Spring into a good maibock

If you visit this blog with any regularity, you know that Bell's Oberon sets our palates abuzz when the warmer weather hits. But while we certainly give Larry Bell his due for creating such a fine beer, we're all about variety here at HBG. So, let me recommend to you another option for warm-weather imbibing: a tall and cold maibock.

Maibock is a style of bock beer, which is in turn a variety of German lager. Bocks are dark and malty. They have a stronger flavor and are higher in ABV (usually in the 6 to 7% range) than a typical lager. One of our favorites, Spaten Optimator, is a bock (a doppelbock to be precise). Because bocks are strong, malty, and dark, they are usually considered cold-weather beers and are normally available in the late fall and winter.

Maibock is a springtime version of bock. Maibocks tend to be lighter in flavor and color than a normal bock, but they aren't as light as a classic lager. They are also slightly sweet and hoppier than a traditional bock. Maibocks tend to have a fizzy quality and are well-suited as thirst-quenchers.

So where do you go to get a maibock? The Rathskeller currently has the Optimator's cousin, Spaten Maibock on tap. Order one up, find yourself a table in the biergarten, and enjoy the evening breeze and the downtown skyline.