Tasting

In the glass, a Herbstfest-Märzen shows a rich golden color and a creamy head. It smells of fresh bread and a touch of honey, feels round and malt-forward on the palate, and finishes with a light bitterness. A wheat beer from the same breweries, by contrast, shows haze, banana, and clove. Rinse the glass with cold water before pouring so the foam stays fine.

Three Rosenheim beers make for a good comparison: Auerbräu's Rosenheimer Herbstfest-Märzen at 5.6 percent, Johann Auer Kellerbier at 5.5 percent, and the Märzen that Flötzinger Brewery brews for the autumn festival. The Kellerbier is unfiltered, which makes it taste fuller and more yeast-driven.

The classic vessel is the Maß, a one-liter stein. Up until 1811, Bavaria used varying measures, which were then standardized at 1.069 liters. Only in 1871, with the founding of the German Empire, was the Maß fixed at exactly one liter.

Märzen and Festbier are best enjoyed cool, around seven degrees Celsius, so the malt notes aren't dulled by the cold. When pouring, the bartender first tilts the glass under the tap and straightens it toward the end, to build a firm head.

How much alcohol is in a Maß? At 5.6% ABV, that's roughly 56 milliliters, or about 44 grams of pure alcohol. Worth knowing when you're holding a full liter and deciding on your own pace.