Spaten Oktoberfest: Wheat Beer Or Not?

Spaten Oktoberfest is an amber-coloured, medium-bodied beer with a rich, textured palate and an underlying sweetness. It is considered the world's first Oktoberfest beer, created in 1872 by Spaten Brewery in Munich, Germany. With a history dating back to 1397, Spaten is one of six breweries allowed to serve beer at Munich's Oktoberfest. The beer has a balanced flavour profile, combining roasted malt and hops, resulting in a slightly hoppy taste with a hint of caramel. While it is described as a Märzen/Oktoberfest-style beer, it is important to note that the German version is paler and golden, differing from the darker Märzen beer sold in the US and elsewhere as Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen.

Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen is a medium amber-coloured beer

The Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen has a rich, textured palate with an underlying sweetness that is true to tradition. It is a medium-bodied beer with a well-balanced taste, achieving a perfect harmony between roasted malt flavour and hops. The hops provide a slight bitterness and a crisp finish. The beer has a low-medium body and slightly higher carbonation, creating a slight quickness on the palate.

The aroma of the beer has a hint of skunkiness due to the green bottle, but also offers sweet-graininess, light toast, nuttiness, and a splash of apple-like fruitness. Some tasters have also noted grassy hop aromas and caramel hints. The mouthfeel is slightly watery, with a low-medium body.

Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen is a nice burnished bronze colour with superb clarity, allowing you to see through its liquid depths. It has medium-low carbonation and forms a single finger of off-white small bubbled head that quickly disappears. Overall, it is an easy-drinking beer with a pleasant sweetness and adequate bitterness.

It is a Märzen/Oktoberfest style beer

Spaten Oktoberfest is a Märzen/Oktoberfest style beer. It is a medium-bodied, medium amber-coloured beer with a slightly hoppy taste and an ABV of 5.9%. It is described as having a "creamy aroma and pleasant malt accent".

The Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu brewery has deep ties to Oktoberfest. In 1817, Gabriel Sedlmayr bought the brewery and it was his son, Gabriel II, who created the modern Märzen/Oktoberfest style. In 1872, he released this light amber lager after experimenting with a new English kilning process. This new process produced the lightly kilned malt we now know as Munich.

The Spaten Oktoberfest retains the “Ur Marzën” label to this day. It is a nice burnished bronze colour with superb clarity, and medium-low amounts of carbonation. The aroma has a bit of skunkiness due to the green bottle, with some sweet-graininess, light toast, nuttiness, a splash of apple-like fruitness, and hints of caramel. The body is low-medium and slightly watery, with a slight quickness on the palate. There is a subtle taste of bread, toast, and caramel, with a touch of grassy hop flavour and a medium-low bitterness.

Spaten Oktoberfest is a great example of the Märzen/Oktoberfest style and is best paired with German foods.

It has an ABV of 5.9% and 23 IBUs

Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen is a German Märzen/Oktoberfest style beer. It has an ABV of 5.9% and 23 IBUs. This iconic beer is one of six breweries allowed to serve beer at Munich's Oktoberfest. It is a medium-bodied, medium amber-coloured beer with a creamy aroma and pleasant malt accent. It is slightly hoppy, with a well-balanced, smooth and complex taste.

The beer has a beautiful deep golden colour and forms a cream-coloured head. It has a comforting caramel malt sweetness and a touch of dry roastiness. It is also described as having a "crisp start" and "caramel notes".

Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen is a well-rounded, enjoyable beer. It is slightly hoppy with moderate carbonation and a good feel. The bitterness lingers well into the aftertaste.

Overall, this beer is a festival in a bottle. It is a classic, historic beer that is a staple in Munich and a great choice for Oktoberfest celebrations.

It is best paired with German foods

Spaten Oktoberfest is a Märzen/Oktoberfest-style beer. It is best paired with German foods, such as those served at the world-famous Oktoberfest festival in Munich. Natives often say that to drink beer like a German, one must eat like a German.

• Hendl (Roast Chicken): In Munich, it is common to find roast chicken at Oktoberfest. The slightly hoppy notes of Spaten Oktoberfest can cut through the char of the chicken, making it a refreshing pairing.
• Schweinebraten (Roast Pork): This classic Bavarian dish is traditionally roasted with dark beer and onions. The more decadent, maltier flavours of Spaten Oktoberfest would complement this dish well.
• Schweinshaxe (Roast Ham Hock or Pork Knuckle): Another Bavarian favourite, Schweinshaxe is a hearty dish of roasted pork hock or pig knuckle served with boiled dumplings and a light gravy. The golden, lightly bitter Spaten Oktoberfest can lighten and refresh this rich dish.
• Würstl (Bavarian Sausages): Würstl is a variety of classic Bavarian sausages, often served with bacon and apple sauerkraut. The crisp, slightly hoppier notes of Spaten Oktoberfest can provide a refreshing contrast to this savoury dish.
• Pretzels: Soft pretzels are a must-have at any Oktoberfest celebration and pair perfectly with German beer. The richer, more malt-forward flavour of Spaten Oktoberfest can stand up to the salty, chewy pretzel.
• Käsespätzle (Cheese Noodles): This is a cheesy version of spätzle, a traditional German egg noodle. The rich, buttery flavours of Käsespätzle can be balanced by the sharper, more herbaceous notes of Spaten Oktoberfest.
• Reiberdatschi (Potato Pancakes): These crispy potato pancakes, similar to latkes, are a classic Oktoberfest dish. The savoury, oily flavour of the potato pancakes can be cut through by the refreshing, crisp lager notes of Spaten Oktoberfest.

It is one of six breweries allowed to serve beer at Munich's Oktoberfest

Spaten Oktoberfest is a German Märzen-style beer, which is a medium amber colour and slightly hoppy. It is described as having a creamy aroma and a pleasant malt accent. It has an ABV of 5.9% and pairs well with German foods.

Spaten Oktoberfest is also known as the world's first Oktoberfest beer. It was invented by Gabriel Sedlmaier, the Spaten brewmaster at the first Münchener Oktoberfest. The white GS in the red Spaten logo shield honours Sedlmaier.

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu is one of only six breweries allowed to serve beer at Munich's Oktoberfest. The beer served at the festival is a golden Festbier, which is different from the darker Märzen beer sold in the US and elsewhere as Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen.

Frequently asked questions