When was the last time you had a bock? Was there a goat involved when you tasted that rich, pillowy, definition-of-maltiness? It’s a strange question to ask, to be sure, and if you’re anything like me goats freak you out (their eyes are unnerving…), and you’d rather not share a pint with them. However, goats are sort of the key to the history of bock beer; a history illustrating the regional differences in Germany and how beer styles change throughout time. First off, what makes a beer a “Bockbier”? I know everyone starts with that question for every beer ever , but this one is a little more unique. A bock is very much defined by shades. Is it a shade lighter in malt character? Then it’s a Munich Dunkel. Is it a shade lighter in color? Then it’s a Maibock or Helles Bock. Does it have a shade more alcohol content? Then it’s a Doppelbock. While some of those beers are still in the “bock family”, they’re not a true bockbier, which is what we’re talking about. We’ll get to those related on...
I've sat down to do this over and over, and here I find myself again. It's a scary thing to start writing, so I think I'll gird my will with a drink. I guess this is a lifestyle blog, if drinking is your life. It isn't really all my life consists of, but it's something that I partake of frequently, and think about more often than that. So, with that serving as an introduction, let's get into it. Beer. This beverage has consumed my professional life for about four years. I'm new to the scene overall, but I've spent more time digging into the history and culture surrounding beer than anything else I've ever been paid for. I've read books, I've traveled, I've asked questions, and I've drank (a lot) all to find out what beer is about. These are simply my musings on the possible origins and what I think about it in today's age. Beer is, essentially, as old as human culture. We have pretty good evidence of beer being intentional...