Münchner Oktoberfestbier

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Münchner Oktoberfestbier® is a strong, bottom fermented lager brewed by Munich, Germany breweries solely for the Oktoberfest.

Contents 1 Description 1.1 Historical background 1.2 Style notes 1.3 Producers 2 External links 3 References

[edit] Description

This style has a fairly high ABV, is very full-bodied, exhibits subtle hop bitterness and a slightly sweet flavor with malty undertones. It is always filtered.

Authentic Münchner Oktoberfestbier® is brewed only in Munich specifically for the München Oktoberfest; it is only available in Munich during the München Oktoberfest.

Various American domestic and imported Oktoberfest Beers are marketed in the United States and elsewhere. Most of these beers are stylistically Märzens.

Beer styles related to Oktoberfestbier include:

• Helles
• Vienna lager
• Märzen

[edit] Historical background

The Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Landwirtschaft und Forsten suggests a historical background of the style:

  Münchner Oktoberfestbier was first served in 1810 at the first Munich Oktoberfest. Prior to the invention of the cooling machine by Carl Linde in 1876, March was the last month in which it was possible the brew bottom-fermented beer before the hot summer. This is because a temperature of 6 to 10°C is necessary for fermentation with bottom-fermenting yeast. This last March beer of the year was always brewed to be somewhat stronger, stored until the autumn and drunk at the festivals. In this way, a beer speciality was created in Munich which is now sold outside of the Oktoberfest, the so-called “Wies’n”, and bottled but which is only sold during the period of the Oktoberfest.

—Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Special Regional Beers^[1]

[edit] Style notes

Oktoberfestbier is a Märzen with a minimum original gravity of 13.5º Plato.

According to Deutscher Brauer Bund - translated from German

Märzen — Märzen is classified as a "Strong Full Beer" and should not be confused with "Strong Beer". Pale or dark Märzen, as the name indicates, is traditionally brewed in Bavaria in the month of March with high alcoholic strength to preserve it through the warmer summer months to end of the brewing season. Original Gravity ºPlato: min. 13 °Plato - Oktoberfestbier® min. 13.5 °Plato Region: Predominant in Bavaria and Baden Württemberg Classification: Full Beer ABV: 4.8% - 5.6% Type: Bottom Fermented Characteristics: Soft, ambertones, rich body, strong, mild hop bitterness Optimal Drinking Temperature: 8 - 9° Celsius [2]

[edit] Producers

Colloquially referred to as "The Big Six," the following breweries are authentic Münchner Oktoberfestbier®:

• Augustinerbräu
• Hacker-Pschorr
• Hofbräuhaus
• Löwenbräu
• Paulaner
• Spaten

In the past, up to two dozen Munich Breweries brewed this style.

[edit] External links

• Beer profile from BeerAdvocate.com

[edit] References

1. ^ Regionaltypische Spezialitäten. Münchner Oktoberfestbier. Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Landwirtschaft und Forsten. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
2. ^ Bierspezialitäten. Märzen. Deutscher Brauer Bund. Retrieved on 2006-11-02.