Märzen beers are gold to dark amber in color and range from 5-6.5% in alcohol. These beers are characterized by a fuller-body, sweet toasted and toffee malt flavors and subtle hop character. These beers are malt-forward with flavors and aromas derived from Munich and Vienna malts. Closely related to the Vienna style, märzen-style lagers were originally brewed by Bavarian brewers in March to last through the fall. First officially introduced by Spaten Brewery at the 1841 Oktoberfest, märzen style beers have been linked to this celebration ever since. With only a few select breweries legally permitted to use the term Oktoberfest in Germany, the term “Octoberfest” has been adopted by US craft brewers for märzen style seasonal releases that coincide with the German festival. Noteworthy examples of this style included: Capital Oktoberfest, Great Lake Octoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest and Ayinger Oktoberfest-Märzen.