Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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.

Thursday’s ad is for Van Merritt Bock Beer, which was published on October 23, 1962. This one was for the Van Merritt Brewing Co. of Oconto, Wisconsin, which was originally founded in 1858 by Anton Link. Van Merritt was one of several brands marketed by the Oconto Brewing Co. in the early 1960s, though it doesn’t seem to have works, as the brewery closed in 1967. This ad ran in The Arizona Republic, from Phoenix, Arizona.