to strap on the suspenders and raise a glass to our German comrades…but I guess the real question is:  what the devil are we celebrating?  October?  Fall?  The end of sweat marks in our armpits?

Well, nobility actually.  And german nobility at that.  First held in Munich on October 12, 1810 to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and his buxom bride Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (try to remember THAT name while playing a game of Asshole at the Epsilon house), the festival honored the merry couple with the finest grub and grog, finally culminating in an elaborate horse race on October 17th.  And thus, the party was born:

Oktoberfest is now a sixteen-day, suds-heavy affair held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany in late September and early October.  ”Oktoberfestbiers” are the beers that have been served at the event in Munich since 1818, and are supplied by 6 breweries known as the Big Six:  Spaten, Lowenbrau, Augustiner, Hofbrau, Polaner and Hacker-Pschorr.  Tourists the world over flock to this village for a Mardi-Gras like party atmosphere to nosh on rich and hearty traditional fare like white sausage (weisswurst), knuckle of pork (haxn), potato dumplings (knodeln), roast pork (schweinsbraten) and grilled fish on a stick (steckerlfisch).  And to further rush the fat and oodles of butter through their systems, they drink the beer…and lots of it.  In 2007, the 174th Oktoberfest hosted 6.2 million visitors who drank 6.7 million liters (equivalent of 11 million pints) and ate 104 oxen.

So just what are the beers being enjoyed by the swinging beauties above?

Traditionally, Oktoberfestbiers were lagers of around 5.5 to 6% abv called “Marzen”; lager beers brewed in March and allowed to ferment slowly during the summer months.  (To “lager” a beer is to cellar it at cooler temperatures and use a bottom-fermenting yeast, leading to a lighter, milder beer.  But this is a generalization as the flavors and colors of lagers can vary greatly).  Originally done to circumvent strict German laws that did not allow brewing during the summer months, these beers are most often characterized by a medium to full body, a malty flavor balance, a wide range of colors, and a clean dry finish.  Common names for Märzen include Märzenbier, Wiener Märzen, Festbier, and Oktoberfestbier.

So, the next time you sink your teeth into a steaming pretzel from a cart across from Central Park, or pop the top on the Lowenbrau in front of the boob tube, give a wink to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen and her good man Ludwig…they’ll be watching down on you.  While noshing on a knuckle…

Sadly, tomorrow marks the last official day of the world’s largest folk festival – Oktoberfest. And unfortunately, yet another Oktoberfest has come and gone without me. I vow to make the trek to Munich for this event some day! Until then, I will live vicariously through the stories of others while sipping on some Oktoberfest-bier.

Speaking of Oktoberfest bier, although the official festival ends tomorrow – the Oktoberfest spirit still lives on through the beer! (Which should remain on store shelves for another couple of weeks!)

So, what is so special about Oktoberfest bier? Oktoberfest bier rules are similar to the Trappist beer laws in Belgium in that the beer must be brewed in a certain style within a certain location and only a few breweries can actually carry the official name “Oktoberfest.”

Authentic Oktoberfest bier is brewed only by the breweries within the city limits of Munich. There are several breweries outside of Munich, including U.S. craft breweries, that brew beers in the Oktoberfest style. Technically, they are not authentic and must be labeled Oktoberfest-style beer. (Just like how any beer brewed to emulate the Abbey ale style must be labeled Abbey-style).

And as with the Belgian Trappist beers, only a select number of breweries in Munich are officially sanctioned as Oktoberfest brewers. The official breweries of Oktoberfest include: Spaten, Löwenbräu, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr. These “Big Six” are the ONLY breweries allowed to participate in the annual Munich Oktoberfest.

The story of how Oktoberfest bier came to be is a classic story – very similar to the foundation stories of many other styles of beer. Once upon a time, the brewers of Bavaria had difficulty controlling the quality of beer in the hot summer months. A combination of heat and bacteria would cause the beers to sour and spoil.

