Bock - International Variations

International Variations

Austria

In Austria, bockbier is traditionally brewed only around Christmas and Easter, when nearly every brewery brews its own bock.

Argentina

There are several beers brewed in Argentina which are termed bock, including Araucana Negra Bock, Quilmes Bock, and Blest Bock.

Belgium

A number of bock beers are produced, including Brasserie d'Achouffe Bok and "Leute Bok" from the Van Steenberge brewer, brewed since 1927. Belgium-based InBev produces Artois Bock, which is exported internationally and can be found in areas where bock is not traditionally available.

Brazil

In Brazil, Kaiser is one of the breweries that sells bock beer, called Kaiser Bock. This beer is available only in the months of fall and winter (September to April). Usually Brazilian bocks are produced by local breweries or craft breweries, especially in the cities of German settlement in Santa Catarina State and also in Petrópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro.

Bulgaria

Zagorka Brewery produces Stolichno Bock Beer, a 6.5% abv beer.

Canada

Bock is a popular style, made by breweries across the country, including:

• Les Trois Mousquetaires, Brossard,Quebec: "GC Doppelbock"
• Les Trois Mousquetaires, Brossard,Quebec: "SS Maibock"
• Mt. Begbie, Revelstoke, BC: "Bob's Your Dunkel", a fall seasonal Weizen Bock
• Phillips Brewing Company, Victoria, BC: "Instigator", a seasonal doppelbock (8.5% abv)
• Creemore Springs Brewery, Creemore, Ontario: "urBock", a Christmas season bock
• Bushwakkers Brewpub, Regina, Saskatchewan: "Harbinger Maibock" and "Procrastinator Stopelbock"
• Barley Days Brewery, Picton, Ontario: "May Bock".
• Tree Brewing Co., British Columbia: Captivator Doppelbock
• Amsterdam Brewing Co., Toronto, Ontario: Amsterdam Spring Bock
• Le Saint-Bock, Quebec: Centurion
• Vancouver Island Brewery, Victoria, BC: "Hermannator", a seasonal eisbock (9.5%)
• Paddock Wood Brewing Co, Saskatoon, SK: "Mai Bock," a seasonal May Bock style (7.3%)
• Clocktower Brewpub, Ottawa, ON: "Maybock," a seasonal May Bock style (5.5%)
• Fort Garry Brewing Co., Winnipeg, Manitoba: "Munich," a limited production eisbock (9.5%)
• Propeller Brewing Co., Halifax, Nova Scotia "Spring Bock," a Heller Bock style

Cayman Islands

Cayman Island Brewing (George Town, Cayman Islands): Ironshore Bock (7.5% abv)

Chile

Kunstmann Brewery from Valdivia produces a dark, bittersweet version of bock.

Kross brewery from Curacavi is producing a maibock (6.3% abv)

Colombia

Inducerv S.A.S. brews a Bock (6.0% vol) under their Apóstol brand with German ingredients. The brewery is located in the city of Sabaneta, near Medellín.

Denmark

• From Bryghuset Svaneke, Bornholm, DK. "Stærke Preben", a bock brewed with Münchner and Caramel malt. First generation yeast only. Alc. 6.9% vol. Named after a local brewer.
• Hvid Bock from Fuglsang in Haderslev, DK. (7.6% abv)

England

Bock is an unusual style in the UK, but a few examples exist. The Robert Cains brewery in Liverpool brews Cains Double Bock beer at 8% abv, and the Dark Star Brewery, West Sussex, produce a 5.6% abv Maibock.

Hungary

Dreher Brewery sells a rather strong (7.3% ABV) bock beer. It is called Bak, the name for billy goat in Hungarian.

Mexico

Bock beer is produced in Mexico around Christmas season, under the Noche Buena label with 5.9% abv

Namibia

Bock beer is produced and distributed under the Urbock label by Namibian Breweries. Like other Namibian Breweries beers, it is available in some of the neighbouring countries in Southern Africa, especially South Africa. The brewery also produces a maibock sporadically.

Netherlands

A variation of bock called 'bokbier' is also brewed extensively in the Netherlands and occasionally in Belgium. Most larger Dutch breweries, such as Heineken International, Grolsch, Amstel, Alfa Brouwerij, Brand and Dommelsch, market at least one variety. Most bokbiers tend to be seasonal beers (traditionally autumn, although there are currently also spring, summer and winter boks). They are among the only few specialty beers that existed besides lager for a long time. Microbreweries may prefer to seasonally brew a bokbier, such as the eco-beer biobok, made in autumn by Brouwerij 't IJ in Amsterdam. The consumers' organization PINT holds a bok festival every autumn at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.

Norway

Bocks are also brewed in Norway, where they are known as "bokkøl" (bockbeers) and available during the whole year. Notable examples of bock brands are Aass, Borg, Frydenlund and Mack.

United States

Bock and its substyles are popular in all parts of the country. A short list includes:

• Bockfest - The city of Cincinnati, Ohio, has hosted a celebration called Bockfest since 1992 that promotes its German-style brewing history and the German culture of its Over-the-Rhine neighbourhood. The Over-the-Rhine Brewery District has the largest collection of pre-Prohibition beer breweries in the U.S.
• Michelob (owned by Anheuser-Busch), introduced Amber Bock in 1997.
• Anchor Brewing (San Francisco, CA) introduced Anchor Bock Beer in 2005. It employs a 2-row barley/wheat malt process. Alcohol by volume is 5.5%. It is released "in celebration of the coming of spring," and available January–April.
• Great Lakes Brewing Company, Dopplerock 7.8% abv, available February–March in 12oz 4-packs.
• The Boston Beer Company, under its "Samuel Adams" label, brews a seasonal Chocolate Bock, and has been brewing Double Bock since 1988. They also produced a very strong Triple Bock in 1994, 1995 and 1997.
• Shiner Bock is one of the more popular beers in Texas.
• Genesee Brewing Company (Rochester, NY) brews a seasonal Genesee Bock generally available around March each year
• Narragansett Brewing Co. (Providence, Rhode Island) has been making a bock beer since the repeal of Prohibition in the 1930s, and celebrated the start of spring with annual Bock Beer festivals at the brewery until 1977.
• Sly Fox Brewery (Phoenixville, PA) hosts an annual goat race to commemorate its bock fest.
• Ziegenbock (owned by Anheuser-Busch), is brewed in Houston, Texas.
• Birch Bock Brewed in Juneau, Alaska by the Alaskan Brewing Company as a "Limited Edition Specialty Ale"