Bock
Encyclopedia
Originally a dark beer, a modern bock can range from light copper to brown in colour. The style is very popular, with many examples brewed internationally.
History
The style known now as bock was a dark, malty, lightly hopped aleAle
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
first brewed in the 14th century by German brewers in the Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
town of Einbeck
Einbeck
Einbeck is a town in the district Northeim, in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the German Timber-Frame Road.-Economy:Einbeck is famous for its 600 year old beer brewery, home of Einbecker Bier, the origin for the term Bock beer...
. The style from Einbeck was later adopted by Munich brewers in the 17th century and adapted to the new lager
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
style of brewing. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced "Einbeck" as "ein Bock" ("a billy goat"), and thus the beer became known as "bock". To this day, as a visual pun, a goat often appears on bock labels.
Bock is historically associated with special occasions, often religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter or Lent. Bocks have a long history of being brewed and consumed by Bavarian monks as a source of nutrition during times of fasting.
The styles of bock
Traditional bock
Traditional bock is a sweet, relatively strong (6.3%–7.2% by volume), lightly hopped (20-27 IBUs) lager. The beer should be clear, and colour can range from light copper to brown, with a bountiful and persistent off-white head. The aroma should be malty and toasty, possibly with hints of alcohol, but no detectable hops or fruitiness. The mouthfeel is smooth, with low to moderate carbonation and no astringency. The taste is rich and toasty, sometimes with a bit of caramel. Again, hop presence is low to undetectable, providing just enough bitterness so that the sweetness is not cloying and the aftertaste is muted. The following commercial products are indicative of the style: Einbecker Ur-Bock Dunkel, Pennsylvania BrewingPenn Brewery
Penn Brewery, also known as the Pennsylvania Brewing Company, is a brewery and restaurant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Tom Pastorius in 1986, and is located at 800 Vinial Street in the Troy Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, on the site of the former Eberhardt and Ober Brewery...
St. Nick Bock, Aass
AASS
Alpha-aminoadipic semialdehyde synthase, mitochondrial is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the AASS gene.-Further reading:...
Bock, Great Lakes
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Great Lakes Brewing Company is a Cleveland, Ohio-based regional brewery and brewpub, which has been in operation since 1988. The brewery has been cited as important to Cleveland's local identity. As of 2010, it is the 22nd largest craft brewery and 31st largest overall brewery in the United States...
Rockefeller Bock, Stegmaier Brewhouse Bock.
Maibock or helles bock
The maibock style is a helles lager brewed to bock strength, therefore still as strong as traditional bock, but lighter in colour and with more hop presence. It is a fairly recent development compared to other styles of bock beers, frequently associated with springtime and the month of May. Colour can range from deep gold to light amber with a large, creamy, persistent white head, and moderate to moderately high carbonation, while alcohol content ranges from 6.3% to 7.4% by volume. The flavour is typically less malty than a traditional bock, and may be drier, hoppier, and more bitter, but still with a relatively low hop flavour, with a mild spicy or peppery quality from the hops, increased carbonation and alcohol content. The following commercial products are indicative of the style: Ayinger Maibock, Mahr’s Bock, Hacker-Pschorr Hubertus Bock, Capital Maibock, Einbecker Mai-Urbock, HofbräuHofbräu
Hofbräu may refer to:* Hofbräu Bamberg* Cölner Hofbräu Früh, a brewery in Cologne* Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München , a brewery in Munich** Hofbräu-Festzelt, the largest beer tent of the Oktoberfest in Munich** Hofbräuhaus am Platzl...
Maibock, Victory
Victory Brewing Company
Victory Brewing Company is a brewery founded in 1996 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA. The main brands are HopDevil, Prima Pils, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey and Storm King, which are distributed in 30 states. Victory Brewing is located at 420 Acorn Lane Downingtown, Pennsylvania 19335...
St. Boisterous, Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock, Smuttynose
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Smuttynose Brewing Company is a craft microbrewery that was founded in 1994 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is named after Smuttynose Island, one of the Isles of Shoals....
Maibock, and, despite the name, Rogue Ales
Rogue Ales
Rogue Ales is an American craft brewery founded in 1988 in Ashland, Oregon. The following year the company opened their second brewpub in Newport, Oregon where they are now headquartered. They operate brewpubs in Oregon, Washington, and California. Rogue exports throughout the US and internationally...
Dead Guy Ale.
Doppelbock
Doppelbock or double bock is a stronger version of traditional bock that was first brewed in Munich by the Paulaner monks, an order founded by St. Francis of PaulaFrancis of Paola
Saint Francis of Paola was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Roman Catholic Order of the Minims.-Biography:...
