There’s a song that goes a little something like this: “March winds and April showers make way for sweet May flowers,” and while we think that’s cute and all, it really should be: “March Winds and April showers make way for sweet LAGERS.” That’s right, folks, we’re releasing the first lager of the 2021 seasonal Lager Series. The GOAT Lager, Maibock, is back.
East Brother Beer’s Lager Series
Those of you who are new around here, and there’s quite a few of you, might be asking, “what is the Lager Series?”. Our Seasonal Lager Series is a lineup of four unique lagers: Maibock, Pre-Pro, Festbier, and Baltic Porter. These four lagers are our way of showing the world that, despite what the Macro breweries might want us to believe, lagers are complex and full of flavor. Our Lager Series is a celebration of cold fermentation.
What is a Maibock?
Traditionally, a Maibock, also known as a Helles Bock, was brewed over the long winter and released just in time to celebrate the beginning of spring. In a way, the release of this year’s iteration of our Maibock is our way of celebrating the end of our own long, cold winter: Shelter in Place.
The Maibock is a pale, more hopped-up version of its sibling, the Bock, a dark German Ale first brewed in Einbeck, Germany. Bavarians took a liking to the Bock style, but with their charming accents, kept pronouncing the town of Einbeck as “ein Bock”, or “billy goat” which is why to this day, goats are associated with Maibocks.
Bavarians couldn’t get enough of the Bock, so much so that in the 16th century Maximillian I, "The Great" Duke of Bavaria, commissioned Elias Pilcher to brew a similar beer using Bavaria's new lagering method, creating the modern-day Maibock.
East Brother Beer’s Maibock
Some lagers are brewed for greatness, and our Maibock certainly deserves to be called the Greatest Of All Time. Last year’s Maibock was pretty darn near perfect, but if you know us at all, you know that we’re always looking for ways to make perfect even better. Employing classic German techniques for our 2021 Maibock, we turned to our friends at Admiral Maltings for their coveted Admiral Midway, a Munich Malt that gives the lager a biscuit malt flavor. This new Malt, paired with the Admiral Pils Malt we added last year, truly makes the 2021 Maibock live up to the GOAT title.
This year’s Maibock has a golden, light pale hue with a deliciously creamy white head. The aroma is slightly floral with just a hint of noble hop spiciness. Smooth, with a rich malty backbone balanced with spicy and floral noble hops. Delicate hop flavors and just enough bitterness at the end to make you want more. At 7.0% ABV, this lager is sure to wake you up.
Get this beer while it lasts. Just like any goat, this lager won’t stand still for too long and will only be around for a few weeks. Grab a pint, and a commemorative glass, at the taproom or your favorite bar or restaurant. You can find a cold can at your favorite grocery store or bottle shop.
