It's beer season: Oktoberfest

Part 1 of a multi-part homage to beer

As a kid, I marked the passage of time with holidays - they were the essence what I looked forward to each season. I couldn't think of the summer without visions of fireworks and the 4th of July. The fall for me meant Halloween and trick or treating.

Nowadays, as the anticipation for each new season builds, my thoughts still turn towards the holidays, but also to beer. Autumn still conjures up the scent of falling leaves and the sight of bright orange jack-o-lanterns, but also the taste of a good Oktoberfest lager.

Oktoberfest beers are my preferred style, so I thought I'd share a bit of history and a few of my personal favorites. As each new season approaches, I'll do the same with winter warmers, wheat beers and other timely brews that keep my taste buds tingling and my waistline bulging.

(An aside: In Lethal Weapon 2, Danny Glover warns that if you "cut the fat, you kill the burger". I feel the same way about beer - light beer is for vag, unless you're planning on drinking more than 5. Even then, you're concern should be about the "less filling" aspect of light beers, and not the caloric savings. Be a man for Pete's sake!).

History

On October 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and threw a raging party with 40,000 guests that lasted 2 weeks. During that time, the consumed 40,000 chickens, 80,000 pork sausages, and 1,000,000 gallons of beer.

(note the ratio: I try to consume 1/2 chicken, 1 nice pork sausage, and 10 beers at every BBQ I go to). Six Munich breweries were invited to brew a special beer just for the wedding. Löwenbräu, Spaten, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr, all brought their version of a märzen, a slightly dark, copper beer with very mild hoppiness. It is served in a one-liter-tankard, ein Mass (seen in the hand of the little filly on the right).

The beer
Before refrigeration, it was nearly impossible to brew beer in the summer. The hot weather caused out of control fermentation and bacterial infections.

Brewers realized that if they stored the beers underground where it's colder, they would keep for longer, and they would have something ready to drink at the start of football season! Some of the slow acting yeasts that fermented at lower temperatures responded well to this process, referred to as lagering.

March was the last month in which it was possible the brew bottom-fermented beer (hence, märzen). It has a higher alcohol content to help preserve it through summer, and a rich amber hue from the use of lighter malts. This is the style of beer that was served at Ludwig's wedding. Amazingly, the original brewers in 1810 got it so damn right that they're still the best Oktoberfest beers made to this day.

My favorites
These are, in my opinion, the best examples of this style of beer around right now:

#1 Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
#2 Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen
#3 Victory Festbier
#4 Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Märzen
#5 Spaten Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen

Special mention goes to  Gordon Biersch Märzen. I was in Palo Alto this week for work, and had the pleasure of stopping in at the Gordon Biersch brewery. I have to say that next to the Victory selection, this is one of the best Märzen-style American beers that I've tasted.

Comments

[Dave R.]

Ayinger does make a great Marzen. Fest beers are big out here in the Midwest..I'm not sure if you get them back East, but you should definitely try the Fest beers from Dark Horse (Michigan), Avery (California I think), Rogue (Oregon) and New Glarus (Wisconsin). I just tried the Victory Festbier for the first time and I was really impressed. They make good stuff there.

[kylemo]

Thanks Dave! I'm a big fan of anything Rogue does, and we get a lot of that out here, so I'll be sure to pick some up.

Not sure if I have access to the others but I'll keep an eye out!

[Bill]

Next time your in SF Rogue has a pub in North Beach at Washington Square. The last time I had Fest Beer at Gordon Beirsch I threw up garlic fries all over. Boy I miss SF

[brimo]

The chick in the picture looks like Jenna Bush. Maybe a slightly more attractive version - like a cross between her and Joey Lauren Adams.

Lastly - you are such a beer snob. I can't believe we are brothers sometimes. You know what I drink in October - same as what I drink in March...that would be the king of beers, Lady Budweiser. If you don't believe me about the virtues of it, re-read that last sentence, but attach the voice of George Clooney to it.

[kylemo]

Jenna Bush is a homely pig compared to that little German sprite