Fest Bier Märzen Lager

In the days before refrigeration, brewing was difficult or impossible in the warm summer months, and March was the time a big brew was made as a supply for summer. This March or märzen beer was brewed to a fairly high gravity for protection against spoilage as it was stored away in cool cellars or caves.

At the end of the summer, when the new brewing season began, any beer left in storage was ceremoniously consumed. The pouring of this special märzen coincided with the fall harvest festival, making for one big party. The traditional German märzen is a medium-strong, reddish amber lager, with a malty body and aroma, which has been lagered, or conditioned, an unusually long time.

Our Fest Bier is offered in honor of the old ways. We brew it in the spring with German Pilsner and Vienna malts, hop it with German Hallertaus, and ferment at low temperatures with lager yeast from a monastery brewery near Munich. It ferments for weeks in our cellar, then it was moved to cold storage for further aging until its release in late summer.

The reddish Vienna malts in this beer provide a spicy sweetness and some caramel notes that perfectly complement roast or grilled chicken, pizza, or pasta with red sauce. Fest Bier is 6% alcohol by volume.

Fest Bier is available on draft for the Oktoberfest season only.
Enjoy at your local pub in September and October!

Awards
2007 - Bronze Medal, Oktoberfest (North American Brewers Awards)

Specifications
Original Gravity: 15.0 Plato (1.060)
Malts: Idaho 2-Row Brewers, CaraMunich & Melanoidin
Hops: Liberty & Simcoe
Alcohol by Volume: 6.0%

Signature Brews
Old Faithful Ale • Teton Ale • Sweetgrass APA
Bitch Creek • Howling Wolf Weisse Bier

Brewers' Series
Lost Continent Double IPA • Black Cauldron Imperial Stout
Pursuit of Hoppiness Imperial Red • Fest Bier Märzen Lager

2011 Cellar Reserve Releases
Persephone Imperial Pilsner • The Grand Saison
Wake Up Call • Coming Home Holiday Ale 2011

2010 Cellar Reserve Releases
Tail Waggin' Double White • Trout Hop Black IPA
Coming Home Holiday Ale

Past Cellar Reserve Releases
Double Vision Doppelbock • Howling Wolf Weizenbock
Pursuit of Hoppiness American Red Ale • Sheep Eater Scotch Ale

XX Sweetgrass Double IPA • XX Mountainberry Double Wheat
XX Au Naturale Double Red • XX Bitch Creek Double ESB
Mammoth Maibock • Oud Bruin Belgian Style Ale
Bone Warmer Amber Ale • Black Cauldron Imperial Stout
Paradise Pilsner • Double IPA • Scotch Ale