19th Annual Bock Fest Cincinnati

The Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (Brewery District), Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Co., Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, and local merchants are teaming up to celebrate Cincinnati’s German brewing heritage, Over-the-Rhine, and the coming of spring during the 19th Annual Bockfest celebration.

In 1992, Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company teamed up with Over-the-Rhine advocates and revived Bockfest to celebrate the brewery’s introduction of Christian Moerlein Bock, giving birth to an eclectic and uniquely Cincinnati festival.

In the 1800s, Cincinnati was one of America’s most prolific brewing cities. Cincinnatians drank more beer per capita than any other city in the country, and Over-the-Rhine was, at one point, home to more than a dozen breweries and several hundred saloons. Beer flowed freely throughout the year, but it was said that Over-the-Rhine took on a particularly festive atmosphere when the breweries released their annual bock beers, prior to Lent. Bockfest is a celebration of this brewing tradition.

Events during Bockfest include the Bockfest Parade on Friday, a homebrewers’ competition on Saturday at Bockfest Hall, 1621 Moore St., Prohibition Resistance tours of pre-prohibition brewing sites on Saturday and Sunday, Over-the-Rhine Historic Church Tours on Sunday, Continental Sunday, and live music throughout the weekend.

A free shuttle bus will transport Bockfest attendees between venues. Bockfest attendance is free and there are no cover charges for events or bands, except for tours. Pre-Bockfest events will occur throughout the month.

ABOUT BOCK BEER:
(Please look at Hudepohl, Schoenling, Moerlein Bock beer logos)
Bock beer is traditionally a dark, rich lager with a higher nutritional and alcohol content than other lagers. It was originally brewed by German monks for sustenance during the Lenten fast. In pre-prohibition Cincinnati, Over-the-Rhine’s dozens of breweries would introduce their seasonal bock beers around Lent.

Sponsors Christian Moerlein Brewing Company and Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Co. brew three beers for Bockfest. Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock and Hudepohl Festival Bock are both available on draft and in bottles. Bottles of these brews will be available where Moerlein and Hudepohl brews are typically sold. The Schoenling Bock is being brewed from the recipe of last year’s Bockfest Homebrew Competition winner. Schoenling Bock is only available on draft and only at Bockfest. All of these bocks are made in limited amounts for Bockfest and the Bockfest season.

Bockfest Homebrewers’ Competition is an annual event organized by the Bloatarian Brewing League. of Cincinnati, Ohio created 2010’s competition-winning Bock. Chris Mitchell was given the opportunity to recreate his recipe as Schoenling Bock for this year’s Bockfest. Details for the 2011 Bockfest Homebrewers’ Competition are available at the Bloatarian Brewing League Web site, www.bloatarian.org.