Modicum Renames Annual Bockbier Release Cease & Desist Fest Amid Naming Dispute

Modicum Brewing Co. in Eau Claire hosted its annual Bockbier release on Feb. 21 under the new banner Cease & Desist Fest: A Celebration of Bockbier at 4212 Southtowne Dr., drawing fans from noon to 10:00 p.m. for half-liter pours, pitchers, a bratwurst bar and the German Bierstacheln ritual. The event name was changed after messages from another brewery claiming trademark ownership prompted the team to rebrand a few months earlier.

The beer itself arrived after a deliberate production cycle: Modicum operator Eric Rykal said the brewery spends about three months lagering a single batch. "It takes a very long time to make, about three months to make a single batch of this beer," Rykal said, and Volume One noted "three months of 'slow, patient maturation'" in the lagering tank before release. Modicum described the pour as a "hearty, zaftig, full-bodied malt bomb" on its event page and promoted servings by the half-liter alongside pitchers of the "clean malt bomb."

Modicum framed the name change with a tongue-in-cheek nod to industry realities on its event listing: "Larger brewers often have teams of attorneys on staff to protect their Intellectual Property. Sometimes those attorneys send you a letter demanding you immediately stop infringing on that property. No problem! We'll just change the name of our annual festival and carry on with the party!" The brewery has not publicly named any claimant; Volume One reported the change was announced a few months back after messages alleging trademark ownership.

The Bierstacheln demonstration remained a centerpiece of the festival. Rykal described the effect in savory detail: "They love the hot poker in the beer. It really does transform the beer in a crazy way. The sugars in the beer get caramelized and the foam turns to marshmallow, and it’s just delicious." Modicum's social copy echoed that sensory image, saying the red-hot poker "instantly caramelizes" the beer and converts foam into a "marshmallow-y meringue."

Attendees paired those caramelized pours with a bratwurst bar set up in the taproom, and Volume One's coverage highlighted pitchers and traditional accompaniments as part of the release. The annual Bock Fest traces back to previous tenants K Point Brewing; Rykal's operation took over the tradition after relocating to the Southtowne Drive site two years ago and continued the hands-on release ritual this winter.

Photos from the weekend captured the 12-10 p.m. crowd and the steaming bratwursts alongside frothy half-liter steins. For Modicum, the festival blends craft labor and community: "It's one of our favorite beers to brew... when we put that much time and effort into a beer, we really try to celebrate it, and have a big party to release it," Rykal said, adding, "It's just a great excuse to get people together, and we love doing that. It's our favorite part of running a brewery, and it's really what makes this worthwhile.