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Why is There a Goat on my Beer Label ?May 14 '01 (Updated Oct 28 '06) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Bock beer is traditionally brewed in springtime. It's sweet, malty, and delicious!
Bock beer is a style that is usually brewed and served during the springtime. Traditionally, this seasonal style is first brewed on St. Joseph’s day, March 19, and is brewed and served up to the first day if summer. This type of beer often features a goat, on its labels and promotional advertisements. In German, the word “bock” means goat. History of Bock Beer: The origins of bock beer can be traced to the city of Einbeck, Germany. When it was first brewed, it was referred to as “Einbeck” beer. In Bavaria, when people pronounced the name “Einbeck”, it sounded more like they were saying “Ein Bock”. Eventually, this style of beer was referred to as just “bock”. One common myth about bock beer is that it’s brewed using the leftover malt sludge at the bottom of the fermenting tanks. This myth started because, since bock was a springtime beer and springtime was a time to clean out the brewing vessels, it was assumed that bock was probably brewed with the leftover malt that was present from the previous years’ brewing activities. Rather than waste this malt, the legend developed that brewers used it to make bock beer. This is an old myth and there is no truth to it at all. Characteristics of Bock Beer: Bock beer is brewed in the tradition of a lager, using bottom- fermenting yeast. Bock is usually full- bodied and dark, ranging from brown to alomst black in color. There is usually very little in the way of hop character to this style of beer. The hop bitterness level ranges from 20 to 35 in most bock beers, which would normally produce a somewhat noticeable level of bitterness. But with bock beer, it doesn’t taste bitter because the malty sweetness is so dominant. Bock can sometimes exhibit a wide array of flavors, from one brewer to the next. It can be chocolatey, roasty, smoky, etc. In the United States, craft brewers don’t brew much bock, but those that do have often been very creative, producing some very interesting flavors. Types of Bock: There are four popular types of bock beer: Traditional Bock, Maibock, Doppelbock, and Eisbock. Maibock is brewed by taking traditional bock and infusing it with more finishing hops, giving the finished product a little more bitterness and more balance than traditional bock. Doppelbock is an extra- strength version of bock, with a higher alcohol content and more intense flavors than ordinary bock. Eisbock is even stronger still, brewed using the “ice” process, which involves freezing doppelbock and then removing the ice crystals. The remaining beer therefore has a higher alcohol concentration because a portion of water has been removed. Some Good Brands of Bock Beer: A good bock is often difficult to find! Few craft brewers produce any bock beer at all, and the few that do produce bock only do so for three months each year. For those of us who love this style, we are often frustrated when we reach the beer isle because there is often no bock beer at all. On a recent trip to a local grocery store, I scanned the beer isle back and forth, looking for some bock beer. This particular store has a pretty good beer selection, for a grocery, with more than 100 different selections. And, since it’s currently springtime, I thought I would find at least one bock beer on the shelves. Much to my dismay, there were none at all! I had to drive to a specialty beverage store, to find some bock beer. Some of the better bock beers on the market would include Sierra Nevada Pale Bock, August Schell Bock, Oldenberg Bock, Shiner Bock, Hacker- Pschorr Weisse Bock, and Paulener Bock (actually a doppelbock). The latter two are brewed in Germany while the remaining are brewed in the United States by craft brewers. Final Thoughts: Bock beer is one of my favorite seasonals. Actually, it’s a style that I could easily drink anytime of the year. It’s a good beer to drink when you’re in the mood for a sweeter, maltier beer without all the hop bitterness. I would like to see bock become more popular and more readily available. It shouldn’t be so difficult to find a bock beer, particularly when it’s in season, like it is right now. If you live close to a microbrewery or brewpub that happens to offer a bock beer, I recommend buying your bock beer there, rather than in a store. The freshly brewed bock is the best and it often has more character than the store brands. I will enjoy my bock beer while I can. There are only a few weeks of springtime left to purchase this delicious style of beer, while its still in season. Yes, you can still buy some of the imported bock beers all year long. But many of the American craft- brewers will only be brewing bock for a short time each year. Get your bock while there’s still time. Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Advice on Other Beer Types: What Should You Know About Pilsner Beers What Should You Know About Blonde Beers What Should You Know about Dunkles Beers What Should You Know About Black & Tan Beers What Should You Know About Porter Beers What Should You Know About Stout Beers What Should You Know About IPA Beers What Should You Know About Wheat Beers What Should You Know About Doppelbock Beers What Should You Know About Ale Beers What Should You Know About Lager Beers  |
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