märzen

plural märzens

1. countableuncountableA lager originating in Bavaria, which has a medium to full body and may vary in color from pale through amber to dark brown and is traditionally served at the Munich Oktoberfest.

   Hazy on the eye and full of fruity esters, much of kellerbier’s colour (similar to a märzen) and body comes from caramelised malt, while a healthy hopping gives the beer its quenching crisp dryness and sprightly aromatics.

   2009, World’s Best Beers: 1000 Unmissable Brews from Portland to Prague, Jacqui Small

   2 more examples

   For all of the Oktoberfests to be found around the land, there is still precious little märzen being brewed in North America’s microbreweries. This paucity of märzen is a shame, too, because it is the ideal beer style for the season and is especially appropriate for Oktoberfest celebrations.

   1995, Stephen Beaumont, A Taste for Beer, page 76

   Märzens have become lighter in recent years, looking more like pilsners than the autumnal-hued beauties they once were. For a rich, traditional märzen, consider a base of pilsner malt with up to 50 percent Munich or a blend of Munich, Vienna, and pilsner.

   2017, Jeff Alworth, The Secrets of Master Brewers: Techniques, Traditions, and Homebrew Recipes for 26 of the World’s Classic Beer Styles, Storey Publishing, page 79

   Synonyms: märzenbier