It’s only March, but the pros are already thinking about Oktoberfest. Tips on making this delicious festbier.

Before Czechoslovakia became home of the light Pilsners, it was in the dark. Learn how to brew a Bohemian Dunkel -- the beer that was king before Czechs "saw the light."

For a paler version of this beer, you can substitute the 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of Munich malt with 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) each of Munich and Vienna malt. Another way of “playing” with the brew’s color is to use Munich malts of different color ratings. Munich malts are available in colors between roughly 5 and 20 degrees Lovibond.

A clone recipe for this classic German lager from Milwaukee.

Märzenbier was traditionally the last big brew of the spring, made in March and saved for fall as the first beer of the new season. Märzens were stored in cool cellars during the hot summer months in the days before modern refrigeration and other technologies, so they may have been the first true lagers. They also became known as Oktoberfests when they became the traditional beverage for fall harvest festivals.

Good festbiers to try: Paulaner, Spaten and Hacker-Pschorr (Munich, Germany); Hübsch Märzen (Davis, California); Stoudt’s Festbier (Adamstown, Pennsylvania).

This is an Oktoberfest-style ale with a lovely, toasty flavor underlying the hops and the rich maltiness.

This beer was first brewed commercially by Douglas City Brewing in the late 1800s and later by Geoff Larson, who in 1986 founded his Alaskan Brewing Company. His amber has won a slew of awards since then, including several Great American Beer Festival medals and a first-place finish at the 1996 World Beer Championships.

Alaskan Amber is an altbier, more in the Münster tradition than the Düsseldorfer (in other words, it's sweeter, richer, less bitter and less dry).