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So many beers, So little time… Newbies is your essential map to the “best of the best” and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week and this week, we’re all about holiday beers. From Dogfish Head’s FL!P to Cascade’s Sang Noir, we’ve got all kinds of winter seasonals you’ll want to check out. So welcome to a Special Holiday Edition of Newbies – your guide to great new craft beer releases!
Dogfish Head Flips Out (Milton, DE) – If you bellied up to a bar in 18th-century America on a winter’s eve, chances are the colonists on either side of you would be nursing a warm, spicy flip. This eggnog-type beer cocktail repeatedly appeared in the journals of the founding fathers, and now Dogfish Head and Eataly’s Birreria have teamed up to bring them back. This Friday, Nov. 22, they’re releasing the first beer ever brewed specifically to make a flip beer cocktail. FL!P Ale is a toasty, malt-forward winter warmer with notes of toasted bread, biscuits, toffee, caramel, and stone fruit. And while the beer lasts, they’ll be making their own FL!P cocktails at the Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats compound in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. For more info on when they’ll be serving up the special colonials, check out: FL!P Cocktails
An Old Friend Returns (Minneapolis, MN) – One of the nice things about the holidays is catching up with old friends and the Indeed Brewing Company is releasing something special for those occasions. Old Friend Holiday Ale is a winter warmer brewed with fresh ginger root and a hefty dollop of family harvested honey. This 7% ABV deep ruby-colored seasonal sports layers of rich malt flavor and an intense ginger nose and its available now (on draft and in bottles) through December.
The Red & Black is Back (Portland, OR) – Cascade Brewing is releasing a special Sour Ale next week and we’re pretty damned excited about. The 2012 Cascade Sang Noir is a blend of red and double red beers that were aged in bourbon and Pinot Noir barrels for 12 to 24 months, and then blended with barrel-aged Bing and sour pie cherries. Rich, dark cherries, dark fruit, bourbon, and hints of leather greet you in the nose. This seasonal Northwest sour is tart, bright, and oaky andit goes on sale (in bottles and on draft) next Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 4:30 pm PST.
West Sixth Releases A Holiday First (Lexington, KY) – West Sixth Brewing is releasing its first ever seasonal beer – The West Sixth Christmas Ale – in cans this December. This dark spiced ale will be the first-ever Christmas beer brewed and distributed by a Kentucky Brewery. In addition, it will be the first-ever seasonal product from West Sixth Brewing and the first seasonal beer canned in Kentucky.
Odell Gets Its Freik On (Fort Collins, CO) – Odell Brewing is freiking-out about the return of the brewery’s beloved Lambic-style Kriek-Framboise hybrid. Now in its fourth season, Friek has become one of the brewery’s most highly anticipated releases. Brewed with Colorado-grown cherries and aged in oak barrels for months, this seasonal Lambic is blended with fresh raspberries just prior to packaging. Odell Brewing will be celebrating the return of Friek at the brewery’s tap room on November 23 and 24, and will be releasing 750 ml cork and cage-finished bottles throughout the brewery’s ten-state distribution footprint.
Saint Benedict Blesses the Holidays (Stevens Point, WI) – Stevens Point Brewery has just released a popular saintly seasonal and it couldn’t be more timely. St. Benedict’s Winter Ale is a dark and hearty cold weather seasonal and this year, it returns with a new flavor profile. Brewed with dark-roasted malts and noble hops for a rich, malty finish, this one’s great for holiday meals and will be available at retail now through the holidays.
Gingerbread, No Oven Required (Berkeley, CA) – Nothing evokes the holiday spirit quite like the rich taste and spicy smell of gingerbread, and Bison Organic Beer‘s ever-popular Gingerbread Ale is back once again to compete with that seasonal treat. Featuring hints of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, this zesty 6% ABV medium-bodied ale balances its spice notes with a strong malt backbone and a dry finish. We’d argue you could pair this with just about anything on your holiday table – so grab a few six-packs and let us know when dinner’s ready.
