We begin thinking about Oktoberfest in March.

Märzen is the true, historic beer of Oktoberfest. It was Märzen, a rich, deep-amber colored lager that Münich brewers rolled out of the lagering cellars to celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese in 1810. And it was Märzen that sparked so much joy in the week leading up to the wedding that Bavarians celebrated the anniversary of the wedding with the festival that we call Oktoberfest in a tradition that has lasted over two centuries.

The word Märzen means “March” in German, and, as such, traditionally, it is brewed in March — a full six months before it is tapped during Oktoberfest — an extended lagering time indeed, and a fact that is frequently glossed over by most modern breweries (both American and German alike).

We take Oktoberfest rather seriously here at Golden Age, and, as such, we brew our Märzen in March in preparation for our late-September festival. This year, we’d like to invite you to Golden Age for the brew day, and, when our braumeister, Aaron, wraps up around 7 p.m., we’re going to tap the last remaining Märzen from last year, which we reserved in a gravity keg specifically for this occasion.

Prost!