Ever wonder why many beers in the bock style have the likeness of a goat on their label? No, it’s not because bock is a stronger beer that will kick you in the seat of your pants if you’re not careful with it.
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The bock beer style was originally developed in the German town of Einbeck. Later on, bock caught on with folks in Munich who pronounced “Einbeck” as “ein Bock” which literally translates from German as “billy goat.”
The myth of bock beer is that it was brewed once a year in the early spring to “clean out” the barrels, and its dark color came from all the collected “stuff” at the bottom. Indeed a myth! The truth is it was historically connected with religious holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Lent. And it was traditionally consumed by Bavarian monks as a source of nutrition during times of fasting.
There are a number of styles of bock beer, but one thing they all have in common is a concentration of sugars and an alcohol level of 6.5-13% ABV. There are even Eisbocks with ABV in the mid to upper teens, and a world record brew with 57% ABV!
Something Fun To Do With Bock Beer
The concentrated sugars make bock the beer to use for this unique campfire cocktail trick. You need four things:
- A bock beer
- A heat-safe glass container (like a mason jar)
- A food-safe stainless steel rod
- A blowtorch
And here’s how:
Pour the beer into the heat-safe glass.
Grasp the rod with a hot pad or heavy-duty glove.
Light the torch and heat the rod to glowing red hot. We’ve been using the Bernzomatic Campfire Torch.
Insert into the beer and hold it there until all bubbling and fizzing stops.
Remove rod and set aside.
Drink the beer.
Well, what do you think?
This can be a fun activity at the campfire where everyone can try “poking” their own brew!
