The Northern German city of Einbeck was the center of brewing in the 13th century. That changed with the Duke of Braunschweig's wedding in the early 1600s to the daughter of a wealthy aristocrat from the South. Then the center of brewing moved from Einbeck to Munich. Another version of the story suggests that the male goat is a symbol of fertility synonymous with the spring season. It has a more pronounced hop character in the aroma and on the palate.
Some brands are even dry hopped for added bouquet.
Other examples include Erdinger Pikantus Weizen Bock and Schneider Aventinus. Eisbock-German brewers had been producing an eisbock, a method of partially freezing the beer and straining out the ice crystals, leaving behind a maltier, more alcoholic product. Doppelbock-A religious order of Italian Monks introduced this style of bock beer. The Order of St. Francis of Paula, cloistered high in the Bavarian Alps, developed this distinctive brew. It is also noteworthy that 16th-century reformer Martin Luther drank copious amounts of bock beer to sustain him during his annual Lenten fasts.