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Milwaukee Beer Festival

By John Zutz

Over seven hundred people attended the 16th annual Blessing of the Bock, the featured event at the Milwaukee Beer Festival sponsored by Vietnam Veterans Against the War and the Milwaukee Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA). The fundraising festival sent nearly $7,000 to charity.

The Blessing, performed for the first time by a Lutheran minister, the Rev. Robert Giese, is traditionally a Roman ritual connected to Lent. Bock beers, usually heavier and sweeter than many beer styles, have been brewed since the Middle Ages and are usually "rolled out" as a celebration of Spring.

The festival included 36 display tables manned by the brewers or their representatives, presenting hundreds of beers for thirsty attendees to taste. International and regional beers were served, as well as those of local microbreweries and homebrews.

The main beneficiaries of the festival were the My Lai projects (coordinated by Madison Friends) and the Library of Vietnam project. Money was also given to VVAW, the VVA chapter and a number of other charities.

The Rev. Robert Giese performs the Blessing of the Bock