Bock Beer History

With Spring on its way (I think), many bock beers will hit the market. While many bocks, like Shiner Bock, are now available year round, they were traditionally brewed in the fall, aged through the winter, and released around March. Have you ever noticed that almost all Bock labels have some sort of goat pictured on them and wondered what the reason was. Well, the answer is varied with legendary tales about as many as the Rolling Rock "33". The most widely accepted version is that bock beer originated in the town of Einbeck, Germany in the 14^th century. When the style reached Munich in the 17^th century, the beer was pronounced "ein Bock" which later was reduced to just Bock. In German, the word bock means "billy goat" and the image of the goat has been associated with bock beer to this day. Another more far-fetched version has two men in a drinking contest, each consuming the other man's brewed beer. After many beers, one of the men fell off his stool but claimed it wasn't because he was drunk, but because a goat kicked him off. The winner claimed that the beer he had brewed was the "bock" that knocked him over. One more theory is that the traditional time to brew bock was under the sign of Capricorn, the goat. Whatever the truth is, the goat has made for some neat labeling and some very rare beer cans. A Gibbons Bock cone-top can from the 1930's or early 40's recently sold at auction for $36,000. Here are a few neat bock label images from years gone by. Cheers!