Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Good to see one of my favorite breweries both bringing holiday cheer and bringing back in a new form, the infamous Wookey Jack.
“Wookey wonderland? We’re sippin’ in it! The Wookey has come in from the cold, and it’s fully reimagined for the season. Arctic Wookey is our classic black rye IPA reimagined with abominable amounts of flavor courtesy of a dank and resinous hop profile takes it to frigid new heights. It’s as black and cold as your blessed heart.”
An Irish-American spin on a holiday ale comes to us from the Guinness Open Gate in Baltimore.
“This seasonal brown ale is brewed with whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and hand-scraped vanilla beans. The malty base brings out the caramel notes, and hints of baking spice give it a robust but balanced finish.”
Even in winter their is the sun, Sun King Brewing that is and their winter offering, Electric Reindeer.
“Electric Reindeer is a Brown Ale brewed with ginger and molasses for Newfields’ Winterlights.”
I had my first Northern Monk beers at this year’s Firestone Walker Invitational. Loved both and now I am longing for their winter seasonal, Festive Star.
“Our annual festive release, Festive Star, returns for 2023. Our Northern Star with a party hat. A silky porter with chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon to get you into the festive spirit. “
My wife breaks out the earmuffs when it dips below 75 degrees. I would prefer the 4 Hands Brewing version myself.
“Earmuffs is an enchanting hazy winter IPA that embraces the season’s serene chill through the use of CRYO hops, a hop product created by freezing raw hop cones to sub-zero temperatures with liquid nitrogen before shattering them, sifting the lupulin and pressing that green goodness into pellets that provide accentuated aromas and flavors. Expect intense notes of lime, melon, bright berries, pink grapefruit, dried roses and pine resin contributed by a blend of CRYO Cashmere and Talus hops.”
Do we need to consider where a holiday ale is from? Does a city without snow build a snowman or does the snow country do it better? Ponder that while you read the description for New Holland’s Holiday Ale.
“This winter warmer is inspired by the festive taste of eggnog and is brewed with milk sugar and enough nutmeg to fill Santa’s sleigh! Post-fermentation, the beer is aged in bourbon barrels for over 3 months for an added kick of bourbon, vanilla and oak. It is sure to warm your spirits and fill you with good cheer!”
Now this is a simple but classic label, ornament, check. red and green, check. Name it Holiday Ale and done. Now go find it tucked between all of New Belgium’s VooDoo Ranger IPAs.
“Tis the season for flavors of cranberry and orange, cinnamon and spice, for everyone naughty and nice!”
We are at Christmas Eve and Santa has to work and not kick back with a pint, but there is one last beer to be had, Stay Frosty from Reuben’s Brews.
“Stay Frosty IPA is the perfect beer for the tail end of Summer and the return of crisp, cool, fall air to the PNW. It’s clean and refreshing like a lager, but with the higher ABV and bold hoppiness of a classic West Coast IPA.
Instead of using traditional ale yeast, in this hybrid IPA we use lager yeast and ferment at cooler temperatures than normal IPAs to deliver a clean body that allows the hops to shine without any of the usual ale yeast aromas. The addition of flaked rice to the grain bill imparts additional clarity and crispness. Gobs of hops build an assertive bitterness, and we also dry hop at the tail end of fermentation to deliver even more hop boldness.”
Nearing the end. Hard to pick at this point but I lean again, like yesterday to spices associated with the season, something nice from Ommegang.
“Lightly dusted with spices of the season, Everything Nice is a warming, wintry Belgian-style blonde ale. This supremely cozy confection pairs perfectly with any traditional holiday treat. Note the flavors of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and white pepper as you sip next to the fireplace. We hope this fresh-baked offering brings warmth and light to you and yours.”
Back to California as fast as we can because we have to catch up with The Bruery…
“Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with molasses, ginger, graham cracker, and spices
Run, run, run, as fast as you can… it’s gingerbread season, and we’re feeling festive! What better way to celebrate than with a delicious gingerbread-inspired imperial stout. We added a bit of molasses to the boil before aging in bourbon barrels. Then we added all the classic spices— cinnamon, allspice, clove, and nutmeg— along with graham cracker to capture the rich sweetness of a fresh gingerbread cookie.”