When Smuttynose Brewing Co. opened its new brewery back in May of 2014, they had installed a world class, state of the art German brewhouse fabricated by Steinecker. The system, while incredibly flexible, is especially adept at brewing lagers. This year, Smuttynose decided to graduate the incredibly well-recived 2015 Smuttlabs Oktoberfest into a new counterpart to their Pumpkin Ale seasonal. This Oktoberfest is a classic, true-to-style Oktoberfest beer, aka Märzen. This style dates back to the 16th century when German brewers brewed darker versions than what you see today. They were, and continue to be, slightly stronger and hoppier than their golden-hued cousins and were meant to withstand a few months of cellaring during the summer months when, due to lagers predilection for the cold, it was more difficult to brew beer. By the end of September, during the late-summer harvest, temperatures had cooled off enough and any remaining bottles of Märzen were consumed during the classic Oktoberfest celebrations. While Smuttynose hopes you can make it to the brewery for their Oktoberfest party, they, at the very least, hope you enjoy their nod to the rich history of German beer and its attendant culture. Prost!