Two years ago 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 Neuweiler Bock Beer, which was published on January 22, 1960. This ad was for the Neuweiler Brewing Co. of Allentown, Pennsylvania, which was originally founded in 1875 by Benedict Nuding. Nuding retired in 1900, and Neuweiler bought him out, but didn’t change the name until 1905. This ad ran in The Morning Call, of Allentown, Pennsylvania. In case you’re curious, “Nix Besser” is a Pennsylvania Dutch phrase I grew up with which means “none better.” It’s believed to have been derived from “nichts besser,” which means “nothing better” in German.