Day 14, Jan 14 / Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock

Day 14 / Jan 14

Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company / Chippewa Falls, WI

Where:         At Home

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Leine’s 1888 Bock is definitely a far cry (in a good way) from the Schmidt’s Bock beer that my Dad used to get in upstate New York.  That Schmidt’s (of Philadelphia) Bock came in a brown can with a ram or two on it, and the story I was told then was that bock beer was made from the sediment produced by brewing a regular batch of beer, and therefore it was extra strong.  Not true.

Leinenkugel says:

In the spring of 1888, after 21 years of brewing in Chippewa Falls and one of the harshest winters anyone in the Midwest could remember, the then Jacob Leinenkugel Spring Brewery staff realized Leinie fans were primed for the brand's first seasonal brew. So, they produced a hearty bock beer, a style that rose to popularity as a source of sustenance for monks during the Lenten fasting season and can be traced back to14th century Germany.

They produce this seasonal in late Winter and early Spring.  It’s a fine beer – very foamy head (they claim you can float a pencil on it), dark amber color, good taste.  I could definitely have a few of these on a cold winter night (and I think I will tonight).