Style: Märzen
All StylesStyle Profile based on 1,375 recipes
BU:GU
0.39
Hops
3.8 g/L
Mash pH
5.48
Description
An elegant, malty German amber lager with a clean, rich, toasty and bready malt flavor, restrained bitterness, and a dry finish that encourages another drink. The overall malt impression is soft, elegant, and complex, with a rich aftertaste that is never cloying or heavy. History: As the name suggests, brewed as a stronger “March beer” in March and lagered in cold caves over the summer. Modern versions trace back to the lager developed by Spaten in 1841, contemporaneous to the development of Vienna lager. However, the Märzen name is much older than 1841; the early ones were dark brown, and in Austria the name implied a strength band (14 °P) rather than a style. The German amber lager version (in the Viennese style of the time) was first served at Oktoberfest in 1872, a tradition that lasted until 1990 when the golden Festbier was adopted as the standard festival beer. Style Comparison: Not as strong and rich as a Dunkles Bock. More malt depth and richness than a Festbier, with a heavier body and slightly less hops. Less hoppy and equally malty as a Czech Amber Lager.
Examples: Buergerliches Ur-Saalfelder, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest, Paulaner Oktoberfest, Weltenburg Kloster Anno 1050
- 93% Toast (54%)
- 75% Crystal (8%)
- 66% Pilsner (39%)
- 36% Pale (35%)
% of Märzen recipes using each malt category (addition % in brackets)
g/L · median with IQR range
- 25% Hallertau Mittelfrüh
- 21% Tettnanger
- 14% Saaz (CZ)
- 12% Hallertau Taurus
- 10% Hallertauer Hersbrucker
- 8% Magnum (GR)
- 6% Hallertau (US)
- 5% Perle (GR)
- 5% Hallertau Tradition
- 4% Southern Brewer
% of Märzen recipes using each hop
g/L · median with IQR range
dated Märzen recipes with at least one dry-hop addition
- 18% Vienna Malt
- 17% Munich Malt
- 16% Pilsner (2 Row) Ger
- 11% German - Vienna
- 9% German - Pilsner
- 9% Caramunich Malt
- 6% Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
- 6% American - Vienna
- 6% Munich Malt - 10L
- 6% American - Pilsner
Colour = malt category · bar = % of recipes
- 18% Saflager Lager (W-34/70) Fermentis
- 7% Octoberfest Lager Blend (WY2633) Wyeast
- 6% Oktoberfest/Märzen Lager Yeast (WLP820) White Labs
- 5% Bavarian Lager (2206) Wyeast Labs
- 4% German Lager Yeast (WLP830) White Labs
- 3% Lutra Kveik (OYL-071) Omega
- 3% Munich Lager (2308) Wyeast Labs
- 2% German Bock Lager Yeast (WLP833) White Labs
- 2% Safale American (US-05) Fermentis
- 2% Oktoberfest (OYL-107) Omega
% of Märzen recipes using each strain
- 69% Single Infusion
- 21% Step Mash
- 10% Decoction
242 recipes with mash data
- 60 ppm Ca²⁺
- 6 ppm Mg²⁺
- 10 ppm Na⁺
- 75 ppm Cl⁻
- 55 ppm SO₄²⁻
- 100 ppm HCO₃⁻
median across recipes with a declared water profile
Similar Styles
Ranked by similarity across OG, IBU, ABV, hop rate, and grist composition.