LOCKDOWNS amid concerns over infections are nothing new, even in the beer world. As many of us work from home, or simply don’t work at all, spare a thought for the Bavarian beer makers of the 16th century who were forced to totally shut down between the months of April and September every year.
This brewery lockdown came in the form of a decree by Bavarian ruler Duke Albrecht V. The fear was that making beer during the hot summer months would heighten the chances of the beer being spoiled by airborne bacteria.
So, the rush was on in March to get as much beer brewed and stored – or lagered – as possible so that it would be ready for the great annual shindig that was Oktoberfest.
This led to the development of a style known as marzenbier or March beer. A marzen was normally brewed slightly stronger than the other lagers to see it through the long, cool storage period and it’s a beer that shares many characteristics with a Vienna lager.
A marzen beer is usually an amber colour and contains Munich malt, the standard malt for lagers and pilsners, as well as Hallertau hops, another staple of German and Austrian lagers.
However, one Irish brewer has given this centuries-old beer style a twist. Galway Bay’s Marzen To The Fire is a smoked marzen, borrowing elements from another well-establish German style, rauchbier.
In Marzen To The Fire, they have roasted some malt, chucked in the ubiquitous Munich malt, and a few others too, brewed the beer and then let it stretch its legs out and take a nice, long soak for a few months.
The result is a beer which gives off subtle smoky and roasty aromas. The label on the 440ml can it is a copper colour, but in the glass it’s edging closer towards mahogany for me.
There’s obviously a smoky taste on the palate, but it’s not overpowering and sits well with the smoothness of the beer, the result of an extended maturation period. It’s a beautifully balanced beer, with none of the different elements dominating the others.
There’s a little hint of spice too, but a little bit of sweet malt pushing through too and it’s all pretty manageable at 5.5 per cent. Would be great to wash down a nice bratwurst or some mild, creamy cheese.
