Beer Style History: Maibock

It’s May, beer lovers! And if there’s one beer that is synonymous with the month of May, it’s Maibock. As the name suggests, this beer is typically brewed in May to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Maibock originated in Germany and is a traditional bock beer first brewed in the 14th century. The style is known for its strong, malty flavor and high alcohol content, making it a favorite among beer enthusiasts.

One of the fascinating aspects of Maibock is its name origin. Legend has it that this beer was first brewed by monks in the German town of Einbeck. However, when the beer was introduced in Munich, the locals, in their unique way, mispronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock,’ which means ‘a billy goat’ in German. And so, the beer became known as ‘bock,’ a name that has stuck with it ever since.

At Summit Brewing Co., we’ve brewed a Maibock in the past, and it became a popular seasonal offering. Our Summit Maibock Blonde Bock was traditional German-style Bock. Brewed with traditional Moravian 37 malts. The same malt we use in our and Oktoberfest. It’s also brewed with some Czech Saaz hops and offers drinkers a toasted sweetness and spicy finish. While we no longer make Maibock, we’ll alway have a special place for it in our hearts and unequivocally can not confirm or deny its return as some sort of taproom exclusive, so stop asking us already. And don’t event think about highlighting this article thinking theres some secret message stating its return.

So here’s let’s raise one to May and the Maibock style. A beer that could or could not come back someday… who knows? Definitely not us, though.

It’s definitely coming back Friday May 10th