. Historically, doppelbock was high in alcohol and sweet, thus serving as "liquid bread" for the monks during times of fasting, when solid food was not permitted. Today, doppelbock is still strong—ranging from 7%–12% or more by volume. It is clear, with colour ranging from dark gold, for the paler version, to dark brown with ruby highlights for darker version. It has a large, creamy, persistent head (although head retention may be impaired by alcohol in the stronger versions). The aroma is intensely malty, with some toasty notes, and possibly some alcohol presence as well; darker versions may have a chocolate-like or fruity aroma. The flavour is very rich and malty, with toasty notes and noticeable alcoholic strength, and little or no detectable hops (16–26 IBUs). Paler versions may have a drier finish. The monks who originally brewed doppelbock named their beer "Salvator" ("Savior"), which today is trademarked by Paulaner
Paulaner
Paulaner is a German brewery, established in the early 17th century in Munich by the Minim friars of the Neudeck ob der Au cloister. The mendicant order and the brewery are named after Francis of Paola, the founder of the order....
. Brewers of modern dopplebocks often add "-ator" to their beer's name as a signpost of the style; there are 200 "-ator" doppelbock names registered with the German patent office. The following are representative examples of the style: Paulaner Salvator, Ayinger Celebrator, Weihenstephaner Korbinian, Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel, Spaten Optimator, Tucher Bajuvator, Weltenburger Kloster Asam-Bock, Capital
Capital Brewery
Capital Brewery is a brewery located in Middleton, Wisconsin. Founded on March 14, 1984, by Madison, Wisconsin entrepreneur Ed Janus, it is in a former egg processing plant. The company first began production in spring, 1986, and now produces 22,000 barrels of beer annually. It produces 16 distinct...
Autumnal Fire, EKU 28, Eggenberg
Eggenberg
-Places:*Eggenberg , a district of the Austrian city of Graz*Schloss Eggenberg , a palace in Graz*Eggenberg, Switzerland, a village in the municipality of Mühleberg, canton of Berne*Eggenberg House, city palace in Sopron , Hungary...
Urbock 23º, Bell’s Consecrator, Moretti
Moretti
Moretti may refer to:20th most common surname in Italy.-People:*Bob Moretti , Californian politician*Bruno Moretti, Italian composer and frequent collaborator with choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti....
La Rossa, Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
Double Bock, Troegs Troegenator Double Bock, Wasatch Brewery Devastator.
Eisbock
Kulmbach (district)
Kulmbach is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Kronach, Hof, Bayreuth and Lichtenfels.-History:...
of Germany that is made by partially freezing a doppelbock and removing the water ice to concentrate the flavour and alcohol content, which ranges from 9% to 13% by volume. It is clear, with a colour ranging from deep copper to dark brown in colour, often with ruby highlights. Although it can pour with a thin off-white head, head retention is frequently impaired by the higher alcohol content. The aroma is intense, with no hop presence, but frequently can contain fruity notes, especially of prunes, raisins, and plums. Mouthfeel is full and smooth, with significant alcohol, although this should not be hot or sharp. The flavour is rich and sweet, often with toasty notes, and sometimes hints of chocolate, always balanced by a significant alcohol presence. The following are representative examples of the style: Kulmbacher Reichelbräu Eisbock, Eggenberg Urbock Dunkel Eisbock, Capital Eisphyre, Southampton Eisbock.
International variations
AustriaIn Austria, bockbier is traditionally brewed only around Christmas and Easter, when nearly every brewery brews its own bock.
Argentina
There are several beers brewed in Argentina which are termed bock, including Araucana Negra Bock, Quilmes Bock, and Blest Bock.
Belgium
A number of bock beers are produced, including Brasserie d'Achouffe
Brasserie d'Achouffe
The Brasserie d'Achouffe is a Belgian brewery based in Achouffe. It was founded in 1982 by two brothers-in-law, Pierre Gobron and Christian Bauweraerts, as a hobby. In 1984, Gobron decided to quit his job and to concentrate on his brewery, joined four years later by Bauweraerts. That year , they...
Bok and "Leute Bok" from the Van Steenberge brewer, brewed since 1927. Belgium-based InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
produces Artois Bock, which is exported internationally and can be found in areas where bock is not traditionally available.
Brazil
In Brazil, Kaiser is one of the breweries that sells bock beer, called Kaiser Bock. This beer is available only in the months of fall and winter (September to April). Usually Brazilian bocks are produced by local breweries or craft breweries, especially in the cities of German settlement in Santa Catarina State and also in Petrópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro.
