As the holidays are in full gear, this is a time for remembrance. It has been a arduous year and it’s a year when we need a holidays even more. Recently I was in Syracuse, Indiana at the Man Cave Brewing. They had a shirt that said: Beer, the glue that holds the 2020 shitshow together. As a beer writer, I get the sentiment completely and for myself I have certainly taking the time to enjoy beer as I have traveled my home state in an attempt to catalog every single brewery. I’m nearly done and now I’m looking to enjoy my holidays and the excellent beer we drink with them. So I’m in reflective mood and will try to mention some of my favorite holiday beers.
My first Belgium trip was in November 1999, and my fledgling beer palate was exposed to many seasonal beers, most of which I don’t remember. The word Noel was thrown around, and I was told that the seasonal offerings from Belgian breweries were excellent. Last night we tried the Pere Noel, and even though it was past its prime, I got delicate hints of what that the beer was supposed to taste like. And I’ll just say simply that what I like about the seasonal beers of winter are the spices that are added to many offerings.
I think early in my drinking days the two beers I liked most we’re both made on the East Coast. Harpoon’s Winter Warmer is a delicious malty ale with all the flavors of Christmas! The nutmeg and cinnamon blended well in the beer. I enjoyed it so much that I think I even purchased a case of it. The other beer I liked equally was the St Nikolaus Bock from Penn Brewing. It is a rich Bock with chocolate malts, and a deep flavor that I have come to enjoy many a winter month. The brewery also releases a seasonal Nut Roll Ale which I also enjoy. And it tastes just like that wonderful dessert!
There are so many different seasonal offerings from many fine breweries that I may not have chance to count them all. The celebration from Sierra Nevada is a personal favorite every year as well as the one from Great Lakes. Whatever store that you shop at should carry some of them, and I encourage you to try a few if you are not already a fan of one. I particularly enjoy Anchor’s Christmas beer which has been released every year since 1975. I don’t understand the flavor profile but it has always reminded me of Pine needles!
In addition to making beers that fit the season, many breweries release excellent winter sampler‘s. I’m sure a lot of you have enjoyed Sam Adams around the holiday with the special beers they include only in their winter sampler. I saw a lot of very good samplers this year including one from Rochester Mills which features 12 milkshake stouts. It’s not a stretch to see how these beers fit the season. Dark beers blend with the cold months, and if you’ve never tried Samichlaus from Austria, you don’t know what you’re missing!
This is one of my favorite times of the year and I have always enjoyed good beer over the holidays. As I have finished up my brewery project, I have been in many full tap room across the state of Indiana. You don’t have to appreciate holiday beer to fellowship this time of the year, but it doesn’t hurt. So I hope you have someone to enjoy a pint with over the coming weeks, and maybe it will be a Christmas beer or holiday offering, or maybe not. All the same remember there is so much beer and so little time!
So Much Beer So Little Time 