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“Brewed once a year by Left Hand Brewing to fight cabin fever, this spiced strong ale uses all natural ingredients, including crushed cinnamon, honey, chopped ginger, orange zest, cardamon & cloves. Deep red in color, this medium-bodied beer is a winter warmer – enjoy on a cold night in front of the fireplace.”
We head to Southern Tier for today’s seasonal.
Because I am not a huge dark beer fan, I occasionally have my Defense Against Dark beers reviewer give the lowdown on new or classic beers that I normally don’t drink.
Technically not called a Christmas Holiday beer. More Edgar Allen Poe and Halloween. But this espresso stout would be great this time of year.
Here is the latest installment…
“I tried out the Requiem Espresso Stout. Looks like a stout, very dark, not a lot of head, but the taste is very light and bright for a stout. Definitely get the coffee and there’s almost a cinnamon taste there too. It does not have the heaviness of taste that typifies most stouts. This is not a bad thing, its just different and a little surprising. If you were trying to get someone to like darker beers and they were already a coffee fan this might be a great bridge beer.
Paired it with pan sauteed green beans and pine nuts topped with feta cheese. Somehow the pairing worked, don’t ask me how.”
From the Holiday Ale WEBSITE
“Held in the heart of downtown Portland, the Holiday Ale Festival keeps attendees warm and dry under a large clear top tent that covers Pioneer Courthouse Square while allowing for views of the city lights. Gas heaters create a cozy ambience under the boughs of one of the region’s largest decorated Christmas trees.
More than 40 potent winter ales are featured at this year’s event, all of which are created specifically to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season. These aren’t beers you’ll find in the supermarket – our brewers have put together special recipes just for the Holiday Ale Festival. From Belgians and Barleywines to Porters and Stouts, these beers are rich, robust and full of complex flavors.
Come hoist a pint and toast to the spirits of the season. We look forward to seeing you at the Holiday Ale Festival…Cheers!”
EXTRA!!! I just heard that they will be having some great (rare) beers at this event. 2005 Samichlaus anyone? Or perhaps a 2009 Hair of the Dog Jim, a blend of Hair of the Dog beers which this year may be more Blue Dot-esque. You had better try it out.
Mistletoe from Lazy Boy Brewing in Washington..
A great choice from Ninkasi ..
Christmas in Placentia…
“Speaking of Jingle Bells, our winter seasonal is here. Bottles of “2 Turtle Doves”, a Belgian-style dark ale boasting 12% ABV will be available for sale in the Tasting Room starting Friday.
“2 Turtle Doves” is brewed with toasted pecans and cocoa nibs and is a rich treat that is perfect for winter (or early fall!) evenings. Flavors of caramel and nutty malt meet luscious chocolate in this what is sure to be a holiday merrymaker.
This is the second beer in our “Twelve Beers of Christmas” line that began in 2008 with Partridge in a Pear Tree. Two Turtle Doves has not officially been released yet, and won’t be on store shelves for a few weeks, so get your hands on a few bottles first – exclusively at the Tasting Room!”
Every year, fall’s crisp, cool air signals the imminent arrival of winter. Thoughts of snow, friends and family, the holidays, and — Jubelale. Brewed with dark crystal malt creating a luscious holiday note with bountiful hops to excite your taste buds— it’s easy to see why Jubelale is the perfect complement to the season.
Every year Deschutes Brewery selects a local artist to create an image evocative of the season’s festive atmosphere. The intricate and unique art on the label enhances the Jubelale experience much like beautiful wrapping paper enhances a gift.
Central Oregon artist, Tracy Leagjeld, had fresh snow in mind when she designed the label for this year’s Jubelale.
“One of my favorite things about Central Oregon winters is how often we wake up to blue skies after a winter storm,” said Leagjeld. “In this painting, I was trying to convey the feeling of a crisp snowy morning being warmed by the sun’s rays, and how lucky we are to have the Deschutes National Forest as our backyard playground.”
One of my favorite magazines is Imbibe. They cover all the beverages worth drinking. For their Holiday issue they talk about witbiers and barleywines. Both of which are great for the season.
Get some satsuma tangerines and a St. Bernardus wit and you will be happy or if it is late and you just finished off leftover turkey, grab a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.