Bulgaria
Zagorka Brewery produces Stolichno Bock Beer, a 6.5% abv
ABV
ABV is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* Alcohol by volume, a measure of the alcohol content of alcoholic drinks* Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria, from its IATA airport code...
beer.
Canada
Bock is a popular style, made by breweries across the country, including:
- Phillips Brewing Company, Victoria, BC: "Instigator", a seasonal doppelbock (8.5% abv)
- Creemore SpringsCreemore SpringsCreemore Springs is a microbrewery located in Creemore, Ontario, which first opened in 1987.The brewery is known for not using preservatives during the brew process, or pasteurizing afterwards. Because of this, they recommend perpetual refrigeration....
Brewery, Creemore, Ontario: "urBock", a Christmas season bock - Bushwakkers Brewpub, Regina, SaskatchewanRegina, SaskatchewanRegina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
: "Harbinger Maibock" and "Procrastinator Stopelbock" - Barley Days Brewery, Picton, OntarioPicton, OntarioPicton is an unincorporated community located in Prince Edward County in southern Central Ontario, Canada. It is the county seat and largest community. Picton is located at the south-western end of Picton Bay, a branch of the Bay of Quinte, which is along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario...
: "May Bock". - Tree Brewing Co., British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
: Captivator Doppelbock - Amsterdam Brewing Co., Toronto, Ontario: Amsterdam Spring Bock
- Le Saint-Bock, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
: Centurion - Vancouver Island Brewery, Victoria, BC: "Hermannator", a seasonal eisbock (9.5%)
- Paddockwood Brewing Co, Saskatoon, SK: "Mai Bock," a seasonal May Bock style (7.3%)
- Clocktower Brewpub, Ottawa, ON: "Maybock," a seasonal May Bock style (5.5%)
- Fort Garry Brewing Co., Winnipeg, Manitoba: "Munich", a limited production eisbock (9.5%)
Cayman Islands
Cayman Island Brewing (George Town, Cayman Islands
George Town, Cayman Islands
George Town, Grand Cayman, is the capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. The city has a population of 35,600 and is the largest city on Grand Cayman....
): Ironshore Bock (7.5% abv)
Chile
Kunstmann
Kunstmann
Kunstmann is a Chilean beer produced in Torobayo, Valdivia. The production begun when the German-Chilean family Kunstmann started to brew for personal use in the 1960s, after Valdivia's main brewery Anwandter was destroyed by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake...
Brewery from Valdivia
Valdivia, Chile
Valdivia is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia and Cau-Cau Rivers, approximately east of the coastal towns of Corral and Niebla...
produces a dark, bittersweet version of bock.
Kross brewery from Curacavi is producing a maibock (6.3% abv)
Colombia
Inducerv S.A.S. brews a Bock (6.0% vol) under their Apóstol brand with german ingredients. The brewery is located in the city of Sabaneta
Sabaneta, Antioquia
Sabaneta is a town and municipality in the Colombian department of Antioquia, also part of the Metropolitan Area of Medellín.Sabaneta is well known for its cathedral, Maria Auxiliadora and its surrounding nightclubs, bars and arts & crafts stores...
, near Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
.
Denmark
- From Bryghuset Svaneke, Bornholm, DK. "Stærke Preben", a bock brewed with Münchner and Caramel malt. First generation yeast only. Alc. 6.9% vol. Named after a local brewer.
- Hvid Bock from FuglsangFuglsang (brewery)Fuglsang is a Danish brewery situated in Haderslev.Current line up includes:* Black Bird. Style: Clear taste from Dark Münchner Malt.* Hvid Bock. Style: Heller Bock - * Golden Bird. Style: Traditional Danish Export strength beer ....
in Haderslev, DK. Alc. 7.6% vol.
England
Bock is an unusual style in the UK, but a few examples exist. The Robert Cains brewery in Liverpool brews Cains Double Bock beer at 8 % ABV, and the Dark Star Brewery, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, produce a 5.6%ABV Maibock.
Mexico
Bock beer is produced in Mexico around Christmas season, under the Noche Buena label.
Namibia
Bock beer is produced and distributed under the Urbock label by Namibian Breweries. Like other Namibian Breweries beers, it is available in some of the neighbouring countries in Southern Africa, especially South Africa. The brewery also produces a maibock sporadically.
