A glass of Maibock beer.
Alex Ryan Thompson, ©2025, Clemson Extension
What is Maibock? A Springtime Lager
May in Germany is the time of the Maibock. In fact, “Mai” is the German word for the month of May. Maibocks are strong malt and hop forward lagers brewed for the German springtime, and they highlight the complexities of German brewing traditions.
The History and Origins of Maibock
Maibock traces its roots back to the 18th century in Germany and is rooted in the German tradition of brewing “bock” beer.
Maibock’s Roots in Germany and the Bock Beer Tradition
Bock beer brewing dates back to around the 14th century and most likely originated in the northern German town of Einbeck. Einbeck was a leading trading center of the region and a large-scale producer of hops. This ready access to trade routes and raw materials led Einbeck brewers to develop strong and hop-forward beers that were able to survive shipping to distant export markets. These beers proved to be as popular in Germany as they were abroad, and eventually, the style was adopted by Bavarian brewers around Munich.
Calling this style of beer “bock” most likely has two origins. In many accounts of the origin, the town of Einbeck is commonly pronounced in the Munich accent as “ein Bock” which is also German slang for “billy goat”. Second, bock beer’s notoriously higher alcohol content inevitably led many bock drinkers to fall off their stool after a few too many bock beers. Observers of this overconsumption would say the drinker was “kicked off their stool by a billy goat”. The combination of these two stories most likely led to the strong association of goat imagery and bock beers.
It is not uncommon to see bock beers, including Maibock, use images of goats on their labels or use some variation of the word goat in their naming. Bock brewing imagery featuring goats was prominent in Germany throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and even found its way to America in the 19th century when many German brewers founded American breweries and began brewing bock beers.
American bock beer advertising featuring goats from the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Photo Source: Google Creative Commons License
German bock beer advertising featuring goats from the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Photo Source: Google Creative Commons License
The Influence of 18th-Century German Brewing Innovations
Another key aspect in the historical rise in bock beer’s popularity was English engineer Daniel Wheeler’s introduction of an “Improved Method of Drying and Preparing Malt” in 1818. This method involved the use of a heated, rotating metal drum to dry and roast malted barley. Prior to this invention, malt was dried and roasted over perforated floors by direct wood, coal, or peat fires. This led to large inconsistencies in color and flavor as well as distinct aromas of smoke being introduced to the malt. This invention led to higher quality roasted malts, opening a range of smoke-flavor-free and consistent malts for bock brewers.
During this peak in bock beer popularity and innovation, Munich brewers released the first Munich-made bock beers just in time for the annual May Day celebrations in Bavaria in the mid-18th century. This strong, malty, and hop-forward beer became known as Maibock and became the quintessential beer of Springtime in Bavaria.
Today, many German breweries still produce Maibock, and some even produce them year-round due to their popularity. American craft brewers also produce their own versions, with the iconic Dead Guy Ale from Rogue Ales in Ashland, Oregon, being the most widely available American brewed Maibock. Drinkers of Maibock beer should expect a strong, malt-forward lager with a noticeable hop character.
BJCP Style Guidelines for Maibock
Below are the Beer Judging Certification Panel (BJCP) Guidelines for Maibock:
IBU (International Bitterness Units): 23 – 35
SRM (Standard Reference Method): 6 – 11
OG (Original Gravity): 1.064 – 1.072
FG (Final Gravity): 1.011 – 1.018
ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 6.3% – 7.4%
5A. Maibock/Helles Bock
Overall Impression
A relatively pale, strong, malty lager beer. Designed to walk a fine line between blandness and too much color. Hop character is generally more apparent than in other bocks.
Appearance
Deep gold to light amber in color. Lagering should provide good clarity. Large, creamy, persistent, white head.
Aroma
Moderate to strong malt aroma, often with a lightly toasted quality and low melanoidins. Moderately low to no noble hop aroma, often with a spicy quality. Clean. No diacetyl. Fruity esters should be low to none. Some alcohol may be noticeable. It may have a light DMS aroma from Pils malt.
Flavor
The rich flavor of continental European pale malts dominates (Pils malt flavor with some toasty notes and/or melanoidins). Little to no caramelization. It may have a light DMS flavor from Pils malt. Moderate to no noble hop flavor. It may have a low spicy or peppery quality from hops and/or alcohol. Moderate hop bitterness (more so in the balance than in other bocks). Clean, with no fruity esters or diacetyl. Well-attenuated, not cloying, with a moderately dry finish that may taste of both malt and hops.
Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied. Moderate to moderately high carbonation. Smooth and clean with no harshness or astringency despite the increased hop bitterness. Some alcohol warming may be present.
Comments
It can be thought of as either a pale version of a traditional bock or a Munich helles brewed to bock strength. While quite malty, this beer typically has less dark and rich malt flavors than a traditional bock. It may also be drier, hoppier, and more bitter than a traditional bock. The hops compensate for the lower level of melanoidins. There is some dispute whether Helles (“pale”) Bock and Mai (“May”) Bock are synonymous. Most agree that they are identical (as is the consensus for Märzen and Oktoberfest), but some believe that Maibock is a “fest” type beer hitting the upper limits of hopping and color for the range. Any fruitiness is due to Munich and other specialty malts, not yeast-derived esters developed during fermentation.
Key Ingredients in Maibock Brewing
The base of Pils and/or Vienna malt with some Munich malt to add character (although much less than in a traditional bock). No non-malt adjuncts. Noble hops. Soft water is preferred so as to avoid harshness. Clean lager yeast.
The Brewing Process: Decoction Mash and Lagering
Decoction mash is typical, but boiling is less than in traditional bocks to restrain color development.
History
A fairly recent development in comparison to the other members of the bock family. The serving of Maibock is specifically associated with springtime and the month of May.
Commercial Examples
- Ayinger Maibock
- Mahr’s Bock
- Hacker-Pschorr Hubertus Bock
- Capital Maibock
- Einbecker Mai-Urbock
- Hofbräu Maibock
- Victory St. Boisterous
- Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock
- Smuttynose Maibock
