John Zutz photos
Left - Father Michael Barrett performs the very first "Blessing of the Bock," March 19, 1989. The ceremony took place at the Gordon Park Pub (since then - till 2002 - the place was known as the Stork Club, and has re-opened as Neeson Dorma) in the Riverwest Neighborhood of Milwaukee.
Right - Russ Klisch, Fr. Michael Barrett, Jim Klisch and Carson Praefke pose with the blessed beer.
The first three blessings were sponsored by Lakefront Brewery. In 1992 the first Milwaukee Beer Festival invited other breweries, and homebrewers to participate and to have their beer blessed.