Bock
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Bock is a strong lager, which has origins in the Hanseatic town Einbeck, Germany. The name is a corruption of the medieval German brewing town of Einbeck. The original Bocks were dark beers, brewed from high-coloured malts. Modern Bocks can be dark, amber or pale in colour. Bock was traditionally brewed for special occasions, often religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter or Lent.
Bocks have a long history of being brewed and drunk by Roman Catholic monks in Germany. During the Spring religious season of Lent, monks were required to fast. Bock beers are higher in food energy and nutrients than other beers[citation needed], thus providing sustenance during the holiday. It was rumored that Martin Luther drank this beer during the Diet of Worms[citation needed].
In the twentieth century, bock beers gained an undeserved reputation (primarily in the United States) for being brewed from the dregs of previous brewings. This is impossible, as the "dregs" were not clearly defined and the leftovers from the brewing process are not fermentable. The rumour may have started because some brewers used inferior ingredients or a large quantity of adjuncts in their bocks.
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[edit] Variants
- Maibock (May bock) -- a pale-coloured bock traditionally brewed for consumption in Spring.
- Weizenbock (wheat bock) -- a very strong wheat beer; named a bock because of its strength.
- Doppelbock (double bock) -- a stronger bock, derived from the beer brewed by monks for fast days; The names of Doppelbock brews commonly end in -ator in honor of the original, Paulaner Salvator (Latin, "Savior").
- Eisbock (ice bock) -- The strongest of bocks, this beer begins as a doppelbock but is partially freeze distilled to concentrate the flavour and alcohol in the beer.
Many bock beer producers have displayed goats on bottle labels since Bock in German means billy goat. In the local dialect, Einbeck is pronounced similar to "Einbock", which sounds like ein Bock (a goat).
[edit] International Variations
In Austria, Bockbier is traditionally brewed only around Christmas and Easter, when nearly every brewery brews its own bock.
The Italian Moretti Doppio Malto (also known as Moretti Rosso) is very similar to the Bock style, and some consider it intermediate between a light Maibock and a dark bock.
American brewing authority Charlie Papazian claims to have once done a beer tasting where a malt liquor was slipped into a tasting of Maibocks and placed rather highly, indicating possible affinities between the two styles.
Samuel Adams Triple Bock, brewed since the mid-1990s, is not a true bock, since it uses an ale yeast and contains a fair amount of maple syrup.
InBev's Artois Bock, produced in Belgium.
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 (also exported to the United States of America), Borg, Frydenlund and Mack.
Subsequently bock-beer or 'bokbier' is also brewed extensively in Holland and Belgium. Most larger Dutch breweries market at least one variety. Such as Heineken, Grolsch, Amstel, Brand & Dommelsch.
The microbreweries may prefer to seasonally brew a bokbier. Such as the eco-beer biobok, made in autumn by Bierbrouwerij 't IJ in Amsterdam.
The city of Amsterdam also hosts a well known festival in honour of bokbier in its former stock exchange organised by P.I.N.T.
[edit] Eisbock
Eisbock involves lowering the temperature of beer until ice crystals form, a process known as fractional freezing. Since alcohol has a lower freezing point than water and doesn't form crystals, when the ice is filtered off, the alcohol concentration increases. As a result ice beers have at least 5.5% alcohol by volume.
Eisbock was developed in Germany during Oktoberfest celebrations with bock beers which are traditionally brewed in the spring. A particularly cold year froze the beers and a new taste was noticed by the drinkers. These were called Eisbocks.
