Oktoberfest is a Bavarian festival.
Märzen bier is the main amber lager of to Oktoberfest that originated in Bavaria and can be translated to “March beer.” (In October.. and Oktoberfest is also in September..).
Oktoberfest is an agricultural celebration of the last harvest before summer. Märzen was brewed in March, laid down in casks during the summer, and aged to be ready for the celebration – thus March Beer now makes sense.
Marz Eldriige of Mini Okt Brewery quoted, “Before you plant your fields in the summer, you should brew one last beer for the year, and that is in March, so come September, you get to celebrate that you’ve brought in the harvest.”
Oktoberfest now includes stein-hoisting, pretzels, and lederhosen. However, the original Oktoberfest party was a little different, there were weddings and horse races. Full on Farmer.
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810 (so actually in October, now explaining the name as well as the March Beer), when Crown Prince Ludwig got engaged to Princess Therese (no not Game of Thrones) of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. They turned the wedding into a public event, inviting the people of Munich to come to the fields in front of the city gates and celebrate the union.
The party went on for days and included free food and beer flowed throughout the city. The beer was darker and maltier, more like a Munich dunkel.
The Beer of the Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest party goers were eventually forced to switch to a more Vienna-style lager in the late 1800s when Munich breweries ran out of the darker lager.
The hangovers aren’t as bad as other beers, it doesn’t go flat until the very end and is easy to drink. So even though the beers are massive, even though you may not be a heavy drinker,you will suffice.
More Oktoberfest info: https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/magazine/tradition/the-history-of-oktoberfest
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