Scan Magazine
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Lifestyle
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Columns
Scandinavian Lifestyle In honour of Oktoberfest, have a Märzen or Festbier By Malin Norman
Summer is slowly coming to an end, which means that Oktoberfest is just around the corner. The 187th edition of the world’s largest folk festival takes place in Munich from 17 September to 3 October. Originally a celebration of the wedding between Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810, Oktoberfest now attracts millions of visitors every year who come to enjoy the fair, the parade and, of course, the giant beer tents. Did you know that the festival beer, Oktoberfestbier, can only be served by breweries located within the city of Munich? This means that only six breweries can sell their beer at Oktoberfest; Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten. Many breweries around the world make
Oktoberfest-style beer though, so you will not miss out! To meet consumer preferences, the typical beer served at Oktoberfest has changed over the years. Märzen, an amber-coloured, rich malty lager, was the standard festival beer style until 1990. Traditionally brewed in spring (‘Märzen’ means ‘March’), the beer was lagered in cold caves during the summer months to be consumed in autumn. Since 1990, the majority of the beer served at Oktoberfest is of the more modern style called Festbier, a golden version of Märzen with a lighter, toasted character and less intensity overall. It’s a smoother, more drinkable beer to be enjoyed by the litre in the packed beer tents. In honour of Oktoberfest, lots of festivals take place around the world – like
Scandinavia’s biggest Oktoberfest event in Oslo, Norway. Why not join in the celebrations with a delicious Märzen or Festbier?
Malin Norman is a certified beer sommelier, beer judge and member of the British Guild of Beer Writers. She writes about beer for Scan Magazine and international beer magazines.
Thoughts on necessity By Alejandra Cerda Ojensa
Food prices have gone up due to unstable war times, and many have changed their consumption habits. When a Swedish radio station asked shoppers in a grocery store about changed habits, they replied that they only shop for what they really need, and look at offers more now than previously. I’ve made the same changes in my household. I shop less and often choose the cheapest alternative. As a sustainable columnist and content creator, I’ve tried to be mindful of my consumption for many years, and I’ve guilt-tripped myself into feeling that I should be making more from scratch, because that’s what sustainable influencers do, right? We bake fresh bread, brew kombucha and eat homegrown tomatoes, beautifully positioned on our sandwiches for that ‘Instagram moment’.
Last week, as I was roasting granola in the oven, I started thinking of other things I could do from scratch: make oat milk, rye bread, or healthy snack bars. I started debating with myself: what’s the most sustainable thing to do? On one hand, I could choose to support the local bakery by buying their bread despite the increased prices, or I could do it all myself. Then the following question came up: how much is a city-person like myself willing to change their habits? I sure love making my own bread or, should I say, I sure love eating homebaked bread. That said, I honestly hate to clean up the mess after my creative trying-to-be-wholesome-and-sustainable-sessions in the kitchen – including the jars I just had to clean, after a failed attempt to make kombucha. I might just have to deal with it if the prices don’t go down anytime soon. Good for content, I guess.
Alejandra Cerda Ojensa is a Swedish sustainability blogger based in Copenhagen. She loves sustainable fashion, plant-based food, natural wines and music, and writes a column for Scan Magazine about sustainable lifestyle. Instagram: alejandracerda.co
September 2022 |
Issue 146 |
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