Definition
The German word for strong, denoting a strong beer brewed from barley malt. Bock beers are traditionally served in autumn, late winter and spring. It was originally brewed by top fermentation in the Hanseatic League town of Einbeck (beck >bock) in Lower Saxony, where it is still brewed (and known as Ur-Bock, the original bock). It was once a heavy dark beer brewed in winter for consumption in spring. German bock beers are now brewed by bottom fermentation and are usually dark brown. Pale bocks are increasing in popularity and a distinction is sometimes made between light bock beer and dark bock beer. Because the word bock also means billy goat in German, a goat is often represented on the labels of bockbier.