Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising.

Tuesday’s ad for “Bock” was created for Feldschlösschen Bock, though I’m not sure which brewery commissioned it. There is a Feldschlösschen in Dresden, Germany which apparently been brewing there since 1858. I only remember Radebgerger being (near) there when I visited Dresden in the early 2000s. Another source claims it’s for the “Feldschlösschen Bock brewery in Aarau, Switzerland,” but it seems unlikely there would have been two breweries so close to one another with the same name. The lithograph was created around 1910, and was published by A. Trüb & Cie, and they were located in Aarau, Switzerland. “A.Trüb & Cie started in 1859 in the Swiss town of Aarau as a printing shop. In 1880, the control of the business passed on to Jakob Müller who, in 1884, entered into an association with August Trüb. In 1890, the company operated 8 printing presses and employed 60 workers. Its owners wanted to expand the business and bought a smaller printer in Lausanne.” They are known today primarily for the luggage labels, but it order to compete in Europe hired Italian artists like L. Edel, Jakob Nohl, P.Tanner, E.Lutz, and K.Frey,, although which one, if any, created this poster is anybody’s guess.