The Lesters Are All About The Bock Bill and Tammy Lester with Coors Wolf vBy Aimee Huntley When people move into a new house most of them don’t pick one based on their hobby, but this wasn’t the case for Bill and Tammy Lester of Yankton. After searching for months, the Lesters specifically chose their current home last fall, because it could comfortably display their one of a kind bock collection. Originally from New Mexico, Bill states that he actually had his previous house in Canyon City, Colorado, custom built to accommodate his growing collection. In the Yankton house, the Lesters have had specially constructed shelving built to enhance and perfectly display their treasures. This unique collection is the largest known to exist in the United States. Bock is a type of beer that’s classified as a lager. It originated in Einbeck, Germany during the fourteenth century. When bock beer migrated into the city of Munich during the seventeenth century, there was a mispronunciation due to differences in language accents. The beer was called “ein bock” which means “goat” in German, instead of Einbeck. Not only did the name stay, but also its mascot: the goat, which has been so popular on bock beer advertisements over the years. Bock beer is a deep amber in color, and tastes stronger compared to other lagers. It has an alcohol by volume content that ranges from six to seven percent. A comparable American beer would be a Samuel Adams Winter Lager. Bill first started collecting in his twenties. He’d find old interesting beer cans lying on the sides of roads and kept them. Since then, his interest has greatly expanded to include all types of American beer collectibles and antique advertising memorabilia such as lights, posters, trays, tap handles, rare ceramic bar and display pieces. Currently Bill has around 3,000 beer cans alphabetically arranged, with no two alike. This is after paring them down from an additional 2,000, once previously owned. A clear stand out in the collection, is the first beer ever sold, which was manufactured in a steel can, by the Krueger Brewery in 1935. 22vHERVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2019