Don Zamzow
Bull Falls Brewery, LLC
901 E Thomas St
Wausau, WI 54403
www.bullfallsbrewery.com

715-842-BEER (2337)
mikez@bullfallsbrewery.com

2nd Annual Bull Falls Bock Fest Announced for March 13th.

Bock Fest Kicks Off with “Never Forgotten Honor Flight” Run/Walk at Noon

Wausau, WI - February 12, 2010    German-style bock beer, good food, and Irish music! A great combination for a fun-filled afternoon out in the elements at the Bull Falls Biergarten, 901 E Thomas Street in Wausau. Shake off that cabin fever, dress for the weather, whatever it is and head for the brewery for a good time. But that’s not all, because this year we are looking forward to helping some very deserving WW II veterans to travel to Washington D.C. to visit their World War II Memorial.

Our little group of impromptu runners last year has morphed into a full-fledged Run/Walk event. Some area runners formed a committee and held meetings at the Bull Falls Brewery conference room. After hearing about the “Never Forgotten Honor Flight” program for WW II vets, they unanimously decided to join with us and organize a Run/Walk event to help raise funds for it. Flyers have been prepared inviting runners to participate and businesses and individuals are being invited to sponsor the event with funds or other in-kind donations. The route has been sanctioned and will be 5K in length heading generally north from the Brewery past Lee Yawkey Woodson Art Museum to Humboldt and back to the brewery. Registration for the Run begins at 11:00 a.m. and the Run itself begins right after announcements at noon.

When the runners return, the crowd will gather in the Biergarten for official tapping of the ceremonial keg by Wausau’s Mayor Tipple with Mike Zamzow, Brewmaster, assisting. Besides this year’s delicious traditional dark bock beer, several of the Bull Falls favorites will be on tap including the new White Oak Ale, the Lumberjacks favorite. Following the tapping ceremony, Maggee’s Irish band will begin their program of Irish songs and dances getting into the upcoming St. Patrick’s spirit for the day. Bock Fest food will be provided by Bull Falls Brewery partner, the Wausau American Legion Post 10 throughout the afternoon. And finally, our staff of workers and volunteers will be assisting attendees who want their beer warmed and caramelized by the fire. Like last year, this is expected to be a well-attended event, snow or shine.

The development of Bock beer began in Einbeck, at a small resort for the nobles of Hamburg in the days of the Hanseatic League in the 16^th century. This popular northern beer captured the attention of Duke Maximillian I in Munich (southern Germany), who built the now famous Hofbräuhaus München to brew it there. Also in 1773 the Paulaner Brewery of Munich brewed and continues to brew a Bock beer called “Salvator” which means Savior which is released the second Thursday after Ash Wednesday. Bock is a particularly dark beer with lots of protein and carbohydrates which also served as a source of nutrition to help people during times of fast, as in Lent. Hence, Bock beer has been traditionally brewed in the winter and released in the spring. This event was typically marked with a festival of some sorts.

In the United States and in particular the mid-west craft beers have grown in popularity with Bock beer festivals carrying on this tradition. Examples of these in our part of the country are the Bock fest at the Schell Brewery in New Ulm, Minnesota and at the Capital Brewery in Middleton, WI. Bock beer has become associated with the "Billy Goat", as Bock is the German word for it. Bull Falls Brewery is proud to be able to bring this tradition to north central Wisconsin, “Big Bull Falls”, or Wausau.