Netherlands
A variation of bock called 'bokbier' is also brewed extensively in the Netherlands and occasionally in Belgium. Most larger Dutch breweries, such as Heineken International, Grolsch, Amstel
Amstel Brewery
Amstel Brewery is a Dutch brewery founded in 1870 on the Mauritskade in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was taken over by Heineken International in 1968, and the brewing plant closed down in 1982, with production moving to the main Heineken plant at Zoeterwoude.-History:The brewery was founded on...
, Alfa Brouwerij, Brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
and Dommelsch
Dommelsch
Dommelsche Bierbrouwerij is a brewery in Dommelen, Netherlands. It was founded in 1744. Dommelsch is owned by Anheuser–Busch InBev.-Beers:The main product is Dommelsch Pilsener, although the brewery also produces beers under the Albert Heijn brand....
, market at least one variety. Most bokbiers tend to be seasonal beers (traditionally autumn, although there are currently also spring, summer and winter boks). They are among the only few specialty beers that existed besides lager for a long time. Microbreweries may prefer to seasonally brew a bokbier, such as the eco-beer biobok, made in autumn by Brouwerij 't IJ
Brouwerij 't IJ
Brouwerij 't IJ is a small brewery in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is located in a former bath house named Funen, next to the De Gooyer windmill...
in Amsterdam. The consumers' organization PINT
Pint
The pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
holds a bok festival every winter at the Beurs in Amsterdam.
Norway
Bocks are also brewed in Norway, where they are known as "bokkøl" (bockbeers) and available during the whole year. Notable examples of bock brands are Aass
AASS
Alpha-aminoadipic semialdehyde synthase, mitochondrial is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the AASS gene.-Further reading:...
, Borg
Borg Bryggerier
Borg Bryggerier was formerly an independent brewery based in the city of Sarpsborg, in Østfold, Norway.Borg Bryggerier was founded in 1855 under the name Lande Gaard og Bryggeri by merchant Hans Hafslund. In 1905, the Egenæss family acquired the brewery. It has been owned by members of the...
, Frydenlund and Mack
Mack Brewery
Mack Bryggeri is a brewery in Tromsø, Norway. It is also considered the world's northernmost brewery and coca cola factory.-History:Mack Bryggeri was founded during 1877 in Tromsø by Ludwig Markus Mack , son of a German immigrant, businessman and local politician...
.
United States
Bock and its substyles are popular in all parts of the country. A short list includes:
- BockfestBockfestBockfest is an annual beer festival held in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the oldest bock beer festival in the United States....
- The city of Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, has hosted a celebration called BockfestBockfestBockfest is an annual beer festival held in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the oldest bock beer festival in the United States....
since 1992 that promotes its German-style brewing history and the German culture of its Over-the-RhineOver-the-RhineOver-the-Rhine, sometimes shortened to OTR, is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings...
neighbourhood. The Over-the-Rhine Brewery District has the largest collection of pre-ProhibitionProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
beer breweries in the world. - Michelob (owned by Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
), introduced Amber Bock in 1997. - Anchor Steam Beer (San Francisco, CA) introduced Anchor Bock Beer in 2005. It employs a 2-row barley/wheat malt process. Alcohol by volume is 5.5%. It is released "in celebration of the coming of spring," and available January–April.
- The Boston Beer CompanySamuel Adams (beer)Samuel Adams is an American brand of beer brewed by the Boston Beer Company and its associated contract brewers. The company was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, Harry M. Rubin, and Lorenzo Lamadrid in Boston, Massachusetts, USA...
, under its "Samuel Adams" label, brews a seasonal Chocolate Bock, and has been brewing Double Bock since 1988. They also produced a very strong Triple Bock in 1994, 1995 and 1997. - Shiner Bock is one of the more popular beers in Texas.
- Genesee Brewing Company (Rochester, NY) brews a seasonal Genesee Bock generally available around March each year
- Narragansett Brewing Co. (Providence, Rhode Island) has been making a bock beer since the repeal of Prohibition in the 1930s, and celebrated the start of spring with annual Bock Beer festivals at the brewery until 1977.
- Sly Fox BrewerySly Fox BrewerySly Fox Brewery is an award winning Pennsylvania brewery. It was founded by the Giannopoulos family at its original Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, location on December 20, 1995...
(Phoenixville, PA) hosts an annual goat race to commemorate its bock fest. - ZiegenbockZiegenbockZiegenbock is an amber ale brewed by Anheuser-Busch. It is billed as "for Texans by Texans."Ziegenbock is an imitation craft brew marketed under Anheuser-Busch's ICS brand, positioned as a Texan beer to compete with Shiner Bock...
(owned by Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
), is brewed in Houston, Texas.