Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Galway meets Belfast as the Micil Distillery and the music group KNEECAP have taken the Distillery’s award-winning Connemara poitín and then ages it in empty oak casks that are seasoned with Kneecap’s favourite monkish made tonic wine.
Each bottle is in a hand-stamped brown paper bag, that are numbered and wax-sealed, with a bespoke swing tag. And they sold out so, so quickly so will have to see if you can find at a bar in Galway.
Statistics can seem impressive or scary or moving in the right direction but they can also be fudged, toyed with and downright misleading. Which is why you always need to read more when you hear a statistic and not just hail it or disregard it.
Case in point. American drinking habits. There is much play whenever a poll comes out that says Americans are drinking less than before. I say this as someone who has parroted that line myself while also knowing whenever my doctor asks me how much I drink, I pretty much always lowball the number because I do not want a yearly check-up to turn into an intervention.
This leads me to this short piece that shows where our attention should really be. Give it a read.
We have come to the beer before Christmas, this year the endcap is not a holiday ale per se but Guinness in a holiday themed can. The reason for this choice will become clear at the end of the month.
There are all sorts of celebrity drinks and all sorts of actual involvement by the celebrity with the drinks associated with them. One of the few that is actually hands-on and interested in his brand is the comedian Jim Gaffigan whose Father Time Bourbon sells quite well.
Gaffigan now has a comedy special, novella sized that revolves all around Bourbon culture, called The Bourbon Set….
…you can catch it on YouTube HERE
The penultimate holiday beer is from Chicago and Half Acre Beer Co. It is their cold weather lager, Far Star.
“a luminous, pale lager with a moderate 5.2% ABV that brings full flavor in a lighter bodied beer. Brewed for the cold weather months from Autumn through Winter, this easy drinking lager is a perfect complement for the high caloric season of holiday meals and parties. And when we cross into the new year, Far Star lets you add a light layer of lager for those long winter nights.“
Personally, the best choice for ringing in the New Year is Avec Les Bon Voeux from Saison Dupont but before you crack that gem open, might be best to pre-game with an N/A beer that also could sparkle….
Athletic Brewing is going the Brut IPA route for their Round of Cheers for a better 2026.
We head to the East Coast and Trillium Brewing for two fancy bottled holiday beers with a nice high ABV…
Cadeau (9.1%)
“A Belgian-style Holiday Golden Ale, pouring golden with a light haze. Aromas of pear, apple, and a hint of white pepper lead to a bright, effervescent sip with subtle spice and gentle hoppiness.”
Bière de Noël (8.5%)
“A French-style holiday ale with a light orange glow. White pepper, fruity esters, and gentle clove create delicate complexity, while a dry finish and lively carbonation keep it refreshing.”
My first choice would be the Cadeau, the pear and apple combo sounds great.
Exciting to taste a rum barrel Christmas Ale from the fine folks at El Segundo Brewing who have a steady little barrel program.
Some cans you crack open and you can tell that the contents are barrel-aged from a foot away, such is the case with Santa’s Secret Stash. Wood aroma and burnt sugar greet the nose in abundance. The Christmasy red color of the beer is perfect for the season and even though it is 10%+ beer, it doesn’t cloy at all. In fact, it has a bit of a sprightly fruitcake tinge to it. Getting lots of red fruit notes. Works well for a hot weather L.A. day.
Theakston has some ho-ho-ho for us with the Legendary BEERD.
“Our festive seasonal ale is now pouring on cask in pubs – rich, bold, and full of festive character. Described by some as liquid Christmas pudding in a glass!”