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 second ad is for Anheuser and Lemp’s Bock Beer, which was published on May 1, 1880. It’s unclear is this one beer, a collaboration between both Lemp and Anhueser-Busch, or two separate bock beers both arrived for May Day 1880. The latter seems the most likely despite the bottom of the ad stating that Chas. Schifferdecker was an [a]gent for the celebrated Anheuser and Lemp Breweries, Joplin, Mo.” So presumably then this ad was for both the Lemp Brewing Co., which was located in St. Louis, Missouri and was originally founded in 1840, and the Anheuser Busch Brewing Association, also of St. Louis, and having been founded in 1852 by George Schneider. This ad ran in The Joplin Herald, of Joplin, Missouri.