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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Friday’s first ad is for Ballentine’s Bock Beer, which was published on March 27, 1908. This one is from the Rockford Brewing Co., of Rockford, Illinois, which was originally founded in 1849 by Jonathan Peacock, which is why it was often known as the Peacock Brewery. This ad ran in The Rockford Register Star, also of Rockford, Illinois. The ad itself is quite plain, but I absolutely love the hilarious headline: “Drink Bock Beer And You Will Soon Become Eligible To Membership In The ‘Don’t Worry’ Club.”