Christmas Libations
The holidays have got me pondering beer, and how pleasurable sharing a glass of something new or a special aged bottle from the cellar with friends and family can be. It is a great time of year to drink something special! Extraordinary Christmas offerings from top flight breweries make up a detailed listing of holiday options, as do fashions of ale that you can usually overlook.
I particularly enjoy getting into styles that I do not frequent throughout the year: winter ales, Imperial Stouts, and Barley wines. The second two on this list might have some of you thinking how a self-proclaimed beer lover could ignore such outstanding styles across the year. Well, they’re definitely not ignored. These styles are well suited to ageing and this is the time of year when I dip into the cellar to break what’s been developing during the past 6 months to one or two years.
Getting into the cellar is frequently a momentous event well suited to the holiday season we are in. Comparing vintages of repeating classics like Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Anchor Christmas, and Sierra Bigfoot, always makes for a fine evening or afternoon. There also are many collector-level beers to think about adding to your cellar, like Alesmith Speedway Stout or Stone Vertical Epic. If you are feeling bold, there is a selection of numerous vintages of English strong ale from JW Lees and Gales available.
I also quite enjoy the exploring of overlooked styles. For me the most unconsidered style is weizenbock. Most commonly I’m not keen on Weiss or Hefeweizen. However there’s no denying the unparalleled quality of a beer like Schneider Aventinus. A revisit keeps me in touch with the breadth of brewing and conscious of my fast-changing palate.
As for seasonal ales, the Belgian brewers have this season locked away. As much as I like American brewing, the Belgian Christmas beers are basically the best seasonal brews around. I look forward to the once a year release of warming yeasty ales that show off intricacy, refinement, and extraordinary deliciousness. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale and De Ranke Pere Noel are two of my faves, but I also enjoy the glass packs that blend your brew of choice with the brewery’s glass specially designed for drinking their ale.
Tasting ales or lining up 1 or 2 drinks with a friend or relative you have not seen in a while is a very pleasurable and cost-effective source of entertainment that can be hosted at home. There is so much out there, but as long as you have what you like best in your favourite glass and somebody to share it with, you are all set for a great holiday season!
Tim Bush found his way to Colonial Spirits of Acton in 2002. It was beer that brought Tim to Colonial Spirits of Acton and beer that permitted him to make a meaningful contribution to the store. At this point beer is only a small part of what Tim does, however he enjoys ale now more than ever. Tim’s Beer Blog is where Tim shares his many thoughts on the topic of beer.
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