Spring is the season for the mighty Maibock, also called a Heller Bock. As winter gives way to spring, the desire for a lighter, but still kräftig, beer grows. Weighing in at least 6% ABV, this rich gold color – almost amber – is typically enjoyed from April to June. Maibock tends to be made from a base of pale pilsner malt with generous additions of Vienna malt, Munich malt, and/or other lightly caramelized malts. (Dornbusch, 2012)
Looking at the linguistics, the name, Maibock, refers to the month it is consumed – “May” in German is “Mai” and is pronounced exactly like the English possessive pronoun, “my”. The other common name, Heller Bock, refers to the color. “Hell” means light colored or bright. Since the word, “Bock,” is a masculine gendered word, the -er suffix is attached to the end of hell, hence Heller Bock. The word Bock comes from the fact that this beer originated in the town of Einbeck, in Lower Saxony. Let’s unpack the history:
Already in the 14th century the beer trade was significant for the city of Einbeck. There were 700 master brewers and every citizen of Einbeck had the right to brew beer. The City Council bought the overproduction and handled the marketing in the whole of Germany and abroad – from Amsterdam in the west to Tallinn in the east. The brew was much respected and even won acclaim from Martin Luther. The Einbeck beer also became popular at the Bavarian court in Munich. There is a legend dating back to the 30 Year’s war that this beer saved Munich from destruction! In 1632, the protestant force of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus, encircled the city, began a siege, and threatened to raze it. Bavarian Duke Maximilian I negotiated a deal and the Swedes left peaceably after receiving a great ransom which included almost 6,000 gallons of the Einbecker beer. (Artmann, 2019).
Shortly before this, in 1612, Einbecker master brewer Elias Pichler was lured to Munich to brew the famous Einbeck Beer, known then in the vernacular as “ainpöckisch pier.” This mouthful was soon shortened to “ainpöck,” which the Bavarian dialect renders as “oan bock”.(Einbecker Brauhaus AG, 2021).
Einbeck still produces this beer though the brewery now belongs to Härke Braumanufaktur GmbH in Peine (Einbecker Brauhaus AG, 2021). Additionally, many breweries now produce their own version of this beer, but in Munich, Hofbräu steals the limelight with a major bash in the Festhall of the Hofbräuhaus. COVID cancelled the event in 2020 and 2021, but the last one was held on April 30, 2019. The crowd of 600 included Dr. Markus Söder, Prince Leopold of Bavaria, and many other prominent folks. Since Hofbräu is owned by the State of Bavaria, the official host of the event is the Bavarian Minster of Finance: He is the one who gets to tap the first wooden keg! After drink is delivered, the fun begins as a famous comedian takes the stage and political satire is the program. All this fun is then broadcasted live on Bavarian TV. (Staatliches Hofbräuhaus München, 2019)
All this has me craving a Einbeck Ur-bock! Savor the description provided in the 3rd Edition of “The World’s Best Beer: ”Gold of hue with a honey-ish, toffee maltiness that plays host to rising and drying hoppiness.” (Beaumont & Webb, 2017). In the tied-up beer market that is Munich, I will settle for the Augustiner version – also excellent!
Works Cited
Artmann, K. (2019, June 6). Der Maibock - das Frühlingsbier . Retrieved from Bier Entdecker: www.bierentdecker.com/magazin/artikel/maibock
Beaumont, S., & Webb, T. (2017). Germany. In Pocket Beer Book The World's Best Beer (p. 59). London: Octopus Publiching Group.
Dornbusch, H. (2012). Maibock. In G. Oliver, The Oxford Compaion to Beer (p. 558). Ney York: Oxford University Press, Inc. .
Einbecker Brauhaus AG. (2021). Every Home has a History
. Retrieved from www.einbecker.de: www.einbecker.de/history.html
Staatliches Hofbräuhaus München. (2019, April 30). Mit Pauken und Trompeten - der Maibockanstich 2019.
Retrieved from www.hofbraeu-muenchen.de: www.hofbraeu-muenchen.de/hb-news/mit-pauken-und-trompeten-der-maibockanstich-2019