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.

Sunday’s ad is for Fox De Luxe Bock Beer, which was published on August 10, 1951, though strictly speaking it was for a liquor store called LaCorte’s Park-In Liquors, located at 552-56 State Line St., in Calumet City, Illinois. [I checked, it appears to be the site of a Wendy’s today.] The ad was actually advertising a variety of alcohol, some twelve different products, but I cut them all out except the one bock beer and its neighbor. The bock is from the Peter Fox Brewing Co. of Chicago, Illinois, which was originally founded in 1896 as the Hoffman Bros. This ad ran in The Hammond Times, an afternoon paper serving Hammond, Whiting, and East Chicago, Indiana, though now is headquartered in Munster, and it just a few miles (less than 4) from the liquor store.