Maibock is a traditional strong, malty Bavarian lager. Like the month for which it is named (“Mai” is German for “May”), it is a transitional beer, the perfect drink for the short Bavarian spring. In the Bavarian Alps, May is the brief season between the last thaw and the first bloom, when it is still too cool to linger in the beer gardens, but already too bright outside to hide indoors in the beer halls. Although brewed to bock strength—with about 6% to 7% alcohol by volume and a substantial body— maibock is light amber to deep golden in color. This sets it apart from the darker winter bocks, hence its other name, heller bock (pale bock). Maibock tends to be made from a base of pale pilsner malt with generous additions of Vienna malt, Munich malt, and/or other lightly caramelized malts. See pilsner malt. Compared with the winter bocks, maibocks also tend to have slightly more hop bitterness and hop flavor from noble Bavarian hop varieties. Most maibocks are still made by the time-honored and labor-intensive decoction method, during which portions of the main mash are drawn into a separate cooker and boiled there before being returned to the main mash. Decoction ensures optimum conversion of grain starches into fermentable malt sugars, which results in the desired high alcohol content. After fermentation, maibocks are allowed to mature and mellow out near the freezing point for 4 to 8 weeks for a well-rounded finish.

See also decoction.