My last post explored the origins of Oktoberfestbiers and Märzens and talked about the origins of the famous festival that begins this week in Germany. I finished with a quick roundup of some of the brilliant Oktoberfest beers that are available in the U.S., and in many ways I think that should have been the point of that post -- American craft brewers’ ability to take traditional styles and create beer that bests the brewers of the beer’s country of origin. In other words, I propose that American brewers are brewing better traditional Oktoberfest/Märzen beers than many brewers in Germany.

Looking at the list of officially recognized Oktoberfest/Märzen, the ones served at the Munich festival tents, only one remains independent (Augustiner-Bräu). The rest are part of global conglomerates or holding companies, ABInBev or Paulaner, and are produced like all other macro beers in the world. Thinking about it this way, Spaten and Lowenbrau, et al., while they may taste a bit better, are no different than Becks, Heineken, or dare I say Budweiser. I can hear the screams of "Reinheitsgebot" as I type this and I'd remind you that Vorläufiges Biergesetz of 1993 and E.U. law has superseded Reinheitsgebot and term has become primarily a marketing gimmick for exported beers. Ultimately a macro is a macro and the beer the conglomerates produce is brewed for profit not taste.