Bock beer

Serve it cool rather than ice-cold: around 8–12 °C lets the rich malt aroma come through. Pour slowly into a clean, spacious glass to leave room for the foam.

Its malty, often caramel-like flavour pairs well with roast pork, sausages, mature cheese and dark bread. A sweeter doppelbock also works with chocolate desserts.

Yes. Add it to a beef or pork stew for a deep malty note, or use a splash to deglaze the pan after browning meat; simmer it so the alcohol cooks off and the flavour concentrates.

Keep it upright in a cool, dark place, away from heat and sunlight. Once opened, seal the bottle or can and refrigerate it, then drink it soon while the carbonation and aroma remain lively.

Doppelbock is a stronger, fuller-bodied style of bock, usually with pronounced malt flavours such as toast, caramel or dark fruit. The name means “double bock”, but it does not mean the beer is exactly twice as strong.

Traditional bock is a lager, fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast and matured cool. Its rich, malty character comes from the brewing and malt choices, not from being an ale.

The goat is a visual pun: “Bock” means “billy goat” in German. The beer name is commonly linked to the town of Einbeck, whose name is thought to have shifted in pronunciation over time.

Use another malty lager, such as a dunkel, or a brown ale if the recipe can take a more roasted flavour. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use malt extract thinned with water or a dark non-alcoholic beer.