Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, may have 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.

Friday’s ad is for Sterling Bock Beer and was published April 25, 1934. The brewery was the Sterling Brewery of Evansville, Indiana, which was founded in 1880. This ad ran in The Herald and Review, of Decatur, Illinois. The headline is pretty funny, “You’ve Never Really Tasted Bock Beer Until You Try Sterling Bock!,” but I’m more amused by the motto in the black bat at he bottom, which states: “Sterling The Costly Made Beer.”