...in the very merry month of May

As I mentioned in my last post, it's getting about time for you kids to dust off those steins, put on your finest lederhosen, find yourself a nice fest and get your oompah on. Why? Because it's springtime, and in the German beer-drinking world, that can only mean one thing: maibock. As Oktoberfest is actually celebrated in September, "May" bock style beers are presented in April. Which means they're out there - right now, in fact! - waiting for you...
Unlike the big & heavy bock beers associated with the "liquid bread" of the Pauläner monks, the maibock style doesn't include dark malts and is more hop-accentuated, replacing the chocolatey, roasted aromas with a spicier, floral note, and the richer mouthfeel with a lighter, more noticeably alcoholic taste. They are, simply put, the perfect quaff for folks like me who like their Bavarian lagers with a little more meat on their bones without always opting for a dunkel (or an eisbock, for that matter). Compared to your routine biergarten quenchers, maibocks typically run 3-4% higher in alcohol, as well as exhibiting much more malt and hop character - excellent for those sunny afternoons that still have a hint of the winter chill on the breeze.
Some excellent examples you can find quite easily on the West Coast include the Sudwerk Maibock and Rogue's classic Dead Guy (confusingly called) Ale. If you're in San Francisco, though, you can do even better than that by heading out to spots that proudly serve fresh taps straight from the source: both Walzwerk and Suppenkuche host überfabulous bars with seasonal imports you're hard pressed to find anywhere else - so if you head out now, you may lucky enough to find something as wonderful as the Mai-ur-bock we chanced upon in the woods last week...