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(Courtesy Tröegs Independent Brewing)
With Thanksgiving now behind us, the winter holidays are ON.…And we’ve a number of seasonal classics guaranteed to keep the season “naughty and nice.”
Director’s Cut (Hershey, PA) – Tröegs Mad Elf Ale is a holiday tradition on the East Coast, but the brewery also releases an uber-limited variation that takes the beloved cherry-fueled Belgian-Style Dark Ale in an even more complex direction.
Adding Balaton cherries and the tartness that comes with them to a mix that already includes Bing, Lambert, Van and Royal varieties, Tröegs Mad Elf Grand Cru is a deep burgundy 11% ABV limited release that was born to be shared as the weather grows colder.
“Putting this beer in cork and cage bottles helps give it that extra special touch,” says Tröegs co-founding brother Chris Trogner. “The corks are great at keeping pressure in and oxygen out. Since Grand Cru is a beer many people like to age, that’s a big plus.”
(Courtesy Ninkasi Brewing)
Sleigh Ride (Eugene, OR) – Those of you who read us regularly (and we can’t imagine why you wouldn’t) know that we’re totally in the tank for Ninkasi Brewing – and we’re fans of their winter seasonal too. Definitely not you grandma’s Christmas beer, Ninkasi’s Sleigh’r Winter Ale is a deep, dark and robust 7.2% ABV holiday seasonal, with a symphony of rich malty notes, countered by hints of seasonal spices and a subtle hoppy bitterness that will keep the winter’s winds at bay.
Christmas Present (Cleveland, OH) – Sometimes unfairly overlooked by a craft beer audience increasing enraptured by the shiny and the new, Great Lakes brews a spectacular holiday beer. Great Lakes Christmas Ale is a 7.5% award-winning Winter Warmer that’s brewed with a Yuletide’s worth of fresh honey, tangy cinnamon, and complex ginger flavors.
Fresh Hop To It (Chico, CA / Mills River, NC) -One of the nation’s most accomplished craft brewers, Sierra Nevada Brewing, has a winter offering that New Belgium founder Kim Jordon claims is her go-to holiday beer, and we couldn’t agree with her more.
First brewed in 1981, Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale is a 6.8% ABV India Pale Ale, one of a very few, holiday beers that’s actually an IPA. And because it’s a fresh-hop India Pale Ale it’s subtly different every year, which keeps things interesting.
Get Delirious (Melle, Belgium) – When it comes to classic Christmas beer, there are few with the staying power of a rich Belgium ale that made its debut almost a quarter century ago using three types of yeast.
Crafted by the Huyghe Brewery in Melle, Belgium, and released annually at Christmastime, Delerium Noel is a 10% ABV Belgian Dark Strong Ale with a reddish brown ambience and a smooth and creamy mouth feel that builds on the palate with flavors of yeast, fruit, and spice.
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