Ohio Brewery News
3.2.2022
Bock Beer is the GOAT
In the craft beer world, there’s one sure indicator that spring is just around the corner: the return of bock beers to brewery tap lists.
The history of bock beer – and its association with goats – is well-documented, so we can focus on the beer as it’s presented in Ohio. Bocks take many forms, but the traditional dunkles bock starts as a dark, higher gravity wort brewed with mild bittering hops that is then bottom fermented and lagered to produce a strong, smooth finished beer. Many variations on the style exist, including lighter colored or hoppier versions (helles bock, maibock), stronger versions (doppelbock, eisbock), and versions fermented with ale yeast (weizenbock).
Whatever version of the bock floats your goat, you’re likely to find more of them as winter gives way to spring. Let’s take a quick look around at a handful of bock offerings from around the state.
Cheers to 30 Years of Bock Beers in Cincinnati!
Cincinnati’s annual Bockfest celebration is now in its 30th year, one of the Queen City’s longest running beer traditions. Several Ohio Craft Brewers Association member breweries will have bock beers on tap for the city-wide event this weekend (see the full event schedule at bockfest.com):
- Fibonacci Brewing will have Fiddlehead maibock and Honey barrel-aged doppelbock on tap, named for the goats that live on the brewery’s urban farm.
- Moerlein Lager House will have their 10th Anniversary heller bock, Barb Bender doppelbock, Hudy bock and Schoenling bock on draft alongside bockwurst sausage specials from the kitchen.
- Third Eye Brewing‘s Total Debockery doppelbock returns this year with a portion of proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati.
Explore the Wide World of Bocks in One Place
Muskellunge Brewing Company in downtown Canton is kicking off their annual Bock Beer Fest on Friday, March 4. Brewer Frank Estremera has produced six faithful executions of classic bock styles for the event this year, including his 2020 U.S. Open Beer Championship medal winner Judy’s Bock, the brand new Orange Spotted Helles Bock and Shovelhead smoked bock, as well as a dunkler bock, doppelbock and weizenbock.
Go to Bock to Get Bock
It would seem a little odd and possibly negligent on my part to post this story without mentioning the only Ohio brewery with “bock” in the name of their business. It would also seem strange if that brewery wasn’t serving a bock during bock season. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about the potential incongruity of that last part.
Dayton’s Bock Family Brewing, owned by Jen and Ian Bock, will release DeBockery dopplebock at their brewery taproom – known informally as the Bock Hall – tonight at 5 p.m. I was going to note this is the most times I’ve used the word “bock” in a single sentence in my entire life, but there’s one a couple paragraphs up where I said it seven times. For as many times as “bock” has been scribbled on this page, there are still more examples of this amazing family of beer styles out there in Ohio. Get out there and find a bock that rocks your world!