In order to remedy this problem, Bavarian brewers resorted to two simple but effective solutions.

One solution was to increase the level of natural preservatives in the beers. They achieved this by adding more hops to the brewing process as well as increased the alcohol content of the beers by brewing them at a higher gravity.

A second solution was to change the schedule of the brewing season. After much trial and error, Bavarian brewers learned that brewing between early October and the end of March tended to produce the best tasting beer. And this is how the Märzen-Bier was born.

FYI: Märzen-Bier in German translates to March Beer in English.

In order to maintain freshness during the hot summer months, brewers stored casks of Märzen beer in cool cellars and mountain caves (in the Alps) which were often filled with blocks of ice from the winter.

The preservative qualities of possessing high alcohol and hop contents in combination with the ideal storage conditions of the mountain caves and cool cellars ensured that the beer kept well – even matured and improved as summer turned into fall!

Just like Cinderella had to be home by midnight, all of the old Märzen casks needed to be returned to the brewers by October so that they could begin brewing another years worth. And naturally, the casks needed to be empty – which meant that the last of the Märzen beer needed to be consumed.

And as fate would have it, Munich just happened to host an enormous folk fest in the world at the end of September through the beginning of October. And what better time and place to consume the last of the Märzen beers than Oktoberfest? This is how Märzen-biers became known as Oktoberfestbiers – what they are most commonly referred to as today!

Oktoberfest biers have been served at the festival in Munich since 1818. Advances in technology and the science of brewing led to the evolution of the Märzen-Oktoberfest styles. The Oktoberfest recipe was first revolutionized in 1941 by Gabriel Sedlmayr, former owner of Spatan Brewery of Munich, and Anton Dreher, former owner of the Dreher Brewery of Vienna. Together they created the first Märzen “gebraut nach Wiener Art” (brewed the Vienna way). They achieved this by adding a new, slightly caramelized, but fairly pale malt to the grist – which also lightened the color of the beer. This malt is now called Vienna malt.

Spaten Brewery went ahead and revamped the Oktoberfest recipe for a second time in 1871. Spaten helped Oktoberfest beer return back to its Munich roots by brewing it with Munich malt – a slightly darker version of the previously used Vienna malt. This “re-Bavarianized” version of Märzen-bier is the official Oktoberfest bier drank at Oktoberfest today!

The traditional style guidelines describe an amber-gold lager, robust at 5.2 to 6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), bottom-fermented and lagered for at least a month, with pronounced malt flavors from Vienna [Munich] malts, usually accented by the German noble hops such as Hallertau and Tettnang.

For more information on the history and brewing techniques of Oktoberfestbier, visit the website of the German Beer Institute!

And if you still have not gotten a chance to celebrate Oktoberfest this year – have no fear! Just go out and grab one of the big six Oktoberfest beers or one of the thousands of Oktoberfest-style beers still available today! But hurry … these beers need to be consumed by the end of autumn to make room on the shelves for the winter ales! (Need help choosing one? Try Spaten … after all, its the grand daddy of Oktoberfest-bier!)

CHEERS!

Looking back into our archives, Ayinger have a had a mixed reception between Dug and I – one awesome, one hideous… and one more to try right here with this bottle of seasonal Bavarian festival beer, a good pint-and-a-bit of Märzen that looks like it’ll fit right into my weekend of Oktoberfest beer tasting.

A smooth and gentle pour unleashes a deep burnt-orange pint of lager, much deeper in tone and colour than your regular pint of lager, of course. Well carbonated and zesty with just a tinge of pine along with the malt and hops in the taste, this Ayinger initially stacked up as a pretty strong contender in the Oktoberfest session.

But there was something weird about it too - something that left me with a definite sense of “disappointing”; a slight soapiness around the edges crept in that didn’t sit well with me at all. And no, it wasn’t my glass. Almost a “Will Buy Again”, but not quite there.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Ayinger October Fest-Märzen