If someone actually made a snow cone with hops, I would snap it up especially in holiday hot L.A. But Wolf’s Ridge Snow Cone would be a good stand-in.
Holiday Beer # 1 – Jubelale from Deschutes
Each year, I “Advent” calendar selected beers starting the day after Thanksgiving and going until Christmas Eve. This year, I start with the reliable and re-labeled (with new artwork) Jubelale from Deschutes Brewing.
Xmas 2012 – Southern Tier / 2X Xmas
We are getting near the end of Christmas beers but there is time to head to New York and Southern Tier….
“Swedish flags are a fairly common sight in our part of the country. Holiday parties often have warm concoctions of spices and booze at the ready to knock the ice off of toes while raising spirits. We were inspired by a “Glogg” party, deciding on the spot to brew a beer that pays tribute to this Nordic tradition. 2xMas Ale combines traditional brewing ingredients with figs, orange peels, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger root. It’s a holiday addition to the 2X line and another reason to toast to the season, but unlike Glogg, we recommend serving this one”
Xmas 2012 – Birra Artigianale Delle Val D’Orcia / Christmas Duck
We head to Italy for some duck, Christmas Duck…
“Christmas beer flavored with honey Olmo. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, fermented in the bottle and barrel. 8.5% Alc. in vol.”
Xmas 2012 – Kern River / Winter Ale
We travel north of Los Angeles to Kern River for our next holiday beer….
“As the Kernville temps dip our spicy rye Winter Ale warms up the taps. It gets its kick from rye but has plenty of hops to balance out the malt.”
Xmas 2012 – Sound Brewery / Entendez Noel
We head to my favorite new (to me) brewery of 2012, Sound Brewery for their Holiday offering…
“AKA The Mother Of All Tripels (MOAT)Entendez Noel is a unique intense Belgian-style that can be considered an imperial triple or pale quadruple. Some warming alcohols and spicy notes (from fermentation only, no spices added) make this beauty perfect for our first holiday beer. Enjoy the ever changing aroma and flavors as you and the beer warm up.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Bifrost
The Brewery – Elysian
The Beer – Bifrost
The Details
“Pours golden with orange highlights. Smells alluringly sweet like caramel apples with a little spice and orange zest. Taste is bold and balanced with a good amount of citrus and earthy hop bitters to offset the malt character. Finishes dry with a bit of fruit.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – North V
The Brewery – Fort George of Oregon
The Beer – North V
The Details
“This year we took another Holiday Icon, The Fruitcake, and designed our Winter Seasonal in its’ honor.
A mash of barley, oats, wheat, rye, rich caramel and honey malts are mildly spiced with Cascade and Saaz hops, fermented with Fort George House Yeast then allowed to condition on hand-splintered, rum inspired oak. A Glase Fruit concoction that includes cherries, pineapple, orange and lemon peel is dissolved into the finished beer to add the final touches.
While designed and bottled to age, we are sure this version of the Fruitcake will not be passed down for generations, but opened and imbibed at many a cheerful gathering. 7.5% abv. IBU’s Hard To Tell”
I'm dreaming of a beer Christmas
I hope everyone is having a lovely turkey day feast with their favorite brew.
Remember that starting tomorrow. Nothing but Christmas / Holiday beers. There will be suggestions, reviews and food pairings plus other seasonal beer information to help you find a better beer for this festive time of the year.
To start check out this book: HERE