Märzen Bee

In March, our little mason bees begin their work, gathering up pollen and sequestering it in their nests as food for their young. They carefully lay their eggs and seal up the nest with a plug of mud. Over the summer, the tiny larvae will mature into fully grown bees.

Meanwhile traditional Bavarian brewers were also hard at work, toiling over one of their most famous brews: Märzenbier. Brewed each March, they would lay down casks of this strong, malty lager in subterranean caves to mature over the summer.

By September, it’s finally harvest time! We bring in the mature mason bees from the wild to protect them until next March, and our Bavarian brethren rolled out their well-lagered casks for Oktoberfest!

For over a century and a half, Märzenbier was the signature beer of Oktoberfest, brewed at half a dozen lagerbrauerei within the Munich city limits. But over the last 30 years, the beer served on the Theresienwiese has faded lighter and lighter. Modern festbier is now a pale echo of beers past.

We brew Märzen Bee for the Oktoberfest season with all the gusto of the traditional Märzenbier. Crisp and malty, it starts with a hearty base of authentic Munich malt shipped all the way from Bavaria. We layer in Vienna and Pilsner malts, even a touch of chocolate malt, to add depth to the flavor profile with a nutty note and a touch of delicate brightness.

Once it’s brewed, we ferment this one low and slow with a traditional Bavarian lager yeast. As with Märzenbier of yore, we give the yeast plenty of time to work its magic, refining the beer into its most elegant form.

Full throated yet eminently drinkable, Märzen Bee is the epitome of Oktoberfest lager. Strap on your lederhosen or lace up your dirndl, and hoist a stein with us to celebrate the harvest and centuries of brewing tradition.