Bock beer is delicious. A strong German lager that comes in dark (dunkel) and pale (helles), its full-bodied balance of malt, yeast and hop flavors pairs well with early spring comfort foods from corned beef to roast vegetables. In the first couple hundred years of its existence, it was served (and marketed) as a lenten bread substitute.

The beer with the best claim to resemble the original brew is Einbecker’s Mai-Ur-Bock, a light gold beer more filling than pilsner or kolsch. The most imitated bock is Paulaner’s Salvator — doppelbocks with “-ator” in the name (e.g. Spaten Optimator) are nods in its direction.

Hershey, Pennsylvania’s Tröegs Brewing Company offers a very good year-round doppelbock, Troegenator. In early spring, they produce Cultivator, a pale strong lager at 6.9% abv. It pours with a medium head and good carbonation and shines gold-red in the glass, with a yeasty bouquet, a mild sweetness at the start, and a hoppy finish.

Some seasonal releases are worth a single try but a six-pack of Cultivator will not take up space in the refrigerator for long — this is a satisfying and drinkable beer. Not too sweet, and not too bitter.

The packaging for Cultivator is, for a Tröegs product, restrained and easy on the eyes — no satanic horned man, no swooshes or over-intense chiaroscuro or graphic elements obscuring the words. Its label features just a single green sprout emerging from a brown hill with a faint set of goat horns haloing the name (“bock” means goat). A bottle of Cultivator is not embarrassing to hold. It’s delicious, and on sale through April.

Photo: Jordan Davis