Spring is here (technically, anyways)! Although Old Man Winter doesn't want to release us Wisconsinites from his frosty grip, there's one way that us beer lovers can help along the transition to Spring: Drink Bocks!

The style of Bock beers go all the way back to the 14th Century to a little town call Einbeck. The German brewers there became legendary for the malty, rich style of beer they were brewing. The name "Bock" comes from a little translation error that occurred between the dialect in Einbeck, where it originated, and Munich, where the beer exploded in popularity. The folks in Munich thought that the beer was coming from "ein Bock" (which means "a goat") instead of the town Einbeck (which is a city, not a goat). This belief was perpetuated to the point that Goats have become the official mascot of Bock beer.

Bocks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, but the one thing that they have in common is that they are all rich and malty. There are three distinct branches in the Bock family tree: traditional Bock, Heller Bock, and Doppelbock and we will examine two of them below with a prime example from each style. 

There is also an exciting announcement about a rare opportunity coming up tomorrow at Ray's. So be sure to read to the end and get all the details! But now it's time to to Bock and Roll!

Cheers!

-Kaleb Schwecke

This is the beer that made Capital Brewing famous. Every year, when this doppelbock is released in February, thousands of beer loving folks brave the cold Wisconsin winter and journey to the brewery to celebrate Bockfest (They just celebrated 17 years, wooo). And it has a dedicated following for a reason: the liquid is delicious. 

They call it "Blonde" because of the light color of the malt bill, which is the exact definition of a Helles Bock (Helles means light in German). Despite its light color, it weighs in right around 8% ABV. It pours out a hazy sunshine yellow with a persistent, fluffy white head. The goodness of the grain is on full display in this malt bomb and the aroma follows the nose with bread, honey, caramel, and bright fruits. The subdued hops add in a hint of lemon, grass, and a touch of spice. It starts off sweet, but dries out in the finish with a whiff of booze.

This beer has consistently been winning awards since its inception and pulled down an impressive 98 Points from the typically stingy Beverage Tasting Institute.