Maibock At Zum Schneider

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  The JaJaJas at Zum Schneider podcast

The first of May means a number of different things: ancient pagan festivals, the transition from cold to warm weather, International Workers' Day, the maypole, etc.  It also means Maibock! There are all kinds of Bockbier: Winterbock, Doppelbock, Eisbock. All of them are typically stronger (6.5% abv and up), somewhat maltier versions of amber German lager, though Maibock or Hellesbock are paler amber in color, but still darker than a standard Pils or Helles.

Ein proooosit! Ein prooooosit!

The city of Einbeck, Germany in Lower Saxony, home of the Einbecker Brewery, and situated just south of Hanover, boasts having brewed Bock first, with proof being a receipt for the sale of Einbecker beer to the city of Celle dated April 28, 1378.

Hofbrau claims to have brewed the first Maibock in Munich in 1614. That roughly matches up with the claim that in 1612 a brewer from Einbeck traveled to Munich to make the reputed “Ainpöckische Bier” for the southerners. Thanks to the regional dialect, "Ainpöckische" became “Oanpock”, and then eventually simply “Bock”. So, it seems that name Bock derives from the name of the town which first brewed it.

The Ja Ja Jas!

Both the Einbecker and Hofbrau Maibocks were pouring quite continuously this May 1 at the East Village's reconstituted Kleine Deutschland known as Zum Schneider. Both beers have that full bodied, super rich, malty profile that Bock is known for. Hofbrau's is a 7.2% Maibock with a light-medium amber color, a malty sweet aroma, and a kick of hop bitterness in the finish to compliment the hefty maltiness, quite similar to Einbecker's delicious 6.5% brew.

Mosel Franzi in action!

And no German fest is complete without lederhosen and um-pah music! Zum Schneider's Hausband the JaJaJas! were on hand to get the crowd singing, swaying and swigging with some Bavarian classics. Just the thing to get us ready for Oktoberfest!

The classic roast pig on a spit.