In our previous article we told you about the curious origin of the Marzen beer style: a beer called March and drunk in October, which was born in Munich, but was registered in Vienna and which became thanks to the wedding of a prince.
Surely after knowing all these historical curiosities you have been wanting to know more about this typical German style. Go for it.
How is the Marzen style?
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The color of this beer varies between orangey and coppery amber. It has a very good transparency and generally an interesting off-white head with good retention.
- The aroma shows a richness of clean and intense nuances of malt. These aromas are sometimes reminiscent of toasted bread or a bread crust. You can also find light notes of biscuit or caramel. Like good lagers , they do not usually have noticeable hop aromas. In some cases, alcohol in the nose is perceptible (but always moderate).
- In the mouth, the strength of the alcohol must remain hidden, except at the end of the drink in the throat where a slight sensation of heat may appear. The Marzen are characterized by a dry profile, nothing cloying or sweet. Its carbonation is medium-moderate and its body must also have a medium consistency. Its texture on the palate is quite smooth and creamy, which makes the mouthfeel more complete.
- At the beginning of the drink, it may seem a bit sweet, but this flavor should quickly transform into something more complex, closer to toast. For its part, the hop flavor should be low or none and only moderate bitterness.
How is a Marzen beer brewed?
Typically, a Märzen is brewed with a combination of Munich, Pale, or Pilsner malts and Vienna malt. The water used is usually soft with low mineralization.
The brewers who originally brewed Märzen performed a decoction mash, which required a great deal of practice and strict control of the process. Fortunately, with the modified malts available today, it is not necessary to resort to this technique, which required a lot of experience.
Hops, despite not being very present sensorially, are of great importance for the style. Without them, the final beer would taste too sweet, but brewers must also control the amounts and timing of hop additions to avoid making the beer too hoppy.
Pairing with the Marzen style (and 3 recommendations)
The pairings that worked very well are the typical dishes of Bavarian gastronomy, especially those made up of the traditional smoked sausages, bratwurst, bockwurst. But if you don't have this type of sausage, any sausage derived from pork is interesting. The important thing is that it is a tasty and high-fat meat.
For accompaniments, the same logic should be followed: sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, or any butter-based sauce. They also go very well with cheeses, especially baked provolone.
In our store you can find several beers of this style. For example, this Yakka Type Märzen Lager Bock , which following the typical German purity laws, achieves a perfect recipe. If you fancy trying an award-winning Marzen, we recommend the Althaia Mediterranean Märzen Sin Gluten , which won the Silver Medal at the Barcelona Beer Challenge 2022. And finally, another option if you are celiac or simply restrict your gluten, in this style You can find several gluten free recipes , such as the Vagamar Gayaspera Märzen .